Fruit in the Garden

President Roosevelt Rhodie

Our work continues. We stopped at Sunny Farms Nursery to buy blueberry plants. The nursery worker tried unsuccessfully to discourage us from growing blueberries, then gave explicit planting instructions for best chance to succeed. This included lots of peat moss and acid food, mounding the plants, mulching, watering heavily then not at all and finally, using a drip system for further watering. We spent a small fortune to buy mature plants so we can harvest berries this year. We got two early varieties and two mid-late varieties. We also planted two small red currants. There is plenty of room for more blueberries next year if these work out well. We bought the components for the drip system too, and will install it this week. I hope we'll be able to sit down and enjoy all this stuff someday.

Blueberries

Veggie and strawberry beds 

Bob is getting creative with the fence. He's weaving old raspberry canes into the fence material to create a bit of a windbreak. I want to grow a big rambling rose along it for something pretty.

Cane fence start

Here is a long shot of the garden. It's composed of the greenhouse, the fruit area (raspberries and strawberries in addition to the blueberries and currants) and the veggie area, all using water from the irrigation ditch or the well. We're hoping the water doesn't run out this summer because of the drought.

The garden

Bedroom Floors

Cork floors in the spare bedrooms. Done. In less than a day. Dalton knows what he's doing and does great work. The cork works well with the hickory floors and fir trim.

If we'd done it ourselves it would have taken a week with lots of back aches and maybe a trip to ER. Now to finish painting the walls and move in the furniture.

The rhodies I put in last fall are starting to bloom. This is the beautiful pink and cream Unique.

The Garden

We had some area cleared around the greenhouse and raspberry patch, and had topsoil mix brought in. Now Bob is building it out. Deer fencing is up and a few beds have been built. It's still a work in progress but I couldn't resist starting the strawberries. Peas and beans will grow along the fence. Next year we'll probably put in another bed or two.

This part will be planted with blueberries or honeyberries or maybe both, and a couple of grape vines.

I picked up some heirloom starts (yes, organic! Something I would never find in the desert). The seeds I started are still tiny, except for the beans. I started them in the little soil plugs and already had to put them into bigger pots. They are staying in the greenhouse until it's time to go outside. It's still pretty cold at night so I'm giving it another couple weeks for the beans at least. Everything else can go out when the irrigation water gets turned on and I have some row cover to protect them from cold and birds and insects.

In the greenhouse I'm trying a deep root watering system for the tomatoes. I put holes at the bottom of the bucket adjacent the plants, and a row of holes just above the soil line. Water fills the bucket and is distributed at the surface and about 10 inches down. I plan to throw a bunch of terra cotta ollas to insert in the garden beds next year which will work similarly.

Dog Diaries to come when I get some time. Here are pics of them taken today.

Dog Diaries: Tag

Tag: to come

Dog Diaries

The Dogs. Keeping all the meds straight is becoming a chore.

Tag: Treating him for senility issues now. He doesn't respond to his name at all. I know he can hear but it has to be a loud sharp noise, like a whistle, to get his attention. Fish oil. Sam-E. SeniLife which is phosphatidylserine and a bunch of supplements. Plus an anti-inflammatory, Novox. He has a neurological thing going on that interferes with the signals to/from his rear legs. Causes him to topple over easily. Possibly caused by the inflammation of arthritis in his spine, so we're giving him lots of stuff for that.

Tux: I switched back to Fuconazole pretty quickly. Itraconazole immediately caused irritation in her paw and a sore to appear. No more of that for her. Still giving her Terbinafine with the Fluconazole. She's down to two Tramadol a day. She was doing well then out of nowhere had a couple of nose bleeds in middle of night. We started thinking the worst, but then it occurred to me I had given her some fish oil thinking if it was good for the other dogs it must be good for her too. But fish oil is an anti-inflammatory and blood thinner! And the last time she had nose bleeds we determined it was because of the anti-inflammatory she was taking for the hip dysplasia. Stopped the fish oil and there have been no more nose bleeds. I have a call in to the AZ vet. We'll see what she thinks about that. No doubt she will recommend a ton of tests but I am going to wait a week before going that route. These vet bills, special foods and med costs are eating up all my meagre SS checks.

