SOME LIKE IT HOT . . . SOME NOT

Today is not a record breaking day, but "just" another hot days in the nineties.  This is to continue well into next week. Oh happy day!  People are not the only ones suffering from the heat.  Livestock is another category in itself.

When I had Llamas and my Alpaca, the heat was our terrible enemy.  We ran fans in the barn....a LOT of fans!  Our electric bill for the barn was higher than the air conditioning bill for our home!

We would go outside every two hours and spray the abdomen, the inside of their legs, the butts of each llama.  There usually was one ''pig" who wanted all the cold water to her/himself.  Then Rowdy our Alpaca would just butt in and lie down in the puddle to cool himself.  We also had plastic kiddie pools for the "kids" to either stand or lie in with the refreshing water around their tummies.

Then, guess what they would do.... They would walk out into the pasture and lie in the hot sun until it became too hot for them and they would make a return trip to the barn for a repeat "shower".

Regardless, I miss my llamas!  I miss the barn and it's llama smell.  I spent the morning looking at web sites of friends who still raise them.  It is okay to miss them.  But I would not go back to the sticks and bricks, the pastures to mow, the hay to stack, the shearing, the worry of one developing heat stress.  Now, it is a wonderful  memory.

Today, John got the official notice that he does have sleep apnea. He will be getting a CPAP machine.  He will then be able to wake up rested!  This is the first time I have seen ANYONE full of joy because they had a medical condition!
Well, really it is not the condition that gives the joy, but the knowledge that he will get many good nights sleep in the future.

The steroids and medications that John was given while in the Intensive Care created diabetes and it has not gone away.  We are attending classes conducted by a diabetes nurse and a dietitian.  With this news, that brings you up to date on John.

Last week, we had a very important visitor here at Brown County State Park.

The day that John went into respiratory failure and I entered the Emergency Department of Methodist Hospital, a very formidable greeter was there.  


Meet Bones!  He is one of the two patrol dogs at the hospital.  He is one sweet boy, but does not want anyone to know!  


While John was in Intensive care, Bones and his handler, Officer Pat came to walk the halls.  It made me wonder just who was also up there.  


If I understand correctly, Bones was a bomb sniffing dog with our troops.  He even has his identification tattoo in his ear!  This dog is a true hero.  


It was a pleasure to see Bones.  He was the first thing I saw in the hospital and then he is the first caregiver that I have seen since John has been out of the hospital.  To me he signified strength and power.  He still gives me peace.  I love that dog!  I am so pleased that John got to meet and shake hands/paws with him.  


I'd post another picture, but I cannot remember how I got Bones on here.  His picture is way to big, but I cannot size yet either.  A computer nerd I am not!  


I am going to stop here.  I want to try to learn: 1. how to use Live Writer 2: how to get my photos into a folder in Picasa and 3. how to post a picture into the  blog.  Who knows when I will be back!  Change and I sometimes just do not get along.

God bless all!  Stay cool!