June Goals Health - follow up appt regarding blood work and foot (x-rays, possible surgery), follow new food plan armed with blood glucose and blood fat information. Done; it was a good month for this goal Hike/Walk - 150 kilometers 121km Bike - 4 bike rides of varying lengths I did three bike rides and might be able to do one today. 36.5 miles Officiating - None this month; complete recertification None but did complete recertification and am good to go for 2023-2024 Paint 1 room For the 6th month, this goal has not been accomplished. Mental paralysis?!?!? New adventure - Be Wild! This one is frustrating. Blocked by other people's choices and requests for my time and resources. Apherisis - 2 donations Done. Reached my 4 Gallon milestone. Do I really need a new volunteer opportunity? I already volunteer once a week. Have decided to put this off until I have a better grasp on my physical wellness and the training with the new dog.

Here we go! The second half of the year is going to be awesome. Review your yearly goals. Are you making progress? Why or why not? Are your goals attainable? Relevant? Do you have a support system? Make sure you are breaking down the goals into small monthly and weekly chunks. Goal setting can be overwhelming when we look big picture but by creating small chunks and dedicated steps to reach those chunks, success is achievable. Goi back and review your goals. Adjust as needed. Set new goals if desired.

It's time to wrap up June and set ourselves up for a successful July. Get your calendar, July budget, and whatever else you need to plan your July and set your goal steps.

Oh, Popmom, I am so very sorry. Please extend my condolences to your DD and DSIL. sending so many gentle hugs

We are back up to 239 (purple) this morning.

We are down to 205. We had two slight rain showers today but I don't think they helped.

She's been with us 5 weeks. Rescuing a 2yo dog with an unknown past has been difficult. Her behavior is still 'off' and she does some things that I wish she wouldn't. The Bad: She still runs to her crate to hide from any loud noise. She tries to melt into the floor and make herself as small as possible if she is corrected. She piddles when corrected or if you try to pick her up. She has chewed up two pairs of my shoes and miscellaneous other items, including a library book I was reading and my reading glasses. If she finds any of my clothing, she carries it to her crate. I have found 5 items of my clothes in her crate at one time. She is afraid of thunder and fireworks and hides under the deck if she is outside. The first time she hid, I thought she had jumped the fence and went into panic mode. We thought all access points were small enough to restrict access, evidently not. She is still so timid and fearful, training her is almost impossible. I have been working on sit and wait and it's just not happening. If I gently push on her rump to help her sit, she pees. If I ask her to wait, she walks to me as soon as I get more than 1 step away. Her body language is heartbreaking. She has exhibited some aggressive behavior toward my other dog and my DD's dog. It usually involves dog toys and if she thinks they want to take hers. It took her a couple of weeks to realize she had toys and that certain things were hers and she is protective of those. She is also the only female in our little pack of three. I don't think she was ever groomed. She cowers at a brush. I still haven't been able to fully brush her and she's only been bathed twice (those were experiences, let me tell you.). I did discover her tail, which we thought was the ugliest tail ever, is actually quite pretty and has longer hair than we thought. She also does this weird thing where she freezes and just doesn't move. It's really weird. She will stand with all four legs spread shoulder/hip width apart, head slightly tilted, and tail down. Just stand there like she is anticipating something bad. At first I thought it might be a seizure but I don't think that is what it is. It's usually over within seconds and she comes out of it and acts fine. I'm going to try to get a pic of it and ask the vet what she thinks. The Big Bad: My other dog (the IBD dog) is somewhat jealous and has been to the vet twice in the 5 weeks for increased IBD symptoms and the need for new medications. He has lost weight (7 pounds) and I am uncertain I am willing to "wait and see" if things will get better. I have spent a lot of time, energy and money on him and this attempt to give him companionship may be failing. The Good: She is no longer afraid of the leash and becomes excited when I go to the leash area. She is the first to want her leash attached and waits patiently for me to help my other dog. She is also no longer afraid of loading into a vehicle and appears to enjoy her car rides. She is wonderful to walk on leash and enjoys walks of all kinds. She is a great hiking partner (better than my dog). She is eating well and at her optimal weight. Still not taking training treats but will enjoy a pup cup if one is offered. She is getting better being around my DGDs but because of the aggression she shows toward the other dogs and toys, we cannot trust her. She presents herself to us for cuddles and pets but is still uncertain. We knew it was going to be slow going and it would take work. I just wish we knew more about her history. My plan is to continue moving forward with training and socialization. I have made my world small this summer and am dedicating time to both dogs.

