Christmas Shopping...

Well the whole idea of Christmas shopping is buying stuff for other people, but occasionally I get distracted by shiny things that I would DIE for... well not really die but would really really really really love to have.

As we dragged ourselves through Home Outfitters, complaining about sore feet and aching lower backs, from across the aisle this shiny beacon glowed....

It's counter-top hydroponic garden. How freakin cool is that?!?! Home Outfitters had the base model at $175.99 but I found it online for $149.99. It's about the size of a small mircowave. It promises a harvest in 28 days. This is on my must have list for moving North!!

http://www.aerogrow.com/

P.S. I can post this cause unfortunately noone will be recieving this item on my christmas list even though it was the COOLEST thing in the stores.

So Today I turned 35...

Wow... 35 is a scary number...

Being 35 has already proven to be wiser. During my birthday dinner (which even though was before my actual birthday, I am giving credit to the wisdom of age), I dined with the members of my family who after years of experience, I know that I cannot tolerate the same level of spice as they can.

We ordered a selection of curries and had a free for all. Cory popped a piece of meat into his mouth and immediately began to hiccup from the spice... (Best quote of the night - that Curry can make you see through time). My mother, who has a spice tolerance unsurpassed by any living human, I'm sure, popped the meat into her mouth and immediately said... the top of my head is sweating... My brother who inherited my mothers tastes buds, popped a piece of meat in and immediately began hiccuping. His hiccups continued for quite some time... and Sarah who is the all time mistress of spice remarked... wow that is quite spicy. Then they looked at me to try it....

Not happening! I am 35 now... I now know that if all these spice contenders are remarking on the heat of a particular item, this is officially out of my range. I am no longer require to try it anyways to see how hot it really is... I am confident that I am unable to handle what they are peddling. I stood strong to the peer pressure. I made my wise decision and I still have both the lining of my mouth and stomach to show for it. I am so proud of myself.... this growing up thing has already started to pay off.

On the downside, I learned this morning that my absolute favorite pair of panties, the most comfy in all panty land, are, by Cory's standards... Grannies.

You win some, you lose some.

Olfactory Memories

Ahhhh... I smelled my grandmother the other day... Channel No. 5.

It always catches me off-guard when I have a scent memory. Nothing brings the past into the present like a smell.

Recently they have changed the cleaner that they use in the washrooms at work, it is the same stuff I used during my very short career in Housekeeping in Jasper National Park. Soon as I walked into the bathroom, it was as if I was standing in the forests of Jasper, looking out at the glacier lake.

The hallway of my apartment building smelled like the Chipman's mens dorm at Acadia University the other day... it's a combo of metabolized alcohol, stale cigarette smoke and something else... all in all a horrible smell but representational of an enjoyable time of my life when I was surrounded by friends.

A leather jacket and polo cologne puts me right back into high school.

Stedson cologne reminds me of my first "serious" boyfriend.

There are so many....

What about you?

Quick Charlie Update...

Well, the antibotics are done and the anal gland has drained. Unfortunately, the gland drained through the new hole that it created. EW!! Poor Charlie.

The Cheap Showiness of Nature.

Kearney Lake, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Summertime!

The Cat Registry

So it has been an hot debate item in the local area, the new cat licencing law for Halifax Regional Municipality. Effective April 1, all cats need to be licenced for a cost between $10-$30 per animal. With 6 cats, this means that my annual kitty bill has been increased by a minimum of $60 to a maximum of $180. I really wouldn't mind if there was a good cause coming out of it.

I took the time to read the purposed by-law while it was still being discussed. From what I gathered from the by-law, that the money goes towards building a death row for abandoned/lost/homeless animals. There is no money allocated for the enforcement of the registry and no money allocated for a spay/neuter program.

The board is presenting the by-law as "Responsible Pet Ownership" yet isn't doing anything to resolve the root cause of the problem, the uncontrolled breeding rate of feral and domestic cats.

I would happily pay for a spay/neuter program especially if it also had a trap/neuter/release program in tandem. This would resolve the uncontrolled breeding rate of animals as versus killing off the results. The SPCA charges (last I heard) $30 euthanasia fee when you drop off an animal. My last neutering cost $175 for the surgery and the pain meds which was completed by a "For-Profit" Vet Clinic. The average female cat can produce 3 litters of kittens in a year. Averaging a litter at 4-6, the euthanasia costs (by SPCA charges) would be between $360 and $540 per year. The average feral female produces kittens for 7 years... $2520 to $3780 costs that could be avoided by simply implementing a trap/spay/release program.

I am all for responsible pet ownership but this by-law will not resolve the problem. Responsible pet owners spay/neuter their animals. Animals aren't spayed/neutered due to the excessive cost of the procedure...

My prediction... responsible pet owners will register their cats. The rest of the cats will eventually be discarded onto the streets to produce more unwanted cats.

