Batten down the hatches

Well it official the home repairs from that monster of a hail storm we recently had are completed.  Just in time for the high winds and 24 hour rain storm moving our way. Great! So I've started a check list to batten down the hatches.

For some reason I can never remember to take the umbrellas down from the outdoor dining tables at the tea room. I only think of them when I see them flying down the main street.  And then like a lunatic I'm running after them in the pouring rain!  So that's the first thing on my list.

Second is Daisy's medication -  you see, my dog has anxiety issues and the older she gets the worse it gets.  She is so bad that she tenses up and when a crack of thunder rumbles she jumps and shakes so hard she throws her back out.  Back issues aren't new to her; 4 years ago she had to have surgery for a ruptured disc.  This is another reason I'm not a mom to a human child I don't deal with this stuff well.

After the last storm episode that almost put Daisy in traction I took her to the vet.  "Have you tried the thunder shirt?" they asked.  Really have you seen Daisy's closet I thought we've tried everything.  So they prescribed her something for the inflammation, a muscle relaxer and Valium.  They instructed me to give her a dose in the morning and in the evening when a storm is coming through or when something like this non stop construction was going on.

So as a dutiful mother I gave her a pill in the morning and then in the evening.  Poor Daisy! She was walking (very slowly) to her water dish and in slow motion both of her hind legs slid right out from under her, as if she was on a sheet of ice.  There she was - her head in the bowl and little legs out to the side. What a site.  Wonderful now I've overdosed my dog!

One of my customers told me that their dog suffers from anxiety too but they use an herbal remedy that you either spray or put a few drops in their mouth and it calms them down right away.  Fast acting (I like that)

So I made the trek to the health food store and bought some.

I'm finishing my check list so I'm prepared for the worst but hoping for the best.  This is the one of those times that I hope the meteorologist is wrong.

All I know is - I don't want to have to go through any more construction due to storm damage; and I really - really hope this herbal remedy works for Daisy.  If not, she may have to share her Valium with me!