Galveston Palms

It's another "social media Sunday" and I'm catching up on all the exciting and mundane happenings at the Brewer household for the last few weeks. Flashing back to the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and the loss of the two rangy-looking pine trees on the south side of the driveway, we had planned on replacing those with a nice royal palm and a smaller, pigmy palm (as an accent) and also planting another set of the same type of trees on the north side of the drive.  Initial estimates for having this done ($1800 per royal palm!) caused us to reconsider and then so many other issues needed attention it got moved to the back burner and then to the back of our consciousness.

About two years ago, one of the two beautiful palms in the back yard (near the bulkhead) fell over dead and had to be removed.  We decided to live with it until a few months ago when the remaining palm in back suddenly - but possibly with the aid of construction workers replacing the balcony rails - started leaning heavily towards the bay.  We couldn't just leave it and the PCTH Association tends to be slower than Jerry at getting things done, so we reached out to Silvo, the landscaper, for a new plan.

He recommended planting a hardier version in front - it may be a Florida palm - and then replacing the back palm with something similar to a royal, but a variety that's less expensive and a bit more hardy in an environment where a high tide could leave it soaking in salt water for hours or days.  After telling him we weren't in a hurry, we were pleasantly surprised to drive up on a Saturday evening and see this:

Our newly planted palm, supported and still bound at the top, with Silvo and his helper hard at work devising a plan to unload and plant the other one out back.  One of his helpers had not shown up for work and so the two men rigged a way to move the 800 POUND tree off the trailer.

I cannot even begin to describe this process - and Jerry did try to help them for a while - but they had a system of using various tools combined with brute force to move the tree. 

I offered them water, Cokes and Dr Peppers and they rested and fueled up on a little cold caffeine and went at it again.  I told them they would be sore the next day and Silvo looked at me, smiled and said in his heavy accent "no, I work hard every day" ... and I believe he does!

Meanwhile, out back, this HUGE hole has been dug to accommodate the "root ball" of the big palm.

And indoors, the cats couldn't have cared less ...

They slowly, slowly rolled the huge tree around the end of the townhouses ...

They flattened the pile of dirt one side and rolled the thing sideways into the hole ... it landed with a thud, but it was finally in there!

Now Silvo and his assistant aren't engineers by a long-shot, but let me tell you they understand the use of leverage to accomplish a mission.  All the poles used to make a "dolly" to wheel the palm to the back were then converted to a system of levers to upright the tree and make it fit perfectly in the hole.

Fascinating to watch and we camped out on the second floor balcony.  A week or so earlier we had bought some new "all weather wood" furniture and a pretty new aloe vera plant to spruce the place up:

As we watched and enjoyed the sunset, an accident happened.  They were using several 4x4s to work the 800 pound tree into the hole and at one point, as Silvo had pulled down with all his might, the 4x4 snapped, popped up and hit him in the head.

I don't think he was thrilled that I saw it - captured it on video even - and when I saw that the beam had creased his nose just below the eyes I was really concerned.  He, of course, said he was fine.  I sent Jerry downstairs with a baggie of ice and a couple of cool, damp towels and after first saying he didn't need them he held that ice on his face for a few minutes before continuing with the tree.

Frankly, I would have needed an ambulance and Demerol if I had taken a hit like that and we wondered what he looked like the next day.  It couldn't have been pretty.

Hard work and determination prevailed and eventually the mighty palm was upright and sitting perfectly in it's new space.

Of course it looks better now that it's palms have been cut loose from the binding, but it was quite a process to observe.  I was so glad that these tropical systems in the Gulf lately didn't raise the tides over the bulkhead - we need to give this palm a while to settle in before it gets soaked in ocean water!

We had a beautiful sunset that evening, followed by a beautiful, calm morning:

And the kitty breakfast was delicious ...

The Miracle on Trianon Street

There has been a "miracle on Trianon Street", or I should say that a miracle is currently in progress.  After YEARS of spending good money after bad on "bat proofing" our house, not opening the doors at certain hours of the day and living in fear of when the next bat will come soaring through the house, Harry has finally taken steps to get them out of his house.

