Day 198 - Hasta Blooms

I'm having a hard week.  Dr. Nice is on vacation and it's just Dr. Barton and I to handle the clinic.  I've been working since last Friday and had a pretty busy weekend.   Monday and Tuesday were insane.   Yesterday was not as busy but I felt awful - I am pretty sure I was running a fever all day.  Tired.  Achy.  Yucky.

But it was a GLORIOUS June day outside.  Absolutely stunning.  Warm, but not hot.  Not humid.  Clear skies. 

When I got home, there was that wonderful evening glow happening.  I decided to take advantage of it and do something 'fun' in order to unwind and relax.  I took the picture of the peacock feather and just when I was ready to come inside, I saw my hastas blooming in the back yard.  Not yet time to go inside....

I took several pictures of them from the side.  And then I realized that I could actually get underneath them.  I've read that the best way to take pictures of flowers is to go at them from a different angle than how we usually see them.  From underneath is a great way to achieve just that. 

I actually laid down in the mulch and had the camera sitting on my face.  My face = tripod.  :)  I got some really good shots, but this one is my favorite. 

I also got a few bug bites and had a spider crawling on my shoulder when I came inside.  :) 

All in a day's work.  And play. 

Day 197 - Peacock Feather

Sometimes clients bring me the strangest gifts.  Recently, I was given a whole BUNCH of peacock feathers.  They are so lovely!!! 

Tried my hand at taking some pictures of them tonight.  This one was my favorite.  :)

Day 196 - Eliza with the Cheerleaders

In 2006, Matt and I went to TN one weekend and managed to go to my high school for a football game! North Greene is the smallest of four county high schools in my home county (Greene County) and is not known for it's football team.  :)

Little known fact:  I was a cheerleader during my senior year of high school.  I was recruited by my Chemistry teacher.  :) 

My sister-in-law, Kristie and I both joined our senior year and we went to cheerleading camp during the summer before.  We learned dances, cheers, and every morning we did these silly little marches and chants to help us wake up. 

During our senior year, our football team won 2 games.  TWO.  That's it.  It's hard to be a cheerleader for a team that rarely wins. 

But we cheerleaders were there to cheer on our guys and entertain the crowd.  So, we started doing some of those silly marches and chants as crowd entertainment. 

My favorite was 'Baby Shark' but there were some other good ones, too like "Let me see your Boogaloo" and "Boom chicka Boom."

I went off to college and did not make it back to a football game at North Greene for a while.  But in 2006 - I went and was SHOCKED to see the cheerleaders invite the crowd to join them for "Let me see your Boogaloo!"

I have a legacy!!!!

My niece hopped up and joined them and was so super cute.  She was just shy of 4 years old in this picture. 

I sat in awe that something that I had been a part of starting 11 years previously (I graduated in 1995) was still alive and strong.  That's kind of cool. 

:)

Day 195 - Neema Shaking Water Off

If my dog, Neema were a person - she would be seriously angry at me for posting such horrible pictures of her online for the world to see.  

But she's not.  And she won't be.  

And these make me laugh.  :)

 I took these in August of 2006 - just after getting my first Digital SLR camera.  I was trying to capture her shaking water off after swimming.  She looks like a crazed beast! 

She's really a quite lovely dog.  Really.  :)

Day 194 - Aldon's Wedding

Matt and I's honeymoon ending with a wedding.  :)  After being in Hawaii for 10 days, we flew to Nashville, TN to stay with my friends from vet school, Sam and Chad who live about an hour outside of Nashville.  We stayed with Sam and Chad for a couple of days - resting, doing laundry, and readjusting to a 'normal' time zone.  On Saturday, we drove to Franklin, TN for my college friend, Aldon's wedding.

Aldon was the first friend I made in college.  And he is still a dear friend to me.  He is one of the kindest, most genuine people I have ever known.  His life circumstances have not always been easy - but he is a true competitor and never quits.  Aldon loves Target (who he's worked for since his teenage years), TN Titans football, Star Wars, and Dr. Pepper.  He also loves his wife and daughter - who are gorgeous!

Their wedding was small, lovely, outdoors, and HOT!  June 7th, 2008 in Franklin, TN was one HOT, HUMID, STICKY day!  But it was such a good day.  :)  Aldon had more groomsman in his wedding than I have ever seen before.  And they were all wearing pink shirts.  :)

Aldon's sweet mom,, who I was lucky enough to spend time with on more than one occasion, lost her battle with breast cancer when I was in vet school.  Aldon and I both left ETSU at the same time.  I went to vet school at UT, he went home to take care of his dying mom.   Her husband had left her for another woman and her oldest son became her champion.  I still respect Aldon so much for what he did.  I can't imagine how hard it was for him.

