Bitsy’s Dog Park Diary – 120729

Today I give Bitsy the last of her pills. On a Monday, a month ago, I woke up at 6 in the morning to a very quiet trailer park and a very sick dog. She wouldn’t eat; mostly she just lay still, and knowing Bitsy, I knew this to be very serious. But – what do you do? Now, I know a few people. Now I know a good vet. Then, I burst into tears and wandered around until I found a person outside, and yes he called someone and they all helped to find a good, but not cheap, vet that is available for emergencies. Smith’s if ever you are in Santa Fe.

But the thing is, I think I cried that morning for every sad thing I have ever known. I couldn’t stop. I cried for all the children I have been trying to prevent their suffering for our mistakes, and for all the whole earth that is dying to us. I had no idea how deeply I could cry, way out of proportion to one dear dog. After all, there have been many, and I do know how to cope.

Bitsy had pneumonia; when we came back home from the vet, she lay down on her dog rug that half fills all our indoor space, and I lay down beside her on the floor and fell asleep. A couple of hours later, the person who helped me came to see if I was OK. I was OK. I’m still OK. But it’s all real. The tears are for your grandchildren. Mostly. And I’ve been storing them up for about 10 years, since I looked out and saw what is happening.

Now we have settled into a routine, Bitsy and I. In the morning, she gets to eat, first thing. Then she comes back in and I have to cover her up with the blanket. When she’s ready to move and I have answered emails, we go out to the dog park for half an hour. Then we come back and Bitsy gets her two pills, followed by the PILL CHASER the Cruz-Alstons gave us for going away. When we ran out, we found some identical pill chasers in a local store and I guess we will have to continue that ritual forever. Evening routine is similar, but without the blanket. Hot.

Bitsy is fine now, and we continue to record her Dog Park Diary, that she will publish when the trip is finished. Maybe we’ll have a calendar sooner than that.

Bitsy’s Dog Park Diary

Finally Bitsy has found a new friend who can run as fast as she can. Faster really, she runs like her whippet grandparent.

Dog Park Diary – 120608

We met a dog from Oregon! Bitsy is so excited.

Dog Park Diary 120604

Dog Park Diary 120602

Dog Park Diary 120530

Dog Park Diary – 120529

Dog Park Diary 120528

We settle into a routine. To the dog park three times a day if we are home all day. Bitsy checks out all the smells, does her business, chases away any rabbits, and then comes to me (I’m trying to practice meditation), sits, gazes into my downcast eyes and whines for me to find another dog for her to play with. Perhaps it is a combination of my meditation and hers — this one was a doozy. She hadn’t been off the leash for two days, and when we got back to our cozy little home Bitsy required her first ever bath. Our cozy (etc) nevertheless smells vaguely of New Mexico dust whenever Bitsy sets foot inside.

We also paid off Two Bears for fixing all the plumbing in the trailer (except the toilet which was already pretty new and the hot water heater that I do not dare think about turning on). Now Two Bears has gone of to Silver City to fight the fires and I think every thing is AOK except my rear view mirrors.

And I got a little more serious about photographing cactus flowers.

Sunday evening realized that the two most important things I have written about are: levels of orgsnization and emergent properties, so I spent all morning reorganizing this blog so people can find them. I think you will now find these listed under the categories to the left,which will take you to all that I have written on the blog on that subject. It makes an interesting flow if you start in 2009 and work through. I printed them all out so I could maybe write a summary.

Dog Park Diary 130527 We Had FUN

But this morning we were met at the dog park by a little thing as big as Bitsy’s foot, She so wanted to play. It would be like you playing with an elephant. Risky if you don’t know each other.

And besides that, although Bitsy may not have fully appreciated sitting in the car, the meeting of the Upaya local Sangha was excellent and gave me one really core idea for future Bare Bones Biology spots and the new book. 🙂