I started to feel sick in mid afternoon, I had a high fever, I just had to lie down. I was shivering badly, and should not have gone outside to give the animals their hay – Maria was out teaching an art class at the Mansion.  My teeth started chattering.

That sent me over the top, and I don’t remember much but a very high fever that took the wind out of me and disrupted this day.

Tonight, I had acting class, which I had to cancel. Tomorrow, I am supposed to read to the Mansion residents, but it probably isn’t safe for me to do that, they don’t need to be around sick people. I had lunch with a friend tomorrow that I will have to cancel and I don’t know if I can make my radio show on Wednesday. I’ll let people know tomorrow.

I get these fierce and rapid intestinal illnesses from time to time, I suspect the medications I take have something to do with it. Maria made me a wonderful chicken soup, but I couldn’t eat it. Maybe later.

This is the first time Bud has seen me sick.

Red lies at my feet and doesn’t move for hours when I’m sick and Bud hopped into my lap and stayed with me all afternoon. I would say he sensed that I am sick. We all know that dogs do that, and I’ve seen Red do it in our therapy work again and again.

Bud is  a dog who protects his family. Every time I woke up – my head was spinning – he was sitting on my stomach staring at me.

Like Red, he is a faithful and attentive bedside companion. Maria shouted at me when I tried to get up and work, and I listened to her. That fever weakened me and she wasn’t taking any nonsense. I want to write a bit and then go off to bed and sleep for a couple of years.