Around the Garden and Nobbies Urn

Howdy all,

I took the above picture for you to see mom...you wanted to see Mr. Nobbies urn...it is a nice marble urn...i attached his collar a chicken wishbone, a few feathers and a clump of nobbies fur....
You can see the nice rock cairn that Patti made.

Today I did what i have been doing around here lately and that is working around the garden.
So i took a video...its rather long so i had to make four videos....and it may be boring...but ha...just don't watch them all...
I figured Adele would love to see what her pups are up to during the day...
And although it looks like i just sat and looked at birds most of the day....I did actually do some work..ha.

Pittsboro, Hillsbourgh and Carboro....

Howdy all,

Yesterday Adele, Jeff and me...and I? anyway.... we went on a car tour through a few towns north of here in the Raleigh-Durham area. Adele and I liked the town of Hillsboro...small quaint town center...a few very nice restaurants...a nice co-op and sweet old homes...some nice old estates as well. Plenty of open spaces around to make if feel as though you are in the country...close to Durham and Raleigh..... The top three pictures were taken at an estate that we did a little walk around...dreaming about living there and having all that land....

The restaurant Adele wanted to go to was closed so we went to Tupelos. Adele and I shared a nice salad and a sandwich that had fried green tomatoes and lettuce and bacon. Jeff has Jambalaya. It was all Yummy...

The bottom picture was taken in Carrboro..which a college town...close to Chapel Hill...
Adele wants to steal this old cement lady and put her in the garden....

We did a quick drive thru Pittsboro, which is another sweet little town that I like. It has a food co-op....a few nice restaurants and funky little homes, some old...some just run down.

thats all....today is overcast again...which is good...need rain....Jeff went for a bird walk this morning and saw and photographed the Prothonotory warbler. He will take me in the next few days so that hopefully i can see it too.

The first picture is the one jeff took with his little digital camera...the second one i found on the internet...

Some Birding Walks in North Carolina

Howdy all...

First before I get into our birding walks....I want to say to my sister Lori...that I am glad her gallbladder surgery went well and I hope you are out of pain soon...Poor Lori...she went to the hospital in terrible pain....I have been told gallbladder pain is the worse....I can only compare it to my kidney stones which was pretty horrible too...
So get well soon Lori..
Please everyone....stay healthy for a while....my little heart cant take anymore sadness....

So.... Jeff and I have been going on some theraputic birding walks...
A few days ago we saw our first Ovenbird.

That is not me holding it....just found the picture on the internet.
We went to Raven Rock state park.
The park was about 35 to 40 minutes from Adele and Craigys home. We followed a small creek through the woods to the river and the rock that the park takes its name from. We were there birding pretty much all day....saw this sweet little bird that is hermit thrush like in coloring ..but tiny...very strong song for a tiny little bird.

Oh ...just now went outside and saw a lifer for me... a yellow throated vireo..
This is an exciting time to be here...the migrants are coming thru....cant wait to see the Blue grosbeak and Indigo Buntings again...they usually come to the feeder.

Anyway here are a few pictures of Raven rock...Yesterday we went for a birding walk in Weymouth woods. It was the day of Pattis Memorial in California...so we decided we would go on this hike in honor of her love of birding and her great birding skills. Patti was with us as we saw our first Broad winged Hawk. A Lifer for us...
They were banding birds as well...so we got to see some close up views of a few birds. Jeff wanted to see the prothonotary warbler....so he went off trail...i didn't join him because i didn't want to deal with the ticks....he came back with over fifty ticks...yuck...and he didn't find the bird he was looking for. This time of year it is best to stay on the trails in North Carolina.

We did get great views of the Red cockaded woodpecker, and endangered species, that lives in just a few areas around here...and the Prairie warbler a bright yellow bird...we also got a close up view when it was being banded...see the yellow head below.

So thats all for now...today is overcast, which is nice for the garden here....maybe I will stay in and read today...or if it gets nice go out and do some gardening.

a migrant....Black throated blue warbler

Goodbye sweet Mr. Nobbie

Howdy all,

Our Mr. Nobbie was put to sleep on Wednesday.....Our sweet little fur boy has no more pain...

...After three months of many vets....reiki...lotions and potions...
All the Kings Horses and All the Kings Men couldn't put poor Nobbie together again...

Nobbie rallied several times in the three months...He seemed to respond well to the Reiki....
but then became worse again....We were hoping the Reiki person was correct about her feeling that nobbie just has a bad tooth infection...but she was wrong....

He had a few nice days sitting outside here in North Carolina before getting sicker....His left eye filled with blood....He had some blood in his ear as well.

I could tell he couldn't see very well. He also had was in some pain ...I gave him arnica montana and that made him sleep....

