Things Are Starting to Grow
Content Notes
• Chronic illness and disability
• Service dog care and routines
• Seasonal transitions
• Gardening and outdoor activity
• Pest safety and grooming
• Gentle discussion of mobility limits and energy pacing
• Grief and remembrance
Welcome to The Crippled Cryptid.
If you’re new here, hi. I’m Sky.
Professional cryptid.
Unwilling amateur cyborg.
Medically complex enough to make my chart a jump scare. I cope with sarcasm, snacks, and an unreasonable amount of coffee.
Most days are lived in a haunted meat suit with a questionable warranty and a long-standing feud with my nervous system. Spring does not fix that. But it softens the edges.
I still spend time in Bed Jail™, but I’m never alone thanks to Luna, my medical alert service dog.
Guardian.
Enforcer.
OSHA violation prevention officer.
Year-round.
There’s also M&M.
My Player 2.
My soft place to land.
She makes soup.
She gives headpats.
She watches shows with me.
She keeps me tethered to the world when my body tries to float away.
This space is for:
• Chronic illness without inspiration porn
• Disability without apologies
• Love without pretending it’s always neat or easy
(But it always comes with a little dog hair.)
If you’ve been here before, welcome back.
If you’re new, you’ll find your footing.
Welcome to the Lunatic Café.
On Today’s Menu: Our Spring Routine
Spring is not a reset button.
It’s a negotiation.
The weather loosens its grip. The house breathes easier. The heat finally turns off. The dog door becomes an option again. Suddenly, the world asks a little more of us.
Spring changes our routine, but it doesn’t replace it. Luna is still a service dog. My body is still unpredictable. We just have more daylight to work with.
Morning: Snuggles, Always First
Mornings still begin the same way.
We wake up.
Luna realizes we’re conscious.
She climbs onto my chest like gravity is optional.
She licks my face.
She presses her weight into me.
She soaks in connection before the day can take it away.
Some routines don’t change with the seasons.
They’re the spine everything else builds around.
And that is 100% okay because this is one of those routines that sets the tone for my whole day in the best kind of way. Without it, I would surely start off the day in a bad mood.
Potty, Play, and the Garden Path
Spring mornings often include a walk down to the garden, weather permitting.
This gives Luna:
• A chance to potty
• A chance to move her body
• A chance to shake loose some of that Australian Cattle Dog energy
If we make it down there, we throw the ball for a bit. Nothing intense. Just enough to let her sprint, stretch, and feel the sun on her back.
Funny how I say that as though Luna wouldn’t chase the ball for 365 days, morning, noon, and night nonstop if I let her. Balls are her weak spot. If you have a ball, then you have her attention- unless she knows I need it. Then, and only then, she turns into a playful puppy.
Then we head inside.
Breakfast for Luna.
Coffee for me.
Non-negotiable. Coffee keeps me pleasant, which is necessary for survival.
This is also the time of day when we give Luna her supplements if she needs them: skin and coat, healthy digestion, hip and joint care. Preventative care matters year-round.
Open Doors, Sun Patrols, and Outdoor Freedom
As the weather warms, the dog door opens more often.
Maybe not as often as I’d like- or as often as Luna would like- but that’s because some parts of spring are “mud season” here in Illinois. Everything melts. Everything gets messy. And that means muddy pawprints everywhere if you’re not careful.
And no one wants muddy dog paws on the furniture.
We mitigate that by working with the weather. Not against it.
Which means Luna gets to:
• Take herself out to potty
• Patrol the yard like it’s her personal kingdom
• Lay in the sun and recharge
She especially loves laying out on the deck in the sunshine, watching the birds on the bird feeder, and doing what we like to call baking like a baked potato.
She still goes out with us throughout the day, especially when we’re outside. Sun naps are sacred territory.
Outdoor play gets more interesting:
• ChuckIt Kick Fetch balls
• Tug games
• Garden perimeter patrol
• Short training sessions for mental stimulation
Movement is paced, safe, and mindful- but more freedom is always welcome after months of winter confinement.
Garden Season, Carefully
Spring is garden season.
Depending on timing, we’re either:
• Pulling weeds
• Clearing last year’s debris
• Tilling soil
• Maintaining newly planted beds or watering new plants
Luna stays close while we work. Watching. Supervising. Occasionally judging.
2025 was not kind to our garden. So, 2026 is about being smarter, not harder. Planning better. Using the right tools. Not punishing our bodies for the sake of productivity.
