September 2026 - Notes on Recovery
rain finishes blossoms hummingbirds swarm feeders drink up —JD, notes haiku #7
Opal
Last month after Opal turned one, she had spay surgery. She came through it great, although it’s always nerve-racking when your dog goes under anesthesia.
While Opal was healing, she wore a recovery suit which is a more comfortable restraint from licking the incision than a cone.
With Walker-girl, we used a t-shirt, but we were unsure if Opal would respect the idea.
The recovery suit, or as the vet tech called it, “the space suit,” was a tighter fit than a t-shirt. She accepted wearing the suit pretty easily. By the end of the day, she’d complain that she was itchy, so she got lots of skritches. Every three or four days, we removed the suit, put a cone over her head and gave her a good brushing. Like most dogs, Opal hates to be brushed and the cone was unexpectedly helpful.
She had some recovery issues while on medication. Lack of appetite and diarrhea. She has a gene mutation for MDR1—multidrug resistance. Even though the drugs she was given (during surgery and pain pills after) were not on the list of drugs she couldn’t have, she still experienced side effects. Fortunately, we’re on the other side of all that.
MDR1 is very common in herding dogs, like collies and Australian shepherds. Generally, breeders who are members of the Collie Club of America will do DNA testing on their litters. That’s how we knew Opal had MDR1. A dog can have one or two markers for the mutation. Opal has one, but we treat her as if she has two. Certain drugs, even something seemingly simple like Imodium, can be lethal.
The pain medication ended last weekend. Since then, the diarrhea’s resolving, and her appetite is back full force.
Two days ago, the recovery suit came off. Having restricted activities for two weeks, she really hated not being able to jump onto the couch. When she finally could, she looked so content to curl up and take a nap. She is a comfort queen!
She’s been so happy, she ran zoomies in the backyard and got a leg cramp last night.
In depth on MDR1:
New Mexico
During monsoon season, we’ve had very little rain and a lot of wind and lightning. August 4th, thirty miles north of Santa Fe, lightning struck in a dry forest. The fire spread to over 15,000 acres before reaching 61% containment as of this writing. When fires like this happen, the air in Santa Fe often turns acrid from the smoke. One day, all Opal wanted was to be outside or go for a walk and we couldn’t let her because the smoke was so bad. For folks closer to the fire, it was far worse.
That fire wasn’t even the largest wildfire we’ve had nearby. In 2022, in the same mountains as the Frijoles Fire, there was the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire, burning well over 300,000 acres. Many mountain residents are still recovering from that fire. Some rebuilding their homes. Some not. Some places survived the fire, but were wiped out by debris flooding when it rained. That year, all the mountains in view of Santa Fe seemed to be on fire. You might imagine the PTSD and fear some folks have been experiencing with this new fire.
One of the things that happens from wildfires is that the ground can become like glass. Water doesn’t penetrate. It just slides off, creating flooding problems. Heavy metals from fire retardants or other things caught in the fire, get into the drinking and irrigation water used not only by people, but by cattle and wildlife. The change to water affects life itself. These problems don’t go away just because the fire eventually goes out.
More black bears are appearing around Santa Fe as they search for food and water. This morning a flock of birds at our bird bath, drinking and bathing, looked filthy from soot. (This happened in 2022, as well.) I stared at one bird a long time before realizing she was a robin.
Thus far, the Frijoles Fire has greatly impacted wildlife and the forest itself. Only ten homes were evacuated from a nearby community. No structures have been reported as destroyed. Sadly, a fire crew member died from a “medical event.” He was from the San Carlos Apache Tribe. There are concerns that the Frijoles River will carry forest debris and retardants into Santa Cruz Lake, a source of agricultural water. The fire is not out yet, and recovery cannot begin.
Fire. Transforming our lands from what they have been into something else. Burn scars. Terrifying dangers, known and unknown. Sometimes renewal. Fire races and recovery drags.
Last night, south of the fire, Santa Fe hosted the 102nd Burning of Zozobra. Each year, our written notes of despair are stuffed into Zozobra, an effigy of gloom. Each year, an elaborate Zozobra is built from scratch in order to be set ablaze and destroyed. Dressed as a king this year, he was burned to the ground, our collective despair released, however momentarily.
Writing
“How do you write at all?” someone asked me when he found out I don’t smoke or drink alcohol. He spoke of needing to pace with a cigarette and drinking lots of coffee, beer, wine or whiskey while writing.
Sober since 1987, Stephen King wrote:
“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time.”—Stephen King, On Writing
In my experience, substances tamp down creative energy. That energy is very powerful when it runs through you. It can feel as if you can’t contain it. Rather than shutting off that energy, it’s okay to take a break. Go for a walk, work out at the gym, play with your dog, talk with your cat, or eat some protein.
How you write? You set yourself to it. Like building muscle, you do the reps, showing up as often as possible and putting fingers to the keyboard, voice to microphone, or pen to paper. You don’t wait for the Muse to come to you. You write clumsy and horribly, over and over. You learn your craft. There are so many opportunities to learn. From reading to workshops. When you’ve done a ton of reps, the Muse appears more easily because you’ve been showing up. She likes that. ahem
In my past, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, excessive caffeine didn’t make it impossible to write. But they made it impossible to write anything worth sharing or finishing. I’ve learned over time, too, if I want to sustain writing during the day or evening, to eat lightly. Too many carbs make me sleepy. But that’s me.
Sobriety doesn’t damage you. Nor does it miraculously remove your neuroses. You can still be an asshole as a sober person. You can be a bad writer or a good one. You still have to show up and do the reps.
My 41 years of sobriety have made me stronger, more clearheaded, and consistent as a person and a writer. It took time and a lot of work. I like living like that.
Stay kind, curious, and caring, friends. See you anon.—JD
Currently drinking: Shui Jin Gui via Rivers and Lakes Tea
Currently reading: The Amateur, by Chris Bohjalian
Currently using: Edison Huron inked with Platinum Mix Free “Olive Oil” recipe, Rhodia No. 18 notepad
Worth reading:
Dolly Parton for the People, New Yorker Substack, August 26, 2026
Gloria Steinem, Personification of the Women’s Movement, NY Times, September 3, 2026
Why Wendell Berry Didn’t Worry about the Future, The Atlantic, September 5, 2026
