Hot Day & New Splint

We broke  a high temperature record yesterday that had stood for over 60 years, and it looks like we might do the same again today.  I made the kits wear their collars and tags yesterday - Lovey didn't mind a bit, but Nedi was certain the heart-shaped tag was trying to eat him alive.  I was happy to take Kathy to her orthopedic's office yesterday - I was very concerned Monday when I saw the edges of her splint outlined with new bruises.  Laura, the PA at Dr. Koch's office, was horrified at the twisted splint the Urgent Care Center had left her with - and it was also too short on both ends, and was too tight for her arm.  When she came out with her new splint yesterday, she was giddy with relief because it was pain free.  I told her that her splint should always be painless - the bone itself would hurt where the break is, but the splint shouldn't be the cause of more pain....
   I was awakened at 4 this morning, as Lovey had a wild hair and was bouncing off the walls and using me as a springboard.  After about 30 minutes, Nedi was caught up in the madness, too, and both kits were bouncing off the walls, over furniture, and generally having a blast wreaking havoc.  I finally got up and let them get rid of their excess energy outside in the back yard.  I walked Remy and Rosie this morning, then let them play with Boo and Mona in Kathy's back yard.  Kathy and I got a kick out of watching Mona target Rosie's blue squeak bone and try to steal it - it took her 45 minutes, but Rosie finally let her guard down, and Mona was off with the bone.  (Then I had 10 minutes of retrieval duty from Mona.)  Then Kathy and I walked Boo - and I walked Kathy past some of the houses where I pet-sit, and talked to her about the individual critters and their habits.
   Tonight Kathy, Bernie, Connie and I will meet at Murphy's Pub to celebrate Connie's birthday of last month (she was away), and my friend Carolyn's birthday in Florida.  I've promised Carolyn a toast tonight during our supper. -  Tomorrow I start caring for Sadie and Lucy; and I'll be taking Kathy to her work place to get her medical leave papers filled out, and then in the afternoon to the salon to get her hair washed, trimmed and braided....   'Twill be interesting.

Nearing the End of April

Only seven days left in April - and we've already had several days with the high temperatures in the 80s.  I knew that Spring had actually sprung yesterday, when I realized that there were white gobs of cottonwood seeds floating in the air, on the breeze.  (Cottonwoods usually produce their seeds in June.)  One of Kathy's neighbors' driveways, which has dark gravel on it, was almost completely covered by a layer of what looks like partially untwisted cotton-balls.  It's currently in the low 60s, and my kits have been prowling in and out the patio door since 6 a.m. - Lovey decided it was time for us to get out of bed at 5 this morning.  We've all had breakfast, and I've looked at the 6 newspapers I check (on-line) every morning, and I've read my 9 favorite comic strips.
   At Kathy's yesterday, I unwrapped her arm from her ace bandage and splint, and was horrified to see that she has new bruises on her arm, that follow the lines of her splint.  She already has a 3-inch-wide "bracelet" bruise around her upper arm, where the bone is broken.  These were parallel vertical and horizontal lines from her armpit past her elbow and down to her wrist.  I had her call her MD, and I'll drive her in to be seen this afternoon - that splint should not be causing more tissue damage!
    Brandi, my blind and deaf charge, who lives across the street from Kathy, is starting to visibly fail, according to her family.  I've spent 30 to 60 minutes with her the past several days, and, she seems not to have any pain, but she's just slowing down.  I also spoke with Lynn about her kitty boxes not being kept clean, by the house keeper (who is paid to do it) - the house keeper complained the kits had pooped on the rug, next to the litter boxes - and they had - but that was because the boxes were totally filled with clumped litter and more poop.  Rosie and Remy were great yesterday, but Remy's hind legs collapsed totally while he was exploring a flower bed at his house.  I acted like I hadn't noticed, and he got his legs back under himself.  And Kathy and I walked Boo around the neighborhood - Boo had gotten hot before the end of the walk, and I kept trying to encourage her to walk on the grass verge, but she wanted to trot down the middle of the asphalt road...  That seemed weird.