Today Jasper
has to have dental surgery and we are trepidatious when she needs to be
anesthetized. This is her second dental surgery to remove decayed teeth, the
first time she had about twenty removed. As adult dogs have about 42 teeth, you
can imagine this was a lot of teeth to remove. This surgery will hopefully be
far less invasive. You are probably thinking to yourselves, what
terrible dog parents; don’t you care for her teeth? We did. Unfortunately,
Miniature Schnauzers are particularly prone to bad teeth, and this is a double
whammy because, at the direction of her breeder, Jasper eats soft dog food. There
is a big debate about the pros and cons of a soft food diet, but we choose to
honor our breeder’s advice. She has had good success breeding healthy
schnauzers. When we first got Jasper as a pup – she just turned ten this May -
her breeder gave us a regimen to follow in order to keep her teeth clean, and
we did what we were told. There was a spray, which we were instructed to spray
on her teeth after meals, and that evolved into a kelp derivative which we
added to her food. We were also instructed to brush her teeth, but this has
been problematic for a number of reasons. Have you had much success brushing
your dog’s teeth? It became increasingly difficult after half of them were
removed, and eventually I just smeared the enzymatic toothpaste (poultry
flavor) on her teeth with a finger brush. Hindsight is 20/20 and the vet had
recommended periodic teeth cleaning, requiring anesthesia, but we were
concerned about putting her under. Pet dental care never really impressed me as
a priority in the care of our pet, but in fact it is serious business. Jasper
developed an infection from decaying teeth which, if left unattended might have
killed her.
Last
Saturday night Shauna and I attended a local concert in Huntsville, something
we have not done as often as we would have liked of late. We saw our friend,
local singer-songwriter Sean Cotton, opening for Juno Award-winning Canadian
blues artist Suzie Vinnick. Also on the bill was Canadian guitar virtuoso
Wendell Ferguson, and if you ever have the opportunity to see this guy perform
in your town, you will not be disappointed. On top of having a deliciously
irreverent sense of humor, Wendell is an excellent guitarist and songwriter.
His song writing often involves parody and humor, which sometimes belies his remarkable
technical abilities as a guitarist. A big fan of Chet Atkins, Wendell is an
accomplished finger picker and his music is a delight to the ears. He
accompanied Suzie and the two of them went back and forth playing their
original songs. This is rapidly becoming my favorite kind of musical
performance, wherein two or more artists perform and discuss their work or the
songs they cover. While I am still a fan of pop music, more and more I eschew
big venues and “popular” artists in favor of smaller more intimate concerts.
After the show I had an opportunity to talk to these two very approachable
artists and get our cd’s signed. Every time I see a new and talented artist I
am reminded of how much under-recognized talent there is in the world, and I
try to avoid thinking about the unbalanced weight pop culture places on
mediocre talent. Over the past several years I have had many musicians tell me
how good Wendell is and it was pleasure to finally see him.
We have
been back up north for two weeks now, and I have been able to get back to
broadcasting “Lyrical Workers” from the Hunter’s Bay Radio studio. I implore
all twelve of my loyal readers to offer suggestions for songs they might like
to hear on the radio. So far, I have had some interesting suggestions, and
there have been a lot of “oh yeah, I forgot about that song” moments. Some of my friends have an encyclopedic
knowledge of music, and this only serves to improve my show. Many years ago, Gil,
my music-loving friend from Florida, gave me a one year subscription to CMJ
magazine, which is a publication focusing on new music. With every issue there
came a CD of new music from various artists. Some of the songs I did not care for,
but many were really great. Gil knew I wrote songs, and this was such a
thoughtful gift. Gil also introduced me to the novelty band Dread Zeppelin many
years ago. I’ve heard a lot of people personalize Led Zeppelin songs, but never
before in the reggae style. My friend Earle in Memphis introduced me to John
Prine a long time ago, and has been a reliable source of musical wisdom over
the years. While I generally focus on songs I feel are strong lyrically, and in
fact have begun to read lyrics on air that impress me, I will play anything that
I deem to be a strong song. That can include songs no one has heard before. I
am always willing to listen, once, and it is always exciting for me to hear a
song that moves me for the first time. There are several songs that fellow
songwriters have written that have never been heard by the general public, and
with their permission, I will do my best to air those songs. Lately I have been
listening to a lot of bluegrass, crooner and Broadway music. These are three
forms of music which I would have ignored thirty-five years ago, when I began
to writing songs. I hope that some of my 12 loyal readers will tune in to the
show for a listen if you find the time. Muskokaonline.com is the Hunter’s Bay Radio
website.
Written by Jamie
Oppenheimer c2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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