Field Trip Day

Pierce's class recently had their year-end field trip.  We went to see Stuart Little at the theatre, and then spent the rest of the day at the Mill Mountain Zoo.

This bird made me laugh.  He squinted his eyes like he thought he would blend in or something.  No blending in to be had for Mr. Fluorescent. 

It was a beautiful day for walking around the zoo.  I was bummed that the Pallas Cat, my favorite animal, wasn't out.  I hope he is okay.

Also notably absent was the prairie dog exhibit.  Not sure what happened there.  But at least Pierce's favorite animal, the snow leopard, was still around.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of him.  I don't like taking their picture when they're behind bars.  I feel kind of bad for them.  Even though they are healthy and well-tended.  It's just not quite natural, is it?

Pierce got to pet a ferret, and for the first time, held back from petting a snake.  He said he didn't want to get any bacteria.  That's a new one! 

What about you, readers?  What's your favorite zoo animal?

My Horse Has Lyme Disease (Part 2)

Thank you, thank you, thank you readers, for your support and your research and your advice after I blogged last week about how my horse has lyme disease.  Many of you have emailed and asked for an update, so I thought I would share what we are doing now.

The preferred treatment for lyme disease in horses is doxycycline, but due to recent HUGE hikes in prices, it was not an affordable option for us.  I looked into ordering the medicine from another country, but there were a lot of obstacles and I finally realized it wasn't very feasible.  So I started doing a little more research on lyme disease. 

Ironically, my husband and I had just watched this documentary on lyme disease called Under the Skin, the night before Phoenix's lyme disease test came back positive.  One thing that struck me in the film was that people may look like they are doing just fine, but might be in a lot of pain.  I worried that Phoenix was in a lot of pain and I didn't know it - his only symptom being mild lameness at the trot.  My vet tried to reassure me, saying that Phoenix would let me know if he was in pain, but I wasn't so sure.

I discovered when doing my research that amoxicillin is the second drug of choice for treating lyme disease.  It's what they gave Pierce last summer when he developed a bulls eye rash on his leg.  And I met someone who is allergic to doxycycline that has lyme disease, and she said they treated her with amoxicillin.  I called my vet again (I hope he's not getting sick of me!) and he agreed to do his own research to see if it made sense to treat Phoenix this way.  In the end, we decided to give it a try.

Sneaking 16 amoxicillin pills into a horse twice a day isn't easy.  First I tried mixing the capsules with applesauce.  No way.  Then I tried adding maple syrup and alfalfa pellets.  Phoenix gave me a look of disdain, and then kicked over the feed tub!  Then he turned his butt to me!  Hmmm.  I got that message loud and clear.

I then went to the feed store and purchased some extra yummy sweet feed for him - full of grains and molasses.  That worked for two feedings and then he was over it. 

I guess I'm going to have to stop playing nice.  I bought a large syringe (no needle), and am going to try making a paste of the pills mixed with water and molasses, and shoot it into the side of his mouth in the same manner you would deworm a horse.  I hope this method will work.  Obviously, the antibiotic treatment won't work if I can't get the medicine in him.  I guess you can lead a horse to grain with sneaky meds in it, but you can't make him eat it.

Thanks again, readers, for all of your support.  The whole situation has been so distressing, but your kind words and emails have meant the world to me!  Thank you.

Flown the Nest

1.  I spent several days spying on our baby birds out the window.  I got to see them stand on the edge, flapping their wings.  Then, suddenly one day, they were gone.  I'll miss them.

2.  The other day Reid and I were at Target, and I absentmindedly called him Cort.  He looked at me in horror, and said, "Mom?  Did you just call me CORT?!?"  Whoops, bad Mom!

3.  We lost power from the storm yesterday afternoon.  It's still off.  I hope it's not for 8 days this time.  We always lose power right after I've done a big grocery store trip.

4.  The twins are finally old enough this year to do a short morning camp, and the one they picked is Dinosaur Camp.  It's next week.  I think they'll have fun. 

