The Start of Another Week

Wow, it's the last Monday of September already. Beats me where the heck the month--the year--has gone. There's an Annie Dillard quote I read years ago that has stuck with me: "How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives." (Full disclosure: I've not read any of her books; the quote, seen in passing, caught my attention.)


That makes me feel a bit sad, since I spend my days in front of a computer doing tedious things with spreadsheets and databases. LOL. On the other hand, I'm blessed to have a good job with great people, and hey, most of us have to earn a living. Life could be much, much worse and I'm grateful for all that I've been given. ♥


Derry's GI issues continue, and I've got an email in to the vet to ask about a round of antibiotics and/or Prednisolone. I need to give up the hope that this will be managed by food alone at this stage; perhaps down the road it can be. Part of the issue is that he just won't eat most of the vet food, canned or dry, that would help him, and the foods he will eat exacerbate the problem. My basement is filled with unused open bags of kibble and partial cases of canned. I'm not impressed that my vet clinic doesn't carry most of the feline food that would be appropriate, so I can't just buy a few tins to see if Derry will eat it. No, I have to order a case of 24 from their recently-launched web store, and I'm unable to return at least some, if not all, of it. I really don't care for this model of veterinary care, it's a far cry from the state of care when I first adopted Chumley and Annie. (We can say the same thing about the state of our own health care, it's now a far cry from how doctors interacted with their patients decades ago, and at what length.)


Anyway, we're muddling along as best we can, the two of us.




Except for yesterday, I haven't been out walking much...or out at all beyond errands. (Though R & C's visit on the 19th was lovely, so nice to see them again!)

I did, however, walk almost 7 km yesterday morning, from home to the Pet Valu location out in the west end of our city. I hadn't intended to walk that far, but it was such a lovely day and once I got going I just kept moving. I admit I was relieved to bus home, though. Surprisingly, I feel fine today, not sore.


Oh, I was chatting with my (only living) aunt yesterday and she seemed to feel that another lockdown was coming at Christmas-time and that this pandemic would rage for 3 - 5 more years. That floored me. Maybe I'm being more optimistic out of sheer desperation, but I'm not sure we'll survive (mentally/emotionally) if COVID is in a pandemic state (as opposed to endemic state) for 3 - 5 years beyond what we've already gone through. Yikes!



Anyway, I'm going to focus on cheerier things, like dogs in windows and lingering sunflowers. 🌻


I hope everyone is well and that the week is a good one. Take care.

Peace.

