High Altitude

Most people who know me know that I have a slight obsession with Mount Everest. I don't want to climb it- I just want to know everything about it. I have one whole book shelf dedicated to my books about Mount Everest. I've rented every movie about Mount Everest that they have on Netflix. I'd take a trip to base camp, but I don't like the idea of intestinal infections you're likely to get when you fly into Kathmandu and make the trek to base camp. Nor do I really like the idea of trekking. I should have named the ducks Mallory and Irvine. I know all about HAPE and HACE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and Cereberal Edema, respectively. You're only chance to survive is to descend as fast as possible.) I know the pros and cons of climbing the north and south faces and can tell you the identifying rock features of both. I could sound reasonably intelligent discussing the various companies that do trips to Mount Everest. A few years ago, I was having a sad day and was pushing my cart around Costco when I saw Outdoor Magazine with Mount Everest on the cover. My mood changed instantly and I grabbed it and ran to the check out line, only to have the checker tell me I couldn't buy it because they hadn't put the proper code or something. I was in a panic. I had to have that magazine right then. In 110 summer heat, I drove with my perishables to Barnes and Noble to grab the magazine. Even my sister now know about sherpas and can explain them to anyone who wants to know. I can't believe that when I was in London I missed out on going to the British Geographic Society where I could have seen Irvine's cane and other Mount Everest artifacts. Everest is my wallpaper on my computer not the pack of dogs.

So imagine my surprise when I walked out the door this afternoon and found that EDub is a climber. What the hell this duck is doing climbing in a bush? She then hopped out and went for a swim.

Operation Get Someone Else to Get the Mice had some technical issues this weekend. The "someone else" didn't arrive in a timely manner and so I still have mice. I've stopped putting food out, so when I walked outside this morning EDub ran towards me to eat. She also bit PDub, which makes me also think that she is also a girl and maybe she stopped eating the other food not because of the mice, but because EDub was being mean.

Within the next two weeks I should have ducklings or rotten eggs. It's an exciting time here at the Saratoga Animal Shelter.