Green Grass and Hot Spots

Usually we get started mowing around the first week in April in west central Ohio, this year it's getting started a little later. Rain and cold weather throughout March and now into early April has slowed things, in fact I can't recall seeing a farmer tilling the soil so far, and usually the corn planting and other activities have started. With the future forecasts the way they are at this point, things are gonna be a little late.

Yesterday's games, mine at Hicksville, and Sam's at Sherwood Fairview, were both washed out....mine early before I left, Sam's took awhile longer, to his advantage. Hicksville and Sherwood are only about 10 miles apart, the former being farther to the west and close to the Indiana state line. So the AD(Athletic Director) called me about 2pm cancelling that game. Sam called Fairview High School, and they said they would be a go.....Sam arrives at 4 O'Clock, and it promply starts to pour, so his game gets rained out....difference being, if you get there and they cancel you get paid, if they call in advance to cancel, you don't....ADVANTAGE SAM!

Anyway back to the grass....my back yard has finally "greened" up and is about ready to mow....of course this is where Reagan helps fertilize it all winter, and the grass comes in uneven, but quicker....the rest of the yard is a couple more days of rain, some snow, and a day or two of sunshine away....middle of next week is my guess.

Speaking of Reagan, she being the Airedale, who turns the ripe old age of 10 in July, she was slow getting around yesterday morning, I was concerned, and checked her out....the dog has a variety of skin aliments, and her alergeies kicked in and and a nice collection of "Hot Spots"(those nasty open skin problems dog's sometimes get) had appeared, and she was feeling worse for it.

So out to the Vet's this morning, and nice shave of backside parts, a shot of a cortisone steroid, and a bottle of pills, and the check book $70+ lighter and she's on the road to recovery. We have raised or had Airedales for over 3 1/2 decades and I am beginning to believe the medical bills have two fold outpaced the kids....maybe I should have looked into Canine Medical Insurance years ago?

OK, so it's getting up to 73 today, with storms this afternoon, my game at St. Marys, a Western Buckeye League affair with Elida, is in doubt because of the overnight rain, and the approaching storms, so in the meantime, out to the garage to begin my spring sweeping and cleaning of that mess...

more later>>>>>>>>>

Photos-The grass is always greener in the back yard, boy does this need a makeover in the next few weeks. And Reagan's "Hot Spots"...hurts just to look at them, but she is on the mend.