Well, I just got home after several days on the coast. Blair and John Samuel went on an anniversary trip to Boston and needed a dogsitter. I know I’ve told y’all that they have a rescue dog who carries some emotional baggage from her past, so she requires extra tender care. She also has pretty severe separation anxiety when her humans go away and I made the offer to come stay at their house to, at least, let Allie be in her familiar surroundings. I mean, the area where they live is not a bad place to have to spend a few days. 

Since I’d be gone for a while, I asked my mother if she’d like to come with me and we’d squeeze some shopping and seafood experiences in between our dog care. I thought it would be nice to enjoy a few quiet days away with her -watching movies, reading, and visiting. And, of course, Ruby had to go along to entertain Allie and help distract her from the fact that her humans were on hiatus. Ruby is nothing if not distracting. So, I loaded her in her kennel and my mother, who isn’t a dog person, and a whole bunch of luggage and dog food into my car and we headed out on Friday morning. 

Their flight was early that morning and we arrived around 11. Blair had left a delicious lunch ready for us in the crockpot. We unloaded the car and quickly settled into a routine. Mama would go walking early in the morning at her leisurely pace. I’d take the dogs walking three times a day at a very un-leisurely pace. We’d go out and get a good lunch and shop a little bit every day. We napped. Read. Snacked. Rocked on the porch. Cooked dinner. Watched movies. It was a lovely time. 

Well, Mama had been having some allergy symptoms since the night before we left home. We have terrible allergies in the fall- even worse than in the spring. So, she sneezed and her nose was runny and her voice was hoarse and she had a little cough. All the while, she was steadily taking her allergy meds. Until. The day before we were heading home, she got a call that she’d been exposed to Covid, the week before at a small party, so we had to get her tested. It was positive. She’d had a breakthrough case that she’d picked up from another breakthrough case at the gathering. 

There I was stuck with my Covid roommate and Allie with notable car anxiety- making loading her up and taking her home with us, for the duration of their trip, an impossibility. I might also mention here that this is about when it started thundering, another fear of Allie’s, so I administered the CBD anxiety chews her parents left me. At this point, I thought I might benefit from some pot myself. As a matter of fact, we all could have. 

After much back and forth and phone calls with Mama’s doctor and my brother, we settled on coming home, the next evening, as planned and get her an antibody infusion, the following day. She didn’t feel too bad and was still enjoying herself, so we stayed. She was worried about me, but, I mean, we’d been breathing the same air for 4 days, so I didn’t think one more day would make much difference as far as I was concerned. I had to complete my sitting mission for my emotionally fragile granddog, so I dosed Mama up with my vitamin D, C, and Zinc and headed out to walk them again.  

Well, you have to pick up the dog poop in Blair’s neighborhood, which is just disgusting even for this dog lover. And with 2 of them, they kept me busy. We don’t do that in our neighborhood. We operate on the “Watch Where You Step” system and it seems to work nicely. Anyway, Ruby did her afternoon business and I leaned over to scoop it up and that’s when I saw it. A worm in her poop. “This is just so great,” I thought. Allie is going to get worms from her country cousin and her parents will freak. Overprotective dog parents doesn’t even begin to cover what they are. 

So, I got back and texted Davis to have some dog wormer ready when we got home. Then I texted Blair. I felt it was close enough to the end of their trip that she could digest all the news without it ruining anything. I needed to give her a little heads up for when she drove up and her grandmother was locked up in the car and wouldn’t get out and her house was a fog of Lysol Spring Meadow. “First of all, your Grandma has Covid, but she’s feeling fine. Second thing, Ruby has worms and you’ll probably never want us to come near your house again with all of our nastiness.” I thought she took it all fairly well after some reassurance. 

Well, Mama was feeling ok and doing her little exercises and we continued having a good time. And as a refresher, she’s not a dog person and she is also very germ conscious, so I knew the worm thing would have to be my and Ruby’s little secret as I’m a firm believer in what you don’t know can’t hurt you. 

Fast forward to right before we leave. My mother Cloroxed (southern word for the act of applying bleach cleaner) every surface of Blair and John Samuel’s house. If she’d touched it, looked at it, or walked past it, she wiped it down. She sprayed Lysol in the air and went and got in the car about 10 minutes before they were to drive up. She said she was going to sit in the back seat and double mask so to not infect me, being closed up together in the car on the way home. I told her that ship had already sailed several days ago, but it made her feel better to do it. 

They finally arrived and I passed the care of Allie’s special needs back to her parents. Allie celebrated by howling for 5 straight minutes. I think it was her recap of how horrible the whole experience was for her. We put Ruby in her kennel in the back of the car with her grandmother. There, they sat together. The grandmother who didn’t know the dog had worms. The dog who didn’t know the grandmother had Covid. Each living in their own ignorant bliss as we drove off into the dark Alabama night. 

Ruby has since been wormed. Mama has since been infused. Both are doing well. I’m showing no symptoms but staying away from people for a bit. 

We’re all just doing the best we know to do right now. Going on the latest information we have. Trying to minimize risks and damages. We can do everything in our power to stop the spread and, sometimes, it’s still not enough. I’m just thankful that my mother isn’t too sick and grateful for a few days- just her and me. Even if it was a bit contaminated. 

Y’all stay safe out there! Happy Weekend! 

JONI