The Last Hat

This is the last hat from that particular yarn. This is the smaller size, and as you can see, I had enough left over to make pom poms for this hat and one other. I've now found another pattern, and have started a new hat.

Ok, about Scarlett....I've been posting over on Cornsnakes.com about her condition. This morning, I got this post from Kathy Love.

So sorry you are still having problems...
4 regurges are A LOT. I normally would be really guarded about the prognosis after that many, but the fact that she is still healthy, strong, and in good weight gives hope yet for a recovery. Also, the fact that she did very well until the feeding of 2 pinks is
a good sign too. Since you already have tried just pinkie heads without success, I would go to a few liquid feedings via syringe, along with Nutri Bac. I would use cooked egg yolk (no sense in adding more Salmonella than she already has!), meat baby food, or a cat food pate', or some mixture of those. Strain them through a tea strainer to make sure they will go through the tube, adding a little water to make it go through a little easier. If she is hatchling sized, I would give 1 cc of the mixture (with a pinch of NB mixed in). More if she is bigger. Sit down and put her tail between your knees, holding her upright in a vertical position, and keep her vertical for a minute or two after the feed so it doesn't come back up. Have a friend help if you need it. Repeat every 4 days or so. The liquid should be very easy to digest. If she can't digest even that, then she has some serious problems and the vet may need to do some cultures. If she digests it ok, then keep it up for at least 2 or 3 weeks (with a good pinch of NB each time) before trying another pinkie head. That should give her some strength and maybe get her digestive tract back in balance a little. If you can't find a feeding tube online, maybe the vet can help. If you are nervous about tube feeding, maybe the vet can demonstrate, if he feels it is a good idea. As long as you avoid the opening in the bottom of the mouth (where the snake breathes), and keep it vertical for a minute or two, it should be pretty safe. What you are doing isn't working, so unless the vet has a different treatment, you are likely to lose the snake if you continue on the same treatment plan. BTW, I have never found bloodreds to be particularly susceptible to regurges, although each family line may be different. Hope it helps - let us know what happens. Good luck!

__________________Kathy LoveCornutopia.comkathy@cornutopia.com

Now, if you're not involved in the cornsnake world, you may not have heard of Kathy Love. Let me clue you in...

Kathy Love is one of the top cornsnake breeders in the world. She and her husband have been breeding cornsnakes for some 30 something years, and are responsible for many of the new color morphs out there. For her to answer my questions is like Bill Gates calling you personally if your PC crashes. My first thought was, "Wow Kathy Love!!!" But I shouldn't think that way. She is not like that. She has answered many a call and e-mail about cornsnake problems--not from me, but from other members of the cornsnake keeper community. My second thought was, "FINALLY!!! Some practical advice!" I took it, too. I found some feeding tubes online and promptly ordered them. I paid the extra for priority mail--though shipping only totalled $5, and stopped by the store on the way home and bought some baby food chicken. I already have eggs in the fridge (I don't know why, I can't eat them), and the Nutribac she mentioned. If this doesn't help Scarlett, well, it's time to begin thinking about putting her down.

You can read the entire thread here. I don't think you have to register just to read, but I'm not sure.

Now, on to more entertaining news....

One day last week, James and I were texting each other on our cell phones. At one point, I tried to type in "YUP", but the autocomplete on my phone spelled out "ZUR". I thought it was funny, so I sent it on to him anyway. He thought it was funny, too, so he sent it on to some other people, including her. She didn't think it was so funny, because when she got to class, she told sensei that James was sending her vulgar things on the phone and harrassing her. Totally rediculous behavior...(Good thing we didn't send her "riddledats".)

Yesterday I sent James the following message:

"Zur! Zur! I'm harassing you! Zur! Zur!"

He responded with:

"Stop! Stop, or I'll tell sensei!"

To which I responded:

"Zur! Zur! I'm not gonna stop, and if you tell sensei I"ll cry!"

Such silly people we are...