I've been having problems with swelling of my legs this past week. Maybe a little longer. I was really getting worried about it until......one day/night I didn't do any snacking at all and the next morning my legs were better. It was really obvious around my ankles. That gave me pause and I had to stop and think what I had done differently. Then it hit me. I ate no snacks and most of my snacks are salty. A couple are VERY salty. Potato chips, pistachio nuts, tortilla chips....you get the idea. I am really addicted to tortilla chips so I have been trying consciously to cut down on them AND the chili con queso or salsa that I usually eat with them. Today I ate potato chips and a handful of pistachios and...WHAM!....the legs swelled up in nothing flat. My body is telling me to cut out the salty snacks. *Sigh* Damn! What a predicament.
I have an appointment with my vascular doctor next week and I'm going to ask him about this problem. I don't think I should be having such a radical reaction but who knows? We shall see. I've been drinking a lot of water to try to flush the excess salt out of my system (WebMD says it will help) because I have shopping to do tomorrow. I'm bringing my cane with me because I can't be sure that the electric carts will be available with a lot of people doing last minute Christmas shopping like me.
I got a shock tonight when the Beast went to his church meeting. Baron barked at the back door while I was in the kitchen so I figured he wanted out. I threw the switches for the backyard lights, opened the inside door and stared straight into the eyes of a coyote on our back deck! I kid you not. Baron was in back of me and barked as I slammed the door and I heard the coyote run down the stairs. I wouldn't let Baron out after that and couldn't wait for the Beast to get home so I could tell him. After I stopped shaking like I had palsy, I checked online to see if Alabama DID have coyotes here and, sure enough, I wasn't wrong. I've only seen them live a few times, mostly when we lived out in California. This was my first experience seeing one here.
When the Beast got home and I told him I knew what it was that Baron was probably chasing around our yard the other night, he wasn't all that surprised. It seems he's seen coyotes here, and even close to the house, a few times. I told him thanks for mentioning it to ME! I know coyotes can jump because our house in Mira Mesa had a six foot fence around it and one got into our yard when our female doberman we owned was in heat. I almost let her out in the back yard but, luckily, I had put on the outside lights and the cheeky bastard was standing on the porch, tail wagging. I snapped off the lights, closed the window curtains and yelled at Belle like it was HER fault.....LOL.
But, for some reason, the Beast said he knows where it's probably getting into the yard and he's going to close off that access tomorrow. Maybe he's dug a hole under the side access door to the yard. I have no idea. I don't walk around the yard much at all, especially in winter. And I can't see that door since we put the cottage in the back yard. I do know that raccoons dug a hole under there once during the summer to get at our grapes. The Beast couldn't do much in the way of closing it off permanently because he needs that gate in order to get the riding mower out of the yard. But why it would be so persistent when our dog is male and we don't have anything but bird seed out back, I have no idea. Unless, of course, this is a FEMALE coyote. I hadn't considered that. Hmmm. Too bad, lady. He's neutered. LOL!
She will have to go further for romance than this house. But there aren't too many dogs closeby us so she will have to travel further afield. I just didn't think dogs came into heat (or coyotes) at this time of year but I could be wrong.
Well, time to get this posted. Mystery of the legs solved, I think. Now it's just going without any of my much loved salty snacks....sigh. I may have to give them up entirely and that is going to HURT! It's cold, of course, but the Beast has started to leave the heat on in the main part of the house now but just closes off the bathroom and the guest bedroom. They don't need the heat and he's not using the central heat. He's using the baseboards heaters instead and it keeps it just fine now.
It's only going to be in the 40's tomorrow but I will have my down coat and my leather gloves as well as my warm boots to wear. I have a fairly good idea of what I want to get the kids and that only involves hitting two, no three different stores. But one of them I only need one thing from and the store is not all that big. I just hope they still have one of what I want. It's something I think Chance will love. *Crossing fingers*
Love you all. Have a great Friday and an even better weekend. I hope your shopping is all done now and you are ready for Christmas. ***Hugs***
No comments:
Post a Comment