Monday, September 18, 2006, 19:23

Another One of Those Days. . .

I'm not having a very good day here at Rural Route 2.

Isabelle is trying to colic again.

It started this morning after I fed the horses grain. All of a sudden, she started racing around her pasture. Seeing as it is cloudy and cold today, around 50 degrees with a stiff wind out of the west with occasional rain showers, I just thought she was feeling good because it is cooler. It was 85 degrees on Saturday. And both she and Kajun are already starting to get a thicker coat.

I was cleaning up manure in Kajun's pasture, so I watched Isabelle as she ran around. Eventually, she stopped. And then she began to stagger. And to walk around with her lip curled up. Not good.

I went into the pasture with her and felt under her lip. It was sort of dry. Which is a sign of colic. I kept watching Isabelle. She pawed. She tried to rub on the fence and the gate. And she walked around with her lip curled up. All signs that she was not feeling well.

I filled two buckets with fresh water to see if she wanted to drink. Nope. Then I raced up to the house to find my 35cc syringe. I began shooting water down Isabelle's throat.

She didn't mind it too much that I was giving her water. But of course, water dribbled down my sleeve, and in not too long, the front of my sweatshirt was soaked.

After a while, Isabelle looked a little perkier, so I took the lead rope off her halter. She started to pick some grass, and while I was watching, she passed a pile of manure. Passing manure is a "good sign" because it means things are moving inside.

I thought at that point she would be all right.

Later on, she laid down in her pasture. I kept an eye on her from the house. After I had made some phone calls, I went out again to check on her. She got up. And then her lip curled up and she began to paw again.

Great.

The first time around, Isabelle bit down on the syringe and broke the plunger. It still works. But not very good. I can use it, though, if I push the plunger carefully. So I squirted more water down her throat.

I don't know how many syringes of water I have gotten down her. The total is maybe a couple of cups. Not nearly enough.

At one point, she took a sip of water on her own. I let her loose. She went to her shelter and nibbled some hay. I gave her a little more hay. Sprinkled it with water. She nibbled for 20 to 30 minutes.

Then she laid down again. I don't know if that meant she felt better or worse.

After a while, she got up again. From the bedroom window, I watched her get up. A rain shower was coming through. She went into her shelter where I couldn't see her. Isabelle hates to stand out in the rain. Is it a good sign that she got up to take shelter? I don't know.

What I *do* know is that right about now, my stomach isn't feeling so great, either. . .

LeAnn R. Ralph

Sunday, September 17, 2006, 23:12

One of *Those* Days. . .

It was raining first thing Saturday morning, so I ought to have known it wasn't going to be a simple matter of just driving over to Chippewa Falls for the Octoberfest craft sale.

I turned on the windshield wipers before I left the driveway, and in fact, the trip went fine the 7 miles into town and several miles out of town the other way.

It was all downhill from there.

Just before I reached the Dunn/Chippewa County line, my windshield wipers went catty-wumpus. That is -- one went one way, one went the other -- instead of working together.

Well, actually, it was the driver's side windshield wiper that was the real problem. The passenger side wiper kept working. The driver's side wiper flopped to the left -- lifeless -- and stayed there.

The same thing happened last Monday night when I was on my way to the school board meeting. It was sprinkling, so I had turned on the windshield wipers right after I started the truck. Since I hadn't left the driveway yet, I shut the truck off, ran in the house, informed Randy I was taking his truck and left again.

While I was gone, Randy checked out the windshield wipers and said there was nothing wrong with them. He put the driver's side wiper back where it belonged, and then they both worked.

They both worked, that is, until I was on my way to the craft sale yesterday.

In the pouring rain, I stopped the truck and parked on the shoulder. Got out. Put the windshield wiper back where it belonged and started out again. Wiper worked fine for about 20 feet. And then -- that's all she wrote. It was done. Kaput. Finito. Not working at all. Dead as a doornail.

If anyone ever tries to tell you that windshield wipers are a luxury item but not necessary on a vehicle -- DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT!

