Turkey-Poop Poultice

This week, Max the Dog has been visiting, as his family has gone to frolic in the surf. Max and Jasper are old friends and get along well, as we walk around the neighborhood.

Jasper’s injured foot has been slowly healing, but the abscess he got on his neck from the infected scratch from the dog attack persists, and appears to itch. 

Yesterday, Jasper watched Max roll on the grass. Jasper then maneuvered a turkey out of its familiar spot next to the dentist’s office and took its place. Jasper then found a pile of turkey poop (and taking Max’s cue) proceeded to roll in it, paying particular attention to smear the poop on his lingering abscess, almost like a turkey-poop poultice. 

I guess it can’t be much worse than Ivermectin. 

Given that I can’t really wash Jasper when he has a splint on his leg, I used scissors to cut the poop out of Jasper’s hair. 

Today (July 16th), I notice the abscess is bit smaller than yesterday. I guess this turkey-poop poultice really works!

Don’t Forget, If You Find Yourself Wanting Something To Do In Sacramento, There’s Protesting!

@roetheone There’s so many things to do in the Sacramento area #fyp #sacramento #davis #elkgrove #rosevilleca ♬ original sound - Roe

At The Emergency Vet Again - July 12, 2026

Well here we are again, and since it’s Sunday again, we’re back at the emergency vet, for nearly identical reasons as last Sunday. I rolled Jasper in his stroller into the alley behind my house. He didn’t see a squirrel this time, but he heard a squirrel, and that’s good enough. I had a better handle on his leash than last time, so he stumbled out his stroller instead of leaping, but it was still enough to dislodge his splint. 

When I have Jasper I need to avoid the oak tree behind my house. Too troublesome. 

It’s nearly six weeks since the dog attack, and Jasper doesn’t seem to be in much discomfort or pain. The wait here is long. Hopefully we can do this today.

Helga Monson at 99

I was blown away by this article in the LA Times (apparently reprinted in the Sacramento Bee) regarding Helga Monson, who is still teaching ballet in Pasadena at age 99. 

Monson danced with the Marquis de Cuevas Ballet at the same time my first ballet instructor George Zoritch danced with them. Indeed, I found online a program showing they were both dancing on the same day for the company in 1951. 

Despite the fullness of modern life, the world of ballet isn't that large. The art form isn't that old. Ballet dancers tend to live long lives, making most instructor-student genealogies, extending right to the start of the art form, quite short.

“There’s a kind of joy in seeing students make progress, and I have somehow made friends with a lot of the students, two of which have just turned 80. They’ve studied with me for a long time,” Monson de Kansky said. “In and out of the studio, I think the students have been wonderful.” 

For Monson de Kansky, the dance studio is her second home. It’s all she grew up knowing, and these days, it’s where some of her deepest friendships and greatest joys are. And even at 99, she has no plans to retire, at least, she says, “Not as long as I can walk.”