My bat rants are fairly well documented on the blog and they're certainly documented with the Board of the Homeowners Association and various homeowners who share my concerns.  Over the years, I've asked our "bat guy" to bring in specialists ranging from Entomologists to construction related companies to come up with a solution that Harry would accept.  It was not until the miracle began - apparently with a close encounter between a live bat and "Mrs. Harry", that he began to care that his house was host to 200+ bats.  Previously he just said "I'm not bothered by the bats."

So August 28th, I look out my window and see this parked in front of our house:

I'm encouraged, but not too hopeful because we've been down this road before. 

Next day the truck is back - of course, parked in front of my office window (but that's another story entirely) - and there are men putting ladders in our flower bed and climbing up.  Lots of hustle and bustle around Harry's house and then they were gone. 

Next day, they're back and when I went out for the mail they were working, so I asked them if they thought they could get the bats out.  The guy says yes, but you'll need to be very careful for two weeks, and probably four, because there are HUNDREDS of them and they'll be very confused until they find a new home.  I think this is "wildlife code" for if you have a crack the size of an M&M in any exterior surface, they're moving into YOUR house.  I was happy that Rusty (our bat man) had recently checked and resealed our exterior.

They sealed every single roof tile (supposedly) and then used that expanding foam under the eaves where the newest members of Harry's bat colony had moved in over the last year or two.  That would be the entrance and exit about a foot from our upstairs balcony.  Once sealed, they installed two "bat chutes" to allow them to leave at dusk. 

He said there would be some confusion when they head out because they'll all have to leave through two openings instead of just popping out of the roof tiles like normal ... but eventually they will all leave.

When they return the next morning at dawn, they won't be able to climb back up the slick, shiny metal bat chute and they won't be able to go back in between the roof tiles, so they'll eventually leave.  He was concerned that we may see a lot of bats hanging around during the day, until they give up and move on.  So I'm a little nervous about what 200+ homeless bats are going to do when they get back from their nightly flight to El Campo, but this is progress!

I did watch from the bedroom balcony for a while at dusk that evening, but they were slow to leave - probably due to them having to find one of the two exit holes - and I didn't see that many fly out.  I was worried that they wouldn't leave, but eventually they did.

Here's the other chute around the corner ...

The next morning, after working out, I took my camera outside to watch the action.  My equipment isn't powerful enough to capture clear video in low light conditions, but it's pretty entertaining.  Take a look at this video and enlarge it so it's full screen for better viewing the close ups.  It's kind of creepy to see them land on the roof tiles and skitter around trying to get in.  Almost makes you feel sorry for them.

Those of you receiving the email update may need to click on the link to the blog post to be able to watch the video ... I'm not sure those get sent with the email due to file size.

So far so good - haven't seen any during the day and none have clawed their way into our house.  I hope the little creatures have moved in with the Waugh Drive colony - it's nice over there and I think they will be very happy!

Go COOGS!

You can't tell by the temperature, but apparently fall is just around the corner.  It's football season!

With the new UofH stadium under construction, the Coogs are playing most of their games at Reliant.

Much confusion over seat selection - and parking - but we decided to take advantage of the Club Level option this year. For 2014, we'll be back in the heat!

Denny Update

Denny has been feeling better lately and his blood pressure has come down, although it's still "high-normal".  We got a better report on his 8/19 visit ... it's down another 5 points from 170 to 165.  Here he is grooming his back foot - he can't stand that goopy stuff they use for the Doppler BP readings messing up his fur.

 

 

My little monster playing.  Very good to see him looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed again - even if he does still have some not-so-great days.

 

Downtown Trail

As a change of pace from Memorial Park and especially the elliptical machine at the Houstonian, sometimes Jerry and I go downtown to take advantage of the new walking/running/biking path that runs along the bayou.