5.  A very Happy Father's Day this weekend to all the dads out there, including my own!  :-)  Here's a classic memory of my Dad.  Back in the 80s, when I was in 5th grade or so, we were driving down Electric Rd. when the song Electric Avenue came on the radio.  I remember my Dad making a big deal about it coming on while we were driving down Electric Rd., and bobbing his head and singing at the top of his lungs.  To this day, I can't hear that song without getting a little excited. 

This post linked with A Rural Journal for Random Friday. 

Bumbleberry Pie Sundaes #MyPlatinum #sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade.  I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I am continuing to enjoy using Cascade Platinum in my dishwasher.  The dishes have never been so clean.  This week, my focus was on food presentation.  I'm sure you've noticed I love to try new recipes and take pictures of food to share with you.  I had to laugh when we went to a Mexican restaurant a few weeks ago and Pierce pretended to take a picture of his food.  Like mother like son?  I love how sparkling my dishes are now with Cascade - I don't have to angle them in the picture to try to hide a streak from view - they look shiny from every side.  And I couldn't believe the other day when I put two new glasses with sticker residue in the dishwasher with Cascade Platinum.  When I took them out, the residue was completely gone! 

This weekend I had a friend coming into town, so I made Gail Simmons' Bumbleberry Pie Sundae recipe.  Berries are in season right now in Virginia, and I was eager to take advantage. 

Ingredients:
3 cups plus 3/4 cup mixed berries, well washed and divided (any combination of strawberries hulled and quartered, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries halved)
4 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 pinch coarse salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 pint raspberry sorbet (I substituted raspberry sherbet because it was a little more economical)
6 graham crackers, crushed
2 tbsp. fresh lemon zest

1.  In a medium saucepan heat three cups of mixed berries, 2 tbsp. sugar and lemon juice over medium heat, until the blueberries begin to burst and the other berries break down, about 10 minutes.  Remove off heat and stir in pinch of salt.
2.  Place half the berry mixture in a blender and puree until smooth.  Return the sauce to the saucepan and stir well to combine with remaining fruit.  Allow to cool slightly.
3.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl crush 3/4 cup mixed berries with remaining 2 tbsp. sugar using a fork, until slightly chunky and loose.  In a large bowl or stand mixer, using a balloon whisk or hand held mixer, beat the cream at medium speed until soft peaks form.  Gently fold crushed berries into whipping cream.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4.  To serve: spoon 2 tbsp. of sauce into 6 parfait or rocks glasses.  Top w/ a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a sprinkling of crushed graham crackers, and a pinch of lemon zest.  Then add a scoop of the raspberry sorbet and another 2 tbsp. of sauce.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream and finish with a sprinkling of the graham crackers and another pinch of zest.  Serve immediately.

We all loved this dessert.  The berries have a divine flavor that practically jumps off the spoon.  And speaking of spoons, did you notice how sparkling my silverware is in these pictures? 

Don't forget that you can submit images to the Cascade My Platinum Instagram contest to win wonderful prizes.  And stay tuned for next week - I'll be blogging about favorite drinks!

My Horse Has Lyme Disease

My dear horse Phoenix has been lame for some years.  Initially, I took him for x-rays, but they were inconclusive.  I tried a couple of arthritis drugs, but they didn't seem to help.  When my vet came by a few weeks ago to do rabies shots, I was having my annual talk with him about Phoenix's lameness.  He is only lame at the trot, a mild lameness, the sort of thing you can't put your finger on, but that doesn't improve with loosening up.  My vet, who has treated him for his annual shots and once mild allergies over past ten years, said, "Well, it's a long shot, but do you want to test him for lyme disease?".  Both of us were SHOCKED when it came back positive.

