It's October

How's that for a provocative title? Since this is just a short update post there didn't really need to be anything fancy in the title. The temperature last night dropped below 32f. There was frost. My zucchini and cucumbers didn't amount to much this year. First it was too cold and wet then it was too cool and dry.

The 12 ducklings are doing well. They're slightly bigger and eating everything they can. I'm sure mama would love to take them to the pond but there's another 3 weeks to go before I let that happen. They do fine with their little trashcan-lid pond.

Took Rocket to the vet today to be treated for tapeworm. Luna went last month. Plus he's got an ear infection in both ears. I don't know if the flea problem we have caused it or if it's just coincidence.

I had to bomb the house with 7 flea foggers last week. Plus I used 2 kinds of spray, the first did nothing but I think the stuff that had "nylar" in it which is an IGR (growth regulator, I can't remember what the "I" stands for.) Next day I re-bombed the bedroom and washed the sheets again because I was still getting bitten in my sleep. It's very annoying to be allergic to flea bites. Complaining to Hal who isn't affected so consequently isn't as sympathetic or as concerned as he could be is also annoying. I think setting up several flea traps using nightlights to attract them and dishes of water to drown them when they drop in helped show Hal that there was a BIG problem and I wasn't just bitching to hear myself bitch. The trap in the guest room where Luna sleeps held around 25 bodies the first night. I still have a few traps set up and the quantity is not anywhere near as great.

The prescription flea killing topicals I bought from the vet did not kill the fleas on the dogs. I had to use a comb and spend 3 hours one night to clean about 50 fleas off of poor Luna. I tried the same thing on rocket but he being a brown dog and the fleas being brown made it practically impossible. I gave Luna a bath and tomorrow I will give Rocket one assuming Hal can get my poor arthritic boy into the bathtub. He does weigh 95 pounds.

But at least I am finally getting things under control. I need to vacuum the carpets again tomorrow and next week fog/bomb the house once more to get any newly hatched fleas, then hopefully, I'll be mostly done with this insect insanity.

Maybe it will even snow next week.