Ginny Update

First, I want to thank everyone for their kind words, and warm wishes after my last post. We appreciate them very much.

We had a follow-up vet visit today. He wanted to check her lymph glands. Since they were not enlarged yet, after consulting the cancer vet doctor it was decide to give Ginny steroids. Apparently they sometimes slow down this type of cancer for at least a while, which could give us some more good time with her. We will see how it goes. Just so you know she is still our feisty Ginny, she threw a tantrum all the way home. She dug the towel she was sitting on, and thumped.

Here she is glaring at me for interrupting her Critical Care Feast (ya gotta love that apple-banana flavor)!

Some Sad News

I have some sad news to share with you. Ginny has been diagnosed with cancer, and is unlikely to be with us much longer. We found this out over a week ago, but I couldn't bring myself to write about it. I kept hoping I would wake up and find out that it wasn't true.

She had a lump removed earlier this year, which our vet didn't think looked to be a problem. Then she had that "infection" on her lip, where we thought Weasley had bitten her (sorry, Weasley). Once she was  on antibiotics, however, the spot began to change in appearance, and grow quickly. Even before we saw the vet, I knew what he would say. In the two days that we waited to see him, half a dozen more spots popped up, mostly on her face.

The location and size of the lumps make it impossible to remove them. My vet took a tissue sample, and consulted with a vet/doctor cancer guy, who was surprised to find out that the rabbit the sample came from was still alive. Apparently this is a fast moving cancer, that is transmitted by virus in the wild rabbit population. We don't take our buns outside, but I do feed them our nice organic veggies from the garden. Maybe her exposure came from that, or from her hay, or maybe we tracked something into the house, I don't really understand how this happened. I'm hoping to find out more.

In the meantime,  her activity level has slowed down. She is having some pain at this point, which is giving her difficulty eating hay, and drinking from her water bottle. We are giving her Critical Care as a supplement to help keep things moving through her system.  She is still eating her pellets well, and still comes running when I open the vegetable drawer. 

She is still attempting to eat the entire brown chair (actually a chair and a half-she's always been an overachiever!).

And, she is still putting her head down for pets every time we walk by.

We will keep her comfortable for as long as we can, and then do what's right. As for Weasley, the vet recommended separating them, but I don't see the point. They have been drinking from the same bottle, eating the same food, and grooming each other for Ginny's entire life. If he is going to get this illness, he probably already has. He's never done well when separated from her, and I worry about that.

Anyway, now you know what is happening here. I'm praying for a miracle for my girl, I hope you will say one for her also. And give your bunnies an extra nose rub from us.

Friday In The Garden

We had the payoff on the yucca this week, although the storms the other day did do some damage to the blossoms.

The Black-Eyed Susan's are in full bloom in a lot of places in the garden. I didn't plant any here, but they seeded themselves, along with a green-eyed variety called Irish Eyes.

The butterflies should be happy, because we have milkweed. This is a named hybrid, but I can't find the name right now.

 

We also have lots of Butterfly Weed, most of which is self-seeded. Over the years I have put quite a few native plants in the garden, but they are starting to get out of control. I think some decisions are going to have to be made over the next year.

But, the main event in the garden this week is the beginning of the daylilies. Most of my daylilies have come from Oakes Daylilies, a place I highly recommend. There are so many choices, the plants arrive quickly, and they are vigorous and healthy. I've been buying from them since 2003.

Out back we have one called Over There, which is quite vivid. It is in shade in this picture, so you don't quite get the full effect of the color.

Around front we have Highland Cranberry, a rebloomer. Actually, I mostly order rebloomers. The flowers tend to be smaller, but they happen over a longer time in the garden, and I like that.

Also out front, a reblooming red called Frankly Scarlet. Don't you love that name? I have to admit that I am sometimes seduced by the names of the plants!

My favorite daylily, Miss Amelia,  has also started blooming. We have this one in several places in the yard. I love the pale yellow color, and it reblooms like crazy.

I love this because it is a great plant, but also because of this lady.

This was Miss Amelia Earhart. She was our second rabbit, and she came to us from a Massachusetts Chapter of the House Rabbit Society. She had airplane ears, and lots of attitude. She could be quite grumpy, and you should have heard her thump at my mother-in-law! She crossed the bridge in 2006, and we miss her still.

Storm Clouds

This morning before it got too hot, we harvested peas and raspberries. Every year I think I will freeze some strawberries and peas, but they always get eaten before that can happen.  In fact, the peas have been known to disappear before they are cooked! The strawberries are in a lull now, but the raspberries.... We have had pie, jam, pancakes, hands full of berries popped in the mouth. For these, I'm thinking some of them might go into scones, along with almonds and white chocolate. I'll have to look up or make up a recipe.

Soon after we picked these, the temperature hit 90°F. But a little while ago, we had some clouds roll in. 

 

Can you see the neighbors ornamental grass blowing sideways? The rain was coming sideways in sheets, also.There was thunder, but not too close. There were waves in the swimming pool.

It lasted all of 5 minutes, definitely less than ten. As quickly as it blew in, the sun poked back through the clouds. There is some blue sky showing in this picture.

When it was all done. the temperature had dropped from 90°F to 76°F. Much better weather for napping!

Temperature Control Issues

Ginny and Weasley, not quite able to decide if it's hot or cold.

