Hedgie update... not a happy ending, unfortunately. :(

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Neglect, Self-Harm
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Ok, so the hedgehog had to be put down. It was really sad (especially after getting my hopes up that she'd be fine). After the initial vet trip she did really well for a few days and we all thought she'd just heal up and be 3-legged, which was cool. But suddenly she started eating another leg. SEVERIOUSLY. Jeni took her to the vet again who put her on antibiotics, but by that night she'd pretty much destroyed that leg. She chewed it all night and screamed the whole time. 😨😭

I slept on the couch with the tv on, but I could still hear her and I felt pretty sick that I couldn't do anything for her right then. By the next day when we finally got her to the vet to be put down she'd finished that leg and started ANOTHER. The vet said that all he could figure would be nerve damage from the initial wound... so that sucked. She pretty much felt that she was in pain the whole time and I really hate that. Not that it's much of a plus, but it was pretty interesting to see her walk on two legs, both on the same side. She totally did and I was kind of amazed. So yeah... that's the story.

Shadow

Shadow turned 9 last month. 9. That's almost double-digits, yo. That's half-grown. That's... it's like "whoa." I think I say that every year. 😂 It is (of course) exciting and scary and a little sad. Every year he gets a little older and little farther away from being a kid. It's crazy. He's taken on a whole lot of responsibility lately and I'm super-proud of how well he's handling it. Not only that, but this year he had to get some "older" stuff for his birthday. Like his own deodorant and body-wash - and not the kind with Spiderman or the Hulk or something on it. GROWN stuff. That's kind of like, well, "whoa." 😲

His father didn't call him on his birthday this year and I think it's my fault. After a cordial enough phone conversation I was left thinking, "Really? He really thinks it's like that between us?" Well, it's not like that at all and after all this time I finally decided to be frank with him. I don't think I was overly mean or whatever, but I just had to let him know how I felt. Every time he calls it's all about him and his songs and the trouble he's in or the new babies he's made, or (because this is important) what I look like now, or occasionally Shadow. I just had to tell him. And I told him he was welcome to call or *gasp* visit, even, but then we didn't hear from him this year. I guess that might not mean much... he could be in jail again. It didn't ruin Shadow's birthday, though, so whatever.

Where I've been...

Right here, pretty much. Well - not so much in this chair... but home, for sure. I've been working in the yard, mostly... for a lot of reasons. First of all - there is a lot to be done. Second - sitting on my ass in front of the computer isn't doing me much good. Well, maybe it is right now because I need to stay awake long enough to finish my laundry...

A few weeks ago we finished the fence. Me and Shaun planted a li'l baby willow tree. I bought some hummingbird feeders and I plan to also put up some bird houses on my fence posts. It's the least I can do since I had to cut down some brush to expand my fence. We also dug a trench in my yard so the water would drain some and not stand - making my yard all swamp-like. I learned to cut grass today - I had really never once in my life done it before. I like it. I'm going to do it some more. 😀 I will not have a jungle-yard this year! 😁

Anyway, I'm sort of making earth-friendly plans to handle the water situation in my yard. I think I'm going to dam up one end and make a rain garden type thing happen. Better to have a nice little stream coming through with a small pond-ish area than a whole yard of SWAMP. I think it will be nice. Maybe I can get a little bridge since the stream will go right though the middle of half the yard. I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. But one thing is for sure: I'm tired of fighting the land. Apparently, water will come through so it's up to me to do something cool with it. That is what I think.

Seems like there's always work to be done, but at the moment I'm totally fine with it - it just doesn't leave a lot of time to sit around on the computer. I know I've not replied to quite a few messages, but I'm sure I'll get around to doing it soon. I've just been really busy and I'm really enjoying being out in the air with my soul-mutts running around and Shadow singing Linkin Park at the top of his lungs on the porch... I just feel more connected when I'm taking care of my place. It is good.

