Excuses, excuses.

Last year at this time, I was busy in the studio playing with my oil paints and I had a blast.  My days were exhausting and I came in from the studio just beat.  But, we've had a few distractions since my last show and I haven't yet delved into all the things I have planned for winter.  The number one issue has been our wonderful pup, JuneBug.  We thought she was suffering from severe arthritis.  But, after trying all kinds of things, we were finally sent to a specialist...an orthopedic vet in Albuquerque.  In fact, Dr. Schwarz was the same guy who fixed our last lab's elbow when she fell as a puppy.  So, after a visit from an old high school buddy, and then a week long visit from my folks,  we went back to our local vet to get the referral, waited a week for some blood work to come back, and then got to go see Dr. Schwarz.  Immediately, he knew what was wrong with Bug.  Yes, she had a bit of arthritis but she had also blown out both her achilles.  And, because we were so tardy in getting her correct diagnosis, it was too late to repair the damage.  Instead, the only thing to do was to fuse her hocks (ankles).  She got through the first 3 weeks after surgery beautifully and we hope that continues. We've moved everything we need to one floor, lay down carpets and rugs to cover all slippery surfaces,  and place her feet in plastic bags and "socks" each time we take her out.  She's doing better and she even spent a few minutes in the studio with me today.  I guess I miss having her in there sometimes.  We've got  at least 6-8 more weeks where her activity is extremely limited.   But we can do it!   So, while I haven't tackled any of my new idea tasks/projects, I am painting away.  And will try to sink back into blogging about art!    

Thanks for being patient with me!