As we were sitting in the seats waiting for the wedding to start, I was telling Matt of the significance of the groomsmen wearing pink.  It was for his mom.  And as Aldon carried a rose to place in the chair she should be sitting in, the tears fell from my eyes.  She would have been so proud to see her baby boy marrying a beautiful, smart, kind woman like Rebecca.  It was a bittwersweet moment.

But the rest of the wedding was wonderful and full of love and laughter and dancing and sweat.  :)  The couple made their grand entrance into the reception by what you see above.  A light-sabre arch of of swords by the men in pink.  Sweet!

The highlight of the reception was when Aldon's dad showed up in full Darth Vader costume and challenged him to a light-sabre duel.  I don't remember who won - just that it was awesome.  And Becca totally smashed the cake into Aldon's face.  :)

It was such a good day - and I'm so thankful that I have friends like Aldon. 

I miss you big guy!

Day 193 - Dancing with my Brother

Matt and I's wedding had several special dances.  I grew up in a dancing family, afterall.  :)

One of the special dances was me with my big brother, Jason - showing our fancy footwork doing the Sweetheart Shottish.  It's a country couple's dance that he learned while I was in college.  He taught me and it was always the dance we did together when we would go to Cotton Eyed Joes (a country line dancing club) in Knoxville.

When Tatjana was here a few weeks ago visiting from Croatia, one of the things she wanted to do while in 'the South' was go to a country line dancing place.  So, I took her and Matt to Cotton Eyed's.  It was the first time for them both.

It wasn't the same as I had remembered it.  Granted, it had been 10 years or so since the last time I was there...but one of the things I missed most was not having my brother there to Shottish with me.  :(  I found an older guy who was wiling to be my partner - but he was no where near as good as Jason. 

Jason and I grew up dancing together, as we were clogging partners.  We used to go square-dancing with my grandparents on a regular basis and since he and I were usually the only kids - he was usually my partner.  Though, he and my grandmother usually did the polka and me and my grandad would do the waltz.  :) 

We fought.  A lot.  But we also had a lot of fun together. :)  Recent years have brought us closer together in new and good ways and I'm so grateful.   He's a great brother and a great dance partner. 

Day 192 - Sophie in the Closet

Cats are so funny sometimes.  I love how they love getting into tiny places.  Whether it be a box, a drawer, a camera bag, or a closet shelf - they just seem to love being confined. 

This is my sweet Sophie in my tiny hall closet.  :) 

Day 191 - Delivering a Baby Goat *Graphic Content*

I'm finding myself thankful to have had Tatjana around to capture on camera what I do every day.  It's kind of fun to look through the pictures and remember what I did that particular day.  Most of the time my days are a blur.   :)

When I was 18 and first started working for Dr. Doug Woolsey in Greeneville, TN, one of the first things he said to me was "you will make a great pig and goat OB."

My hands are small.  :)

The goat in the picture above had delivered one healthy kid at home but the second one got stuck.  She is a Nigerian Dwarf and they are prone to having birthing difficulties.  Tatjana and I were in an exam room when she came in and our staff brought her back to our treatment area and Dr. Nice tried to help her.

Goats are the only animals that I work on that actually scream like a woman when they are in labor.  It's awful.  I could hear her screaming from the exam room and quickly finished up to see if I could go help.

When I saw how small she was, I asked Dr. Nice if he would mind if I tried to help her.  Really, his hands are so much bigger than mine that it does make a difference when you are working in such a small space. 

He is a talented vet and very gentle.  But my hands are just smaller. It's a matter of physics and geometry. 

I was able to deliver the kid in a matter of minutes.  It had a faint heartbeat when it was first delivered but despite our best efforts we were unable to get him going and he died.  I layed him on the floor so that the mom could see him and see that he was dead.  It's important for her to realize what happened. 

This is the kind of thing that breaks my heart.  Every time. 

She stayed away for a few minutes and then eventually went over to him and started to clean him off by licking him.  And then she started to cry.  Not a normal "I'm a goat and I'm talking" noise but a true, grief-stricken wail.  We were all standing around just helpless watching her. 

But then her other owner arrived with her other baby who was alive and well and HUNGRY!  He let out a loud bleat when he saw her and she instantly left the dead baby and responded to him with a completely altogether different bleat.  She was loud and obviously excited and joyful.  They put the kid down and they ran to each other.  He searched for a meal and she licked and licked him. 

This is the kind of thing that makes me tear up with joy.  Every time. 

Instinct is a powerful, powerful force.  It's amazing to watch creation as it breathes in life and death.  And it affirms in me over and over that there is a Creator behind it.

As the group of us stood watching the scene, the farmer said to me "you can't live on a farm and watch animals be born and not believe in God.  It's impossible." 

