Dakota came home today, after two surgeries for being hit by a car. She has two drains, and stitches from a few inches from her spine, all the way down and around to an inch from her vagina — hundreds of stitches. She gets pain meds and antibiotics. The vet says she cannot jump, and needs to be on bed rest for 2 weeks. No excitement, no running, no fun for the puppy. Just quiet, peaceful bed rest. I have 3 other dogs. And a job. How is that possible?

The no running and bed rest are pretty doable. I’m lucky enough to work at home. I’ve been worried about how to keep her from jumping, though. Her place is in bed with me. She has to jump to get on the bed. What to do? I bought her a special bed. A $50 bed, to place on the floor next to mine. She loved it in the car. But would she prefer it over sleeping with me? Somehow, I doubt it. I think she will try to jump, which could open everything up again, requiring a THIRD surgery. Plus there is the excitement of 3 other dogs. No way.

So, I moved a mattress into my cottage — on the floor. No jumping for her, and no other dogs to worry about. Just Dakota and me, spending the night (probably many nights) on the floor in the cottage. It’s like camping out, sorta. I have heat, a chamber pot, some water in a jug. A kind of odd camping out, as I have electricity, internet, and DVD to watch tonight, some champagne to celebrate the return of the love of my life, and we are happy campers. Ten days of this? I’ll do what I have to do.

I have tried to primarily report on conditions in Big Sur, either fire, flood, or wildflowers. I have tried to keep from making it “personal.” I was a private person. But Dakota’s accident changed all that, and I find myself making this blog personal. Once she is well, I hope to get back to the regularly scheduled programming my readers have come to expect. I hope you will bear with me until then. I hope. 

Oh, and on my regularly scheduled programming? There was to be a  new post on the Cal-Trans project page, but the announcement won’t open. However, there is to be rockfall drapery replacement on Rain Rocks, which will cause delays. Until I can get the details (days, hours, etc.) that is all I have. But I do understand. The darn things are FULL!!