The Bat Signal - For Tomatoes in Everyday Ramblings

This looks like a full-on meadow, but it is a front border on the public facing side of an expensive home up in the West Hills where Mrs. Sherlock and I walked last Sunday. It is clear either the owners or a collaboration of the owner’s and their gardener decided to go wildlife friendly this year. The parking meridian is also delightfully unruly. There was a big article in the Washington Post about how popular a meadow is that a young couple in Vermont created in their grassy acreage. I am a big fan of this trend.

Carlo and I went to the vet yesterday for his well kitty exam. It had been quite some time and he was due some vaccines. I waited a reasonable interlude after being able to return home so it wouldn’t be super stressful for him to be in the carrier.

I tried giving him the gabapentin first in his favorite food. That was a serious no go, so it the end I corralled him and managed to get the capsule down his throat without too much effort on either of our parts. I had the carrier open in the bathroom and he was pretty chill when it was time to get him in there. My cat sitter taught me this…you are in charge; it is an attitude thing…I gently picked him up and carried him in and placed him in the top loading soft carrier and had the top ready to zip. Pretty sweet.

There were a few things I hadn’t expected. One was their heartfelt condolences about Diego. That sort of threw me for a loop. I have gotten used to missing him as my private grief. I think they also were concerned that I might have feelings about him having a stroke without them having seen in coming. That hadn’t occurred to me. These things happen, and Diego had a bunch of stuff going on. But yeah, when it is your job to treat and keep cats healthy, I can see the issue.

The other thing was Carlo. At one point they all left the examining room after a protracted attempt that took two different techs to get his blood pressure. He came over to me on the bench and jumped up, curled up leaning against me and started to tremble. He was shaking, the poor guy. Oh man.

When they came back, they wrapped him up in a towel and after his shot and all the other indignities (there were a number) they gently put him back in the carrier and I placed him next to me so he could see and smell me.

He’s a bit tired today but fine. And the best news of all is that as long as all is well, he won’t need to go anywhere for a year. I am going to do everything in my power to make that happen.

Us city folks, we sure treat our animals differently they we did when I was young.

I am feeling overwhelmed. I knew this was coming, fall and all the things but here it is.

The guys and I had a two-hour board meeting after a two-hour coffee chat on Thursday and then a ride home with a catch up after that with the only other woman on the board. And League stuff. And all the other stuff that makes up a life, shopping, exercising, in my case teaching.

There is a bunch of stuff going on now at night, people playing music, people giving dramatic readings, photo and art openings, poetry readings. Finding a way to be supportive while keeping my schedule functional and getting enough rest is turning into a bit of a challenge, I am not sure I am up to. At least not right now.

The thing that gave me a burst of pleasure this week was the garden. I have these two indeterminate tomato plants of unknown variety that a student gave me in May, and I put them in, caged them, and they have been growing but only producing a few smallish green fruits. My plot is not full sun and what it gets is at an angle and I thought recently they were going to not produce anything edible.

And then on Wednesday, boom, three red smallish but normal tomatoes. One was perfectly ripe. It was so good in only the way a fresh homegrown one can be. This morning there were six more. What a thrill, as I had given up. Nature is amazing. Growing for months and months and then overnight, go go, go.

Sweet! In more ways than one.

Last updated September 18, 2023