A Wild Week...

This has been a wild week, in more ways than one.  This past Monday night, Roger and Annie were attacked by a wild animal.  I didn't realize it until the next morning.  Roger's wound was more severe, and in fact, I didn't notice Annie's wound until several days later. 

We are not sure what it was that got the dogs, but it was something with claws, able to rip into the skin. We think possibly a raccoon, but other possibilities exist too.  At any rate, a trip to the vet with Roger resulted in surgery for him.  His wound had to be sutured, and then...

 ... the cone! Oh my.  Roger has NOT done well with the collar at all.  He came home, and just stood in the corner, and wouldn't move.  We couldn't get him to eat, drink or potty with the cone on.  So we had to take the cone off for short periods to let him take care of business, and then  try to get it back on.  He is just NOT a good patient!  I did not see the animal that attacked them, but we have been more cautious since the incident, to not let the dogs out alone at night.  Whatever it was, I hope it has moved on!

In happier news... the maple leaves this week became bright red... oh how I love the brilliance of this tree's leaves!

Snow on the mountains in September!  It was more than a dusting too!

Maple leaves are just starting to turn everywhere.  I am hopeful they will turn slowly, and stay with us for a while!

I attended a Stampin Up! shoebox gathering and this was the card that I brought to share with the other ladies.

I put together this natural bouquet out of my garden.  I picked a sunflower that was a late bloomer, some marigolds, and alyssum, then added some turkey feathers, a dried cornstalk and pine needles to create a little fall vignette in our home with pumpkins from our garden, and fallen blazing red maple leaves.

These trees have just started to turn colors, how wonderful it is to watch the beautiful colors emerge on the trees.

The shrubs are beginning to burst with color too...

You can see the top of the maple tree beginning to turn red... I hope they turn slowly and last for several weeks... one can hope!

Our little maple in the yard starting to turn red.  This picture was a couple of days ago, and it is now completely red.

Tea held out on the back deck as I gathered some of the red fallen leaves for my fall vignette inside.  I was drinking raspberry tea from the raspberry leaves gathered in my garden.  It is wonderful to drink... with great health benefits.

A closeup of the gorgeously colored maple leaves.

I saw this barn that had seen better days one evening, with the glorious evening light overhead, creating a beautiful pastoral scene.

Love the brilliant autumn colors that can be seen this time of year.

And then today, I had to take Annie to the vet, and she needed a collar too!  She got hit on her back leg as well, by the wild animal and while her wound wasn't as bad as Roger's, because she kept licking it so much, it was just not healing, and needed protection... hence the collar.  Now we have two wounded dogs running around with their collars of shame, knocking things over, and just generally being very difficult to have inside.  They have both learned to tolerate their collars, but we are all counting the days until they come off!

With this week being rather wild with our injured dogs, it turn an even greater turn for the worse when my Dad suffered an acute heart attack on Saturday morning.  It has been a very difficult process for all of us, because of the lack of forthcoming information about his condition.  After being taken to the ER, with all his blood work coming back normal, and because his condition was felt to be stable, and it being the weekend, we were told that he would have a heart catheterization sometime this week, and that a further decision for treatment would be made after the cath.   Meanwhile, his blood pressure kept rising, his sugars were rising as well, and we all continued in the "limbo" mode, not really sure what was going to happen.  We all felt he suffered a heart attack, but because the blood work, x-rays and EKG were completely negative and normal, it seemed the hospital was taking a very laid back approach to his care.

Today he finally was taken in to have the cath done, and was back out in short order.  They could not do the cath because of the complete blockages in ALL of his main vessels and arteries, and the only option now was open heart surgery.  As of tonight, a surgeon still has not been scheduled to do his open heart surgery, we are awaiting word on that, but his condition remains serious with the complete blockages in all of his heart vessels, blood pressure that remains high, and sugars high as well.  With all of this happening, after talking with my husband and family, we decided I needed to fly to Texas to be with the family for when he undergoes the open heart surgery hopefully Wednesday or at the latest Thursday.  Right now we are just waiting on a surgeon that is willing and able to do the surgery.

So I would covet your prayers for this situation, that the Lord would touch my Dad and help him get through the surgery and ongoing recovery process afterwards, prayer for other family members who are traveling, including myself to be here with him over the weekend.  One never knows what a day holds, a phone call, a text, or the next breath we take.  Our life is in the Lord's hands, and so thankful we can trust the Lord in times like this when our loved ones very lives are hanging in the balance.  And I am reminded once again of this scripture that has come to mean so much to me...

Psalms 91:1-2  

He that dwelleth 

in the secret place of the most High 

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  

I will say of the LORD, 

He is my refuge and my fortress: 

my God; in him will I trust.

In Him Will I Trust! Amen and amen!

Appreciate your prayers dear friends, and I will try to post an update when I can.

Update Thursday 9/28:  I had a great flight in to San Antonio and went straight to the hospital to see my dad. Within 20 minutes of my arrival there the two surgeons who had agreed to take Dad's case came to the room and explained their treatment plan, which was to have open heart surgery Friday morning with them hoping to do a quadruple bypass.

I continue to ask for your prayers for him and the team doing the surgery..in fact the surgeon said to us that with the good Lord's help things were anticipated to go well. So it was wonderful that I got to meet the surgeons doing the surgery and we can all prepare for the big day Friday. Thanks again so much for praying! I will post here again on Friday after he has the surgery.