You don’t hate when your pooch is sick? Dogs can’t tell us what’s wrong and they try to pretend nothing is wrong. Bobo, our pit and German shepherd mix, was injured while behaving like a beast on the forest roads of Manton, where he was running alongside mountain biker Mr. Standish. Several of Bobo’s canine predecessors also hurt themselves there, leaping over downed trees, diving off cliffs, chasing lesser creatures and crashing into brush.

Bobo had been limping for about a week and recovering, when he suddenly got worse. His ears were hot and he was lethargic and not eating much, so we took him to Doc Lydon (the world’s top vet) at the Shingletown Animal Clinic.

Apparently Bobo ate another fish he found in our pasture. Yes, we occasionally have fish in the field, even though we don’t have a stream or pond on our land. They are dropped by birds on the way back from the South Fork of Battle Creek. With a pair of bald eagles nesting in front of us and a number of great blue herons and other buttery-fingered feathered fish eaters, we always have to check whatever grossly dead thing the dogs are chewing on. .

Salmon poisoning is a serious bacterial infection caused by parasitic flatworms of salmon, trout and salamanders. Tapeworms don’t normally harm dogs, but some worms are infected with a certain bacteria that I won’t even try to get around my spell checker. This bacteria can enter the dog’s bloodstream and infect various organs. Untreated, dogs usually die within two weeks.

Treatment includes antibiotics and probiotics. Bobo also gets a muscle relaxer, and you’ve probably experienced the joy of administering any type of medical care to a pet or livestock. Bobo is further humbled by rectal thermometer readings to monitor his fever – which has returned to normal. Phew. We were almost out of lube and the weekend arrived.

Of course, Bobo doesn’t understand that we’re trying to help him, and that’s the most heartbreaking part. His eyes ask, “Why are you doing this to me?” I’m not well and you’re hiding evil pills in treats? Anal probes? Really?” He misunderstands our intentions.

And speaking of misunderstandings, there has been a lot going on lately, especially in the area of ​​our water situation. People are in panic mode over a 29 cent per acre “tax” that is seen as a funding mechanism to create a countywide well registry, because the county forgot to keep track of the number of wells drilled and where. It is not a tax on your water consumption.

It may not even be a tax. I wasn’t sure what the difference was, so I consulted Casey Stengel’s ghost and he said, “You could look it up. I did and here is what I found. “The main purpose of a tax is to generate revenue. In contrast, a fee recovers the cost of providing a service from a recipient. The 29 cents will raise revenue to create a service to the beneficiary, so they recoup the cost upfront. Does that make it a tax rather than a charge? That’s up to the lawyers to discuss. One way or another, we will pay. A rose by any other name would smell just as good, right?

Do we call it a tax and vote it down to be rejected? Or do we all have to participate in the creation of this register? There are probably many water users who would prefer their wells not to be registered, as this could lead to metering and monitoring, God forbid.

Finally, we must accept the fact that water is a shared but limited resource. It is vital for everyday domestic life. It is vital for our agricultural businesses. The choices we make about equitable distribution have become of monumental importance as this resource moves from limited to scarce.

The Groundwater Sustainability Committee isn’t working on anything that can help drywell families this summer. They work on long term things as assigned. Who would have thought we would see such an unprecedented lack of precipitation? Only climatologists, apparently.

Fortunately, Governor Newsom signed an executive order on March 28 ending all new agricultural well licenses and modifications to existing agricultural wells. Yes, even here in Tehama County. It’s similar to the temporary moratorium the oversight board considered and tabled in October. Now, new production wells statewide will only be permitted with written verification from the Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which must also determine that the well will not damage existing wells or infrastructure. How are they going to do this?

Suddenly things are moving fast and the 29 cents per acre is taking up more space in people’s heads than it should. There will be public hearings on this, so keep watching the log, but it distracts you from more immediate issues. While we’re talking about 29 cents an acre, we’re not talking about how to help families whose wells are going dry this year.

Or what we’re going to do if we have yet another dry winter next year. Serious conversations need to take place about which crops can be grown in unlimited quantities. Cactus farm, anyone?

The governor’s executive order also suspends water transport bans, as long as that water is used for domestic purposes. This will help families with dry wells. It also expands illegal diversion and waste inspections and prohibits the watering of “non-functional” turf like decorative grass. This would not include residential lawns or grass used for recreational purposes, such as school grounds, sports fields and parks.

And if you walk your dog in a park or by the river, fergawdsakes won’t let him eat fish.

Liz Merry was half of Merry Standish Comedy for 30 years and is a former business owner from downtown Red Bluff. She now has a home business and is locked up and loaded in Manton. She can be reached at [email protected].