We’ll likely have a garden wishlist for tools and supplies. Optional, never expected. Community support is a gift and never seen as a requirement here. We also hope to return to donating to local food pantries if another abundance comes like 2024.
If you want to know what’s happening in the garden, check out the Garden of Whimsy tab.
Some things will be welcome back in 2026; others belong in 2025, never to be spoken of again.
Bear’s Spring
This spring is different.
It’s the first one without Bear.
He should be here.
Supervising badly.
Judging silently.
Pretending he wasn’t tired while actively being tired.
Instead, this spring comes with tending the place where he rests.
We’re going to decorate it.
Plant flowers.
Care for the space the same way we cared for him.
Slowly. Gently. With intention.
There’s something sacred about that kind of tending.
It isn’t moving on.
It’s staying connected in a different way.
Luna knows that space too.
She’s careful there. Quieter.
Like she understands that some parts of the yard aren’t for playing, but for remembering.
Spring isn’t just about what grows.
Sometimes it’s about what we continue to love.
Yard Work, Cryptid Edition
Spring also means yard work. Not just the backyard, but the front too.
We’ve got plans.
Redoing flower beds.
Finishing off old tree stumps from winter storms.
Putting up a new mailbox.
Making things pretty again.
What that does not mean is that I’m suddenly doing physical labor I shouldn’t be doing.
The Yard Yeti has his own version of “yard work.”
By that I mean he gets a list of things that I want him to do, and I’m stuck supervising from a safe distance.
Making executive decisions.
Pointing.
Resting.
Hydrating aggressively.
Disability doesn’t disappear when the sun comes out.
Nice weather doesn’t equal unlimited capacity.
So, we plan.
We pace.
We delegate.
We stop before it costs us days or weeks of recovery.
The work still gets done.
Just not at the expense of the body that has to live here afterward.
Pest Protection
Spring means bugs: fleas, ticks, and other critters wake up. Luna’s safety is always a top priority:
• Vet-approved monthly flea/tick preventatives
• Post-walk checks for ticks on paws, belly, ears
• Extra vigilance when patrolling garden or wooded areas
• Shade and water available during sunny, warm days
Being outside more doesn’t mean being risk-free.
Vigilance continues year-round.
Grooming & Coat Care
Even with more outdoor time, grooming remains indoor-only:
• Baths with oatmeal-and-honey doggie shampoo for healthy skin and coat
• Brushing to remove dead winter fur and prevent matting
• Nail trims, tolerated begrudgingly, to protect paws, furniture, and blankets
Wardrobe changes with the season:
• Heavy winter sweaters are replaced with lighter sweaters or t-shirts
• Bandanas may be added for comfort or style
• Outerwear still serves a purpose if early spring is damp or windy
Indoor Enrichment Still Counts
One thing that doesn’t change just because the weather improves is indoor enrichment.
Luna still has:
• Food puzzles
• Indoor training
• Structured play
• Mental work that tires her brain, not just her body
Nice weather doesn’t replace enrichment.
It complements it.
Some days the body can handle outside time.
Some days it can’t.
And both days still count.
A service dog doesn’t need to be run into the ground to be fulfilled.
Balance matters.
Rest matters.
Mental stimulation matters.
Spring does not erase the routines that kept us safe in winter.
It just gives us more options.
Evening: Dinner, Stability, and Comfort
Luna’s last potty before dinner is around 5pm.
Dinner stays consistent:
• Lamb-based kibble with hip and joint support
• Dog soup, vet-approved and balanced
• Warmed if the day is still cool
Routine is stability. Stability matters more than novelty.
Her final potty happens later in the evening. And just like winter, if she needs to go at any point, we go. No exceptions. No “tough it out.”
Care doesn’t take seasons off.
Closing the Café
This is spring here.
Not a transformation.
Not a glow-up.
Just a gentle widening of the world.
Same dog.
Same love.
Same careful choreography between body, environment, and need.
Other seasons tell different stories.
This one smells like soil and sunlight.
If something here hit close to home, you’re not alone.
If you stayed anyway, thank you.
You don’t have to earn your place here.
-Sky
© The Crippled Cryptid
Disability. Honesty. A little chaos.
(Maybe a little pollen.)
🔗 https://linktr.ee/skylanarissa
No pressure to donate. Reading and sharing count.
💜 Luna’s Wishlist: enrichment, paw care, and comfort items
💜 https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-skys-journey-to-health-and-mobility
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