Monday ..We went to another vet...a holistic one, who said he indeed had cancer... he also recently went blind...she felt he also had gastritis....and if he could rallied we could address what else was going on. We went home and I started the pill regime, feeding with a syringe and cleaning his eyes and ears....He was also in more pain...i would give him his remedy and it seemed he would feel better for a while. Wednesday I could tell nobbie had enough...he didn't want to take the pills and would gag them up...he was very disoriented....I knew it was time to say goodbye...

We took him to the vet Adele uses for her pets...She was very nice....she shaved nobbie where she was going to put the needle in and said his skin was not pink...that it was yellowish...which meant his system was shutting down....

He went to sleep very easily and we held him and kissed him goodbye...

I have to say that I am in many ways very relieved......it was very stressful taking care of this sick little furboy and seeing him in pain..... I miss my sweet little noblet.

Last night he came to visit me in my dreams and walked around the bed and rubbed his face on me.....

This past week has been a very sad one for Jeff and I and each day it is filled with tears....
I miss my Noblet and I miss My dear friend Patti....
They were both sweet souls....

In Honor of our dear Friend....Patti Masuda

Howdy all,
We received very sad news yesterday.

As most of you know we have friends we have met Rving...and you have heard me blog about and you have seen pictures of our friends Geno and Patti Masuda.
Geno informed us yesterday that Patti passed away in the morning. Either a stroke or heart attact. So she did not suffer, thank goodness. She had cold or flu symptoms for a few days prior was all..so this was most tragic. She had been caring for her mother who had just received a hip replacement.

Patti would have been 60 years old this year and Geno and Patti would have celebrated thier 40th wedding anniversary.
Our hearts go out to Geno, his world will be so different without her.

Patti was such a sweet, wonderful person...we loved her dearly....
She loved Birding, Wildflowers ..she was a computer wiz and she was excellent at Identification of birds and flowers... and a wealth of knowledge.....

We met Patti and Geno when we started our full time Motorhome travels....we were staying at Catalina state park in Arizona....we went on a Friday morning birding walk ..they were there .. ...and we were sucked into the birding world by their enthusiasm...We have been friends and travel mates ever since. They showed us around the birding hotspots in the south west and California.....and turned us on to some wonderful places.

So I have been working on this all morning into the afternoon with buckets and buckets of tears...and as i type this they keep flowing....

We will miss Patti tremendously...

So heres to you....our Angel Patti....
We Love You!


I pulled up some videos from the past ...Some great times we all had together.

Here is a link to a blog of a friend of Patti and Genos ...beautifully written and poignant
http://jaymather.blogspot.com/2008/04/with-life-comes-loss.html

Anza Borrego

Playing with our Friends

Last Day In Morro Bay

wine and birding

Patti showed me how to make these...thanks Patti

Uncle Vics Boat.....

Howdy all,

We left Florida Monday morning and we are now one hour away from our destination....Adele and Craig's in Carthage.

We had a nice two weeks visiting Uncle Vic and Aunt Norma...and cousins Janice and Joe and their family's. We also got to spend some time with our friends Steve and Anita.
Didn't go to the beach ...except for 10 minutes with uncle Vic...checking to see if the fisherman were catching anything...which they weren't.

Nobbie seems to be improving...or at least feeling better...he purrs much more and wants to be petted. We have an appt set up with a Holistic type vet to see if he needs teeth extractions....so we shall see. At least he seems more comfortable.

Below is a video of Uncle Vic's boat being repaired...Joe is working on the engine in the video...Jeff lent a hand....and two of Vic's neighbors were there as well.

Nobbies ups and downs

Howdy all,

Nobbie is still with us and had a good day yesterday. Seems like he is having a good morning so far.
He has been sitting on his favorite basket instead of hiding. He purred and also wants his daily beating...please don't be alarmed...he likes being patted with a stick.
He does get annoyed when i try and clean his nose and his ear and give him all the meds.

I still don't feel any difference in the size of the cyst..or whatever it is on his left side throat area.
He does seem to stand a bit more upright...his eye is still partially closed..which I understand is Horners syndrome or nerve damage...don't know if this will rectify when all the swelling and excess tissue goes away.

I am going through own ups and downs with this....If i remember how he was a week ago...I would say he is getting better....
But ...It seems so slow of a recovery...and I am still a bit of a skeptic and wonder if this is all working. I am stressed and need a vacation from this. I cant imagine how parents with very sick children get through it all.

The Reiki healer says the tissue areas are shrinking...and she feels no hot inflammation.
She says it will take a month for the cyst thing to go away...and the one in his head as well.
Says that he should have the teeth taken out when he gets stronger.
He still sleeps allot and hasn't wanted to go out...so he is not back yet...

