Gus, the Springer

At the end of last week, I had it all set in my mind that I was going to get back into the routine of a weekly post....then, 

Gus, the Springer turned up sick and it upset both Jeff and me so much I couldn't write one. His sickness was rather quick coming on or kind of so. He has been having some loose stool for several weeks but not all the time. I had wondered if he had a stomach bug brought on by the bay water. Then a bump came up on the top of his head that we felt warranted attention. Along with this, he seemed lethargic and was panting nearly all the time. Yes, we know it is super hot, but the panting had gotten Jeff's attention. I called and took him into the vet mid week and all I heard from that visit was, "Has anyone ever said he has a heart murmur?" They did some bloodwork and told me too much information so that I came home quite upset. When they called on Friday with the test results it was good that Jeff had answered the phone. He was able to ask all the right questions  and we started him on a heart medicine. All weekend both of us were thinking and quite nervous about him. Lindsay finally convinced me I needed to call today and get him back to the vet because maybe he just has an infection. 

I will spare you all the details, but he is on an antibiotic to help with the fact that he could have an infection, a probiotic to get his stomach settled and an x-ray has been made. His heart doesn't seem to be as pressing as our initial thoughts were, but still concerning. We will go back to see how he is in a couple weeks and the x-ray is being looked at by someone else too. Besides Gus being my baby, he has wrapped Jeff up in his little world too being home with him all day everyday. Gus has welcomed all 4 grandchildren into the world and they all thing he is a KING. He is never far from one of us. He has started his medicine this evening so I am hoping in a few days he will be back to normal.

No dog has been more spoiled or had more premium food than Gus. Until a couple of weeks ago, he has been the healthiest looking and acting dog we have ever owned. 

He is beside me under the sewing machine table as I type.

Oh and the bump on his head was nothing of concern.

My post is starting off grim, but I will end on a good note.

After fretting over Gus, I have another thing that I haven't exactly fretted over but have deep sadness over it. My dad is buried in a country cemetery. Y'all are gonna have to imagine the woods kind of country. I will not be sharing pictures. I have this thing about taking pictures of graves. It is not for me! My parents were from the woods outside of Brewton, Alabama and I mean the woods. The community is called Range on a map, but growing up it was Deer Range to locals. They grew up a couple of miles from each other and the local one room school house was about center mark from each of their homes. My mom's side of the family is buried on donated land from that side of my family and the little church is pictured in my sidebar. The graveyard for that side of the family is right next to it and family lives all around it. I have several generations buried there. The site is pristine and well taken care of. 

My dad's cemetery is not attached to the church down the road but was deeded to the church by one of its congregants many years ago. She is no longer living. When I was young and really up through my teens my mom kept the area around my dad's side of the family manicured. At some point, the church took over keeping it up and I sent money each spring to help with it. I still visited it and saw that it was all good. With Mama's fall, Jeff's Parkinson's diagnosis and the keeping up with all of that I didn't go that far out of Brewton to check on it. It was brought to my attention from a cousin that things had deteriorated badly. I am so glad she informed me because if I had driven up that little dirt road and saw without warning the state it was in I would have passed out from shock. 

I came to a slow realization that there is no one younger me than me that even lives out there anymore. The church like so many other small congregations is very old and honestly dying. I am taking back the care of my family again and will do so until I can't. I have researched and discovered this is a nationwide problem and does not matter the denomination. or the region of the country.  Jeff and I drove up on Saturday morning and left before daybreak to clean. I will make a monthly visit for the foreseeable future because I can't imagine I can even hire anyone to go that far out there to do it. 

The person who was in charge of the cemetery decided since they couldn't get anyone to take care of it and were running out of money decided to spray poison all the whole area. I think the families of people there should have been contacted before that happened, but I am over all that now and like I said, I will take care of my portion which is on one end of the land.

So yes, that has had me a bit worked up too. Bet this post was not on your radar. Let's try to salvage it with some happy stuff.

I have been stitching when I can. I started an October wordplay. I had chosen some brighter colors other than called for in the pattern,  but I honestly didn't like where it was headed and stuffed back in my bag and went and pulled out something else. Here it is ---will I come back to it? I don't know right now. I am just not feeling it. It doesn't look all that bad from the picture, but I just didn't want to do it.

I pulled out 2 different things to start. The first is a small sampler called "Upon My Heart" by Plum Street Samplers.

I stitched for a few days and decided to pull out a bird. I am going to rotate them each week. This is where I  left off on Saturday below. I will also add I enjoyed every stitch I did on this one.

The bird I have started on Sunday has been on my mind for sometime, but I have had some inspiration for getting it out and moving forward with it. An osprey, perhaps my favorite sea bird (I have many favorites) has decided to rest in the top of the oaks next door. It has been hanging out for a couple of weeks on the bayou. They have a very distinct call so I know when it has arrives each day. It has been there almost every morning when I go out on the deck. It would fly off when I would open the door, but the past few has been a little slower leaving hence the following pictures.

Tip top center 

I didn't know if we would have many birds coming and sitting in the trees when the pines by the water were cut, but they are finding their way to the oaks. I have watched more than one species have a dinner of fish in the trees. 

NATURE is really cool! Now, will it stick around. No clue, but it has inspired me to pull out my osprey pattern and I will share that on a next post.

I am reading as much as stitching and trying to keep my flowers alive in the August heat. I am still in summer mode and haven't even thought about fall yet. It is just too hot here. I am sure once it finally does cool down I will love it. 

I do really and truly plan to try and do a weekly post on Sunday afternoon. We will see!

Signed,

Sandy, the dog lover.