After a few minutes (and after his meal) I scooped up the little live kid and gave him a hug.  He was just too cute!  I love goats and hope to have some of my own someday. 

Baaaa!!!!!

Day 190 - Making Friends with a Miniature Donkey

Dr. Tatjana Lukes visited with us for 3 weeks just this month - a recent veterinary graduate from Croatia.  One of the things she wanted while with us here in VA was more horse experience.  We did not get to do a lot of horsey things - but one day we went out to vaccinate this little miniature donkey.  

He is 5 months old and has only been off the farm where he was born for 1 week at this point.  He has just gotten used to a halter and his new owner - an 11 year old boy who adores him.  :)  

I show up and stab him with 2 sharp needles and he pretty quickly determines that I am not friendly.  I always make a point after I vaccinate a horse that doesn't really like it so much to make friends with them afterwards.  Leave them with a good memory, ya know?  

Poor little guy.  He SO did not trust me after his vaccines. He SO did not like getting vaccinated!!!  

The only reason I'm not wearing coveralls, btw, is that it was really, really hot and I did this farm call in between small animal appointments and it was a mini donkey in a clean lot.  No boots or covies needed.  

I hope that it helps him in the future when I am in coveralls to not be scared of me.  Who knows?  

This first picture is me trying to use grain and get him to come to me.  He did, but quickly backed away. Strategy # 1 is not a success. 

Strategy # 2 - try to get him to let me just touch him.  Not going so well in this picture.....

Strategy # 3 - Get him moving.  If he won't let me touch him, I'm going to use that forward energy to make him move.  Horses are lazy and don't like moving so eventually he stopped.  (All of this is stuff I've learned from observing very talented horse trainers.  Which is something I am NOT.)

And after about 5-7 minutes this was the result!  He likes me!  (Well, he at leasts trusts me.)

Yay! How adorable is he??? 

I, unfortunately have to go give him booster vaccines in a few weeks.  I've asked the owners to try to prepare him by gently poking him with a toothpick in the neck so that he doesn't get so upset this time.  It's hard being a baby!  :(

Day 189 - Mickey Asleep in a Bean Bag Chair

Ahaa haa haaa ahaa ha!  I LOVE this picture.  Now it is safe and sound on the internet never to be forgotten or destroyed.  :)

This is my third year college dorm room which I shared with Dana at ETSU.  That's my bed and dresser in the picture, and that's Dana's awesomesauce bean bag chair.

Mickey was a hard working staffer with Campus Crusade for Christ.  Early to rise and late to stay up, sometimes he needed an afternoon nap.  This particular day, our room was the napping place of choice.

He is the only other person I know that can fall asleep as quickly as me.  :)

Love you, Mickey. 

And I just realized when I zoomed in on the picture that I still use the same alarm clock (from 1995) AND just about a month ago, finally got a new laundry basket (it's under the bed in the pic.)  

Day 188 - Learning to Ski

Learning to ski was on my bucket list for a long time.  Granted, East Tennessee is not perhaps the most ideal place in the country to dream of learning to ski - but it is possible.

I tried to learn to ski multiple times.  There was a trip to a ski resort during college - we went with Candi's cousin, Travis to go 'night skiing' (it was cheaper.)  But alas, when we arrived, it was sleeting and raining and we decided we did not want to learn to ski on ice.

Then there was a trip during my vet school years.  My classmates Chad, Samantha, April and I drove to Greeneville where we met up with my pal, Chris to drive to another ski resort.  By the time we were ascending the mountain, it was snowing so hard it would not have been safe to continue.  Chris made the tough call to turn back around.  Foiled again!

I'm pretty sure there was at least one more failed attempt - but I can not recall the details. 

2002 was a big year for me.  I graduated from vet school.  I moved to VA where I did not know a soul.  I learned to drive a manual transmission and a truck at the same time.  And I learned to ski!

I moved to VA - and three of my best buds from vet school moved to PA.  The two in the picture above were right across the PA line in Shippensburg.  That's Sam and Chad.  April and her husband were a little further north and east.

I drove to PA almost every other weekend to stay with Sam and Chad.  They were my closest friends and they were the only people on the planet who knew and truly understood what I was going through as a new vet in a mixed animal practice.  We would spend our entire time during those weekends discussing cases.

Because they both worked in two separate mixed practices - their weekends off together were rare.  But when they were both off, they would sometimes come to visit me here.  One weekend while they were visiting - we went skiing!

And apparently, so did everyone else in VA.  :)

It was a lovely weekend.   Fresh snow, sunshine, and a nice 30 degrees outside.  PERFECT skiing weather.  We made it up to the ski resort to find that we were able to rent boots and skiis - but they were all out of poles.  :(  So many people at the resort, they were OUT!  No matter - we would still ski!