As we were finishing up our walk, crossing the last bridge and heading back to Sabine St., I looked back and thought this shot of downtown was beautiful.  We don't take the time to see how pretty Houston can be when we're caught up in the day-to-day stress of work and traffic!

Hotel Havana

As I've already mentioned, we met a Director of Jerry's bank for dinner and a show in San Antonio.  At their recommendation, we stayed at Hotel Havana - a 27 room hotel originally built in 1917 by a local grocer as a "residence hotel" for his buyers, when they were in town.  After our last experience at the Hilton Palacio del Rio this was a welcome change! 

Hotel Havana

Mismatched antique furniture, old chandeliers and beautiful hardwood floors and walls - just a fun experience compared to the normal chain hotel.  It's located on the north end of the Riverwalk, about a 10 minute walk from the madness of the tourist traps.

We had a nice dinner, followed by a testosterone-laced guitar fest by Eric Johnson in a local club, owned by a friend of Scott and his wife.  Eric Johnson is apparently a big deal among the guitar set and he CAN play, both blues and some serious rock guitar.  You know the saying, if it's too loud, you're too old ... well, apparently I'm too old!  Actually, it wasn't the volume of the music - it was the standing up (for hours) and the HEAT from the open patio doors.  Regardless, we had a good time.

Saturday morning we were up early for a long walk on the Riverwalk ...

Artist's Exhibit Under Freeway!

Lily Pond Along the Riverwalk

followed by breakfast at Ocho.  Let me tell you, if you are ever in San Antonio and happen to stay at the Hotel Havana, go immediately to Ocho and order the Havana Jo's Banana Bread for breakfast.  Toasted, warm banana nut bread topped with a blob of crunchy peanut butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey.  Yummy!

Jerry Checking In

Ocho

After our "official walk", we headed back over to the brewery area, where we had seen the show, so I could take a few photos of the Pearl Brewery.  My Dad's sister, Aunt Bunt, worked for Pearl her entire career and this logo was a fixture in our house, and our Beaumont grandparent's house, for as long as I can remember.

Cheers to Aunt Bunt!

Pearl Brewery Stables

Texas Transportation Company

We had another dinner on Saturday night at Paesano's on the river and after walking into the heart of the tourist area, we were even more happy to be staying at Hotel Havana.  It was very quiet, but I will admit to being awakened about 2am on Sunday morning to what we thought were gun shots ... ha!

Sunday morning we were up, out of the hotel and on I-10 headed home by 6:15am.  We needed to get back to check on Denny.  When we arrived, both he and Elvis were fine and happy to have us home to let them out on the back patio.

Confessions of a Bad Cat Mommy

For about a year now, Denny has struggled in his relationship with Elvis.  Admittedly, Elvis can be a royal pain, but the change was somewhat sudden - usually the sign of a health issue.  Because he is such a trooper, and his only obvious health challenge is allergic sneezing from time to time, I attributed this "crankiness" to other changes in our home.  Little's death had a serious impact on Elvis, they were the very best of friends.  Last July we lost Ike, which had a big impact on Denny since they were "patio buddies".

When I say they struggle, I'm talking about sibling rivalry ... crankiness ... two kids in the back seat of a car ... he's touching me ... he's looking at me ... he's following me ... he's repeating everything I say.  Of course, Denny's negative reaction DELIGHTS Elvis, who is always looking for a game of Greco roman wrestling!

Time has gone by and I've tried a variety of tactics:  redirect Elvis' attention - except sometimes he's not doing ANYTHING to Denny; I've shouted, I've swatted them with dish towels, I've spoken softly telling them to be sweet, I've put them both in kitty time-outs ... Denny more than Elvis in recent months.  I've even taken to offering them nightly treats, sitting inches apart, eating out of my hand, so that they associate being close with receiving a treat.

