You want to see Yooper wildlife at its best? Go to the Iron Mountain cemetery.

September 25, 2013 – Wednesday

41 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

I’m certain there are a lot of stars out this morning if only we could see them. For the second day in a row, fog is blanketing our little valley. The air is more reminiscent of pea soup rather than something we’d breath. If it’s anything like yesterday, the fog will dissipate as soon as the sun appears over the horizon.

Tuesday was the day of the veterinarian. Brutus has been lame in his back right leg now for sometime. It’s always stiff when he first rises in the morning, but after walking on it for a few minutes, he uses it normally, and after a bit, he’s running and jumping in his usual manner.

The past few days have seen him lying around more than usual, putting minimal weight on that leg. After finding a couple of strange looking ticks on him, we wondered if he might have Lyme’s disease. It was time to take him to the vet.

I did manage to finish the laundry before we left. With the sun bright and the breeze brisk, this week’s washing quickly dried.

I like Brutus’s doctor. She’s in her early thirties, bubbly, happy, and it’s easy to see why Brutus was eager to do all his tricks for her.

She took him for a walk and immediately said the problem was in his knee, not his hips. That was a huge plus. Hip dysphasia is common in big muscular dogs.

She tried to feel the knee, but said he is so muscular that she couldn’t give him the proper diagnosis and the knee should be x-rayed. I innocently asked how much that would cost.

I about fell through the floor; almost five-hundred dollars. I then innocently asked if that was ONLY for the diagnosis or would that include the knee surgery, if needed. She said that was just the preliminary.

I have never been known to be shy and asked the next obvious question; how much would the surgery cost if needed?

Baring any complications; three thousand dollars.

I sat scratching Brutus’s head and simply replied, “That’s not going to happen. If he’s that bad and suffering, we’ll have to have him put to sleep.”

The vet quickly changed her line of thinking and told me there was another option… to reduce the swelling and keep him pain-free and active through medications, and not overly expensive ones at that. She said that many dogs live to see their twilight years while taking these medications and lead healthy, active, lives.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Already, it appears she was correct. After only two rounds of medication, our puppy is much more active this morning than in the past several weeks and he’s already beginning to put more weight on his back leg. This looks like it will have a happy ending.

Brutus was tired after a full day of performing at the animal clinic

I’ll have to say that even in pain, Brutus put on quite the show at the animal hospital Tuesday afternoon. He quickly attracted the attention of all the vet techs and other animal owners and made each feel special by performing his whole array of tricks. In return, he was offered treats, most of which he declined.

In other Brutus news, I was commended that he is in such great condition, no fat, fantastic muscling, and an A-plus personality. I made mention that I once heard dogs imitate and take on the characteristics of their owners. The doc gave a hearty laugh and told me I should have been a comedian.

She commented Brutus’s toenails are worn, indicating he walks and runs a great deal. I told her I have no toenails (I really don’t) from years of hiking. She suppressed a giggle, paused from her exam, then asked if I would like a treat. I replied by saying only if she’d scratch my belly and behind my ears. We both laughed and called the conversation a draw.

We stopped by the Vision Center so Sargie's good friend, Michelle, could visit Brutus. As you can see, they're buddies.

Sargie and I met for lunch and we ended up in Iron Mountain's most popular brown bag eatery, the cemetery, where we were entertained by a flock of wild turkeys grazing around the various headstones. 

I didn’t arrive back home until late afternoon and attempted to catch up on a few chores I would have normally done during the day. Sargie was home early and we enjoyed the last of the garden vegetables in the form of a salad along with a couple of grilled pork loin chops.

I’m not certain what’s on the agenda for today. I’m not to walk or run Brutus until he completely stops limping so we won’t be doing our usual exercise. To go hiking without him seems almost cruel, but I might try. I still have one more crate of goodies to put away in the barn and then I’ll no doubt take a trike ride. There are scabby potatoes that have to be dug in the garden and it’s time to begin pulling the old stalks and vines of the various plants, see which vegetables might be stored to prolong the eating season, and begin the process of cleaning the greenhouse, getting it ready for next spring. Geesh, there’s a lot to do around here.

But then I’m not surprised because as you know, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

The back trail is beginning to look like fall