Last night (5/1) brought a significant amount of rain. 1.0″ for the day and evening, bringing the season total to 34.75″. I hear rumors of only a slight chance (30%) of rain today (good for the Wildflower Party at the Big Sur Lodge), and the same for tomorrow.
Oh, and Dakota is doing well. Recovering more each day.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
KSBW reported tonight (5/1) that there are 4 students in Monterey County who are suspected of having swine flu. One is from Salinas, and the other 3 are from South County. All are being confined at home. Test results will not be available for 3 days.
Story available here: http://www.ksbw.com/news/19346114/detail.html
And I thought this would be a slow news day. Three posts, albeit this is the only important one.
Quick report:
11:30 am – The much anticipated, and welcomed rain has begun, thankfully, very gentle drizzle. Hopefully, more to come.
Dakota continues to heal, but very slowly. She will get the drains removed Monday, but in the meantime, I try to keep them clean, keep her quiet and calm, and give her medications twice a day. Walk her carefully four times a day. Just about a full-time job taking care of her, right now, making sure she doesn’t lick or try to pull the drains out. She cannot wear a collar, it puts too much stress on her.
Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival (the other being Samhain). Celebrated approximately halfway between Vernal (spring) equinox and the midsummer (Summer Solstice). Beltane traditionally marked the arrival if summer in ancient times.
At Beltane the Pleiades star cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon, whereas winter (Samhain) begins when the Pleiades rises at sunset. The Pleiades is a cluster of seven closely placed stars, the seven sisters, in the constellation of Taurus, near his shoulder. When looking for the Pleiades with the naked eye, remember it looks like a tiny dipper-shaped pattern of six moderately bright stars (the seventh can be seen on very dark nights) in the constellation of Taurus. It stands very low in the east-northeast sky for just a few minutes before sunrise.
Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honoring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from his bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again. (from witchvox.com)
The beginning of May was a very popular feast time for the Romans. It was devoted primarily to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. It was in her honor a five day celebration, called the Floralia, was held. The five day festival would start from April 28 and end on May 2. The Romans brought in the rituals of the Floralia festival in the British Isles. And gradually the rituals of the Floralia were added to those of the Beltane. And many of today’s customs on the May Day bear a stark similarity with those combined traditions. (from theholidayspot.com)
Here are the flowers for Flora. Sorry, not up to a photograph of the Pleiades (if I could even do that). I am a prisoner in my own cottage, playing nursemaid to my dog.
Don’t do this:
I needed levity. How about you? Thanks to Debbie for sending this to me originally.
Life on the Edge … We all spend time here, wondering if our balance will leave us … falling … into the rabbit hole. That is where I am, at the moment – balanced at the edge of the rabbit hole.
My water system collapsed. Not totally, as I had 600 gallons stored, so just rationing at the moment while we work to get it back up and running. Will take a week or two. Not a good thing at the beginning of fire season.
My dog was missing for 4 days, and returned in bad shape as you all know.
I leave for Morocco in one week on a trip that has been planned for a year.
I am behind in my work. This isn’t new, but with leaving, it is just a tad more added stress.
Oh, and the swine flu pandemic. Is this really a good time to be traveling?
How deep is this rabbit hole, anyway?
The swine flu is on everybody’s mind. Big Sur is susceptible, as we have visitors from all over the world. It is the beginning of the tourist season. Monterey County has designated the Big Sur Health Clinic as a “sentinel” site. Which means close monitoring, although it has neither of the two treatment medicines available.
The WHO (World Health Organization) has just upgraded the level of the swine flu (H1N1 – wtf is this? We can’t call it swine flu anymore?) to one level below a full blown pandemic. A little boy in TX (visiting from Mexico) died yesterday. This is the first death in the US. My friend has been on a cruise from Florida through the Panama Canal. They stopped in Mexico, although canceled the Cabo stop due to the flu. I would imagine when it docks in San Diego tomorrow, the passengers will be checked for flu symptoms. My concern is for those people who serve the motoring public here, and have contact with literally hundreds of people a day.
As for me, my advice is: Wash your hands, often and keep your hands away from your face. If you can, join me in dancing around this rabbit hole we call life, and have fun … and encourage others to do the same. What else can we do?
Two new Cal-Trans projects began this week. See CT page for details. Also, two new announcements posted on the announcement page.
Dakota and I are resting comfortably today. Photos later, I am too tired right now.
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!!
Dakota had her second surgery today. Today’s surgery was to remove the dead tissue, and not nearly as long and difficult as the first one. She gets to come home tomorrow, but has to be on bed rest for a couple weeks, and she might have to have a third surgery, depending on how this one heals. Keep us in your thoughts just a little bit longer. Thanks.
Also, see Cal-Trans page for project update.
The leaders may have already made the finish line, and the road should be almost back to normal by around noon. CONGRATULATIONS to ALL the runners! For any additional information, see the link under non-profits.
My son ran a couple years ago, and is running again next year.
