Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Nova-ember!

Nova pneumonia

Happy Thanksgiving! I have lots to be grateful for, including Nova’s pneumonia recovery! It’s slow, but steady, and she’s strong girl with a sweet soul. It was great to get her back home again and out of the hospital! She has a long journey ahead for a full recovery, and I’ll admit, it was very stressful and scary for those of us who have fallen in love with Nova. Once she came back to my house, I watched her closely, wiped her nose, gave her medicines by hand wrapped in wet food which I would warm with hot water. Plus I would stay up late checking on her and bring her to go outside for potty breaks, I’d wake in the night to check on her, and I’d get up early in the morning to make sure she got her meds on schedule. Fortunately, her appetite is back, and she is sleeping well.

a monarch flutters in the sun

Fighting pneumonia wore her out, so she’s resting a lot, and her walks are brief like a little walk to watch the Monarch Butterflies in Prince Barranca and to walk on the cool soft grass in Ocean Ave Park. As we strolled up the gentle path from the park toward Thompson , she enjoyed smelling the plants which is a great sign that her nostrils are clearing!! She’s still on quarantine (for awhile!) and she is starting to wag her tail more and showing joy in her step as we walk. If you’ve ever been really sick like pneumonia you know that it will take awhile… and more doctors visits and meds and X-rays  to confirm when the pneumonia is completely gone. Two strong antiibiotics, Clavamox and Baytril, help, and she will have continued medical expenses for on-going vet care and x-rays for the next few weeks. Thank you for helping us to give Nova the urgent medical care she needs. If you can, please DONATE and SHARE NOVA’S fundraiser: https:gofund.me/a7f4db918

Montefalco, Umbria

I’m grateful also for the amazing wine travel experiences I had during a series of press trips in Italy and Austria to meet winemakers and taste their wines in Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, and Vienna during seven weeks from mid-May until early July. My vineyard visits included this one in Montefalco, Umbria where I found a bee seeking sustenance from a flower in the final moments of the day in Umbria, Italy at Cantina Antonelli during our final evening with members of Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco. I was delighted to learn on this trip that so many wineries like this one in the region are already organic or in conversion to organic production for wine, olive oil, and other artisan products. This was a very rewarding and eye opening few days here in Montefalco with gorgeous views and beautiful wines, people, and cuisine! 

I’m grateful to my friends and family and to readers like you too! Thank you all for your support!

sunset in Montefalco, Umbria at Cantina Antonelli