Hedgie Update

My good friend Jeni took her to a vet that she was familiar with... he said that her leg was just dead tissue so she's not in pain. He snipped it off for less than it would have cost to have her euthanized and said the tissue would grow over the place where her leg used to be. We just need to watch her appetite / energy levels. So she's getting a second chance. I have to say from the look of things the other night I really didn't think that would be the case, but I am relieved. Aside from a noticeable hobble when she walks (there's completely no leg there at all), you'd never know anything was up with her. So yay!

She'll be here until I'm certain that she's fully recovered, but after that sweet little prickly pear has to find a new home. I will try to post some pictures soon.

Putting it all out there.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse, Animal Neglect
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I've got mud all over me... on my pants, my jacket, in the creases of my fingernails. I'm tired. We've been working in the yard all day, all weekend. All of last weekend, too. My better fence is finally up so that means my little doggie won't be getting out again anytime soon - which is awesome. I think I'm about the only person in the entirety of fucking Anniston who gives a shit about their animals. Oh, I feel a rant coming. This is not what this blog was going to be, but I have a feeling everything I say will lead back to it so why not just let it out. Maybe I'll feel better if I don't hold it in.

Last year I put a fence up. It wasn't the best fence ever, but it was keeping MY dogs in MY yard so that was good enough for me. Well the neighbors to the side of me have a weenie dog named Fred and he began chewing his way in which in turn let my smallest dog out. Believe me when I say that that will not work for me - I've been late to work, I've been out in strange neighborhoods half-dressed in the fucking cold / dark / rain chasing my dog down. I've had to ask directions back to my own house because I've chased him so far. I've walked in the middle of the road so that cars will slow down in case he runs out into the street (that may seem like overkill, but fuck it's a small residential road - people shouldn't be driving so fast anyway). The point is I do these things because I love my dogs and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do everything in my power to protect them. The moment I took each of them in that was my promise to do whatever I had to to keep them safe, healthy, and happy.

Anyway, I talked to the neighbors several times about keeping Fred in their yard and they said they would, but they didn't. I patched that hole I don't even know how many times. I finally called and filed a police report, because it was getting ridiculous and they finally started chaining their dog when he was out almost all of the time. But we all know almost doesn't count, right?

Hey, you want to hear a story about a cat now? Fred's owners have a lot of cats at their house. One night like at 2 am I went to take out the trash and I saw this black and white kitten come up to me. I reached down to pet her and she started purring. I turned to walk away and she tried to follow me and I realized that she couldn't walk. She was dragging herself with her front legs. Apparently, she'd been hit and no one was going to take her to the vet. Her bottom was swollen and raw from dragging on the ground. I freaked out and took her into my house. "Pet me, love me, don't treat me like I'm worthless." That's all she fucking wanted. She was the absolute sweetest kitten. She would drag her nasty, swollen, leaking bottom up into your lap and roll up and purr like she was in heaven already. Do you know how much it fucking killed me to have to have her put down? And you know what else? Her owners didn't even ask where she was.

Despite living REALLY close to the road it didn't seem to bother Fred's family that they let him run loose and that he could be smashed into dead pretty easily. Same with the neighbors across the street. Their little dog, Molly, met her doom last night. I knew it was coming and I shooed her out of the road every single time I saw here there. After weeks and weeks of hearing tires screeching and horns honking I knew she wouldn't be so lucky forever. My heart broke a little for Molly, but I was more angry at her people for letting it happen. It was completely preventable. She was an indoor dog, but no one bothered to chase her down when she would get out.

Animal rights, animals laws, why didn't I do something? Because all of that shit is imaginary in Alabama. Believe me I've tried to get something done. Oh yeah - there are leash laws which is why I was able to file a report on Fred's family, but mostly it was because he was damaging my property. As for the cat the officer told me that there are no leash laws for cats and that it wasn't cruelty for not getting her medical attention or having her put down because (and I quote) "It's not like they're out there kicking her in the head or something... they just don't have the money." And animal control? Yeah, you call them and they'll tell you that animals are property and they have no jurisdiction over animals that are "owned." "It would be like stealing their car." And yes that is EXACTLY what animal control said when I called.

