fate has an ironic way of giving and taking and giving again...
the shooting at victoga's that took the life of two women who worked there - two who i've known and talked to and shopped with for many years is such a horrific tragedy. the other injured man, still don't know if he is from victoga, but one news report indicates yes, is critical. he has my prayers and healing wishes for comfort from the pain and loss of today's tragedy.
i was supposed to be there today - within feet of victoga's - and had plans to go over and say hi and show them the "new" bracelet i found at a thrift shop and get it valued. now that seems so trivial... but i would have been in that store about the time of the shooting - or across the hall.
these people are special people - these are my "regular" people - the ones i've gone to for many years to find the special pieces that fit special people.
when the news broke that there was a shooting, my first thought was of the giftcenter/jewelrymart and said a quick prayer that everyone would be okay. that was not to be.
the reason i wasn't there was another twist of fate. sani is overdue for his shoes - couldn't get the coordination between my vet and farrier to check his feet and trim and change his shoes during his long healing from laminitis. i tried repeatedly to call my farrier but kept getting voice mail and then the voice mailbox was full - that is why i didn't go into the city today.
when i finally closed the computer and left for the barn, i called richard again and this time got through... more fate after the fold...
richard said he was just going to call me - he had been working today at an area where he couldn't get cell coverage and that he and my vet were coming tomorrow at 1pm. had i known that earlier, i would have been in s.f. - that was my plan - confirm the time and go into the "vault" to pick up supplies.
richard and my vet and sani kept me out of harm's way today... something that i could never have foreseen.
then, when i got to sani, i started our routine - feeding him his meds and nighttime "nunch" (night-lunch). when i was cleaning his paddock and raking it, his neighbor, jerry, began pacing back and forth on the fence line. at first, i thought he was just wanting to go out... but then he started pawing. strange behavior, even for him.
he kept on pawing and pacing and i looked over to see a very distressed horse - head lowered, eyes tight, tummy tucked up and muscles very tight.
he was colicking. colic (for non-horse owners) is basically a stomach ache that can kill a horse in a very short time. horses have 50' to 75' of small intestines and when that hurts, they want to lie down and roll - sometimes twisting the gut, which then atrophies quickly - and without surgery, results in a very painful death. it is an immediate vet situation.
after quickly confirming with two more boarders that this was indeed colic (knew it, but wanted to have more eyes confirm) - i tried to call the owner. no answer and HER voice mailbox was full. after calling all the numbers on her information sheet, i called her vet and told him what was going on. he was nearby and was there within 15 minutes.
fortunately for jerry, it was a "gas" colic - (think of screaming infant) - and after a shot of tranquilizer and banamine (muscle relaxant), jerry settled down and relaxed his gut so that the gas could pass. after another hour of watching, he was back to normal - no longer trying to lie down and thrash (the major danger of colic).
so, after the horrible news of the two women being shot, when i went to the barn late, i was at the right place at the right time for jerry - he made it. at the time of day when most are going or have already gone home, had no one seen his colic, the chances are high that he wouldn't have.
seeing him recover helped tonite - one life survived - even if that life has four feet.
i'm tired, probably won't be around much tonite - hoping to go to sleep. have to be at the barn for sani tomorrow at lunchtime for his foot prognosis. am hoping he will get the okay to do some very light work and will be on the way to recovery and normalcy again.
say prayers, please for the one in the hospital in critical condition - and hold in your thoughts the loved ones of two beautiful women gone so senselessly today...
thank you all for being... well, for being "you" - you are all a special family and i am so glad you're here! each and every one of you!
1:18 AM PT: the news tonite has identified the man who is in critical condition as the owner of the store. he is a wonderful man with a big heart - a father and a GOOD man...
please hold him in your prayers and energy for healing and comfort to his family tonite and for the families of two women who were killed.
this is such a tragedy - so senseless - so wrong...