Beaver Bones update

Thought you might be wondering what ever happened to all the bones ...

They are beautiful! Hannah puts them outside on screens and covers them with baskets until the little beasties clean them. Then she soaks them in H2O2 to bleach them without damaging them. Now they are clean and beautiful.

After surviving her midterms, she needed a break from studying. She spent a few hours this weekend with the beaver. She has the spine all put together and a lot of the other bones identified and organized. Unfortunately she discovered she only has 13 (of 20) toes. It is possible that something had nibbled a few away before she ever got it - as you can see in the photos in the previous post, it was pretty decomposed and we didn't spend a whole lot of time looking closely (phew!).

To some it may seem a pretty gruesome hobby. We don't see it that way at all. The skeleton reveals God's incredible design. Each creature is created precisely for the tasks it will accomplish. The beaver's jaws and teeth are amazing. For it's size, it really is a rugged little critter - and rightly so since it fells trees and moves them around!

My Favorite Things

I was the milk-maid today and so I had a bit of time alone in the car to think. It's a gorgeous day! Bright blue sky, a coolish breeze (upper 70s to low 80s), windows down, ... I was driving along, thanking God for a myriad of things, and I began to wonder what a list of my favorite things would look like. I know it would be long but here are a few:

My husband in his jeans and hiking boots with the wind in his hair and his hand holding mine.
Hugs from Hannah.
Hugs from Zach.
Hugs from Bekah.
Hugs from Jesse.
Hugs!
My whole extended family.
My friends.
My kids' friends.
Dogs.
Horses.
Cats.
Bears.
Wolves.
Loons.
Being in the front seat of the canoe with a long twisty creek ahead of me.
Hiking - and sitting down, being very quiet and listening to all the forest sounds.
Sleeping in a tent.
Swimming in the ocean.
A good cup of tea.
A new book - and time to read it.
Snow!


Obviously my list isn't just 'things' because some of my favorites are people.

What are your favorite things?

Poosey - Queen of Hearts

Late one evening, about 10 years ago, on the first cold night of the year, we heard a scratching sound at our front door. I don't remember if David or I opened the door, but I do remember a little orange kitten announcing her presence as if to say, "Hi, I'm home..."

Hannah had been wanting a kitty for a very long time. We had told her that she could have one if we moved to the country. (We're still waiting for that dream to come true...) She quietly decided to pray about it - and she tells us she was very consistent - and see what God would do. I have come to the conclusion that Poosey is a direct answer to that prayer and I am awed at the ways God has used her in our lives.

When Hannah got awake in the morning, this little kitten took one look at her and very effectively said, "She's Mine and I'm Hers!" And that's the way it's been ever since. When Hannah was born her Grandpa Rigel called her his poosey. Loosely translated, that's Rigelish for 'a precious little bundle that melts my heart and makes me smile'. And so, Hannah named her kitten 'Poosey'.

I believe Zach actually met her before Hannah did because he's an early riser. He was losing his hearing at the time and many days were difficult for him. Poosey has a purr that is much bigger than she is. Every morning Zach would get awake very early and sit on the recliner holding Poosey and just enjoy the feeling of her rumble. He says that he could always 'hear' her. I know that physically there were times when he couldn't but his perception is that he always could.

Poosey is part Manx. She has just a little stump of a tail and her back legs are longer than her front ones, putting her rump just a bit in the air when all four feet are on the floor. The Manx traits influence her personality too, causing some rather uncatlike behaviors. She often follows Hannah - to the extent that I've taken to calling her a puppy-cat. She's openly affectionate and isn't moody. It takes only Hannah's presence nearby to start her purring and if Hannah pets her too, she starts this funky purr-squeak, purr-squeak. It seems like she works very hard with all the purring but she can keep it up for long periods of time.

She's never stingy with her love! Here she's giving Jimmy a bath. In case you can't tell from the smashed face, Jimmy is a rabbit - and another whole love story. Jimmy would drive Poosey crazy, following her around Hannah's room begging for attention.

I could go on for a long time about all the things we've learned from living with Poosey. God sometimes answers little girls' prayers with a big 'yes!'. He gives us a glimpse of His unconditional love in the way a companion animal loves her master. God doesn't withhold His creative energy from the lost and the stray - Poosey's eyes are incredibly beautiful, like the most elaborate and delicate green lace imaginable. And most recently, doing good and loving unselfishly doesn't protect you from suffering and pain.

Our Poosey is in severe pain right now. Five years ago she was diagnosed with the beginnings of kidney failure. She's been managed ever since with a low protien diet. She also has degenerative disc disease. Apparently that is also thanks to being part Manx. This past Monday something happened to aggravate the disc problem and is causing some nerve entrapment. She is having pain in her back and she can't control her back left leg properly. Her kidney disease is also worsening. That sounds very bleak but the kidney disease can be managed with sub-q fluids twice weekly for now and she is on pain medication for her back. We're looking into some alternative treatments to help get the inflammation down and hopefully get the nerve function to improve.

We are all feeling the pain. Living together in a homeschool atmosphere allows us to process it, but also keeps it up front in our minds. We've had discussions about the pleasures and the responsibility of pet ownership. We've always taught the kids that having pets means that they depend on you for all their needs - and rising to the challenge of meeting those needs isn't always easy or fun. We've talked about euthanasia - Is it right? Is it our responsibility?
Why is it OK for animals and not for people? What happens to animals when they die? Why is it so easy to see that when a normally loving animal lashes out, it's due to the pain and fear but when a person lashes out, we're often so offended that we don't look for the pain or fear that caused it? How exactly do you get a pill into a cat? Why does God sometimes say 'no'? Why does love have to hurt so much?

Happy Birthday Zachary!!!

Zach turned 16 today. Unfortunately it was in many ways just another day. We made his birthday dinner on Sunday - Hamburgers on the grill, baked beans and chips (BBQ chips for him.) He got to open his gifts then too but we were heading back to church for a missions dessert so we saved his cake for today.

Birthday cakes around here are a special deal. The birthday child gets to ask for any kind of cake with anything they'd like on top. Mom makes the cake and Dad decorates it!

Zach chose an icecream cake with fudge topping with a Redfish on top. There is a bit of glare on the photo but David did his usual fantastic job with the decorating. Zach managed to blow out all 16 candles in one big whoosh!

Tomorrow afternoon he's planning a trip to the Bass Pro Shop. I discovered a nice little nook where I can sit and read and have a cup of coffee while he shops and that way I won't drop! ;-]