Frisky Cheats Death

So much has happened within the last two weeks, I scarcely know where to begin. Forgive me if this post is disjointed, but it seems to be a jumble in my head, which I am sure will be somewhat confusing. I have been in the Quad Cities for the past week. My mother underwent an Angiogram. Thankfully, she did not need to have an Angioplasty done, but she developed complications from the procedure, which wouldn't close up and clots formed. The nurses had to apply constant pressure for twenty minutes at a time. They kept her overnight and did an ultrasound before releasing her. I stayed with her for a few days after to drive her around and also to try to keep her from overdoing too quickly. That proved to be my hardest challenge, but she seems to be doing well, and best of all, the doctor said she can still travel here to spend the Holidays as she usually does.








I am now officially obsessed with Rattlesnakes! Frisky was bitten two weeks ago on the weekend. It must of just happened when we first saw him with his face and head swollen. When we checked on him later, he had a huge knot about the size of a golf ball, right between the eyes. and was no longer able to sit up. Thanks to the wonderful staff at Round Rock Emergency Animal Clinic, he not only survived, but is showing no ill effects. The staff was amazed at how quickly he recovered and began eating that night!

He was weak and tired for a few days, but I think that was more from the pain killers they gave him than the actual bite. I think once the venom was out of his system, he bounced back very quickly. We did not treat him with the anti venom, but with antibiotics and pain killers along with fluids to help flush the venom out. It is a terrible decision to make, but the with a price tag of $1500.00, not including the other medications and critical care he received, we felt it was all we could do.

Frisky is a feral cat we rescued as a kitten. I am convinced his strong will to live and tenacious spirit is what kept him alive. The vet said the fact that he was bitten on the nose, was in his favor, and if he had been bitten on a foot, he probably wouldn't have survived. My daughter researched on line as much as she could, and based her decision to not give the anti venom on reports, that it is not that effective in cats.

Needless to say, it has dampened my fervor to garden. I have literally left no stone unturned in the garden, and have found several snakes, but none were poisonous. Above is a Thailand Pepper that somehow grew in an Agave...try as I might to extract it, the sharp needles of the Agave have made it impossible.

This seems to be the only way I am able to view the Moonflower...I am too afraid to be out after dark now!

We have had some light frosts that have nipped the Morning Glories, but still blooms.

Not only do the sunny blooms of the Sunflower charm me, but the symmetry--the geometry of the seed heads amaze me.

Granddaughter Libby, first on left. First dance recital of the year. She has had to make the switch from gymnastics to dance after a back injury after nine years of gymnastic lessons.

Here we are, at the beginning of this jumbled mess of events--The San Antonio Botanical Garden tour I went on with the Austin Garden Bloggers.

I think this was my favorite display--the Children's Garden. They each made their scarecrows as individual as their garden plants.

The blossoms on this cactus looked just like little miniature pineapple.

I thought the cactus and desert gardens looked lovely in the midst of the Live Oaks.

The reflection of the Bald Cypress trees of east Texas in the water and the textures of the knobs of the Cypress tree roots at the water's edge was beautiful.

And here is the view of the Bald Cypress across the pond.

A lovely Dragonfly sculpture in the midst of the pond, which made me think of Becky.

I am in love with the Pink Muhly Grass. I bought four plants on this trip, which still haven't been planted yet.

This just looks like Texas to me.

A nice place to rest a minute before continuing on our tour.

I loved the playfulness of the sculpture both in subject and placements.

One of the dogs that greeted us at Madrones, a private nursery we visited, that opens by appointment only. I think the thing that struck me so strange, was our host at this nursery, commented on that he didn't feel the need to caution us on snakes as they were now all hibernating!
The very next day was when Frisky was bitten.

The Pomegranates were so beautiful--in shape and color.

There was so much more at the Botanical Gardens that I wanted to cover on a post, but so much has happened in a short amount of time, I feel I could never do justice to that wonderful trip. It was fun to get to meet some of the garden bloggers, and I hope

to have another opportunity to get to go on fun field trips with them again.