Birthdays and Blackberries

Time...I don't know where it goes...Today is my birthday and since it's my last one that I'll celebrate in my 40's, I was trying to remember just what I was doing when I turned 40...I can't remember...It must've been pretty memorable...Time and the years really do seem to have a way of hurrying past. It has been a busy week for me. Along with working, Carl has been assigned to a "detail" at another government agency, which has him gone from home long hours. It has left me to take care of the crew alone; I don't know how single parents do it.

On the flip side my poison ivy is almost a bad memory now. It's all gone from my face, however it did end up spreading onto my hands. For those of you who've never had it, imagine having the feel of thick itchy sand in between your fingers--It's really miserable, I'll be so glad when it's all gone!! With your help I "think" I have it identified and am "leaving the leaves of three, be" because I do not want to go through this again anytime soon!!

In between my scratching, I did notice a few things that are happening around me. The first is Tanner. I would say that he's about 95% recovered from his bout with vestibular syndrome. I took these pictures on Tuesday evening and you can see that the tilt in his head is gone. The stagger to his walk is almost gone as well. Of course I'm thrilled and so relieved!! Tanner is now about 14 years old and looking at his pictures, I am reminded that he's been through so much in the 2 years that he's been with us. We've dealt with his having seizures, separation and storm anxiety, laryngeal paralysis, allergies and glaucoma. ALL of which I'm happy to say are things of the past for him. I really hope that the time that he has left with us can be quiet happy and healthy times for him.

Something else that snuck up on me is the ripening of the wild blackberries. For some reason, it seems early this year. But I guess since the strawberries have all but completed their task for the summer, it's their turn. We are lucky enough to have them growing in several places on our property, and unlike the poison ivy that we have all around, I couldn't be happier about it!

There is nothing like the sweetness of blackberries fresh from the patch! I remember as a kid when we would pick them for my Mom. The thought of her blackberry cobbler was incentive enough to brave seeing a snake and being scratched by the bushes. While I of course worry about seeing a snake, I am however in competition to pick the berries before our 2 berry EATERS Sheba and Rudi get to them. I'm not sure how they acquired their love for them or even realized they were there. It may very well have come from seeing me snack on them during a walk. Our boy Maguire who recently passed seemed to have been acquainted with them on his own because he knew exactly what they were and would so delicately eat them. Rudi and Sheba being girls are not nearly that graceful. They are bulldozing scavengers and their sharp sense of smell has enabled them to quickly find and polish off the ripened ones.

I did manage to get enough for a cobbler which I'll bake later and will celebrate my birthday at home before I'm off to Lancaster Pennsylvania for a visit with our friend Sid. As I write this, the sun has come out, my day lilies are in bloom, the birds are at the feeder, the pups are around my feet snoozing after their breakfast and a walk, it's a good start to a birthday. I hope you have a good day too!!