Scandal!

Thanks for the hundreds of sympathetic emails over the past week. It's really been a trial, and I've got to throw an index finger to the big guy in the sky for just helping me through it all. I'm happy to let you all know that my rash is clearing up. My personal physician wrote me a prescription for some steroids to knock down the inflammation, and everything is healing up without itching. Better yet, me and Zoe are now Prednesone buddies (DAP!). Her skin has healed, her coat is back to a glossy, soft sheen, and I'm no longer shuddering and calling her Scabbers whenever she twines through my legs. This is just few short months after getting her a Prednesone injection.


I've discovered that I really suck at recreational Photoshopping

In other kitty-related news, Arya has had her front claws removed. Despite our fears of being added to her nighttime litany of names, she seems to have taken to it well, as did Zoe and Escher in their time. The best part is that her destructive clawing of carpets and rugs was the only reason we ever yelled at her, so she will have a yell-free future. Zoe's probably going to be happy about the development, too. We may have a bit of a kitty hierarchy shakeup soon, but I'm confident that Jill and I can swing the tide back in Arya's direction. We have discovered that Zoe does not understand that a successful alpha cat employs the "Tough but Fair" strategy to the role. She's more the "Beat you down at every opportunity and lord it over you whenever possible" type.

We did our annual apple-picking yesterday with Amber and Elaine out at Spicer's. The weather was magnificent, but we about a week late for the good apples. The Mutsus were done last week, and only the Ida Reds were any good this year, and even they had slightly rubbery skin. It was a warm October, which is probably why it seems like the season shouldn't be over yet.











Elaine loves stand-em-ups! And slobbering!