Buster’s Blog

As opposed to tale updates which Mary would be writing.

Buster’s tail improved and he was over the droopy stage of the medicine within about 2 days.  I tried to upload a picture but it was too big and I don’t have time to load Piccasa on my new machine to reduce it so you can see a sore tail.  Just imagine.

Sunday morning Buster had a small raw spot on his tail which grew larger all day.  Yesterday I took him to the vet and she said it was probably fleas that he was biting.  I am giving him Revolution (instead of Frontline because it protects against heartworms as well, but doesn’t protect against ticks) for two months and was surprised to hear that.  She rubbed his fur backwards and found a couple of dead fleas and a live tick.  She said that she thinks Frontline kills the fleas faster so they won’t irritate him so much.  I just applied the 3^rd months worth of Revolution on Saturday so next month I will switch back to Frontline.  I also got a tick collar for him since Revolution doesn’t claim to work on ticks and we found a live one.
She also gave me 2 kinds of pills I have to give him twice a day.
Today, he is just moping around and has not even eaten his morning meal (in which I placed the pills).  Normally his tail is up over his back in nearly a circle but today it hangs limply behind him.  I haven’t seen him wag once today.  I hope it isn’t something worse than fleas.

Last weekend we went to Nashville to see the Grand Old Opry and had to put Buster in the kennel.  This weekend we went to Atlanta to see a Braves game and had to put Buster in the kennel again.  He has been there enough that they call him by name as soon as he comes in the door.  It has never been a problem to get him in the car.  All I do is open the back door and give him permission and he hops right in so he must enjoy the experience even though sometimes he gets a bath while he is there.  
The reason for all of the trips is that we have a German exchange student staying with us and we want to give her the American experience.  It turns out that she isn’t too interested in country music, but she likes baseball.  We also took her to a Chattanooga Lookouts game so she could see the difference in minor league and major league play.  It turned out that there were more errors in the Braves game than in the Lookouts game.  At the Braves game there was a 30 minute rain delay in which they ran a profile on their right fielder (whose name I can’t remember, but it starts with F and has a lot of letters in it).  He made a couple of nice plays in the field after that and at the bottom of the ninth with the score tied and two outs and the bases loaded, he came up to bat.  It went to a full count so the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. He hit a single to drive in the winning run and the stadium exploded.  Katherine is a loyal Braves fan and she was very happy.  Steve is a loyal Mets fan and was disappointed.
I need to go pick up Buster now.

This can’t be blamed on Buster. 

Saturday morning the passenger side window of Marilyn’s car was broken out.  It looks just like when it was broken into with a punch several years ago except it was sitting at our house.  All I can figure is that perhaps a small sharp hard object was thrown at is by the lawn mower.  At any rate it messed our day.  We rented a car for us to use during the weekend and for Marilyn to drive to work Monday.  Monday I will see if any of the auto glass companies will answer their phone.  They wouldn’t Saturday morning.

This blog is supposed to be about Buster, but since we got the invisible fence, about the only thing he does is bark at squirrels and occasionally dig up a shrub.  So to keep this from going completely silent I need to put in something that isn’t about the dog.  Yesterday a great big owl flew across the yard and lit low in a tree between us and the log house.  This weekend a Pileated Woodpecker worked over a dead limb on a Tulip Poplar in the front yard.  We have Indigo Buntings coming to our feeder and I never saw one until last year.

Steve sent me this link to Urban Coyotes which shows that maybe I’m overreacting to the abundance of wildlife around here.

Yesterday I was watering the landscaping at the log house and I saw a coyote pup walking across the church property.  There were no adults with it. Monday Buster tore off toward the church property and I thought he would go across the invisible fence but he turned tail and came back with two adult coyotes chasing him.  I hollered and they just evaporated. 

Our granddaughter, Emily, is visiting Steve in the log house this week and we are afraid to let her play outside by herself now. 

Sorry about the long absence. 
Yesterday as we walked to the mailbox to pick up the Sunday paper we saw four deer making their get away.  Last week or the week before, Buster was making such a racket that I went upstairs to see what was the matter and there were two Coyotes in the yard.  When they saw me they walked away looking back as if I were the intruder.  A couple of days later it was deer just beyond the invisible fence that were exciting him.  Yesterday was the first time since then that I have seen the deer.  One night early last week the coyotes howled all night long keeping both Marilyn and me awake.  Well, it seemed like all night long anyway.
We can’t find the camera, not that I posted that many pictures anyway.  How many pictures of a dog barking up a tree can you stand anyway.  I do hope we find the camera some day.
 

We went to Atlanta to George and Julie’s for an “Open That Bottle Night” party where you take a wine that you have been saving for a special occasion and no occasion was special enough to open the bottle.   We called George and told him what we were bringing so he could get Julie to match the food to the wine.

Here is the menu which someof you have already seen.—————————————————————-OPEN THAT BOTTLE NIGHT
February 24, 2007
Spicy Parmesan Crackers
Smoked Trout Spread
Cristalino Sparkling Brut, Spain
Savory Fig Tart
Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux, 2001, Bordeaux, France
Baby Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts, Apples and Bacon Piesporter Goldtropfchen, 2005, Riesling Kabinett, Germany
Meyer Lemon Sorbet
Boneless Rib Roast with Pan Dripping and Assortment of Mushrooms Roasted Tri-Color Mini Potatoes Sauteed Asparagus Tips La Landonne, Cote Rotie, 1978, E. Guigal, Rhone, France Chateau Palmer, Margaux, 1978, France
Pear and Hazelnut Gratin with Cream
Stony Hill, Semillon de Soleil, 1995, Napa Valley Morgan, Botrytis, Semillon, 1999, Hunter Valley, Australia
Vintage Port, Cheese, and Chocolates
 

I’m concerned thay you may be concerned that something is wrong since I haven’t posted anything in a while.  Just how many pictures of a dog running through the woods can you stand anyway?