Virtual Brush Box

The night photos are from the Babylon, Chaos, & Muses Parade. The day photos are from Endymion. Photos by Michelle Duplichien.

Borders & watermarks added. Thank you, Michelle!

Rabbit Hole

Uptown Messenger: Rolling tonight: Watch the weather ahead of Babylon, Chaos and Muses, February 16, 2023
Mid-City Messenger: Here’s what you need to know before Endymion rolls, February 18, 2023
Human Society of LA: Mardi Gras Horse Adoption

Past Mardi Gras Posts

[Mardi Gras Beads III] 2022
[Mardi Gras Beads II 2021
[Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler] 2020
[Throw Me Something, Ma’am, Guest Photos] 2019
[Mardi Gras Parades, A Guest Post] 2018

Generous Previous Guest Posts

[Travel Posts & Cat Photos & More by Michelle D.] List of links

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin]

Eighth week post surgery
Two weeks at clinic DONE
Four weeks of at-home stall rest DONE
One week of paddock rest DONE
Starting week 2 of four weeks of paddock rest
Still to go, four weeks pasture rest

Everyone is fine.

We had our first post-surgery medical incident. Milton nicked the front of his rear pastern while rolling. Hopped right up. Alarming amount of blood that stopped quickly. No discernible effect to belly, which was closely inspected.

Tapped one foot with the other while on his back flinging his feet about? Stepped on it while getting up? Stiff in his abs & hind end so he couldn’t get the leg out of the way in time? Who knows.

Foot was fine. Minimal swelling. No further bleeding. Bandage overnight to keep it clean.

I thought he was in a mood all morning. Sort of how when you are ill, you get tired, and you don’t handle setbacks as well as you do when you are 5 by 5. I could have been projecting.

In the afternoon, he pulled his minder all over the field.

Milton is fine. His people are a wee bit traumatized.

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin]

Finishing week 7 post surgery
Finishing week 1 of paddock rest

… and as soon as I brag on Rodney, he makes a liar out of me.

Or does he?

In yesterday’s post, I said that Rodney does not go out of sight of the barn. [SRC 18 Feb, Listening To Milton]

I drafted & scheduled the post on Friday afternoon. No sooner had I done so, we let Rodney out & he wanders off. Milton alternated between eating bites of alfalfa and staring into the distance in full Giraffe Alert Mode.

We could see Rodney off by the ring. It’s not clear if Milton could see Rodney or if Rodney was hidden by the trees from Milton’s viewpoint. Either way, this was as far as Rodney has gotten from the barn since Milton has been home.

Eventually, we couldn’t stand it & yelled for Rodney. He came galloping back. Ran hither and thither a bit. Milton had cookies shoveled at him while this was going on. Finally, Rodney zoomed into the barn. I’m here! I’m here!

Possibility. Rodney has been excellent about staying with Milton. As Milton feels better. Rodney is willing to go farther away. A random artifact of timing? We are being anthropomorphic? Or there are elements to herd dynamics that we, as non-herbivores, do not understand?

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin]

Week 7 post surgery
Week 1 of paddock rest

One of the the daily activities around here is to give Rodney time out in the pasture. Fortunately (!!), he chooses to stay in sight of the barn and therefore in sight of Milton. Between this and being bribed with a flake of alfalfa in a slow-feeder haynet, Milton endures the abandonment.

Rodney generally wanders back in after an hour or so.

While he is out, I either do chores, or sit in the run-in area and read. Since the entire goal of the project is to keep an eye on Milton, I should sit were I can see him, right? However the most comfortable place to sit is leaning up against the wall of the stall. The one place I can’t see his fluffy gray butt.

I have discovered that while I can’t see Milton, I can hear him. Sitting on a stool and leaning against the stall wall means my ear is only a few feet from Milton’s snoot munching away on the other side of a plank of wood. Since he’s eating yummy alfalfa, the rhythmic chomping doesn’t stomp. Or it shouldn’t. If I does, I can stand up and make sure Milton isn’t stressing.

Sound. The underappreciated sense.

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin]

Week 7 post surgery
Week 1 of paddock rest

This adventure manages to be both stressful and boring. A delightful combination.

In Other News

Treating myself to lectures as well as books. “Milton’s rehab has involved a fair amount of retail therapy as distraction. I have a horse on stall rest. I deserve this book. And that book. And that one over there.” [Stall Rest Chronicles 11 Feb, and Book Club Blog Hop Announcement]

And this class.

And that one over there.

Next class. US Graham School: The Medieval Book, Class starts 24 March, Registration closes 16 March. Free lecture. US Graham School: Exploring Medieval Manuscripts, Tue., Feb 28, 2023. As before, the lecture is a teaser for the class, but likely to be interesting in its own right. [Blanket Adjustment, SF Class]

Discovered while poking about for related things to read. Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World, de Hamel, Penguin, 2017. Truth in advertising. While I have immensely enjoyed the first three chapters, I have not finished the book. I’m pushing myself to read other things *cough*TerraIgnonitainfourvolumes*cough* and saving this for closer to the next class.

Onwards!
Katherine

Dogs are doing well.

Rose is still a sausage, but more of a summer sausage, less of an overstuffed bratwurst.

Jas has developed bit of a wobble. We’ve bought a sling to steady her up & down the ramp to the outside. Yes, we built a ramp. Not our first Basset Hound. Not our first ramp.

Her ability to moved is closely related to her desire to get somewhere. Climb the ever so slightly inclined lawn? I couldn’t possibly. It is Mount Everest. I will lie here in a hopeless heap. Dinner? Did you say dinner?! Is it in this room? How about in this room?

Basset Hounds. Low altitude; lots of attitude.

Dog Posts

[Jasmine and Rose, Meet The New Dogs]
[Jasmine and Rose Have A Big Basset Adventure]
[Jasmine and Rose, One Month Of The New Dogs]

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. [Begin]

Week 7 post surgery
Week 1 of paddock rest

Sent weekly photo to vet. Got the thumbs up.

Vet asked us to feel along the incision for soft spots, which might indicate a possible hernia. In-house medical advisor says tum feels okay, and he managed not to get kicked. Milton doesn’t like his belly touched on a good day.

Got clarification on phase III turnout. No trotting. To the vet, a “small” paddock means an area where the horse can walk and graze but not have space to trot. Both of our horses are capable of trotting in the stall. Hand walking it is! [Stall Rest Chronicles 13 Feb, Phase III]

Speaking of tele-vet, should I include the visuals? We don’t have many from immediately after the surgery. At the clinic, the incision was covered most of the time, either with iodine and medical tape or with a belly band. By now, the wound is fairly benign. The incision is closed, save for minor leaking. Each photo is mostly a big expanse of shaved gray belly with a line down the middle. It’s fine, as long as one doesn’t stop to consider what it represents. (Pause to shudder.) Do you want to see the pics?

Onwards!
Katherine