Comments

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said…
What a lovely set of photos. You always have such wonderful pictures. I'm sorry about Derry, I hope that you find a good solution for both of you. No, nothing is quite like it was before, and I'm not sure how much will ever return to that. I guess we have a new normal now. I do personally believe that we will evolve to an endemic (like the regular corona viruses...i.e. common colds) with SARS-CoV2. But we have to develop immunity to it, and the only way to do that is by living our lives. All this lock down stuff is bad bad bad for us as human beings. We all need that human interaction. Enough of my soapbox. Hope you have a great week!
Love those photos! I'm sorry Derry is still having problems and I know how worrisome it is. I understand about the wet Vet food too. Our IM Vet told me the only ones who like the food the Vets sale is the Vets. Dang, we're way more than ready for Covid to take a hike out of town!
Kea said…
Our province has been doing pretty well SO FAR through the 4th wave because (a) health measures were never removed and (b) the vaccination rate has been good. So I hope that we won't see another lockdown, no matter what my aunt fears.
Kea said…
I believe it (about only the vets liking the vet food)! Derry seems to like the Hill's i/d Digestive dry well enough, at least for the moment, and I've got a case of the canned on order to see if he'll eat that. Haha. If I were to bet, my guess would be a flat no on that!
Derry looks so handsome in the picture. I so wish for you both that his GI issues would just end with the food. If you start him on meds, maybe they will be the beginning of good start. I think you walked plenty far and if that is when you took the wonderful pictures, it certainly looked sunny and beautiful. I have heard the pandemic will go on for about a year. One of the vaccine makers said by then, they would finally have produced enough for every human in the world to receive. Here it is so bad in just my big little city that the hospital is not doing any elective surgeries again, as they did a year or so ago. Also there was a protest by about 50 hospital employees saying they would not get vaccinated. The hospital had given them until Dec 31 this year or fire them. Now the hospital has agreed to just let them be. In the meantime, many hospital personnel have quit, do to over work and stress, etc. I guess if I were in their shoes I may have quit too. I still practice super cleanliness and masking the little I go to the grocery. Otherwise I avoid any people unless I see folks outside at home and stay a safe distance. And when I bike, I never stop to talk. Have a safe and happy Fall. Lynn and Precious
catladymac said…
We are sending Derry - and you - purrayers and Power of the Paw. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures.
I'm sorry to hear that Derry is continuing to have issues. Sending that little bear healing thoughts.
Your photos are exquisite. I love the one with the mist rising from the river.
Katie Isabella said…
I wish Derry could just have some peace from all this...and you as well. I know how you feel in that I too am a careful mom to my girl. It's hard on us..but that's what we bought in for when we got our cats. I LOVE the pictures. I always do.
The J-Cats said…
We are so sorry Derry is having these health issues. We purray a solution is found.
There IS something sad about September, isn't there? We don't like Autumn - but it does produce some beautiful pictures, We have to admit.
Your photos are all beautiful. I am sorry that Derry is still having so many problems and hope they can be solved. I know how upsetting it is when you do everything possible but it still doesn't help. Good thoughts are sent to both of you.
Maebeme said…
I sure hope Derry's GI issues can be resolved soon. He sounds like my Silas, in that he didn't care for the food that was good for him and he'd try into to the cupboard where I hid the other cats food...and often succeeded. Of course, they don't understand why.

Lovely photos! I can't pick a favorite.

As for your aunt's prediction, I certainly hope she's incorrect. I read an article recently that suggested that it is no longer if we will get Covid, it is a matter of when. Our province is well on it's way of ensuring that we all get it sooner rather than later. I'm less concerned for myself, because of the vaccine, but worry so much about the little ones, especially Eli. (I had a whole paragraph written but deleted it - it was merely a rant you didn't need to listen to.)

On the other hand, this fall has been phenomenal - beautiful weather and the trees are changing quickly. No killing frost yet, so I'm enjoying the continuing blooms in my containers.

Take care, stay well.






Kea said…
Our health sciences centre (encompasses the hospitals and other health care facilities) have put about 130 staff on a 2-week unpaid of leave of absence because of refusal to fully vaccinate. We'll see what happens after that! I'd never be able to survive working in the health care field, it's just far too stressful. Plus I really don't care to be around a lot of people. LOL.

Enjoy your bike trips and the autumn colours!
Kea said…
Thank you for the purrayers and PoP and for stopping by!
Kea said…
Thanks! The mist on the swamp was just Sunday morning, a lovely view. :-)
Kea said…
Thanks, Carole. I'm coming to think I have the wrong kind of personality to be a good pet parent. I suspect one needs to love them dearly, but have a bit of emotional distance, not be so super-sensitive and paranoid about every little thing to do with their health...as I am!
Kea said…
I like autumn, though Spring is my favourite season (with the rebirth, new growth). I just don't like that fall in Canada leads to 6 months of freezing temps with snow and ice and sleet! :-P
Kea said…
Thanks, I/we appreciate the good thoughts. Derry will be good for a few days, then not, and so it goes.
Kea said…
For all we know, we might already have had COVID and have been asymptomatic or have had such mild symptoms that we weren't aware of it. I have so many sinus, allergy and congestion issues year-round that unless I got really sick (god/dess forbid) I wouldn't know. I hope Eli's and your daughter's tests come back negative. I saw your post, with comments off, that they have to wait till the weekend. That's a long wait, with the back-log.

No frost here, either, but it was cool overnight at only 7C. Soon I'll need to turn the heat on a bit just to warm the house up in the mornings. LOL.

