Veterinarian Sara at your service...

So, no pictures yet, as my camera died...but I simply could not wait, I removed that evil little grub with tweezers and used hydrogen peroxide to clean the 'warble hole' (internet said to), and I managed not to break the worm filled with posion open at all.

I am still taking the cat to the vet tomorrow, but if its chest cavity is filled with horrible worms...I'm not sure what will happen. We will not repeat the mounting bill of yesteryear, so pray please.

Thanks :), I'll show you the pics of the grub and the gaping hole it leaves tomorrow hopefully, I"m sure you all can't wait...but sadly you'll have to.

GROSS!!!!!!!

This is a close up of the chest of our 'new kitten'.
It used to have a kind of small wound on its chest, with a fairly large mound under the skin, so I thought perhaps it had a puncture wound (like a splinter or something) that would eventually work itself out. About a week later, another wound formed kind of on the other end of the internal lump and so we had 2 slightly seeping round sores.
Then a couple days I looked at it and thought it looked really quite good, like the wounds were healing.
We had decided not to take it to the vet, but let it get better or worse on its own after the last episodes with vets our family (mom) went through.
Then today, Emma was holding it and commenting on the wound looking good, I took it from her expecting to see it looking all healed when I noticed this....


















A hard protuding 'thing' that looked as though it was separate from the skin, like something coming out of his skin. You could see a hole around it...

Well...it is. It is a bot fly larvae, coming out of what is referred to as a 'warble', which is inside the kittens body. It often happens to squirrels, and is VERY RARE in felines, what luck we have eh?!!? Well, in squirrels, a bot fly egg gets laid and ends up on an animals skin where it burrows in and spends 3 weeks growing. Then when it is big enough it leaves the body (usually butt end first) and drops to the ground where it buries it self until spring when it turns into a fly.


SICK, GROSS, DISGUSTING, HORRID, NAUSEATING, MAKING ME FEEL ALL CREEPY CRAWLY, and well...gonna take it to the vet tomorrow where hopefully they will remove it and give the kitten some antibiotics to make sure it doesn't die. All in favor of this move say AYE! Seriously, it is one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen, or touched (I was trying to see what it was, I didn't KNOW what it was and certainly didn't think I was squeezing the butt end of a freaking grub!!) oh, so queasy inside!

So, that is my fun tale for the evening. so horrible.

Thank you Chi Wah, Irene and family

This is picture of Casendra, and Ethan, Sierra and cousin Emma. We took this picture as an updated view of Casendra in her outfit from Nelson's parents. (For those of you who don't know, Nelson was our homestay student last year, but has started school down in Calgary this year so we do not get to have him stay with us.)
They sent this outfit for her and it finally now fits her. It is cute and warm and she has gone to sleep just now wearing it after having a nice relaxing bedtime bath. Thank you again guys. You are both very thoughtful and we appreciate your family very much.

Allie, our new dog?...kind of my fault

Allie...the little dog that will most likely be ours. It was a 'dog sitting' situation. But upon recent discussion with the owners, who are in the process of relocating, they are most likely needing to find him a new home. We possibly took too good of care of him, and gave too nice of reviews, so they are really feeling their lifestyle isn't good for him as they did not have such great reviews when he lived with them. So, at the end of this month they will be making a final decision to try and keep him or officially offer him to live with us forever, or if we are not able to do that, find him a new home instead. So...I figure, he already has a place sleeping on our bed (yes our bed, mine and John's...and last night when I wasn't even home...John let him up on the bed to sleep!)

Anyhow, he is adorable...and very good at finding the 'best, most comfortable' spot to sleep, whether that is my basket of clean clothes, Ethan's bed, leather couch or Casendra's play mat in the sun.

Well...now all I have to do is break the news to John :( :)

Goodbye old friend...

This is John, Ethan and John's old camping chair. He has loved this chair (and its partner-- a similar in age, make and appearance camping chair) for many many years. However, this year as he was sitting quietly by our backyard campfire...it died. And he fell, luckily he's not got the same size lower half as me so he didn't get stuck...but it was funny, sad, loss of a dream kind of sad for John, but funny sad for those watching. Sorry John. RIP camping chair (and as an aside, its partner chair broke in the exact same way, under John's bum, trapping him for a while as he fell through, during our last camping weekend of this year. Didnt' have a camera, but it looked pretty similar to the pictures below. RIP camping chair partner)

Daddy's girl

Casendra is almost always content (unless she's really hungry) to sit with her daddy. She'll sit and watch T.V. or just cuddle with him and often she'll fall asleep in his arms just sitting up. I love to see that happen. John is so busy during the summers that he doesn't have much time at home for precious moments and enjoys them greatly when they do happen. He got to go camping alone with Ethan for 2 days before we joined him up at Crimson lake which was very special for the two of them (but didnt' bring a camera) and he is hoping to get some alone time with Sierra too. It really helps the kids to bond and regain their relationship with him after such long periods away during summer bin building stretches.

Another kitty.....it wasn't my fault!

This is Sierra's new kitty. I did not go out looking for it! I swear I didn't.
The story goes: I was driving to Calgary with mom and the kids, when just outside Beiseker I slammed on my brakes and began to back the van up. Mom asked what I was doing and I said "didn't you see that kitten back there, it was just sitting right beside the road". I stopped the van and jumped out then walked up to the crying kitty who ran into the long grass in the ditch. I figured he was going to be too timid to catch, but went a little ways into the ditch to try anyway cause I could hear it meowing. Well, he didn't run, attack or bite me when I reached to pick him up. He CLUNG to my neck and meowed and purred. How could I leave such a little cute needy kitten there all alone to be run over by some huge truck? Well...I couldn't. Mom certainly wasn't risking taking it after her most recent emotionally and financially draining cute kitten ordeal, but I simply could not let it stay there alone. I'm quite certain it was dropped off as it was VERY tame...either that or terribly in need of affection :)
So, he came to Calgary with us and then home to Three Hills later that night. He sleeps in Sierra's room, right with her (although the smell in the room is now absolutely horrendous, so we think they both pass out at night to get away from it) And he seems to be doing well, although we found a strange sore on his chest. His name is "Sweety" and he really is one. Purrs and cuddles and as you can see in the picture...Kisses. Plus...John said that as I didnt' go out looking for him, that made it 'slightly' better, and he accepts that for now we have 3 cats. Thanks John :)

Casendra's first 'real' food

Recently the kids and I joined John up in Vermilion where he was building bins. We had a great weekend with him, even though he still had to work part of it. One night while we were getting ready to eat at the local restaurant. I decided to let Casendra try some cereal I had bought for her, it would be the first time for real feeding so I didn't expect much. However, she was hungry and she at a lot! These are some views of how much she enjoyed it and was really into it, even trying to get the spoon for herself. Very funny.

"What do I do with it now???????!!!!!!"

Cute Casendra

Casendra loves her feet, she moves them around all the time, she'll sit in her carseat with one leg up on the handle, completely relaxed...very flexible! I'll try to get a picture of it.

This little girl is so smiley. Over any and almost everything she smiles and now she'll laugh too. Very adorable and irresistable.