Blaesing Ramblings: Birthday Adventures

From this years birthday

After a run in with a feisty raccoon that left me getting a rabies shot on my birthday this year, I spent some time reflecting on birthdays past. I worked up a list of things that happened on or around my birthday the past 10 years. Here is a random list of things I don't wish for on my birthday:

A black eye (got hit by a bicycle coming off the garage ceiling while trying to protect my toddler below) (2011)
An MS diagnosis shortly before my 40th birthday (2013)
A pandemic birthday (we all had that last year 2020)
A divorce finalized a few weeks before (2019)
T-boned and totaled car on my birthday (2016)
Crazy raccoon mama mauling (2021)... nasty pictures at the bottom... you are warned.

Newt and I on the dock

As for the mauling for those of you who are curious, I was running on ISU campus on the SW side which is very urban. It was 7:30 in the morning. My friend, puppy and I were just meeting up with other parts of our running group, and out of the corner of my eye I saw an angry mass chasing me down. She ran past my friend and latched on to the back of my leg and wouldn't let go. I tried to spin around to fight her off and she quickly latched on to the front of my leg as I fell down. I had the dog leash in my left arm and had to punch her off my with my right. My left leg needed 19 stitches and my right hand and arm was bitten and scratched as well.

Flowers make me happy

I spent five hours in the ER while they patched me up and waited on the rabies antibodies and vaccine as well as antibiotics and bandages. It took a couple of days before I could sort of walk as my leg and hand were badly swollen. Rabies shots aren't as bad as they used to be. You take them in the arm like a regular vaccine and you get four over 21 days. They did the three rabies antibody shots in my leg and other arm. I received a follow up rabies shot on my birthday, one this past weekend and have one left next weekend.

My clean porch
finally after 2 years.

As for the mama raccoon, she had two football sized babies. Animal control said it looked like she had been in a fight with something so she was probably on alert and it was bad luck that I came through with my dog while she was still out of her tree. I don't blame her for protecting her littles. They set traps and cordoned off the area but after five days she didn't take the bait. She was still tending her babies when they collected things so likely doesn't have rabies and thankfully didn't need to be put down. Also glad as I had my MS infusion the Monday before this and am supposed to wait two months for vaccines afterwards so the rabies vaccines probably are not very effective.

Newt was so happy I
was okay when I got home

I got my stitches out nine days later, and while my ankle is still swollen and my leg still looks not great, I am happy to be on the mend. This time of year people especially with little ones or dogs need to be careful in the evenings and early mornings, because the wildlife mamas are protecting their babies. There was a possum incident with a neighbor cat this weekend so had a chat with the animal control officer who also worked the raccoon case. The city of ames requires animals (pets - dogs and cats) to be on a leash at all times in the city limits. Cats are incredibly destructive to the wildlife so please keep them indoors. We have to share our outdoor spaces with the furry natives.

Cy on the way to my
rabies shot. First visit in
a wheel chair, second via
car, today I walked there.

While this past two weeks was hard (no running or swimming, very little gardening, tough times walking, no dog walks, and stairs oh my) I've been through worse. I had this song by AJR "Way less sad" stuck in my head a couple days in the beginning. "Don't you love it, don't you love it? No, I ain't happy yet, But I'm way less sad." So while I am still healing I get a little better every day. I ran walked with my running friends today, and swam (just pull) yesterday so staring to get back into the swing of things). Now if Mother Nature would just cool things down a bit so I could go back outside that would be super!

I will close with a few things I am grateful from birthdays past and present:

Time spent with family and friends
Pre-derecho birthday storm while social distancing with friends (2020) we got wet but enjoyed each others company
Flowers, flowers, plants and more flowers (I love May)
An occasional gift, chocolate cake, flowers... a new to me old truck (2016)
Garden therapy, pulling weeds and planting more flowers

my neglected garden

~~The day long hum of chainsaws as a tree is being cut down outside~~ no not that...
Bike rides with friends and family
Dock time with friends and family

Really any time with the people I care about thanks to the wonders of Facebook, my birthday and a raccoon mauling many of you reached out personally this year to check in which I really appreciated. It lifted my spirits and made me feel pretty loved.

I am grateful to have you in my life.

Fun in the ER

May next year be less eventful but still yield a good story or two. Wish you all fresh air, time with family and friends, and beautiful flowers. Until next time thank you for reading.