When you run a complex business with very little staffing, a week where you lose three employees to various leaves — vacation, sick and maternity — will definitely set you back a pace or two.
But on top of it, Jack and I previously agreed to dogsit two of our granddogs for 10 days. I say previously because since the time back then when we agreed, we acquired a large, strong, untrained 2-year-old alpha dog who’s like a bull in a China shop.
In the middle of the week, the two granddogs arrived. So over a two-week period, we were down three people at various times, up two dogs and awaiting a call at anytime that our daughter (and operations manager) was in labor.
By the time the family returned to get their dogs, two of the people on leave were back. An hour after they returned, our daughter went into labor.
By the time they returned, my body was covered in bruises from being knocked down more than once just simply trying to open the back door to let in three overactive dogs, Riley the bull in the lead.
Yet we got through that two weeks and last Friday, a new baby granddaughter was born with a full head of beautiful black hair and a middle name honoring her great-grandmother and long-time Idyllwild resident Inie Wilson.
I took up residence over the weekend in a hotel near Desert Regional Medical Center. Various family members visited or stayed over. Two of my grandchildren, who rarely get the chance to swim, practiced in the pool everyday, acquiring more and more confidence in the water.
I played with grandchildren and relaxed, and those bruises are almost healed. It was a happy ending to those two frenzied weeks.
Becky Clark, Editor
