Meet Daisy

In January 2021 we became a two truck family with the purchase of Ruby, The Big Red Truck. While Ruby is awesome (and red!), I told Kenn sometime last year that I wasn’t going to want to drive a huge truck as my primary vehicle forever. While Ruby is comfortable and drives well, she has some big blind spots. I’ve had a couple of close calls because of not being able to see through the truck itself. Parking can also be problematic. When I go to the optometrist I try to remember to drive Kenn’s smaller truck; the parking lot at the optometrist’s office just isn’t designed for larger vehicles.

My off-hand comment about wanting a change at some nebulous point in the future resulted in many conversations about what sort of vehicle I would like. I wanted a smaller SUV-type vehicle. Kenn and I are both tall and prefer vehicles with higher seats, especially as we age. A vehicle such as a Mini Cooper that I would have to crawl in and out of wasn’t even on my radar. Kenn kept encouraging me to test drive various vehicles, but I had no interest in doing so until we were ready to actually make a purchase. Well, that time arrived a couple of weeks ago.

Knowing that this day was coming, I had already narrowed my top contenders to a Toyota RAV4 or a Subaru, probably a Forester since the Outbacks I had previously driven had been uncomfortable. We have owned Toyotas for almost twenty years and know how reliable they are. Subaru also has a reputation for reliability. I have always wanted a Subaru; I’m a fan of what the company stands for and their commitment to making the world a better place. Knowing that this is probably one of the last “new” cars we will buy, we both had a few things we were looking for: Kenn wanted all-wheel drive, and I wanted bells and whistles. I don’t need all the bells and whistles, but I don’t want bare-bones either. So, the test-driving began.

We test drove a hybrid RAV4 and I liked it fine. It drove well and I would expect it to provide us many years of problem-free use. We then went to the only Subaru dealership in the area and test drove a Forester. The Forester was just okay. I preferred the RAV4 over the Forester. I had been reluctant to test drive another Outback but, I finally decided to give one a try since the last one I drove was a 2018 and there may have been improvements since then. Before we left the dealership, we test drove an Outback Wilderness and I had to admit that it was nice. After we left the dealership, I decided that we needed to look into Outbacks a little more so I went to the dealership’s website and found another one to look at. We made another trip to the dealership for yet another test drive… and bought a car. Everyone, meet Daisy.

Daisy and her Cinnamon Brown Pearl exterior
Not the best picture, but I love the Java interior

Daisy is a 2022 Outback Touring. I love everything about her. All Subarus are all-wheel drive, so that checked off Kenn’s one requirement. As a Touring edition, Daisy has all the bells and whistles. I always thought heated seats were a stupid idea until we purchased Ruby, at which point I discovered that they are AWESOME. Daisy has heated and cooled seats. I’m still not sold on the whole cooled seat idea, but leather seats in a Georgia summer may well change my mind, LOL. Also, after test driving Daisy, I uttered words that I have never before said about a car – Daisy is fun to drive. Kenn enjoys driving, but for me it has always just been a way to get from Point A to Point B. And yes, some vehicles drive better than others, but I have never before considered driving fun. Daisy has changed my mind.

I’m already excited about the dual heating and cooling zones in the front of the vehicle. Finally, one of us doesn’t have to freeze just because the other is running hot. I also like the fact that I can set the temperature for my side and Daisy will automatically choose heat or air conditioning based on the temperature outside. And, for the directionally challenged such as myself, having a compass in the corner of the rear-view mirror is a big bonus. Now, I just hope that Daisy will be as reliable as the Toyotas (Bonnie the Highlander, Paco the Tacoma, and Ruby the Tundra) that have come before her. She has big shoes, I meany tires, to fill.

So, is driving fun for you?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Deodorant Edition

About four years ago, I made the decision to switch to aluminum and paraben free deodorant and chose to give Native brand deodorant a try. I’m so glad I did! I’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t sweat, I glisten.” Well, it may be TMI, but I’m here to tell you that I sweat. And, working outside in the Georgia summer heat and humidity will put any deodorant through its paces. Native has passed with flying colors.

Many strong scents give me a headache, including those of scented body products, including some deodorants. Fortunately, not only does Native work well, but the scents are subtle. The only exception has been when I purchased the limited edition Tie-Dye Vanilla Cupcake fragrance. The product worked well as always, and the scent was wonderful, but it was also strong enough that I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear someone ask, “Does anyone smell cupcakes?”😂

My switch to Native brand coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, everything going into lockdown, and supply chain issues. When I began running low, I decided ordering online was the way to go. I was excited to find that Native also offers a plastic-free version. I’m always looking for a way to reduce my plastic consumption, so sign me up! The plastic-free version has gone through a couple of iterations. The first was round with a push-pop type action. This was problematic due to the length of the tube. I have long fingers but still wasn’t able to push the product up far enough to be able to use it all. I had to resort to using the handle of my toothbrush, LOL. Fortunately, by the time I placed my next order, they had changed the plastic-free container design to match that of the plastic version; it works perfectly with no need for additional tools. (Note: The plastic version of Native deodorant is available in many stores. I have only found the plastic-free version online.)

Do you have any plastic-free products to recommend?

We Won The Battle, But Lost The War

At the end of November 2023, I noticed that our Old Man Cat, Desmond (Dez for short) was having problems eating. He would join the other cats for their morning treats, but after a couple of bites he would hiss and run away. A trip to the vet later, he was diagnosed with feline stomatitis. The vet warned us that there would be no curing the stomatitis, we would just be working to manage his symptoms and keep him eating and pain-free as long as possible. Treatment consisted of a steroid injection and an antibiotic injection. So, with two shots onboard, we began a six month long journey.

