Summer!

Santa Monica Pier work in progress

12 x 16" oil on linen ☺2010 Katherine Kean

I count celebrating the Fourth of July as my final signal that summer is indeed here. I had made goals to have certain things complete for summer, so that I could relax and enjoy it and this included finishing essential repairs and upgrades on my house. This weekend was hectic. The painters seemed as intent as I to finish and did so late on Saturday. In fact they were still working on the details when I left for the evening. Finish they did and I spent much of Sunday moving things around to be ready in time to watch fireworks from the deck, although we did end up walking down the block for a better view - the trees are just too high these days to see over, which is fine with me!

By later that night, early on the fifth actually, it became apparent that everything had been just too much for Bear. Perhaps a combination of feeling like he was responsible for guarding the house from the painters all week, together with the fireworks - a big display and all the accompanying booming happening within 6 blocks of the house, all made him over anxious. When he wouldn't settle down, continuing to cry and bark periodically long after the fireworks were over, a late night trip to the emergency vet was necessary. There they checked him over and then gave him a sedative which calmed him down for the next twelve hours. He got the rest he needed - and so did I, and now he's back to his normal, sunny self.