Cate's Diary

[Llama]

That seems like a good sign that Archie knew to alert you all to the snake and the he seems to know it as a danger. Hopefully that means he knows to keep his distance from them!

I like that perspective. Dogs are smart! Fingers crossed you´ll be back to golf soon.

 

[Cate]

Hi Cate! So nice you have a snake catcher in the family! You are doing so wonderful, and it's so good to hear you got to catch up with friends on the golf course. It's wonderful you feel healed up enough to start golfing a bit again!!! I am a fellow blueberry, and I like the analogy about not comparing oranges to cherries! Pear and blue cheese - yuuuuuum!! Blue cheese does something to me where I feel happier after eating it. If I am feeling blue and I eat blue cheese, I always feel better. When do you see the Ortho?

Thanks, Marsia. I love blue cheese! I see the ortho on Wednesday. Fingers crossed that I get the ok.

That seems like a good sign that Archie knew to alert you all to the snake and the he seems to know it as a danger. Hopefully that means he knows to keep his distance from them!
I hope your friend is all right.
And i hope you are given the ok to ease back into a bit of golf at least...

Thanks, Liza. I hope Arch knows to keep his distance, but he is a terrier, so I can't be sure of it. I'm glad he barked his head off though & I do hope that's a good sign!

I like that perspective. Dogs are smart! Fingers crossed you´ll be back to golf soon.

Thanks, LaMa. He also has very good eyesight, which is great. This snake was not easy to see until he moved. He was a golden colour- very much like dry grass.
G & I will get on the move soon. It's not a nice looking day & rain is forecast, but I think we'll go anyway.

 

[Petal001]

Hi Cate so lovely to hear you are feeling better . Knees not as bad and stomach not bloated is amazing . Great Archie can spot a snake . Hope you got to go to the market and meet your friend .
I notice we have cherries in the supermarket here . God know how many air miles they used . They are really expensive. You may have a portion for me

 

[Llama]

Enjoy your trip to the market and I hope the weather holds out until you´re back in the car

 

[Emilyrose]

Hope you got to meet your friend at the market and that D catches that snake!

 

[Cate]

Hi Cate so lovely to hear you are feeling better . Knees not as bad and stomach not bloated is amazing . Great Archie can spot a snake . Hope you got to go to the market and meet your friend .
I notice we have cherries in the supermarket here . God know how many air miles they used . They are really expensive. You may have a portion for me

Hi, Petal We went to the market & met up with my friend. If she has cancer she doesn’t want to mention it & she looks great. I thought of you when we had some cherries last night.

Enjoy your trip to the market and I hope the weather holds out until you´re back in the car

It was a lovely day, LaMa. No rain

Hope you got to meet your friend at the market and that D catches that snake!

Caught up with S & the snake proved elusive, which is ok. He’s probably long gone.

I really enjoyed the market & I got a message this morning from S inviting Arch next Sunday to a parade of dogs in their bandanas on the boardwalk at the beach & to have photos taken. G is expecting me to help him after his golf day & I’m not sure I can fit both in, but I’ll try.
R should be back soon for a couple of weeks at least. I think I’ll be driving down tomorrow to meet him & K9 half way.

 

[Llama]

Glad to hear you got to see your friend and I hope she is indeed ok.

Caught up with S & the snake proved elusive, which is ok. He’s probably long gone.

Maybe Archie startled the snake as much as he did you. Snake definitely didn't find the calm, secluded place he was looking for.

 

[Cate]

I turned what felt like a really lazy, boring day into a more productive one & feel the better for it. I filled the 2 new raised veggie beds, ready for when I can plant garlic into one of them at least. I'm not sure what I'll put in the other......Kale, maybe. I do want some perpetual spinach. I somehow didn't save the seeds last time. I'm going to dig up some of the herbs that are coming up out of the beds & pot them up so that I keep Archie's yard clear, so I can see any snakes.
I took him for a walk up the street this morning. I park down near a neighbour's place & then walk from there so it's not so steep. I visited another neighbour who has a little poodle, who has no experience with other dogs. It doesn't stop yapping. Arch just stood there & didn't react back, except to wag his tail. When I got back my neighbour was waiting with a rake to escort me to my car as he saw a big black tiger snake close to my car! I left it outside for a while when I got home in case it had crawled under. I don't want it in my garage!
@LaMaria - you just posted. I hope he frightened it off from near the house. It seems they're everywhere at the moment & very active. It's their mating season.

