NOT ALOT GOING ON

The weather has been terrible the past three days; my days off. The lake was whipped by the wind and white caps were prevalent. That's not conducive to a comfortable day on the water in a canoe or any other boat for that matter. I spent the time trying to catch up on a bathroom remodel job I started a couple months ago. Hate dry wall work. Spackle rates right up there on the "like to do meter" just above painting. And painting is my number one dislike. Shortening weeds was my second favorite thing to spend time on but it was replaced by painting. Now, I love working with wood. I can make anything out of wood. It is a precise activity. But drywall and spackle are both messes. The drywall is cut with a knife. If the sheet of drywall is dropped you have a pile of plaster and a broken mess. Spackle is applied over a paper tape that covers the crack where two pieces of drywall board meet. Spackle is applied to the joint and the paper is rolled into the spackle. The spackle is supposed to hold the tape in place. Then after twelve hours, the area is sanded and another layer of spackle is applied. Then another twelve hours and it's sanded. Then spackle is reapplied. Then twelve hours later, sanded. Any imperfections can then be spackled over and sanded in another twelve hours. It's insane! And the sanding dust creates a complete mess. I just don't have the patience. When I build something out of wood; I can work till the job's done. I start and I know what I need to do to finish and I know how to finish. Drywall requires too much dallying about. Anyway; I'm going to sand off the previous layer of spackling and if that isn't good enough I'm dropping it and installing the tile in the bathroom. I'm just not up to date on all the processes and building materials of today. Everything is like an erector set. Pieces snap together and tape seals something or grout fills something and spackle covers up mistakes. Very inexact work. But it does require special tools and special skills. Both of which I don't have. And patience. I am short of that when it comes to spackling. Remember----spackling; paint? Maybe I'll get it finished by next Winter. Then there's Shade.

click photo to enlarge

I opened the truck door and Happy and Douglas jumped in on the front seat. Good! Shade was waiting at the back of the truck for me to open the cap and tail gate enclosures so she could hop in the back. She jumped up onto the truck bed as usual. I happened to notice blood all over the tailgate. Then I saw blood on her right leg. She had a gash that went all the way to the bone. I rushed home to put Douglas and Happy in the yard and sped off toward the vet's. I called on the way to make sure they could take care of Shade without an appointment. Of course they would. I dropped her off because the vet would have to anesthetize her in order to stitch up the wound. I appologized to everyone for making a bloody mess on the waiting room floor. When I went back three hours later, she was brought out to me with what appeared to be a an ace bandage around the gash. This was to insure she would not lick the wound and disturb the stitches. The reverse lampshade deal would not work with Shade. She would have that broken in a minute. The gash had severed a ligament almost entirely through. That was sewn together. Then the wound was sewn shut over that. I'm very glad I made the decision to take her for treatment. She would have been crippled for life had I not. Of course dogs do not have insurance and I left the vet's office $230.00 lighter. Shade, Shade; what am I going to do with you? But I love her. She was groggy and I had to lift her into the truck for the ride back home. She fell asleap on the bed at home and I didn't have the heart to move her when I went to bed. She's much better today. So that's how my week has been going. There is one small item I might mention here. Yep; another rescue dog is residing with us here. Her name is Sal. She is about three years old and a tiny, tiny little beagle. What a pretty little girl! She runs around like a puppy and is healthy and strong. She has eyes that see right through you. Intelligent eyes! Don't be shy out there. If any of you want a great little dedicated friend who will adore you; Sal is your dog. She's sweet as sugar.