Hooper: Still hard of hearing but doing well. I'm giving her fish oil and Tramadol. She's still my shadow. Tag tends to follow her more than me now. Sometimes I think he doesn't really know who I am.

Gardening

Last year I dug up all the bulbs in the front beds. At least I thought I did. The beds are still loaded with daffodils but at least now I can pick and choose where I want to leave them. I planted the dug up bulbs in front of the greenhouse and raspberry patch. In a few weeks we're going to have the irrigation water line put in and a vegetable garden area built on the south and west sides of the greenhouse.

I love Helleborus and planted a few in the shade on the north side of the house last year. This year they are blooming like crazy. These two pictures are of Pink Frost. The color is luscious.

 I found another spectacular variety at Sunny Farms that I couldn't resist. This is a sad picture of Penny's Pink with a deep purply-pink flower. The variegated leaves on this one are outstanding. I would love to fill up the north beds with different varieties of Helleborus and ferns.

The Road to Sequim

If we ever move again, and venture to do it ourselves, we will rent a trailer and tow it with out own vehicle. More likely, we'll hire a moving service to do it all.

Our loaded seventeen foot U-Haul truck broke down in northern Nevada and we were delayed two days awaiting resolution. You'd think the company would have a policy to rent their newer equipment for long trips, but no, we were given an old clunker with a hundred and fifty thousand miles on it and some pretty poor maintenance to boot. 

But we had to work with what we were given and hope for the best.

Bob was driving the U-Haul while I followed in the pickup with the dogs and my own small load in the back. The first strange thing that might have set off alarms if I was at all mechanically inclined: water drops on my windshield on a sunny day in the desert between Oatman and Vegas. It was just a few drops now and then. They were perplexing but I forgot to mention them at the Love's gas stop east of Vegas. 

For the next couple hundred miles I was focused on the slight puffs of smoke coming from underneath the U-Haul. Or was it road dust? Or maybe just shadows following the moving truck? I peered at it for hours without figuring anything out, if there was anything at all. In the meantime my windshield was getting unusually dirty. At one point I thought it was looking like spring break-up in Alaska. Running the washer fluid and wipers just smeared it around. I thought it must be dirt and oil from the road although the road looked pretty clean and dry. At the gas stop in Ely I forgot about the smoke thing and asked Bob to clean the windshield (it was twenty three degrees and I didn't want to get out of the truck). He noticed the smear but thought it was the wash water freezing on the glass and didn't think twice about it.

It was getting dark by the time we reached Wells where we planned to spend the night.  I could barely see through the dirt on the windshield. Next morning everything was covered with frost. Bob had gassed up the vehicles in the dark the night before so in morning's light we just hit the road and missed the most obvious sign of trouble: the front end of the pickup was entirely covered with clear oil. We didn't see it until our next stop.

And that's where things went bad. 

We pulled into the rest stop south of Jackpot. It's the last one before Idaho and has a creekside location. We always stop there whichever direction we're traveling. The dogs took a stretch but we didn't want to stay long because it was cold. Eighteen degrees. Our rental truck had a different plan. This was where it died. This was where Bob noticed the transmission fluid coating the pickup. This was where I recalled the smoke and dirty windshield. This was where we realized we weren't going anywhere.

 

We were lucky that our cell phones worked at this remote location. Bob called the U-Haul emergency number to request a tow. The woman manning the line was nice but there are procedures to be followed and particular people who have to approve every one of them. The dispatcher took our info and had to locate a mechanic after figuring out where in the world we were and getting approval to send him out. She was someplace east of the Rockies and obviously not familiar with the western states. A U-Haul mechanic was found in Jerome, Idaho, less than a hundred miles north. He would be coming within two hours. Also lucky was the sunny morning that heated the pickup cab like a greenhouse so we didn't get frostbite while waiting.

