Fourth and Animals

On any other day, this would be a very bad thing.


Really, the parade was fun, but apparently not if you were on a float.


My favorite band.

So, July 4th was fun. I woke up still feeling kind of down about Gracie's potential health problems, but I went to my sister's and joined the holiday festivities anyway. We didn't get to walk the green the way we like to, because we got there late (for those who don't live in a small town, the green is a community park area, and on July 4th a lot of vendors set up there, selling everything from home grown produce to crafts, leather jackets and of course "fair food" - funnel cakes, sausage sandwiches, cotton candy, etc.), but we lined up for the parade and had fun hanging out waiting for and then watching it. The child in the first picture is my great-nephew, Sammy. He LOVED playing in the road. I think it was a bigger hit than the parade itself. If only roads were closed to traffic every day!

When the parade was over, we went back to my sister's house and hung out for a while, and then had hamburgers and other picnic food for dinner. Then I came home to see my J, who I hadn't seen since Wednesday night (stupid work). I missed him.

And my animals proved once again that they are determined to keep me worried. I already have Gracie's mysterious abdomen mass to worry about, and now tonight Bernie started whining in pain, and I had no idea what was wrong with him. Well, it turns out that his right front elbow was bothering him. This is the bone he had broken at some point before he was mine, that was never set. The elbow doesn't bend, because it healed badly. He's never shown any pain from it before tonight, though. I'm figuring he must have wrenched it. He kept trying to get up and walk around on it and crying, so I finally put a dog bed in his crate and locked him in to force him to be still and let it rest. I'm not looking forward to letting him out in a few minutes, though.

I have an appointment on Monday afternoon for Gracie to get her abdomen mass checked, and Bernie was going along anyway to have his ears cleaned and get some medicine for them (I think he has an ear infection), so I'll have them check his elbow while he's there.

Stupid animals. Why do they want to make me worry about them so much?

Happy July 4th, to all who are from here (and hi to those who aren't). You're already thinking good thoughts for Gracie - could you add Bernie to your list now, too? Thanks.