How can August be “fall”? But, it is. We have pushed every season forward, including the start of the new academic year. So, in early August athletes and marching band members are training. First football games, cross country meets, and golf matches are history. Registrations for classes are smoothing out and the squeaky sounds of violas in eager, new hands waft across the neighborhood. To add effect, this year’s weather was cool at the start of school and torrential rains worried everyone, ripped out footbridges and sections of the newly repaired Sac and Fox Trail. The sun sets almost due west and catches the sturdy spider webs, reflects off gleaming white mushrooms on the lawns and tints the topmost oak leaves with an “Alpine Glow” of sorts.
Daisy had a narrow brush with serious illness. All last week she was lethargic and preferred to clear a shallow basin in the shaded dirt under the canoe. There she rested. As it turned out, she had a lung ailment, which I dicovered by reading our wonderful rabbit illnesses book. Head held high, wiping nose, trying to breathe but heavily. So, since it was a Sunday I tried the alternative vet who doesn’t know a lot about rabbits. I called a friend, who came over and we applied the antibiotic. Since I had administered some by oral syringe, much to Daisy’s dismay and stress, I took our friend’s suggestion and applied some to the treats that the bunnies love. She gobbled up a couple of bites until she realized that there was something funny going on. Then she would not eat the treats. So, I put a tiny bit in water as she had been licking the edge of the bowl when I wet it. After, I dipped dandelion greens in the water and put them in front of her. Wow! She ate them right up. So, since she needed food and liquid, and since dandelions have both, that was the technique I used. Within a few hours she was breathing better and by morning even better. The regular vet suggested a vaporizor. So, even though the temperatures were warm and humidity very high, I bought one and set it up. So the bunnies breathed warm, moist air in the evenings before I went to bed and when I got up in the morning. By the end of the week Daisy was much better. Eating, hopping around and back on top of her bunny box. The other two got medicated treats as a precaution. But, Daisy is getting old. I was reading Marly and Me about the same time. A sad ending to the book. We owe it to pets to be with them in their last moments to love and support them. As one line in the book pointed out, pets spend their days waiting for us to come home.
Beautiful these past three days as the storms moved out. We have done a lot of sprucing up around the yard and house since January.