The mechanic finally arrived, but without a tow truck. Procedure. Saying little to us, he hooked a computer to the truck and determined the problem was a blown seal in the transmission. The truck would indeed need to be towed to their shop. Now he needed to get the OK from U-Haul to send the tow and do the repair work but he had to drive to Jackpot to make the call. Procedure. There was a bit of a wait until the proper person was contacted and approval given. The tow truck could now be dispatched, but the driver must have stopped for lunch because it was a very long wait before he arrived and sent us on to the shop.

At the shop we learned there are 14 seals they would have to check and they only had nine of them in stock. If the bad seal was one they didn't have they'd need to order it from Salt Lake City. When they were checking out the seals the bearings fell out indicating even bigger problems and definitely requiring parts from Salt Lake that would be delivered first thing in the morning. U-Haul put us up at Idaho Falls' La Quinta in a comfortable room. 

Next day we hoped the transmission would be repaired and we'd be on our way by early afternoon, but by late afternoon it was becoming clear that wasn't to be. The new seal and bearings were in but the truck wouldn't shift into third gear and failed the test drive. The mechanic said there was no fixing it any time soon and recommended getting a different truck. They located a twenty footer down the road and U-Haul arranged for some movers to transload our stuff... next morning. So U-Haul approved another night for us at La Quinta. 

Idaho Falls isn't a bad place to spend an evening. We walked the dogs along the top of the bluff overlooking the river in warm, sunny weather and thought we should have bought a house here instead of Sequim and saved a lot of money. 

Next day Bob met the movers at the new truck and everything was transloaded in record time. Three hours later Bob was ready to hit the road. I was not. Some kind of intestinal bug was keeping me close to the toilet, but we really couldn't lose any more time here and expect to drop our load in Sequim and drive back to Boise in time for Jason's surgery. It was mandatory I get behind the wheel and drive. We stopped at every rest stop and managed to make it to LaGrande, Oregon, before I was ready to give up the ghost. I was feverish and in considerable pain that day. The poor dogs put up with my moaning and groaning the whole way.

The hotel in LaGrande was overpriced and wanted to charge $25 per dog. I wouldn't choose to stay again, but while there I managed to clear my body of whatever foul substance had made me so miserable. My fever broke that night allowing me to got a little sleep. I was weak but good to go in the morning.

Now Bob wasn't feeling well. His symptoms weren't like mine and there was no stopping us from trying to make Sequim that night. By the time we needed gas near Ellensburg, WA, however, Bob was doubled over with pain. I inquired about a hospital at the gas station. It was only a few blocks away and he somehow managed to drive the U-Haul there. He was white as a sheet and barely able to stand as I checked him in. The admitting nurse rushed him in ahead of several other people and a CT scan showed Bob had just passed a four millimeter kidney stone. We were on our way an hour later and made it through insane Sunday afternoon traffic in Snoqualmie Pass to get to Sequim that evening. We did vow to avoid the Pass route on future trips. 

The truck was unloaded the next day and the heaviest pieces of furniture moved into the house while we had the help on hand. We planned to finish moving in when we got back from Boise. We returned the rental truck, loaded the Chalet for the trip and left the next morning. Exhausted after all the truck stress and sickness, we didn't rush and spent a noisy night on the banks of the Columbia at Rufus, OR. The surgery went well and four days later we were back on the road to Sequim, just in time for the perfect close to the trip from hell. 

We ran into one of the biggest storms ever to hit the north Olympic Peninsula. Storms usually come from south and west, drop their water in the mountains and leave Sequim high and dry. This storm came from northeast, dumped a massive amount of water in Sequim/Port Angeles and shifted the Blue Hole to the other side of the Olympics. On the I-5 north of Portland with heavy rain falling and traffic spraying road water all around us we were driving in white-out type conditions. At Olympia we took the 101 turn-off where rain was still heavy but traffic was low. Visibility was much better. What a joy it was to see our waterlogged, overgrown lawns and gull-poop covered roof again. 

We are still in recovery mode days later. Bob is sick once again. And we are moving in a little by little. 