Take care, have a good week.
Not good about Derry
Covid 19 maybe around for years but we will adjust to it and cope what else can we do
Dearest Kim,
Yesterday I went back and forth to Atlanta = about 500 km and on the way home got stuck for one hour in standing traffic jam. Worn out in the evening and no interest in reading any blog.
So today I'm finally catching up on things, so much behind. Last week one trip to Atlanta and another two hour drive to the Apple Store in Augusta with very bad traffic. It really wears one out. I'd rather go biking with my Pieter, which we did on Sunday!
So sorry about your Vet's 'selfish' sales of healthy (?) cat food without any ability to return or for a test sample of one or two cans. Not very consumer or client friendly!!!
Hoping that Derry will manage and you too. Remember that how you're feeling, that too resonates on our kitties well-being. Try to go out walking more often and bring home such incredible photos. It cheers you up and no doubt will work positively on Derry!
Your surroundings have lots of color still. We don't have that many wildflowers here, still everything is green but not many blooms, but tiny ones.
Big hugs,
Mariette
meowmeowmans said…
Yes, it's baffling how it's almost October. Time flies, I guess, but like you, we re thankful for the lives with which we have been gifted. :)

I'm sorry to hear that Derry's still struggling with the digestive issues. And how very frustrating that your vet does not carry those foods for you to try. I would think they would have food reps who would give them samples, but it sounds like not. We are sending love and good thoughts, in hopes that it might help Derry do better.

Your photos are so lovely, as always, Kim. I love the misty swamp one, and the bee on the sunflower. Of course, the one with Derry is my fave.
John Bellen said…
It can be very frustrating trying to help a cat with a chronic problem when the veterinary situation isn't helpful in itself. If you have specific foods you would like to try, perhaps you could mention them in the blog; if one of your readers has access to just a few tins, they could send them to you. It would save having to buy a case of something that might not work.

I love the photos, too. The images of countryside in your town make me think of pleasanter places than my own. And the apples made my mouth water.
Kea said…
You're right, Jo-Anne, we'll cope and carry on as best we can. :-)
Kea said…
Ugh, your LONG day of travel would have exhausted me as well. I'm glad you at least got out biking, something MUCH more enjoyable!

My walking has decreased to almost nothing as the work-from-home situation has continued. It IS my choice to continue to work from home, and it will be the latter part of October before I'll be able to book a "hotel" desk at the office and return to campus for a day (or half-day or whatever) a week. We won't have many of those shared spaces, so it might be more challenging to do so than we first anticipated, but even getting out one day a week will be great for my mental health. :-)

Anyway, I hope you're all well and that the rest of your week is calm and uneventful!
Kea said…
Thanks for the good thoughts, always appreciated. Derry has a few days where he's fine, then a few days where he's not, etc. Anyway, we'll muddle through! :-)
Kea said…
Thanks for the idea of asking for a few cans of certain foods, instead of buying a case, I might have to resort to that! My recent order of two new cases has shipped; no doubt more for donation to our local shelter. LOL.

As always, the images are deceiving, since a major thoroughfare runs adjacent to the swamp and it's often noisy. Sunday mornings not as much! I don't get to mid- or downtown much anymore, but my gosh, every available space has a massive apartment building under construction. I keep wondering who will be able to afford to live in them. Maybe the kids of the wealthier people who send their offspring to university. Certainly not the "average" family. Anyway, as is the case everywhere, this city has massive development taking over all available land, which I find so very depressing. I'll keep my eyes focused on the bits of nature left, thanks very much. And if I could have reached any of those apples, I'd have tried one. :-)
Not uneventful as a long distance funeral is coming up. Six hours one-way. 💞
dood.....itz grate ta see ewe again !!! we R sorree tho stuffz kinda off on off on with
yur foodz....pleez ta tell mom { we lurned thiz when we waz at catster } that if her
contax a pet food company and askz if they send "sampullz" lots oh timez they WILL !!

thiz mite help with de canned goods situationz ~~

K; totally awesome photos as always...the landscape above the bird is AMAZING !!!!
you should give up your day job and become a professional photographer ;) ♥♥ L