February Feathers and Fur

Did you know finches are member of the family Fringillidae? I did not know that but I just came across the word and I liked it.

Here's a dog named Fluff who is a pomeranian mix. We saw him at the house where we used to live in Basye. He's about to leave though, for his family is moving away and new tenants are scheduled to move in next week.

Flash continues to do okay. He does not mind taking additional medications because I wrap them in soft treats. His appetite for kibble is less now, and he is drinking extra water.  He needs to go outside frequently though, or he'll leave a wet spot on the carpet. I remember going through this with Benny when he was dealing with congestive heart failure.

Let's end with a bright red cardinal.

Sharing with Saturday's Critters
and The Bird D'Pot

Profiles of Critters

Thank you, friends who expressed concern for Flash and sent wishes for me to feel better. I do; sometimes a night of sleeping works wonders!

Flash seemed to feel okay today except there was a time this evening when he coughed for a little while. I have a complicated schedule that the vet gave me for his new medications and I had to adjust it a little because it's impractical to give him one pill at 1:00 AM and then start the next day's meds at 5 AM.

Red-bellied woodpecker

Goose

Mourning Dove

Canada Geese

Five Friday Photos with Flash and Fences

Yesterday I didn't post until after midnight because we had to take Flash to the emergency vet. Tonight I'll make up for it by posting five picture which are somewhat random as suggested by the Willy Nilly Friday format, which also works with the Five On Friday linkup.

1. Flash is back home and seems comfortable. He spent last night and much of today in the animal hospital, getting oxygen while medication took effect. He was diagnosed with heart trouble! It caused fluid to build up in his lungs, which is why he coughed and then fell over last night. We have a follow-up appointment scheduled with his regular vet and in the meantime he has four new medications to take. 

(Here's an odd coincidence: Exactly two years ago I posted that has buddy Benny had a similar episode! Ben lived until July of that year.)

Sharing with Black and White Weekend and Pet Parade

2. I am grateful that there was a place where we could take Flash to get help late at night. Unfortunately I sat there for over 3 hours in a state of tension, and today I really paid for it with sharp shooting pain in one hip! I've had this before and was diagnosed with piriformis syndrome. I do a set of daily exercises which has usually keeps it at bay but this time I fell victim to stress. I'm hopeful that a good night's sleep will help tonight.

Sharing with Skywatch Friday

3. Before I was interrupted by the dog emergency I was working on a landscape for the Fences linkup. This road is near Middletown, Virginia.

4. Speaking of fences, here are some on display at a home improvement store.

5. Let's close with something playful! These toys were displayed in a thrift store.

Orange You Glad It's Friday

Flash Goes to the Emergency Vet

 I was working on a landscape photo for Thursday's blog post when Flash suddenly started coughing with an unusual quacking sound! Then he got up and came over to stand right in front of me, coughed again and fell over! He lay there for a while, raising his head to look at me but not trying to get up.

We reached his vet who recommended taking him to Valley Emergency Vet Care, which is open all night. So here we are, waiting for an Xray. The vet here suspects heart disease for she heard a murmur and his other symptoms are consistent with it. If that's the case, she will prescribe medication and possibly refer him to a cardiologist if we want further tests.

Flash did recover enough to walk to and from the car so he is okay for now. He is over 13 years old so it's not surprising that his health is not what it was when he was younger.

Rose Hill Park Random-osity

The Good: There's a new park in Winchester, Virginia. Like some other parks in this historic city, it combines a history lesson with recreational opportunities. It is on part of the Kernstown Battlefield which until recently was only open to the public on rare occasions. Now it's open daily and is well-used by joggers, families, and dog walkers as well as Civil War buffs. 

The Random: I used PhotoCollage to make a mosaic of various scenes at the park. When the season is brighter, I intend to go back and shoot some more colorful pictures.

I have been to Kernstown Battlefield a number of times. When I visited this part of the battlefield a couple of years ago, we had to cross a cow-pasture to reach the stone walls that were used as shelter in the battle. Now the cows are fenced off from the trails, which have also been improved by grading and paving.

The Fun: Even though it's February, the weather was mild and we saw plenty of people enjoying the trails with their dogs.

Rose Hill Park is owned by the MSV and operated jointly with the Frederick County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Sharing with Seasons, Mosaic Monday, and Good, Random, and Fun

Some of the Usual Suspects

These are some of the critters we see just about every day: Cardinal, squirrel, wren, goose, sparrow...

... and Flash!

Sharing with The Bird D'pot and Saturday's Critters

It's February and the Critters are Busy

Birds are enjoying my feeders and other animals are still doing their own things.  

When I saw these red creatures on a sign, I wondered what they were supposed to be! I took a cell phone picture and later I finally realized what represent: lovebirds! (Never mind that they are look like red pickles!)

Next we have a real bird down by the pond. I believe this is a muscovy duck, although it could be a hybrid.

Flash, as usual, observes all, at least when he isn't sleeping. 

Finally, another large bird beside the pond. I had seem the great blue heron earlier, flying quickly out of sight. I was excited when he came back to our yard and I got this picture using a zoom lens.

Squirrel Appreciation and Marching Dogs

I read that today is International Squirrel Appreciation Day, so before I show dog photos, here is a rascally squirrel.

Sharing with Saturday's Critters and Pet Parade

The dogs were parading with their owners in Woodstock, Virginia. The occasion was a March for Social Justice, a local version of the Women's March that drew so many people to major cities today.

Five for Friday the 13th

I'm not superstitious about Friday the 13th but it's worth mentioning because it gives some folks a smile. Anyway, it is Friday already, so I have five pictures for blog linkups, including Five on Friday and Willy Nilly Friday. 

1. Skywatch Friday: Locals may recognize this as taken from a Sheetz Gas Station.

2.  Locals may recognize this one too. It's a view from Skyline Drive near Front Royal. I'm linking up with Mersad's Nature in Sleep challenge as well as Orange You Glad It's Friday.

3. Nature may be sleeping but Flash is doing a good job of it too! Note that we placed a step next to the couch because he seemed to struggle to jump up there. Then he climbed onto the back of it so he wouldn't miss anything that was going on. Then he went to sleep.

Once upon a time I kept dogs off the furniture. But eventually I gave up.

4. This isn't even the only cannon I saw with Christmas lights! 

Friday Greens

5. I thought I might need this for Facebook.

P.S. Just as I finished writing this post, something went wrong with my browser.  The blogging sidebar disappeared and I couldn't get it back! I had to close Chrome and go back in with Safari to add the labels to my post. Perhaps the troll was causing mischief – or was it Friday the 13th?!

The Dog Next Door

Snow Birds and Hiking Dogs

Even plain-colored birds stand out on a snowy day! This junco is posing nicely for Black and White Weekend and Saturday Silhouettes.

These sparrows perched on our "patio peach." Since many of my readers are fellow photobloggers, I feel comfortable confessing that I bought this little tree as a prop for my photos. I had my husband plant it near the feeders so that birds could perch on it.

Sharing with The Bird D'Pot and Saturday Critters

By now you may have guessed why I bought this colorful feeder.  

Ms. Cardinal is not red like the male of the species but she has her own style and beauty.

The last two pictures were taken on New Year's Day. We went to Shenandoah River State Park to take advantage of the "First Day" free admission. The weather was mild and people were out hiking, some with their dogs.

We didn't hike very far but I enjoyed getting outdoors.

Sharing with Pet Parade