Cathartic Post

This posting frankly, is just being written because I need to get some feelings out. 

I think this is the first time in my life I will be truly glad when the month of September is over. 

Usually for me September which heralds the beginning of fall is my favorite month but for the obvious reasons this month has been marked by sadness and grieving and depression and all the associated terrible emotions that come to anyone who has lost someone they loved and cared about for almost 20 years.

To make matters even worse, one of our beloved poodles, Sophie passed away this week. She had been battling failing kidneys for months, but the truth is I think that without Lori she just did not have the constitution or the will to battle any more. 

I think she wanted to be with Lori and since I do truly believe all animals "do" without a doubt go to heaven, then that is actually exactly what Sophie wanted. 

I am trying to focus on more positive things. I think I am going to sell this house in Texas and get another house for me and the dogs to inhabit. Too many tough and sad memories here. 

I do want to use this blog again to thank the literally hundreds of you who have written offering condolences. Lori's impact and unique personality truly and obviously affected many people everywhere. Thank you all so much for caring.

I will only miss one thing about this place. My gecko's. They are very active in the little courtyard in the front of the house. That courtyard and the whole yard is inhabited by so many geckos it looks like a mini "Jurassic Park".

One particular gecko and I have gotten so familiar he does not even scamper away when I approach. I have named him T-Rex.

I guess I also will miss the hummingbirds that frequently fed from the flowering plants around the house, but in any case I think we all need new surroundings.

I am excited that we are approaching the first partial harvest from the commercial ponds here in Texas. 

Nick threw a cast net the other day and the shrimp are pretty much large enough to harvest, especially since we are still starting off at low density stocking as we continue to gather the essential hard data required to start to bring up our stocking densities to the higher levels we know we will obtain. 

I have posted a short video at the end taken on a iPhone of Nick doing a sampling to gauge weights. I do not know if you can access it. I am as technically challenged by computers as ever, but I am going to try and post it at the end of this blog anyway.

October is going to be a very busy month for me travel wise and business wise. That is a good thing. Right now being inactive or having too much time in my own head is not helpful.

I intend to had back to Maryland for a bit in October and that truly is one of the most beautiful times of the year to be in Maryland. The leaves on the trees turn into magnificent varieties of colors.

The air starts to chill and the world seems to begin to get cleaner, at least for me. 

October also has Halloween which is one of my favorite holidays. 

It will all be very hard without Lori. But I feel very strongly she is still with us.