Itchy

(photo by Calvin)

For the past year or so, Simon has had skin problems. At first we were told it was demodex mites. That entailed several rounds of what I called acid baths. I had to wear rubber gloves and open up the bathroom window to get proper ventilation. Even then, the smell was overpowering and would leave me dizzy.

Simon's skin issues persisted after those treatments, and the vets decided he must have some sort of allergy. We changed his food. That didn't help.

We've gotten to the point now where Simon is miserable. He's got giant scabs near his ears from all the scratching. He's lost nearly all the fur under his chin and neck and it's starting to get patchy on his snout and under the eyes. He's lost dime-sized patches of fur on his feet.

Last night I bought him a new shampoo and a fish oil additive for his food. He can't get in to see the vet again until tomorrow so we're hoping this morning's bath will help relieve the itch for another day.

Just Dreaming...

I took my indoor vase flowers for a walk outside today. Nice to see that bright pop of color next to the snow.

I tried using the "blur edges" feature on my iPhoto editing software. I've never used that before. I think it's a nice effect but I wouldn't use it every day.

***update on the NCAA tourney*** I finished 4th out of about 50 in Paul's office pool. Paul finished in the high 30's. There's always next year.

Morning Departure

This is the Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw. She's the largest of her kind on the Great Lakes and she arrived here from Cheboygan, Michigan for a little ice breaking party on Friday. My cousin Ben and his family made a surprise stop in Duluth last night so we had them meet us at the lift bridge this morning to see the cutter off. Watching the bridge go up and down for the big boats is such a fun part of the city for us to share with visitors. Sometimes I think the adults enjoy it more than the kids...even at 8am.

Latest Acquisition

Paul & I started collecting Ephraim Faience Pottery in the late 1990's. My favorite pieces are those featuring flowers and frogs. Our latest piece has both.  We traded an overly endowed mermaid vase for it months ago, but finally made the official exchange and got it into our hands last week. This will be going on top of the piano...replacing the holiday decorations I referred to earlier in the week. What a relief to have those put away!

Black Squirrel

I don't recall seeing a black squirrel in Duluth before today. I do remember seeing them all the time in East Lansing, Michigan at the home of my grandmother. I decided to do a little research. Legend has it that the black squirrel population was introduced in Battle Creek, Michigan and later, East Lansing, Michigan, to help get rid of the RED squirrel population...and one of the people who had a hand in that is a name you'll recognize. Kellogg.  As in cereal. You can read about this and find other black squirrel information here. 

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Confession

Our Department 56 Holiday Village pieces still sit on the top of the piano. The snowglobes are on display in the hutch.

Perhaps it's time to pack away the Christmas decorations.

Eagle Eye

Do you remember when seeing an eagle was such a rare occurrence? We see them often enough now that the boys sometimes won't even look up from their book or video game to check it out. Well, Paul and I appreciate them, and we're thrilled they've made such a great comeback. 

While driving today, Paul asked if I needed to get a shot for my blog. I told him I would only stop for an eagle, it had to be in a tree close to the road, and we needed to stop right next to that tree. We've tried this before and always end up seeing the eagles as we're passing them, when it's not safe to stop, or if we do stop, the bird is too far back to capture with the point-and-shoot. Today, Paul spotted this one from a distance, and he was able to meet all of my criteria. I STILL had to have the camera zoomed in all the way (16x) so it's a bit blurry, but I was happy with the shot. Really, though, I should start taking my DSLR with me more frequently. It could have been spectacular.

***UPDATE to the Lakers post of 3-30 and the Blizzard post that followed: Check out these photos! When all the ice blew into the Harbor, it caused a few problems for the big boats making their way to and from the shipyards yesterday. The Shipping News indicated the ice was 26 inches thick! Today, it's all open water. The winds shifted, and the ice made it's way back out.

Infrastructure

We saw TWO of these gigantic concrete I-Beams on I-94 in Wisconsin today, complete with State Police escort. Not sure where they're headed, but surely they're part of something BIG!