We are at 217 this morning. The haze is thick and visibility is decreasing. We are expecting a rain storm and I hope it helps with air quality. DH is at work and traveling through the red and purple zones. The RR did not provide any masks nor did it issue a safety protocol for its workers.

AirNow Interactive Map (epa.gov) According to this map, we are in the purple zone (201-300).

We are currently at 199. Most outdoor activities have been cancelled. People are being asked to remain indoors and go out only if necessary. There is very little insect or bird activity. Our feeders, which I usually have to fill twice a day, are still full from this morning. I went blueberry picking this morning. I had to take advantage of the ripe berries as I freeze them for winter treats. There were a few others in the blueberry patch but nothing like usual. I picked my minimum amount and left. The difference in the air quality and haze after two hours was astounding. Only one other woman was in the patch when I left and the proprietor was going to ask her to finish so she could close up and lock the gates. My dogs are acting strangely - both are attention seeking and restless. They were outside this morning for a few hours before the air quality warnings were sent but they have not had their usual walks and exercise.

I am so sorry for your loss. My heart is aching for you. She was beautiful. Sending so many gentle hugs

I am so sorry for this turn of events. Please keep us updated. Sending supportive and encouraging thoughts for you and your pup.

We are just a bit over halfway through June. How are you doing with your goals? Making progress? Why or why not? There is still time in June to make headway. Wellness Goal - I am excited beyond measure. This new way of eating, eating for my body, is working. OMG, I cannot tell you how good I feel. It is a lot of work though. At present, it is a full-time job and I am glad I took the summer off to devote to my health. There is no way I could have done this with the added pressure and stress of working. The blood tests, monitor wearing, stool tests, food and meal tracking - all have been eye opening and beneficial. Wellness progress with new way of eating: I have lost 5#. I cannot tell you how good this feels. This is the first time in years the scale has moved down. It's slow going but I am losing.📉 My joint pain has decreased by at least 50% if not more. I can actually walk up the stairs without having to lean on the wall or the stairs in front of me for support. My anxiety has decreased immeasurably. I haven't had an anxiety attack in two weeks. I have been grocery shopping twice without a panic attack. I actually enjoyed grocery shopping yesterday; grocery shopping has been my biggest trigger for the past few years. Using my food app to scan and find the foods that work for me is affirming. I even went to the Farmer's Market and bought, washed, and prepped a bunch of vegetables I never would have eaten 6 weeks ago. They are delicious. I ate so many straight-from-the-garden sugar snap peas yesterday...so good. I haven't had such a joyful relationship with food in decades (since pre-celiac diagnosis). My sugar and salt cravings have diminished. I can look at my old comfort foods without wanting them. I am riding my bike again. 40 miles this week.🚲 I have walked the dogs every day.🦮 I am still making progress toward other goals as well and will report on those toward the end of the month.

No, but flamboyant, goes against cultural norms, all are/were part of LGBTQIA? community

After perusing through this thread all I can say is if David Bowie would have dressed up as Ziggy Stardust and offered a story time at my library, I would have been the first in line and selected a seat as close to his chair as possible. Same thing goes for Andy Bell (of Erasure). Or Boy George.

Wow, that would be wonderful to win. I wish you the best of luck. I would love to hear Rick Riordan speak.

Isn't Sumer Reading Bingo fun? I totally geek out for the library reading programs. I won the big prize in January for the New Year reading event so I don't know if I'm eligible to win one of the prizes for this summer. Everyone who completes the challenge gets the $5 gift certificate to the coffee house. What is your big prize opportunity?

That's some good news. I hope it is just allergies and not IBD. I laugh at myself because I have celiac and now have a dog with food issues. Between the two of us, we can't eat anything. lol

For those of you who love the wilderness and feel protective over and a kinship to the backcountry, please read The Last Season by Eric Blehm. It is the telling of the life and 1996 disappearance of backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson. The book has some slow parts, and indeed is a slow read, but outside of reading about John Muir, I have never read a book that shows such an intense love for the backcountry. The excerpts from Randy's journals and logbooks are heartwarming. Truly a bit dismaying and heartbreaking after almost 30 years of intense use/misuse/forest fires of the backcountry; I wonder how much Randy would recognize if he were able to see it today?

Love the animal print onsie. I hope she recovers quickly.

