Hill Billy Christmas

I've emerged from work long enough to get this post up.  Originally, we had planned on taking a work break between Christmas and New Years but due to complications with our largest client and the fact that hubby has to fly out on business on Jan 1 at 6am (really!) we are doing loads of work this week.  I also had a bunch of year end financial stuff to process before our corporate year end of Dec 31.  

All the local kids here were happy as we got 3 inches of snow on Christmas Eve afternoon as many a snow man got built that day.  As the boys had already safely flew on on the 23 it really didn't effect us but made for bad local roads that day.  

The only hitch in Christmas this year was the fact that on Dec 22 Buddy got really sick as in coming out of both ends of him.  He was so sick I tried to make a vet appt but couldn't get anything until Dec 27th as the vet was closed for 3 days.  They suggested a few things and if things got dire we could always call the emergency vet for twice the price.  Fortunately we have a lot of veterinary clinics around here (vets like to retire here and still practice part-time) and they all belong to an emergency call network.  If your animal gets sick outside of business hours the vet on call will meet you at their vet clinic within an hour of the call.  We had to use this service once when Buddy scratched his cornea as a puppy and were so grateful for the service.

Anyway, I went out and bought some oral unflavoured pedialyte for humans that was ok to give dogs.  Buddy is only 13 lbs and could get dehydrated quickly due to his small size which is what our biggest concern was.  He didn't have much energy but wasn't totally lethargic and still up to chasing a ball so we rode it out.  His worst days were the 22 and 23...he lost control of his bowels before he got to the door, poor thing, thankfully not on the carpet.  I went out with him six times on the 22 and the last one was the worst, needless to say I spent an hour cleaning the mess up and scrubbing the floors.  He felt so bad, this is a dog that never ever ever has accidents in the house.  It happened a second time on the 24th but the throwing up stopped and slowly things got better.  I made up a huge batch of rice and chicken broth and that is what he ate for a couple of days when he felt like eating.  Anyway, today is the 29th and I am happy to say he is back to 100% health and I was able to cancel the vet appt on the 27th.  Having a sick dog is much like having a sick infant as they can't tell you what they need or how they feel.  He has never gotten sick like this and I have no idea what he got into but it was something after he got home from the sitter as he was fine for the first 2 days after that.  Likely he licked the wrong mushroom in our yard or ingested a funny bit of greenery.  He is a picky eater but loves grubbing around in the yard.  

Just before the snow hit hubby had to take S1 to a postal outlet so he could have his military leave papers stamped so they would cover his Christmas flight.  The postal stamp is the proof that he flew where he said he was going to.  While they were gone I saw the first rat ever in our yard after living here for almost six years.  He was having a Christmas Eve feast of dropped bird seed.  At first I thought it was a bird...then hoped for a mouse...but no, it was a rat.  Anywhere there is the ocean you get rats.  When we lived in Alberta they made it a rat free province meaning you were to kill rats immediately and they allowed no pet rats.  Here on the island they lead a pretty cozy life.  Anyway, I went screaming into the yard trying to chase him away.  Not two minutes later he hopped right back to the feeder.  Again, I went screaming into the yard.  And a third time!  I texted hubby the picture above and when he got home he had a look, the little bugger was hiding behind the hot tub. Him and S3 (son #3) went off to Home Depot to try get a live rat trap(hence the Hill Billy Christmas title-who buys rat traps on Christmas Eve?) as we can't use anything to poison the little bugger with Buddy in the yard plus I have a hard time with any kind of poison with other wildlife around.  He came back wih a giant rat trap (like a mousetrap) but we determined that with Buddy still so sick there was no way we could leash up Buddy every time he had to go out so for now the rat trap sits in the garage....and no sign of the rat.  Perhaps he left for a neighbor with better grub.

We had a very nice Christmas with the oldest and youngest boys (now 26 and 23, not kids but we still call them boys).  They eat like horses as both work out 6 out of 7 days and the youngest lifts serous weights as in 315 lbs!  He eats 6 eggs for breakfast every day.  Yes, the grocery budget took a beating this month.  The oldest is in the top 10% fitness-wise in the military so he eats like crazy too.   I am way over budget for the year and am doing some adjustments on the grocery budget for next year.  I felt like this Christmas I was cooking all the time though...something needs to change next year.  

Buddy recouperating with his new Chrsitmas toy

Buddy absolutely loved having a house full of people and he bonded with S3 who hadn't met him yet.  He played with him constantly all three days he was here, even though Buddy wasn't feeling great he always has time to play.

Both boys had to leave on the 26th and on the 27th we went back to work full tilt.  I am ready to take down the Christmas stuff but have no time so likely that will happen this weekend or next week after hubby flies out.

It has just started snowing here and the temperature is hovering around freezing so not sure if it will stay or melt as it hits the ground.  We have nothing to complain about as the rest of North America has had to deal with crappy low temperatures and loads of snow.  I don't miss that at all even though we get the occasional winter weather it is nothing like where we used to live in Alberta.  My friends and family there are freezing their butts off!

I am looking forward to new adventures in 2018 - this year was a good year at the island pad and I hope next year is just as good.  Happy New Year every one!