The thing is - Phoenix has likely had this for years.  So his lyme disease would be chronic, and he will need a longer term on antibiotics.  A minimum of 620 pills of doxycycline.  Had this happened a few months ago, it wouldn't be such a big deal.  Unfortunately, doxycycline recently took a HUGE hike in pricing.  So huge, in fact, that one local pharmacy gave me an estimate of $3500.  Sadly, we cannot afford that.  My vet, who is wonderful, has said he's willing to send the prescription anywhere.  So I'm exploring options, including ordering the medicine from Australia.  Many thanks to the bloggers who helped me connect with some Australian bloggers to answer questions for me about the website I am considering!

This horse and I have been through so much together.  Eighteen years ago, when I was in college, I rescued him from an abusive situation.  They told me that he was unrideable.  That he bucked off anyone who dared to climb on his back.  It took him a long time to learn to trust.  In the beginning, I could barely catch him.  When I placed my hand up to him, his whole body would tremble in fear. 

He tentatively gave me his heart, though, and we rode in parades and did some schooling shows.  He was the sort of horse, who even at the tender age of 4, would try so hard when I asked him to do crazy things like walk across a bright blue tarp or jump over a river.

In the landscape of my heart, Phoenix owns a large and rambling acreage.  I promised him years ago that I would always take care of him, and that he could trust me.  I have stayed true to my promise all these years, and I don't plan to stop now.  I just need to figure out a loophole in this doxycycline business.  Hopefully, since he isn't lame or stiff at the walk, he isn't in excruciating pain and doesn't mind the delay as I search for the best treatment.  Sadly, I can't know that for sure.  But every day I walk down to the pasture and brush him, and tell him I'm doing everything I can to find him treatment. 

Update:  I got an email this morning that they cannot accept prescriptions from outside of Australia in their pharmacies.  So I guess it's back to the drawing board.  Readers, if you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them! 

Pierce Gets a Kiwi Crate

Disclaimer:  I received one Kiwi Crate in the mail for review purposes.  The opinions below are my own.

Kiwi Crate Gifts is a monthly service for kids age 3-7 to receive a package in the mail full of stimulating themed crafts and information.  I had heard a lot about Kiwi Crate, and when they contacted me to see if I'd like to do a review, I was excited to have the opportunity.

The theme of the box we received centered around birds.  The box came with all the craft supplies needed to create an individualized bird mask and a pair of bird wings.  In addition, it had informational coloring books that told about different types of birds and had ideas for games and supplemental learning activities.  And as an extra bonus, the box even included a pair of children's Fiskars scissors (we are always losing our kiddie scissors, so I was thrilled to have an extra pair).

Pierce set to work creating his mask and wings.  One of the fun parts of the mask was that it had interchangeable beaks - a woodpecker beak, a kiwi beak, and a duck beak.  Pierce decided to be a woodpecker first.  Once his costume was completed, he flew around the yard and pecked at the wood on his playset.

Next the 'woodpecker' created a nest of eggs.  Pierce was able to do his crafts with minimal help from me - I only assisted with a couple of tricky glue dots and the tying of knots in the wings and mask. 

One thing Pierce loved about his finished bird nest was that the eggs crack open to hide treasures inside.  Talk about some fun imaginative play! 

Kiwi Crate is one of the best kid-friendly products I have ever reviewed.  It is unique, educational, and so much fun.  If you have a grandchild or niece or nephew you'd love to send something special in the mail, this would make such a marvelous gift.  A month runs $19.95 plus shipping, getting less expensive if you purchase several months at a time.  You can also find them on Facebook. 

Readers, what was one of the favorite crafts or projects you remember making as a kid?

Strawberry Picking

Strawberries came in late this year.  The extended cold temperatures this spring left us picking berries several weeks later than normal.  Nevertheless, when we arrived at the patch the berries looked ripe and ready for picking.

Of course before any berries could go in the bucket, there was some sampling to be done.

The berries met with the approval of all three boys.

Finally they got down to work.  They were competitive this year.  Each one wanted to be the one to pick the most berries.

Hard at work.

Hard at work?  Or just stuffing the face?

That night, I made lemon pound cake, and we all stuffed ourselves silly after dinner. 

Strawberry season is always one of the best delights of Spring.