I hear you. I am really struggling at the moment as high school and college classmates are in the prime of their careers. I try to be happy for them, I really do. I read their publications, applaud their accolades, and learn of their retirement plans. I'm over here like - dude, when l am I going to get started? knowing all too well that I will never reach those goals. I don't invite the thoughts in but, by golly, as I'm weeding the dratted flower beds for the third time and listening to an audiobook I think, "What the heck did I do? I could have been working in my lab, studying the effects of XYZ on synaptic potentials."

I finished This is Your Mind on Plants and downloaded another short audiobook to listen to while doing yardwork, The River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks. There is a surprising tie-in as Oliver discusses mescaline and other drugs in TROC. I was fully able to understand his premise as well as other information due to having just learned about the history of peyote and mescaline in TIYMOP. There is also some nice information about Tourette syndrome in TROC which was interesting to listen to. I love how the universe works.

Also - with the RCHP, my dog's poop looks and smells very similar to what comes out of the can. Just an interesting ?? factoid

I am one year into the IBD diagnosis. It is a roller coaster. One thing I have learned is that each dog is going to experience IBD differently. There are symptoms they have in common but the severity of those symptoms as well as the treatment will be unique. Some can tolerate one brand of food whereas others cannot. Some require daily meds and others are stable on the HP diet alone. My guy is 2.5 years old and began showing symptoms before he turned a year. My vet didn't believe me and told me it was either all in my head or my fault for the way I was feeding him. He was 40 pounds at 18 months - down from 47# at 9 months - he should have been closer to 60#. His symptoms were many of those Selkie listed: lack of appetite, failure to thrive, horrible runny stools tinged with blood, dull and thinning coat. He was anxious and reactive. He was also a singleton and a cryptorchid; not IBD related but part of his health and social history. The vet told me I should consider putting him down. I had just lost my 15 yo dog and I was not going to lose my new dog as well. I switched vets and am so glad I did. The new vet took one look at him and said she was fairly certain he had IBD but chose to run multiple tests including those for EPI, the IBD biopsies, bloodwork, and a gut microbiome. The tests came back positive for IBD and multiple food (beef, peanut butter, wheat, dairy) and environmental (undetermined but the rashes and infections on his belly are seasonal) allergies. We put him on Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein canned and kibble. He began to gain weight immediately although his stool issues remained. He was then put on Tylosin and prednisone. It took months for him to put on enough weight to be considered 'normal'. His coat has almost grown back in but is shiny and healthy looking. He is frequently on antibiotics for the rash and then subsequent probiotics. He also suffers from yeast infections in his ears which the vet tells us is common for IBD dogs so we have an open script for that medication. He is still finicky and does not eat the extras that Selkie's dog does. He has to have his steroid or he has no appetite/inappetence. There are days he'll eat the RCHP if I add some warm water and stir it up. Other days, he won't eat unless I pulverize or mash the canned food. He does not tolerate things like Milk Bones or other processed treats, Whimzees or other dental chews, or things like Pup Cups from DQ or Starbucks. Short list of what he can eat so far: RCHP canned RCHP Kibble Venison (dehydrated) for training treats A turkey, cranberry, sweet potato jerky from Aldis (go figure with this one but I am happy he can tolerate it) I introduced some mackerel to his diet in the hope it will help his coat. I give him about 1 TBS every couple of days and so far his stool looks okay. Depending on the size of your dog and whatever secondary ailments it has, plan on creating a special line item in your budget. My dog's care is expensive. His current food and medications run between $250-500 month; depending on those dratted secondary infections and whether or not I have to purchase the RCHP kibble. We also have two vets: a local vet for things like nail trims, ear infections, and rash care and the specialist in a nearby city for the IBD care. They email each other so both are always up to date on his care and current medications. I am thrilled with this as it saves time whenever I take him in. We recently (3 weeks ago) brought a new dog (young female) into our home. It has been a trial. There are days my IBD dog doesn't want to eat or he wants her food. It is a lot of work maintaining two dogs with two different diets. Much more difficult than I anticipated and I admit there are days it is overwhelming and I question if it was the right decision.

I wish I could but with my IBD dog he cannot tolerate beef bones, the easiest to find. He also cannot use the Whimzees or other dental chews. I gave him a deer antler and he'll chew on it but it doesn't get all the gunk off. I'll see if I can get deer bones from a local butcher after the next deer season.