 

[liza]

Good for you getting all that great garden work done Cate. Very scary about the snake close to your car...they sure seem to be everywhere!

Also glad your friend looked so well and that you had a nice trip to town.

 

[Cate]

Hi, Liza. I was really pleased that I did the gardening. I have been feeling really lazy & a little unsettled lately. Maybe even slightly bored & I know I am starting to feel very frustrated at my physical limitations. My appointment with the ortho is tomorrow.
I think snakes are everywhere, but I wouldn't usually see them.
I have a 2-hour drive today to pick R up. I'll have lunch there. Depending on how tired he is he may drive back, for another lesson. G is playing golf today at his old club as he is coming with me tomorrow on his usual golf day.

 

[Marsia]

Wow, a dog parade!!! My most treasured book (that I learned to read first) as a child was Go Dog Go by P. D. Eastman where the dogs are all going to a big dog party in the top of the tree. Here is an illustration from the book:


So happy to hear that R is visiting. Will his dog join the parade? I'm really glad you have a dog who will let you know if there are snakes around so you don't inadvertently step on any, especially copperheads.

You are inspiring me to get out there and do a little in my garden. I'll do that next. Wishing you all the luck at the Ortho appointment!

 

[Llama]

I have been feeling really lazy & a little unsettled lately. Maybe even slightly bored & I know I am starting to feel very frustrated at my physical limitations.

Hoping the ortho wil be able to help you fix that soon!

 

[liza]

I hope the ortho can give you some good ideas of what you can safely include for activity. It is tough when we are suddenly limited in what we can do. I find gardens such lovely and creative places and a great place to take an unsettled self for sure. It really takes one out of oneself.

 

[Cate]

@Marsia - "to the tree, to the tree". I loved reading this book to the boys. It's a fun book.
Both dogs alerted us yesterday to a different snake in the same place! This time it was a pitch-black Tiger snake, not quite as big as the Copperhead. It hung around for about an hour. I rang D & he said he would call in tonight on his way home from work if either of them are hanging about still.
@LaMaria & @liza I hope I can get a good idea of what is best for my knee too. I really need to be able to confidently exercise more.
We're going into town & have shopping to do too. If R doesn't come with us G thinks we should leave Arch at home. I know he's right, but I hate doing that.

 

[Trusylver]

Wow, a dog parade!!! My most treasured book (that I learned to read first) as a child was Go Dog Go by P. D. Eastman

This has just been turned into a cartoon on Netflix, mum gave away my copy of the book years ago. I would love to find a copy for my little miss 3.

 

[Llama]

Fully black snakes are so beautiful. I wonder if there's something about that spot that attracts snakes?

 

[liza]

I sure hope you can figure out the snake situation and get them moved along Cate.
I hope the shopping went ok and you weren't exposed to a bunch of scents as you often seem to be. BTW do people wear masks at all there due to covid or is that not a concern at all where you are anymore?

 

[Marsia]

This has just been turned into a cartoon on Netflix, mum gave away my copy of the book years ago. I would love to find a copy for my little miss 3.

Thank you Tru - I'm going to watch a little! My kid loved his other best seller The Best Nest, and we even made a song from the words in the book when she was little. He's the best!

Cate, I wonder if your rock wall attracts the snakes? To the rocks, to the rocks!!

Fingers crossed your ortho appointment is really productive and gives you wonderful solutions!

 

[Cate]

Hi, Tru. Go, dog go is in Booktopia in hard copy.
Hi, LaMa. There are lots of lizards & rocks in that area so it would also be ideal for snakes. They are really pretty, but too close. Short of dismantling my whole garden I can’t think what to do except stay away.
Hi, Liza. I didn’t get affected too badly yesterday thank goodness. I only saw one person wearing a mask yesterday & that included 2 hours in a hospital. I asked if they wanted me to wear one when I got there & they said no.
Hi, Marsia. I think my rock garden is the perfect haven for snakes. I’m not sure what I’ll do.

The ortho thought that arthritis is causing most of the trouble with my knee & that the meniscal tear is healing. They did another x-ray. He says to keep seeing the physio, build up strength gradually, not wear the brace, ease back into golf slowly & go back in 3 months. It feels good not wearing the brace

 

[Marsia]

That's wonderful news about your knee! Maybe LaMa knows knee exercises for arthritis, hopefully, too. You are so lucky to live where you no longer have to wear a mask. I am envious. It's wonderful your dogs will tell you if there is a snake around. You have happy snake alarms!