Wow! There is an end to over 100 degree temperatures for over 100 days here in Texas. As I write this it is 57 degrees at 8:30 a.m. But I don’t want to celebrate too soon. The 90 degree weather is due to return later in the week. But with any luck this week will be the last of summer in Texas.
Even though the weather is finally becoming bearable, there is another evil problem. Allergies from mold and various other growing stuff and the weirdest of all, acorns! Yes, I said acorns. But not like Ohio acorns. These babies are exactly babies, baby acorns. They’re everywhere, dropping like flies on the lawns, streets, driveways, cars, buses and probably airplanes.
I knew there were plenty of oak trees here and I know that is where acorns come from, but these things are like mutant acorns. Kind of oblong and various colors, mostly green, but turning brown as they age. When I walk on my driveway it sounds like I’m walking on bubble wrap. My neighbors assure me that this year the acorns are especially numerous, but they are an every year occurrence. Great!
The allergy problem is actually my worst problem and not just with me. It seems that Gibbs started coughing and trying to regurgitate something from his body. I thought he was sick from eating a squirrel or something of that nature, but he never expelled anything. But he sure had a loud cough.
It went on for many days and nights before I finally gave in and made a vet appointment. I made sure I had sufficient funds in my checking account, because vet charges are frightening. Oh, was I right. The vet informed me that she was sure he had allergies and she needed to have him get an X-ray and a scope to make sure. So, one day and $793 later, I found out yes, he does indeed have allergies. Now I can start giving him this medicine until the end of time, but it has to be done in a certain way.
Well, Gibbs, has his own way of taking meds. If he figures out it is medicine he spits it out, but he will eat cat poop whenever he finds it. So, I need to collect cat poop from my daughter in law’s cats or figure out my own solution. I’m not a big pooper scooper fan so I just mix his morning meds in his food and it goes down in an instant.
The evening is a bit more challenging. The meds have to be 12 hours apart but he doesn’t eat 12 hours apart. I have to find a new way to get those meds down before bedtime. No problem, just add the pills to whipped cream or ice cream and problem solved. Which brings on another problem. Now I have to have ice cream or whipped cream when he does. Something is wrong here.
There is a local Facebook type social media in my neighborhood so I foolishly mentioned the fact that I was suffering from allergies and started an avalanche of advice from 1,000 people. Everyone had a different take on what to do and how to do it. I finally had to shut down the topic or I would not get anything else done besides reading solutions, which were pretty weird.
Gibbs and I are getting better and more acclimated to the weird weather here and I’m hoping I’ll get the right combination of meds so I can open my windows and get some fresh air that doesn’t send us into breathing problems. The weather was too hot to go out and now the weather is great, but the allergies have taken over. According to the experts on my social page it will end soon, maybe.
Kaye Brown is a former Preble County resident who now resides in Texas. Reach her at [email protected].