Dez responded well to his first shots and I began supplementing his dry food with wet food designed for senior cats. By early January 2024, he was showing new signs of avoiding food. We went back to the vet for a new round of shots and he responded marvelously. We made it to the end of February before he had another flare-up. This flare-up was by far the worst and it took two weeks for his shots to make a difference. In the meantime, I was still supplementing his dry food with wet, sometimes reverting to all wet food. This process sort of took on a life of its own. Not only did I have to feed Dez, but I had to keep the rest of the cats away while he ate. Sometimes I felt like I was a goalie at some sort of weird cat hockey game.

Old Man Dez

In early April, I saw small signs that a flare-up was beginning so we got more shots in the hopes of heading it off before it got too bad. This was especially important as we were due to go out of town and I was the only one Dez would allow to give him his canned food. (He wouldn’t even let Kenn feed him so there was no way the pet sitter would be able to do so.) Fortunately, Dez was able to eat dry food until we returned from our trip, but quickly lost the ability to do so after our return home. The vet had recommended that we try giving Dez oral steroids instead of injections, but that was a no-go. I might have been able to get one pill down him but he would’ve then been so traumatized that we wouldn’t have seen him again.

With each shot being a little less effective than the one before, I knew we were living on borrowed time. Over the past couple of weeks, Dez began struggling to eat his wet food. I started mixing it with water to thin it out and hopefully help him hydrate. (He was dehydrated when we went in for his April shots.) We went to the doctor on Monday and discussed our options. The only remaining course of action – and the vet wasn’t a fan of this choice – was to remove all of his teeth except his canines. This is a lengthy surgery and recovery, but it provides the best chance of long-term relief. However, due to his age (15), Kenn and I were unwilling to put Dez through so much trauma. The vet offered us a dose of a topical opiod that should help relieve his pain. I agreed to try it in the hopes that he could have a few pain-free, or at least less painful, days. It was a disaster. We expected Dez to be a little stoned, and he was. I fed him as soon as we got home, but as the medication kicked in, he kind of freaked out. Poor guy started trying to hide, and worst of all, the other cats started going after him. Tuesday morning, he was still in hiding and still freaked out. He also refused to eat. Every time the poor guy tried to come out of hiding, one of the others would chase him back. It was at this point that Kenn helped me realize that the time to let him go had arrived. I knew it was coming, but I had been fighting so hard for so many months that it was kind of hard to admit that the time was finally here. Sadly, our last attempt to make his life better actually made it worse. So, Tuesday morning, we went back to the vet, had Dez euthanized, and then took his body to the pet funeral home to have him cremated. His ashes will join the ashes of all of our other cats that have passed before.

Right now, I am mentally and emotionally drained and am in need of a really good cry. And ice cream. I desperately need ice cream. I try to end each post with a question, but today, I got nothin’. Instead, please do me favor and give your furbabies extra hugs and pets from me today.

Well, That Was Easier Than I Expected

Y’all know I’m a cat lady. Kenn and I have always had a mixture of both indoor and outdoor cats. There were always a lot of un-neutered feral cats in our old neighborhood. Since we always had food out for any critter (cats, dogs, possums, whatever) that needed it, it wasn’t unusual for mama cats to bring their kittens to us to show them a food source. Over the years we socialized and spayed/neutered countless mamas and kittens. Any that wanted to make their home with us were welcome, but they had to remain outside with occasional forays inside for some.

When we moved to The Cabin several years ago, we brought three outdoor cats with us: Nellie, Marvin, and Roscoe. We “inherited” an additional one since Stumpie was already hanging around when we moved in. However, being an outdoor cat comes with any number of hazards. We lost Roscoe to a systemic infection due to an injury; he was so aloof, we didn’t even know there was a problem until it was too late. We lost both Stumpie and Marvin last summer which left Nellie as our only official outdoor cat. Over the past few months, all of the extra cats that had started hanging around have moved on with the exception of Ghost, who is getting a little braver. However, having Nellie outdoors by herself has been killing me. Girlfriend is now thirteen years old and I couldn’t help but feel that she was a little lonely without Stumpie and Marvin.

Outdoor Nellie

Our previous attempts to move Nellie indoors hadn’t gone well, so I was a little leery of trying again even though I knew the move was in her best interest. However, things came to a head last Saturday. I was petting Nellie when I noticed an issue with with her right eye; it was cloudy and slightly enlarged. A closer inspection revealed damage to the cornea so, moving her inside became paramount. After a brief discussion, Kenn positioned one of our larger pet carriers under the carport so it would be there when an opportunity presented itself. I went out and spent fifteen minutes or so petting Nellie and then picked her up. She was never thrilled about being held, but much to my surprise, she allowed it. Even more surprising, I was able to walk her over to the carrier, place her inside, and shut the door without her freaking out. As far as I am concerned, it was a miracle!

Indoor Nellie

Nellie is now sharing my office with Molly, who is both my mewse and another senior citizen. (Molly is fifteen.) Things were a little tense the first couple of days, but are going better now. Nellie went to the vet on Monday and is now receiving an antibiotic ointment on her eye twice a day. We go back to the vet next Monday to find out how we proceed. More antibiotics? Surgery? Either way, she is now indoors and safe from marauding dogs, cars, etc.

On another note, are you familiar with the Nat Geo Wild show Critter Fixers: Country Vets? Those are our vets! Dr. Hodges and Dr. Ferguson are both great, as are the other vets and techs on their team. I guess using their veterinary services is one of my brief brushes with fame. Tell me about your brushes with fame!