It's all a matter of perspective...

Nova Scotia is having an unseasonably cold winter (and it's not even winter yet). In the land of the green Christmas, sometimes you need a little perspective.

In 1911, Niagara Falls froze solid. Now that has to be COLD!

Vet Visit

For the past few days, Charlie, one of the cats has not been feeling well. He's been curled up in his "I don't feel good" position. Never actually sleeping but in a constant state of rest. On Thursday he curled up with me on the couch and went to sleep. His ears got warmer and warmer and when I did my paranoid mother attempt to wake him up, he growled at me.

He really didn't like us touching his hind end. I did a pinch test and came to the conclusion that he was a little dehydrated. So a few phone calls later, he was jammed into a carrier and off to the vet we went. Being a farm girl, I was pretty sure he needed antibiotics but not 100% sure what was the source of the infection. As we prepare to move to some place remote, each vet visit is my chance to bone up on my veterinary science. I am pretty confident that I am prepared for most animal related issues. I compare notes with the vet each time I go too.

In my list of kitty killers, I have bladder blockage due to crystals, poisoning, bowel blockage, injuries, infections, dehydration and then a series of systemic shut down as they get older. My goal is to be able to treat 90% of the ailments and stabilize for transport for the rest.

On my preventative side, to prevent another crystals event or FLUTD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLUTD), maintaining consistent food is a huge step. When you change your cats’ food, this changes the PH balance in their bladder. If the PH balance in the bladder becomes basey, crystals can form which can cause a blockage of their urethra. This is more common in male cats than female cats just due to the narrowness and size of the urethra. The "special vet food" for FLUTD is quite expensive and I didn't feel it was as good of quality of food as our normal cat food. The special vet food is high in acid, thus keeping the PH balance in the bladder acidic. We add a little bit of vitamin C to their food to keep the urine on the acidic side. No need for expensive vet food.

I am confident if I am able to catheter my kitty to drain the bladder, we can survive a crystal recurrence. I just need a supply of kitty catheters on hand, some topical anesthetic like lydocaine, KY and a really brave soul.

But back to Charlie and his vet visit. (I rambled)

Soon as we get there, they grab a weight on him. 11.8 lbs… pretty much the same as usual. That’s a great sign. Kitties can drop weight really quick when they are sick. Then his temperature… The average kitty temperature is between 38 and 39 degree Celsius (about a degree more than us). Charlie was running around 40.5. This is the root of his “I don’t feel good” position. This explains his crankiness, being tired, not interested in life. Now for the source of the fever…. Poke poke poke poke poke… oooooooh, what’s this next to his bum. His left anal gland is the size of a marble; his right one is barely noticeable.

Anal glands are what doggies and kitties are looking for when they meet someone new. These foul smelling ewies carries their own stinky calling card. They rest at 10 and 2 o’clock around the anus. Generally they drain into the anus under pressure from a movement but if these ducts get blocked, it is a prime spot for an infection. So now we know what is the root cause of the problem.

Treatment…

Antibotics. (What do I win?) The anal gland will drain on its own. It will either unblock the duct or make its own new path. The path of least resistance is out, so the fear of it draining into him and poisoning him with his own calling card is negligible. If Charlie was a better patient, she would have considered attempting to drain it herself with a finger (YUCK) but Charlie would have taken her life. She recommended Charlie permitting, hot compresses on his bum to draw the infection out as well.

This was the first time we have encountered this problem. I now have another diagnosis and treatment in my memory vault (I love vets who will share). I shall update with his progression.

Cool Trivia #1

In the northern hemisphere, if you are lost and are wearing a watch with the hands, you can point your hour hand towards the sun and exactly half way between the sun and the 12 on your watch is south.

Haven't tested the theory but pretty freakin cool...

It's Snowing

It's snowing out...

I am a strange breed of nova scotian. I love when it snows. I love the way the sound dampens when it snows and the world looks fresh and clean. I miss the blizzards of my youth when the world stops and the only noise is the sound of a snow plow on the streets. After the snow is done coming down, the world becomes a magical place. The sky is clear and the world seems at rest. My favorite time to go out and play, take pictures and just generally enjoy the pause.

In 1994 when we were in Alberta, one of the most magical moments was wandering through the snow covered streets in Lake Louise with the snow packed under our feet in the middle of the night. The snow was so high on either side of the walk way that you couldn't see over it, it was like walking through a tunnel of sparkly crystal. The sky was so clear that you could see millions of stars above. The world was quiet and seemed completely at peace, like nothing evil could exist in such a place. It was like we were the only people in the world.

It has been so long since the world has stopped to take a breath like that.... todays flurries have made me yearn for the days of yesteryear *sigh* Tuesday is calling for rain so all evidence will be whisked away again.