Great Expectations! or Why I Haven't Updated My Etsy Pics?

Oh it's been a crazy couple of weeks around the homestead! Like the old saying, when it rains it pours, and it's true.

First, my horse: N'lilah or "Lilah" as I call her. She got what I thought was an insect bite with a big area of swelling and it was sort of squishy to the touch. And big? Oh yeah. Like about 10" x 4", down the middle of her backbone towards her rump. I did all what the vet said to do but nothing changed, so finally he had to come out and see what was going on. Turns out it was a hematoma, not an insect bite at all, and probably caused by rolling on a rock and bursting a blood vessel. He sedated her and then set out to scalpel and drain it. I had no idea that blood could be so red! This photo is not enhanced or retouched in any way. It was truly that red! Pretty impressive. Thank you Dr. Kimmons from Franklin Equine. The best!

Ok, next. Toby, my big Lab/Rott mix. Sam, my other dog kept licking Toby's neck. When Sam does that, I know there's "something" to it. Sure enough. A GIANT hot spot. Biggest I'd ever seen. From what? Who knows. Vet said they're usually caused by food, environment or insects. I'm thinking environment. He must be allergic to Tennessee. LOL! So it's steroids and antibiotics, again, for this boy.

As all the pet stuff is going on, we're working on the house and tearing out the carpet (again - just installed last year) and the vinyl plank laminate flooring I installed as well, to get ready for the flooring we SHOULD HAVE had installed in the first place! Pergo Max. With 6 dogs and red clay outside, carpet doesn't work. The vinyl laminate scratched and scuffed and looked terrible after only a couple of months. Lessons learned? you get what you pay for, and, do it right the first time! I am THRILLED with my new gorgeous Pergo. We selected "River Road Oak" which is a rustic, industrial looking wood; all colors of lights and darks, warms and cools, browns and greys, so really there's no decision making on which color to get cause you get them all. It's a pretty wide plank as well and it just looks amazing. Here look:

 

So...you can see things have been crazy and no time for creating and updating right? But now that it's done, I'll be back in my studio after a good nights' rest. Have a great rest of the week!