Here are some photos of the beautiful new hickory floor.

Hickory with cherry trim

I was surprised that putting my totems on the fenceposts was a priority for Bob, but they do look pretty cool. Once we get the garage straightened out I can set up my studio and start making more for the rest of the posts. It will give me something to work on for years!

Dog Diaries: Valley Fever

Well, it was disappointing news on the latest blood work for Tux, but I can't say I'm surprised. Fluconazole is just ineffective against whatever strain of fungus the dog has. Her cocci titer is still 1:164, unchanged for many months. I am relieved that it hasn't gone up though, as she was clearly going downhill until I started the Terbinafine in dry form. The sores that covered her leg are completely cleared up now, she is eating again and has the best stools (solid) since this saga began.

I was given the OK to try Itraconazole again, in addition to the Terbinafine. Itraconazole initially knocked her titer in half so who knows what will happen with the two drug combo. We stopped it when the sores broke out thinking they were caused by the medication, but clearly that wasn't the case. I'm pretty sure it is the disseminated fungus, now in her skin and possibly bones, which isn't a good thing. The delay in taking her off Fluconazole in that first round probably allowed it to spread. Poor dog. Her liver values are slightly high so all these drugs are starting to take their toll. She'll need liver and kidney function tests again in three months and a cacci titer in six.

If there is no change in the titer in six months we will have to figure out the lowest dose of azole meds that will hold it steady and just live with the disease for the rest of her life. She's certainly doing well now, despite it. She's happy and active and doesn't look sick at all.

So, the dosage plan is to start with 200mg once a day for three days, then drop to 150mg, continuing the Terbinafine as I'm currently doing. That's slightly aggressive. The high dose resulted in vomiting and diarrhea when we first started using it and I dropped to 150mg after 5 days. I might just go to 150mg right off the bat. Going back and forth on that. But that big dose might have been what was so effective in knocking down the titer by half. The vet is pretty much letting me do whatever I think is right at this point. I guess that means she's thinking it's as good as it's going to get.

UPDATE:
The vet tech just called with results of the blood work (unaware that I'd been in the clinic earlier today) and I am happy to say I misheard the tech I was talking with earlier. Seems Tux's titer is actually 1:64 not 1:164, so this is much better than I thought. I was baffled by how good she is looking and feeling with no improvement in the titer! Anyway, I will go less aggressive with the Itraconazole now, or maybe even stay on the current course. Need to think about this a bit.

Flower Season

It's turning out to be a good year for poppies, and other flowers are starting to bloom, so there are flashes of color in the desert. Cactus won't flower for another month so we're be missing them this year.

In Sequim

The wood is down, still needs to be sanded and finished. The job is behind schedule but it's going to look good when done. The top picture shows some of the cherry trim around the family room perimeter. The grain and color will really pop after the finish is applied. 

Time for the burro battles to begin. They are beginning to congregate back in the washes. It's an exciting time to hike back there.

Dog Diaries

Tux seems to have rallied. Her appetite is back and she eats with gusto. Not sure what was going on. Maybe a backslide in her condition. Improvement appeared to come with the change in how she's getting the Terbinafine, although that may just be coincidental. Picture shows my set-up for preparing the Terbinafine for her. One tablet gets crushed (mortar & pestle top right), weighed (milligram scale left), divided into six portions and wrapped in tiny weighing paper packets (held by clip center bottom). Then I pour the daily portion into a liverwurst ball with her Fluconazole and serve with dinner. It's the first thing she eats.

Tag is really slowing down. He still wants to go for walks but cannot keep up. This morning he went out with us and putzed around a little, thus getting all the excitement of the going but then was left back at the house so I could take the full walk with the girls. It felt good to really walk again. I'm sorry to say it has become a burden keeping track of him when I'd rather be watching the trail or looking for wildlife. He's still as much a cutie as ever though. Hooper is still hanging in there, doing remarkably well. With limited hearing she does keep a close eye on me and is almost always found at my feet. She's pretty good at understanding hand signals now, or maybe she just reads my mind.