In which there are unusual--but distinct--indications of spring

It's that time of year again...

Doctor Sarah Metcalf is back in town with her drills and sanders and stuff.

Fiddle has a very pretty "movie star" smile when Dr. Sarah is all done. Because we have the horses' teeth done every year, our cost is actually going down.

There aren't many equine appointments that do that anymore, but regular dentistry is proving to be a cost-saver for us, as we are able to clear off any points, hooks, and ramp in their teeth before there is any pain or injury.

The first time Dr. Sarah came out to treat the horses, she grabbed my arm and shoved it into the (speculumed) open mouth of a 14-year-old mare. "Feel the points," she said, guiding my fingers. "Feel the hooks. Feel the ulcers in her mouth. We can get rid of all that with yearly appointments."

She is right: each appointment this year took only 40 minutes, and although both mares needed to have some maintenance work to correct some points and hooks, there was nothing serious in either mouth, and no ulcers.

Fiddle is a cheap date. Despite her size, less than a full dose of sedative has her literally on her lips.

Hana needs to floss more. Don't all dentists say that?

The horse trailer is rigged out as a complete equine dental office, with special supports and power cords for all the equipment.

Now the horses have pretty smiles, and they are good to go for another year.

Inside the house, there is another sign of spring: the dogs are shedding. Erk.

This pile of fluff came off of one shetland sheepdog. I'm pretty sure that there's enough fur here to clothe another entire dog, but the dog who shed out all this stuff still seems very fluffy.

Puzzle takes fluff seriously. He's always grooming the dogs, especially Luna. When he saw the pile of fur on the floor, he set to work on it.



I had to open a can of tuna to get him away from the pile of fluff long enough to scoop it into a garbage bag. Are all kitties this obsessive? Or is this cat just special?

With the dentistry done and the dogs shedding, spring must be just around the corner. Right? I can hardly wait!