The Dreaded VET

It's sunny in sunny California.  The good news is it's good Fair weather.  Not too hot, not too cold, but JUST RIGHT.  That's because our County Fair is in full swing.  Thank goodness, because in years past they have lost animals due to the heat.

No, I won't be going this year because the Elks Lodge gave up the hamburger stand.  You cannot imagine the work THAT was ... cooking hamburgers 20 hours a day!!  Instead, Bingo gives out money to FFA and 4H kids who show their animals ... to the tune of almost $12,000.  We are, after all, a farming community.

Did I ever mention that I showed cattle a hundred years ago?  I got third place.  There were only TWO in the class.  Someone forgot to mention heifers were not allowed, only steers.  I remember every second of that humiliation to this day!  At least now I can laugh about it!!

Here's my kid ... and I'm not laughing.  Poor baby seems to have terrible allergies and is chewing on his hip quite often.  I finally got out his now-a-little-too-small Thunder Shirt to keep it covered.  So off to the Vet we will go.  

After a nap of course.  

Oh my gosh ... he shook so hard I could barely hold on to him.  Poor baby hates the DREADED VET'S OFFICE, with all those dogs screaming from behind closed doors, not to mention the yowling kitties.  It's traumatic to come here.

I've been seeing Doc K for 50 years and he still looks like he's 30.  You know when you find that perfect Vet who's always there for you and he looks like a million bucks?  It's this guy.  

Come to find out, Mr. Cooper is terribly allergic to just about everything this time of year.  He also has these ugly growths on his skin from a slowing immunity due to his age.  On the other hand, I'm proud to announce that Doc said this dog has more muscle than any dog his age he has ever seen.  You've done good he stated.  

That's because we've walked so much over the last 15-1/2 years, and still make at least half a mile a day.  Apparently it's the best thing I could ever have done for my boy.  His heart is really good, his eyesight is bad and his hearing is going south.  Pretty much the same for me.

And so we left with a new prescription for arthritis in his feet, and an allergy shot for the itching, runny eyes and sneezing.  Allergies also cause them to lose their hair.  Who knew?  I thought it was just old age.

I put him in the truck and we headed home.  He instantly went to sleep on the seat.  I panicked!!!  I thought he died from the shot.  No kidding ... he's never crashed like that before.  I quickly felt his side.  Nope, still breathing.  

Back home he slept for the next four hours.  Doc says the shot won't kick in for a couple of days.  I tried Benadryl, but that requires I stick my finger halfway down his throat because they don't taste good.

While he rested, I harvested another bunch of tomatoes.  I'm definitely getting tomato vitamins, snacking on them all day long.

These Little Bings are just going crazy!!!!

My gypsum came in via Amazon, so I spent a couple of hours digging it in around the plants and watering everything.  I hope it works quickly, because I won't be getting ANY zucchini if it doesn't.  Every one has died on the vine.  Thankfully, the yellow squash is doing okay.

Not willing to wait to test out a recipe Patsy sent to me, I actually went and BOUGHT zucchini.  There was a lot more work involved than I thought.  Chopping up mushrooms that fly across the room, baking, then scooping out the screaming hot zucchini middles and chopping them, cooking it all in butter (YUM) and tossing in spinach for good measure.  I left out the ricotta because they don't have that at my Mexican store.  

Add in Monterey Jack cheese, garlic, some Parmesan and Italian spices before stuffing into the "boats".  Cover with more cheese and panko crumbs (which of course I did not have).  I used bread crumbs.

VOILA!!  Dinner!  I admit, in spite of all the work to make them, they were delicious!!!  If my plants ever produce anything, this is exactly what I will make.

A little while later, Mr. Cooper woke up.  Time to see how good I am at disguising his new pills.  Liver flavor they said.  Nope ... that was a big fat NO.  I finally won the battle when I crushed it up under his favorite chicken.  

The good news was no watery eyes and no sneezing this morning.  YAY!!  We are on our way to 16 years old and still going strong.  I owe it all to the dreaded vet Doc K.