Cabin Closure

In the past, cabin closure occurred late in season typically over the span of one week-end.  This year’s awesome Fall weather allowed for a sequence of cabin closure trips, the most recent one devoted to leaf removal.  DeeAnn rented a high powered leaf blower which had her looking like a spacewalking scientist walking through the woods of Lower Comstock Lake.  As I worked in front yard with her light duty leaf blower, I watched a dust bowl of leaves swirling through the trees as she marched down the paths, driveway and roadside blowing leaves back into the woods (and some back up into the tree they had fallen from).  Holly had no interest in the leaf blower which did not surprise me given she always does a quick exit when I bring the hairdryer out.   Our leaf removal workday did give Holly and Keltie another day at the cabin to do more games of chase, tug, wrestling and fetch.  

Halloween came and went without Holly & Helen having a formal Halloween costume.  Diva Dog Groomer saved me with Helen.  She came out of her haircut wearing a Halloween bow.  I couldn’t leave Holly out of the celebration so her orange lick bowl suddenly became a beanie.  They both sat for their Halloween picture compliantly but not very enthusiastically.  Holly knew her lick bowl is meant to be smeared with peanut butter, not used as a hat.  

Dogs have a way of throwing surprizes into the normal day-to-day.  Rainie was in need of a current fecal test for her Therapy Dog certification renewal. Routine paperwork.  We were quite surprised to learn Rainie had a coccidia, a contagious parasitic infection spread by sniffing or eating contaminated dirt, grass or feces.  Recommendations for stopping the spread is to disinfect all surfaces inside and out.  This is not something a home that hosts six dogs on a regular basis wants to hear.   We went into data collection mode.   I had dropped off Rainie’s initial stool sample.  After her result, I dropped off samples from Holly & Helen.  Later that same day I dropped off samples from Kimber & Kooper.   Each trip I rewarded myself with a piece of Halloween candy from the bowl on their counter.  After the second trip, Emily at the front desk, caught on and accused me of just coming for the candy.  After the third trip she asked why I was the chosen one to deliver stool samples – ‘why did you get this job?’   I grabbed another piece of candy and told her it came with the joy of retirement.   Later Dr. Emma calls me to let me know that Helen tested negative and Holly, of course, tested positive.   Lana heard from Dr. Emma that both Kimber and Kooper tested negative.  

Rainie, Keltie (as resident dog to Rainie), and Holly are all on Albon, the medication that kills coccidia.  I’ve cleaned my rugs and mopped my floors.  I drew the line with bleaching the backyard.  Frost is coming – hoping the frost kills the little parasites and/or deters temptation from eating dirt, grass or worse.  Overall, it was manageable and a seamless course correction in getting back to normal.  I did acquire a new level of empathy for day care centers – and the gutpunch when they take that phone call about headlice.