Feet on the frozen water bottle, heads in the sun.

The first jam of the season got made today. It's mixed-berry, mostly raspberry, some strawberries, and the last canned blackberries of last year. The house smelled wonderful while it was cooking.

Friday In The Garden

We have some new sights in the garden this week. Several areas have bright, cheery daisy faces waving in the breeze.

Second Daughter's garden has the earliest of the Black-Eyed Susans.

First Daughter's garden has a vivid orange lily. She gave me a pot of lilies for Mother's Day several years back, and I replanted them here.

The first coreopsis (one whose name I don't know) is blossoming. Later will come Moonbeam, and the tall coreopsis that will grow to 6 feet. When the tall one is only a couple feet high, I usually get some questions from people who see it, as it looks a lot like something we can't legally grow (if you get my drift)! The birds love the seeds of all these varieties.

Last week we had the yellow yarrow. This week, the yellow is still going strong, but we also have a pink one. This is another one whose name I don't know, passed on from another gardener. I love the color and texture of these.

Some of the promise of last week has been fulfilled, and we are picking lots of raspberries. First Daughter made us raspberry pancakes one morning for breakfast. No picture of the pancakes, they disappeared too fast.

And, those Yucca are finally blooming!

How about a closer view of those blossoms?

Imagine the music if these blossoms were actual bells. Then again, maybe they make music only the fairys can hear.

Have a great weekend, everybun!

Quilts Hung And Weasley Interrupted

On Monday quilts from two Massachusetts quilt guilds were hung at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts. There were a lot of quilts to organize.

Once the flow of color and shape were coordinated, the hanging went quickly.

Before they were all hung, two quilts were sold off the walls. Partial proceeds go to the hospital auxiliary guild.  

The quilts were attracting a lot of attention, so hopefully the show will be successful both for the benefit of the hospital guild, and for the benefit of the spirits of people walking by.  If you have a chance to see the quilts, I hope your reasons for being there are happy ones.

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Earlier this afternoon, Weasley was contemplating Second Daughter's hockey stick. When he finished with that, he started some deep considerations of her tuba. Whatever his conclusions might have been, we will never know. He was rudely interrupted by First Daughter.

Luckily for her, she followed this interruption with a petting session.

Horsing Around

Since First Daughter came home from college, we have spent several mornings at the beautiful Volo Farm in Westford, Massachusetts. My girl started riding at 8 years old, and when Volo was created a number of years back, she followed her instructor there. Since she won't be around except for short visits for the next 2 years, we plan to spend quite a bit of time here this summer.

On Friday, she was going to ride one of these guys.

It wasn't the big man, Levi. She walked on by him.

She was after this guy, Tanks-A-Lot, the Haflinger Pony. My daughter rode him before they came to Volo, when he hadn't had much training, and was full of energy. He has done very well in Pony Jumpers in recent years. He does love to jump!

Here they are, headed in to go to work.

A good brushing before the lesson.

Tiny is getting ready for the lesson also. He's not twice as tall as Tank, but almost!  My girl rode him for awhile after her favorite Paint was sold away from the barn.

I didn't get any good pictures of the lesson (camera issue, more about that another time). But I did visit with some old friends who are still here. In the barn, I found Bob.

And Charlie was there, too.

Outside I found Shanti. Isn't she beautiful? Way back when she first came to the barn, someone told me she was purchased for one dollar, because the seller didn't like her eye color. She is a very smart pony.

A lot of the big horses were away at a show, and I don't actually know this guy. He insisted on posing every time I walked by him, so I finally obliged and took his picture.

Finally, at the top of the hill, I found old Chug-A-Bug. She was old ten years ago when my daughter rode her, and she must be ancient by now. She is still going strong, and looking beautiful.

Volo Farm has been a wonderful place for my daughter to grow up. She has known many good people and horses here, and learned a lot of life lessons. She has learned to work hard, how to take care of  and respect other creatures, and most importantly, how to grow strong friendships. Could you really ask for any more?

Friday In The Garden

The weather got cloudier and cooler this week, and things slowed down a bit in the garden. Some things are all done blossoming, but still interesting, like the lupine. I love the silvery glow of the seed pods.

A few things are blossoming. The Rose Campion is going crazy in a back area where some pass-along plants have been allowed to do what they want.

The lavender smells heavenly, and I wish I had more of it.

But mostly this week, the garden seems to be about potential. We have peas blossoming and filling pods. We had a few at dinner yesterday. Yum!

The pears are getting larger, and need to be thinned.

We will have some blueberries finally this year (if we beat the birds to them).

And, the raspberries are getting close to ripe. In past years, I have been scolded by a Catbird while picking these beauties. I wonder if he will be back this year?

Finally, that yucca from the last two Friday posts is still getting bigger, but has yet to pop into blossom! Maybe next week I will be able to show you its cascade of white blossoms.

You may have noticed the lack of sewing or other art on this blog lately. Like the garden, the potential is still here, but I am moving very slowly. Having my non-driving older child home, and trying to fit in all sorts of appointments and visits before she heads to grad school has been very disruptive. I'm not really minding, because after August, we will see very little of her for the next two years, and I am trying to enjoy as much time with her as I can before then. Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep track of  ideas, and I'm taking lots of pictures, and the potential will blossom when the time is right.

Happy Friday! I hope your Friday holds blossoms as well!