Almost Wordless Wednesday

So other than awkward run-ins at beer festivals, what have I been up to?  Well, I finally got some meds that took away my SIX DAY migraine (yes it continued into yesterday).  So as of last night I was relatively pain-free and so very thankful.  

For work I traveled down to Springfield, IL and let me tell you it is a HOTBED of activity (ha ha).  One night I went out for dinner and came across the old IL state capitol building.  Pretty no?  I liked the red roof.

When I got back from Springfield and picked up the dogs at the boarder (CP was away for work as well), I picked up Buster looking like this (see below).  Now to be fair, the boarder did tell us that he had an eye infection or something the day before, but I didn't quite expect his face to look this bad.  When I picked him up the girls working said something about him getting upset about being placed in a different cage from Koda during dinnertime and banging his face against the cage.  First of all, OUCH.  Secondly, then move him into the cage with Koda!  They don't eat each other's food.  *sigh*  

We really like the boarder though- more for the doggie daycare aspect as Buster LOVES going there, gives all of the staff members hugs, and comes back exhausted twice a week from playing with the other dogs.

I think that it probably wasn't too bad but as soon as he hurt it, he then scratched it and scratched it and made it worse.  So after my five hour drive from Springfield (which should only take 3 hours), I then had to take Buster to the vet. 

Twice a day I get to put ointment in his eye, and then pat the area with a cleaning agent.  He also gets antibiotics twice a day.  Thankfully he trusts me to do this and not hurt him (plus I'm sure it doesn't hurt that he gets some unsalted peanuts as a treat for being compliant.)

Between CP's pneumonia and now upper respiratory infection, Koda's bone tumor, and Buster smashing his face in, I would say that the rest of the NSC family is trying to steal my pregnancy thunder!  Just kidding.....but seriously, I would like to go at least a month without seeing our vet.  He is making far too much money off of us.

Here is what the area looked like as of Sunday.  More like a scab and he is being a big trooper by wearing the dreaded cone when I am not around.  Poor guy.

We still have a few things blooming in our garden which is a bit of a surprise.  When my parents replanted the front garden for us last month, they transplanted a rose bush from their house in MI that they didn't want anymore.  The bush went into complete shock, all of the leaves went brown and fell off the bush.  I was pretty sure we had lost it, but kept watering and watering.  The green leaves slowly grew back and this week, despite it not being the right weather for a rose bush to bloom, I found this flower and a dozen more starting on the plant.  I'm amazed at the comeback and can't wait to see what the plant looks like next year!!

I also thought that it was pretty late for Bee Balm to flower, but it is the first year for this plant so maybe that is why it is so late?  Either way, it's a nice splash of color at the end of September!

Finally, we ripped out some of our veggie plants (yellow wax beans, mizuna, cucumbers, yellow squash), but we still have zucchini, poblano peppers, cayenne peppers, eggplant, swiss chard, carrots, kale, and beets going.  And amazingly enough, our tomatoes are finally turning red and they are DELICIOUS.  Tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt= heaven.

But seriously, after all of the tomatoes and caprese salads that I have been eating recently, if this baby doesn't like tomatoes then I don't know what I did wrong!!