Suddenly, I couldn't see a thing. I kinda-sorta knew where the road was -- so I decided to turn around and head back for town. I was pretty sure that driving on the highway and in downtown Chippewa Falls without a working windshield wiper was an accident waiting to happen -- and probably a traffic citation waiting to happen as well.

Somehow -- by the grace of God in the pouring rain -- I made it back to town. I parked along the street and then went into the gas station to call Randy.

"I'm on my way," Randy said.

Ten minutes later, he arrived in town.

Of course, by this time, I really ought to have been in Chippewa Falls already, setting up for the craft sale.

We swapped trucks, put my table and boxes in Randy's truck, and then I was ready to leave. Again.

What a difference a windshield wiper makes! I got to the craft sale 20 minutes after it was supposed to start, although by the time I got to the YMCA, it had stopped raining. I told the woman sitting by the door that I was a vendor, and another lady behind me said, "Oh, are you LeAnn?"

She had just called my house to find out if I was coming, and Randy had told her I was on my way.

Fortunately, it doesn't take me long to set up for a craft sale. Some of the vendors, I know, have much more elaborate displays that take an hour or two to set up.

The craft sale itself was all right. Not a huge crowd of people. A few now and again. A steady stream here and there. All together I sold 8 books: 4 Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam; 3 Christmas in Dairyland and 1 Cream of the Crop.

As craft sales go, it was not the worst one I've ever been at it. Wasn't the best, either. But it wasn't the worst. Some of the other vendors, however, were quite disappointed at the turnout and a few of them packed up early, and a few of them, I think, will not want to come back next year.

It had stopped raining by the time I got there, but it rained off and on for most of the day, until mid-afternoon. Then the sun came out, and it was hot and humid and sticky with a temperature in the mid-80s. By the time I arrived home at 4:30, I was hot and sticky and worn out.

As for my little 1995 GMC pick-up truck, Randy discovered that it needs a new windshield wiper assembly. The arm is junk and that's why it wouldn't do what it was supposed to do and instead, went cattty-wumpus. He put the passenger side wiper on the driver's side so that I at least have one windshield wiper until we can get another one.

Saturday evening, strong thunderstorms pounded the Twin Cities. We sat outside in the backyard for a while and watched the lightning coming closer and closer. It was still very hot and sticky and humid.

Later on, the thunderstorms arrived here, although they had pretty well played themselves out by that time. A little lightning. A little thunder. A downpour that lasted for about 10 minutes. And a little rain later on. All together, we got a half an inch of rain out of it.

This morning it was still hot and humid and sticky. The sky stayed cloudy until this afternoon. Then the clouds blew away, the sun came out -- and it turned crisp and cool.

The week ahead -- I've got a city council meeting Monday night (story due the next morning). It's Wednesday that will be the long day, though, starting with a conference at the university in the morning at 8 a.m. until noon (2 stories) and a county board meeting that night, with all three stories due the next day. And a meeting first thing Thursday morning, and the second day of a trial I need to cover on Thursday as well. With any luck at all, I'll have the trial story done by Friday a.m. Wednesday and Thursday will mostly likely be "blogless" days.

Hey! Maybe I've coined a new word? Blogless. . .

Sunday School -- We started Sunday school at our tiny little country church this morning. We haven't had a Sunday school in a few years because we haven't had any children. I'm one of the teachers, along with several other ladies who said they would help. We had 1 two-year-old, 3 three-year-olds and a 7-year-old. It was a lively time! They stayed "on task" for about 20 minutes. Then one of the little girls came over to me and whispered "Is that toys?"

In the corner of the room is one of those little play stoves with assorted toys associated with it.

"Yes," I whispered back.

"Can we play with them?" the little girl asked.

"Yes," I said.

The little girls flew to the corner to explore the play stove. Then we all went downstairs for treats and so the kids could find their moms and dads. We have coffee and goodies after church, so that works out well.

But of course, now the REAL question is -- how did it get to be 6 p.m. on Sunday? It's time to feed the horses. . .and to fix supper. . .

LeAnn R. Ralph