I was brushing Suny (who has never before had fleas...) one day last week, when I found a live flea and a lot of black specks (droppings...ick!) So, today I had an appointment with the vet for Suny to get his second canine flu shot, and I told the man I was 'disappointed' in the flea and tick medication he had recommended. He was pretty apologetic and checked the dog over, finding more live fleas, and lots of droppings. So, he gave me a new 'chewable' medication to administer to him immediately, plus a can of spray (that not only is supposed to kill fleas and ticks in your carpet, but also a whole list of other creepy crawlies, which really won't make me at all sad). But, David read the label and was concerned about exactly what nasty chemical we will be spraying on our floors. I guess we will just follow the directions very carefully, and will launder all the throw rugs and bedskirts, too, just to be sure. Plus, all the rooms with carpeting will be thoroughly vacuumed, and the furniture will be moved (I don't think we will have to move the bookcases in the library since Suny has never used that floor very much for napping, and I doubt if the bugs could get under the heavy bookcases anyway....) But, the living room, our bedroom, the hallway, and the parts of the carpet in the library that could have fleas on it will all be thoroughly vacuumed and sprayed. We will also have to do the big rug in the family room, and the small rugs in the guest room. Father's Day weekend will not be a very relaxing couple of days... After all of that, Suny will get a good bath and a good brushing. I have already given him the chewable medication that is supposed to kill all the fleas and ticks he comes into contact with over the next month. Too bad we won't be spraying our entire yard, since we have deer, raccoons, coyotes, a few rabbits and maybe a squirrel or two (although I've not seen any of them yet...) The 'doc' didn't seem too concerned about the ducks or geese, so maybe fowl don't harbor fleas as much as mites and other critters.
Oh, the joys of 'pet ownership!'
Yesterday we had a nice day. David wanted to go up to a seed farm near Harper's Ferry where they grow wildflower seeds and other plants. He called and got them to agree to show him their set-up, even though they don't encourage the public to visit because they are a small enterprise and don't have a lot of free time to do tours. But, they did agree to let David look at the place (he bought a bunch of stuff from them this spring...and will be a good customer in the future, I'm sure.) On the way, we stopped at Hazelton to visit a few of their Amish shops. David was disappointed because the two places that were supposed to have baked goods were closed except on Friday and Saturday. But, it was an interesting drive around the Amish farms and we saw a lot of kids (and one woman who looked a bit worn out...) mowing the lawns with push mowers (not gasoline, either!) I liked seeing horses and cows all around, and seeing the clotheslines with rows of colored dresses, and other clothes and sheets flapping in the gentle breezes.
It was a very pretty drive, with Highway 13 up through Elkader being one of my favorites.
I got my hair cut this morning, and now will be all set for the summer once I've visited the dermatologist next week to find out how we will arrange my treatments to scrape off the remaining cancer cells from the side of my nose... that should be a rather nervous visit for me...
But, my eyes are good, my blood tests were great, and I'm losing weight (gradually now, but still losing), and I feel pretty good. So, life is good and I have no complaints (at this moment!)
Stay cool, and enjoy the sunshine....
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