So we go on with this routine...we leave here on Monday...and will see if our Mr. Nobbie gets better.
below is a letter from the animal communicator...

Hi Dawn,

Thank you for the update & information. I enjoyed reading your blog!

Checked in with Nobbie today, and he seems to be having one of those days where he just wants to lay and rest...the good news is, he feels his body healing, and is quite optimistic that he will recover! He thinks the healer/herbs are helping a great deal and wants to continue her therapy.

Sounds as though you have found a wonderful healer there. I'm so happy for you. It was meant to be that your paths crossed. Nobbiecat will be in my thoughts... Keep me posted, and let me know if I can do anything at all for you!

Most Sincerely,

Carolyn


So who knows.....?????
Time will tell....

Easter at Janice and Marks

Howdy all,

We had a lovely Easter at Janice and Marks. It was so nice seeing everyone.
The dinner was stupendous....Janice cooked soo much food...and all sooo delicious. Crab dips, and cakes, and quiche..spinach dip and spinach quiche, macaroni and cheese, mashed sweet potato, mashed potato, stuffing, turkey, banana bread...etc...I probably forgot a few things.
Ashley made a wonderful Carrot Cake.

Thanks Janice and Mark for inviting us...







Easter at Janice and Marks

Dinner at Joe and Theresa's

Howdy all,

Saturday we went to Cousin Joes and his wife Theresa's for dinner....Joe made a great lasagne.
I brought over a german chocolate cake for dessert. It was wonderful spending time with the family.
Don't they have pretty daughters?



Dinner at Joe and Theresas

Reiki healing for Nobbie

Howdy all,

Another Nobbie story. As you know he has been very sick...we all thought he was dying and had cancer...I used the animal communicator and she suggested someone come in to help him.

My vet at home had suggested Reiki or Acupuncture. So i searched all over the lake worth west palm beach area for someone who would come to the Homey and help him. No one would come...or they couldn't see him for a while.

The day before yesterday Jeff was washing the motor home and stopped a fellow who had the cutest little dog, a new Lhasa alpso. I was inside, but when the phone was for Jeff I went to let him know. Jeff introduced me to Allen, who used to live in the area. We chatted and I told him about Mr. Nobbie and how i had called an animal communicator.....he said he was into that kind of stuff but he said "you have to be careful who you tell that to they will think you are nuts." I told him I could care less if people thought I was nuts.....ha...

anyway he said he knows a woman from the area who would be able to put me in touch with someone...he said his friend knows all the alternative type people around...he called her and handed me the phone...
I explained the situation to his friend...she immediately said that i had to call Nancy.
http://www.aroundwellington.net/
She is a Reiki healer and Medical Intuitive.
I called Nancy...she couldn't come to Nobbie..but said we could make him comfortable and bring him to her....which we did ...yesterday....
She lives on a Farm in Loxahatchee, she rescues horses, dogs, sheep...etc...She also has a summer camp for children.

She started Reiki on Nobbie....I told her we all thought he had cancer....she felt no cancer...
She said no...he does not have cancer....he has infection....all the swelling was inflamed tissue...
she said it was because of infection of teeth on his lower left side...which should come out...but not until he is healthy.

Nobbie tolerated the healing...She said she was making the swelling, infectin area smaller....I held him the whole time....she put her hands on him...and he jerked a few times to get away...she said the healing is powerful and it was strange to him.
Nobbie seemed a bit different to me after the healing session.

She gave us a list of herbs to buy.
We set up one more appt. for Friday. ...and left.

Needless to say we were shocked...happy...and skeptical....
but what are we or Nobbie to loose from this?
After all it is less than a ct scan and surgery.

Got nobbie home...he was real thirsty....hungry....and I started giving him his supplements...
Arnica tabs for his pain....
liquid vitamin B12
colloidal silver for his eye, ear and internal
Bio K...digestive enzymes
Liquid coq10 for his heart
we had to order the last supplement...
He seemed to want all these supplements....which i gave him with a dropper....He then proceeded to eat dinner....
and went to bed...

it seemed to me that his eye was opened a tad more this am...
he was not as crooked ..he was holding his head a little more upright....
attitude seemed better....He was very hungry...
He let me cut some of his dirty fur that I had been avoiding ...as i didn't want to upset him when i thought he was dying....
The Reiki healer said I needed to clean him up to give him his dignity back...and to not think that he was dying...

We left the Homey this morning to bring my aunt to get her passport and wont be home till this evening...so it will be interesting to see how the Mr. Nob is doing.

If Nob gets better....I will be making an appt with Nancy for Ballie, myself and Jeff.

Stay tuned for more of Mr. Nobbies story