Dreaming of Mauda, Again....

It feels a little chilly out this morning - it's in the low 50s, but the wind is coming from the north at a steady 20 mph, with gusts up to 40. Traveling up to Estes Park tomorrow, we might see some "fall color", but the peak of the season is supposed to be a week away. With tomorrow's highs only in the 50s at Estes Park, I somehow believe that the peak may arrive a little earlier than the forecasters think. I saw both skunks last night - it was like watching a couple of receivers do a bump and run down field together. They were awfully cute. Walt and Sophie and I had a peaceful walk yesterday; we saw a lot of squirrels and cottontails, but no raccoons (thankfully). And I had very wild and crazy dreams last night, which I am claiming came from the bottle of Mountain Dew I had yesterday evening. I had a strange dream wherein my favorite actor met me and called me his "little mustard seed." I dreamt that I was on board the Royal Charles as she sailed from The Hague to Dover in 1660, and saw and conversed with King Charles and the Duke of York. (Now, I know that one came from reading The Plot Against Pepys... Which was excellent, by the way.) And I again dreamed I was riding Mauda LuAnn through a dreamscape that she and I have gone through thousands of times in my sleep - her coat is glossy, her hooves gleam from a touch of oil, and I am riding her without bridle or saddle, since we think and move as one....

To more mundane things - I am really beginning to believe that if I am rooting for a particular person on a particular sports team, then it's the kiss of death for that player. Last year, my three favorite defensive players were injured in the first two games, and two of those three were "let go" this season. Last night, watching the game, one of my favorite players injured his knee and will be out for 3 to 6 weeks, at a guess; if it's worse than they think, it might be the whole season. And one of my favorite baseball players was injured this week as well. Am I a jinx? - I'll let you know on Monday, after the weekend games are finished. ... This area is having an outbreak of Leptospirosis - a disease of worldwide significance that infects both animals and humans. The scientific name of the infecting organism is Leptospira interrogans sensu lato. Within this species there are many different strains (serovars). Of these different strains there are eight that are of importance for dogs and cats. These different strains produce different levels and types of disease depending on the animals they infect. While cats can be infected, they rarely show signs of disease. The disease is much more of a problem in dogs, people, and livestock. There are vaccines available, but usually only for one or two of the more common strains. Unfortunately, vaccination against one strain does not protect against the other strains. The current canine vaccines protect against the serovars canicola and icterohaemorrhagiae. These two serovars have been decreasing in total number of infections, but unfortunately, other serovars that infect dogs such as grippotyphosa, pomona, and bratislava have increased. Local vets are suggesting that concerned pet owners have their critters inoculated, which consists of a series of two or three shots, 2 weeks apart. Leptospirosis is transmitted between animals through contact with infected urine; venereal and placental transfer; bite wounds; or the ingestion of infected tissue. In acute infections a fever of 103-104°, shivering, and muscle tenderness are the first signs. Then vomiting and rapid dehydration may develop. Severely infected dogs may develop hypothermia and become depressed and die before kidney or liver failure has a chance to develop. In lesser infections, the animal usually develops a fever, anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, and increased thirst. The dog may be reluctant to move due to muscle or kidney pain. Animals with liver involvement may develop icterus. Dogs that develop kidney or liver involvement may begin to show improvement in organ function after 2 to 3 weeks or they may develop chronic renal failure. Please protect your pets! ... And I get to sleep with my kits tonight! It will depend upon how much they allow me to sleep/rest during the night as to whether or not I blog before leaving for the Scottish Festival tomorrow.