Rags

Since Rags had the problem with his annual vaccinations two years ago, I flinch more when he gets his shots than he does. However, they’ve either changed the formulation since then, or the two grams of bute that I now give after he gets his shots helps. He was only moving a little slowly last night when I went out to feed, didn’t have any visible reactions at the injections sites, and had his normal appetite. So it looks as though this year there are no nasty surprises but the vet bill.

A Visit from the Vet

Today I worked from 8 to 3:30 so I could be home for the vet to make her annual visit to give the horses their vaccinations and check whether they need dental work. As usual she made a big fuss over Hap: she likes Thoroughbreds and thinks he is a fine example thereof. As usual, I didn’t argue with her. (More to the point, she also thinks he is in great shape for a 23 year old Thoroughbred.)

She also did the yearly ritual of sedating Rags so she can float his teeth and check a lesion on his sheath. He has had the lesion for years now, without any changes, and the yearly sedation ensures that it isn’t doing anything nasty where we can’t see. As usual, Rags made a pretty good attempt at cow-kicking her despite heavy sedation while she cleaned his sheath. She also said his eyes look good. Since he is the most common breed (Appaloosa) in the most common state (Colorado) for getting sun caused cancers, and won’t wear a fly mask, this was good news.

Magic, the mare I board, was well-behaved and the vet commented on how fat she is for a 28 year old mare. I couldn’t believe she was 28 when I started to do the mental math, but a group of us who were around when her owner bought her agreed that she was close to 12 when she was bought 16 or 17 years ago.

The visit from the vet also led to my yearly ritual of checking my horse medications. I suppose it is a good thing that they expire before I use them, since it means the horses are doing well, but I still have a bit of a twinge when I have to discard them. Despite the cost, I always try to keep the two most commonly used pain-killers on hand.

Thirty Years…

…ago today, Jack and I exchanged vows in my grandmother’s back yard in Mount Airy, Maryland. During the reception the kids played frisbee, and one of my nephews, a toddler at the time, played in the icing on the cake when no one was watching. My grandmother, who had a small house, was concerned about what we would do if it rained, but it was the perfect June day. I’ve been to lots fancier weddings over the years, but none where people had more fun.

Tower

June 03, 2008 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

Colorado Springs has many old Victorian buildings downtown, most of them subdivided into multiple living spaces now. Many of them are wood frame houses, but there are some like this one in brick.