Hey, but what about exotics? Guess what I have in my house RIGHT NOW. A hedgehog who has chewed her arm into complete mush. Her foot got cut on some glass is what I hear... and the owner didn't have the money to take her to the vet. I understand that - to an extent. But it costs like less than $50 to have such a small animal put down and while that may be a tough call to make it sure as hell beats letting them suffer. So I have her now and it's up to me to figure out what's to become of her. She has rotten, dead flesh hanging from her shoulder. It is MUSH - there is not even bone left. I was trying to clean her and I thought it was poop on her, but then it would NOT come off and upon closer inspection I realized that that is what's left of her goddamn cute tiny paw. (Have you ever seen hedgie feet? They are srsly the cutest). I just picked her up tonight and what I need to know is how you let something get THAT out of hand.

Not that I have the money to be doing all of this, but she's going to the vet in the morning. If there's no help for her at an affordable price then she has to be put down. I'm a single fucking parent with a mortgage and creatures of my own to care for and people come at me with all these sad stories knowing that I will fucking take on their responsibilities because I can't stand the thought of an animal being mistreated or neglected, or suffering. I know I can't save the whole world, but damn it I can help that one. That's my attitude and it gets me into heart wrenching situations EVERY FUCKING TIME. I'm starting to think I'll never learn.

On the off-shot that there is help for her there's a cute, sweet, albino, 3-legged hedgie up for adoption. My house is absolutely packed so she can't stay here for long. If you might be up for taking her or chipping in on her medical bill write me and let me know. I'm going to bed, but I'll check back here in the morning.

P. S. Guess I'll save my happy blog for another day. 😕

Just watch...

I’m eating a fizzy lollipop.

That's not going too bad. It's been forever since I've eaten a lollipop at all. It might have been some more forever before I'd eaten another, but I think I was intrigued by the fizzy aspect. It's more tingly than anything... I'm not like, foaming at the mouth on the keyboard right now or anything (though that might be a bit more entertaining).

I caught my sweater on fire the other night trying to light some cone incense (THANK YOU very much, JANET). Luckily Shaun put me out. Then we both promptly cracked the fuck up. I mean - how does that even happen? I wasn't like trying to light it WITH my sweater or anything dumbass like that. I don't know. I just saw a flame travel up my arm and that's about when I started to be all, "WhatthefuckI'monfire!?!?" and then Shaun saved my life. So I guess I'm lucky. He stopped it at my shoulder. If it had gotten to my hair that could have really been bad. I hear that shit burns pretty good.

Anyway, to all of my friends waiting for me to get off my ass and reply to your messages:  I promise that I will soon. The last few weeks for me have consisted of going to work, sleeping, hanging out with my besties, sleeping, having the occasional [planned, for the record] fire, sleeping, watching movies, sleeping, playing games, sleeping, and living off pizza and cereal. Oh, and it is THE LIFE.

It feels so nice to just slow down and chill. There was a time last year when I was always running... being torn this way and that. Working 3 jobs, taking care of Shadow and the fur kids, driving wayyy too much, volunteering with the animal shelter EVERY WEEKEND... it was fucking ridiculous all that I was trying to do and eventually I got tired. A lot has changed for me in the last few months and I'm grateful for it. I feel like I'm finally settling in and calming down and finding my own rhythm - and it is good.

Well, I'm off to take a shower. Despite not sleeping much last night I had a wave of energy that I put to some good use cleaning and re-arranging (yet again) the pets' room. So, I'm quite funky and need to handle that ASAP. I just wanted to sit and wind down for a few and I figured I could stop being anti-internet-social and say hello. I hope '09 is turning out to be fabulous for y'all... but even if it's not, remember that every day is a new day. It doesn't have to be an entirely sucky year. ❤