As I've worked on the sibling rivalry, I've noticed days where Denny was "off" - nothing drastic, just not himself and these were the times when he had less patience with Elvis and his antics of wanting to snuggle or wash Denny's head.  After two days of Denny being "really off pattern" - not going out on schedule & not being interested in certain things - I was getting worried.  Then one morning Jerry called me and said "something's wrong with Denny".  For Jerry to have noticed it, I felt I needed to haul him in to Dr. Rose - looking perfectly normal with NO OUTWARD SIGNS of illness.  Gotta love that!

So we go and they draw blood, they take urine, they poke and prod and Denny is his sweet, reserved self.  He doesn't so much as meow.  Dr. Rose is baffled.  She looks in his eyes and says she's looking for signs of broken blood vessels, which would indicate hypertension.  His eyes are dialated - which I attributed to white coat syndrome - but she said they were dialated too much.  Eyes are normal, but she wants to check his blood pressure anyway.

I don't know much about cat blood pressure - of course they have a systolic and diastolic reading like humans, but vets seem to only focus on the systolic numbers, or the high ones.  Normal BP for a cat ranges between 110 and 160 with ideal BP being about 125.  Denny's blood pressure was 210.  Not good.

REALLY not good.  He is at high risk for a detached retina (causing sudden blindness) because of the tremendous pressure in the blood vessels.  No wonder he has no patience with Elvis - he feels like his little head is fixing to explode!

My sweet Denny with a headache!

The timing of this kind of thing is never good and we had to leave town that afternoon to meet a Director of Jerry's bank in San Antonio.  I'm torn about what to do, but decide I need to go and trust that Denny will be OK.  We leave them home alone and I'm checking the cat cams every chance I get. 

The whole trip I'm feeling TERRIBLE about punishing him with "kitty time-outs" for being cranky with Elvis when he has obviously been very sick!  Not a good move on my part.

Denny did fine while we were gone and they were both OK when we got back on Sunday morning - although we did cut our trip short and leave SA about 6:15am on Sunday morning so we could get back and check on him.  Jerry was driving like a bat out of you-know-where to get home as quickly as we could - it was a record three hour trip!

On Monday, the tests came back normal on thyroid and kidney function - the two biggest causes of high BP in cats.  There was protein in the urine which is another indicator of kidney disease, but subsequent testing came back false.  At this point, Dr. Rose said she didn't want to drug him for high BP because you don't want it being lowered too much.  She wanted to check it again in 5 days - it was 170, which is better, but not in the safe range.  Game plan now is to check him again in another 3 weeks and see if it's still elevated and then come up with a game plan.

By this time, it was obvious he was suffering - not feeling well and not enjoying anything he normally enjoys, so I decided to break out the Bach's Rescue Remedy.  For a few days I was giving it to BOTH Denny and Elvis and now I'm just giving it to Denny.  He seems much improved - his ears aren't red and hot and he has been much more happy and "bouncy" - more like his normal self.  We will see what happens at the next appointment.

Obviously, there is something causing the high BP and we'll have to figure it out over time.  Dr. Rose feels that we are seeing these spikes in BP because he is in the beginning stage of kidney failure - something that's not normally revealed in blood work until about 2/3rds of function is already lost.  Of course, there's nothing to be done about his kidneys other than encourage him to drink water and keep him happy and eating.

So say a little prayer for my Denny - hopefully we can get his BP down to a safer level without putting him on the full BP meds - and hopefully his kidneys are going to keep cranking for many years to come.

Galveston, Oh Galveston

Between work, more work and a little travel, we haven't been to the beach for a weekend with the cats in a while. My birthday weekend was a great opportunity, so we headed south.  Took a long walk on the beach that Saturday and saw an amazing display of pelican fishing prowess!

The fish were running that day and the pelicans were fishing in pairs - it was wild.  I'll never understand how they can dive bomb and hit that water head first without breaking their long necks, but they are fishing machines when they get a chance.

We celebrated a beautiful sunrise Sunday morning on the balcony:

Also put down our new outdoor rugs, which were immediately christened with cat hair by the boys.

I love this photo of Denny yawning - he looks kind of crazy!

Sweet "D"