We signed up for the last ski class of the morning and our instructor told us he was glad we did not have poles - that way we would have to learn to ski the proper way - with our legs.  "We don't let kids use poles" he told us.

We had a marvelous day.  And though I was the only one to not fall during ski school (I remember Chad giving me a hard time about that.....) I made up for it by bombing a few times down the slope. 

I went skiing a few more times that winter and the next.  I sometimes went with a gal from church and sometimes I went by myself.  I remember once going down the slope on a thankfully not-crowded day at nearly full speed.  I still have never really learned how to turn well or stop.  :)  I just pointed my skis down the slope and off I went!  I am so so grateful I did not run into anyone!  I reached the bottom of the slope, hit the gradual incline and slowed myself, came to a stop and realized that I could have just died.  And then I began to shake as I came down from the awesome adrenaline rush that arose in me as I sped down the mountain with two lightning-fast boards strapped to my feet. 

Skiing is fun.  Learning to ski with friends like Sam and Chad is the best.

Miss them.  So much. 

Day 187 - Turtles in Oahu

On our honeymoon in Hawaii, Matt and I visited two islands.  The first was Kauai and it was lovely and quiet.  While on a tubing adventure there, we met a couple who lives on Oahu that told us about where the beach is where the TV show "Lost" was filmed.  I was not a fan of the show at the time, but Matt was.  The wife gained my interest by telling me there were always sea turtles on that beach.  I was game.  :)

So, after skydiving in Oahu, we found the beach. It was gorgeous and there were lots of turtles!  The one rule was that we were not supposed to touch them.  Matt actually went snorkeling with them and they swam around him like friendly giants.  I would have joined him but I was too weak from my illness and feared I would drown.  Seriously.

But I occupied myself quite nicely by taking pictures of the turtles.  :)

Before we left, I posed with one so Matt could take my picture.  

Nice turtle. (See what a good rule-follower I am by not touching it?)

And then.....WHOOSH - a wave pushed the turtle up onto my feet!

I knew I was not supposed to be touching the turtle - but I had no choice!

And then, as quickly as it happened, it was over.  And the turtle was back in the ocean - free!

Turtles in Oahu.  Awesome.

Day 186 - Baby Aspen

I finally had some time today to start editing some of the newborn shots I took back in March!  There were a run of babies that month that I took photos of - and I just have not had enough time to sit down and edit them.

It takes way longer than you'd think.  This batch started with 250 pictures.  I whittled them down to 108 that I could not bring myself to delete and I've actually edited 16 of them.  How much time did it take me?  4.5 hours. 

I'm not complaining.  It's awesome fun for me.  I just get frustrated that it takes me so long to get them to the parents. 

This is baby Aspen in her daddy's hands.  I LOVE it.  :) 

Day 185 - Help Me with a Case!

I saw this cat today and need some help from my vet colleagues.  She is a 6 year old indoor only cat. Two weeks ago her owner noticed that her 'eye' turned red.  After further questioning, I think it was her iris that turned red.  About a week ago the owner saw something 'white' in the eye.  

Today she is alert and comfortable.  Her once green iris is now brown.  Her IOP is 6.  This 'thing' is vascular and is cranial to the iris but there is no appreciable flare in the anterior chamber. I can not tell whether it is actually originating from the iris or if is protruding through the pupil. 

I've sent pics to Dr. Hendrix and Dr. Ward - any thoughts???

I love eyes and got a great education in diseases and conditions of the eye by two of the nicest vets and best ophthalmologists in the country. This one is just weird!

Day 184 - Me in a Bubble

We were invited to a birthday party for a friend of ours turning 6 years old.  We got to play in a giant warehouse full of inflatables and it was awesome. 

Most awesome was this bubble that I got to roll around in.  Too fun.

The shirt I'm wearing is a gift from Matt - it's an octopus shooting lasers.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Day 183 - Waterfall

Taken in August of 2005 - this is perhaps my first attempt at slowing down moving water for a photograph. 

Not bad.  :)

Taken on one of my favorite little hikes here in the Valley, the White Oak Falls Trail. 

Behold the White Oak Falls.

Day 182 - Candi and Jonathan

My bestest friend, Candi and her awesome hubby, Jonathan a few weekends ago on a short hike during our glorious camping weekend.  

I <3 them.  :)

Day 181 - Little Cowgirl

At the horse show Saturday night, this little gal just stole my heart.  Adorable. 

And fierce!

Day 180 - Eliza and Harley

I've been away for a couple of days in TN - so, no blogging.

But it was a great weekend.  We got to expose our new Croatian friend, Tatjana to some East TN culture - including a horse show!

This is my niece, Eliza on her horse, Harley competing in the speed poles.  She did great!