Busy Times

Now where shall I start? Honey first I think. She has had her stitches out and all is looking good, BUT she is still reluctant to put much weight on the leg. I think the problem is the splint and bandages which are keeping her foot vertical so she is walking 'en pointe' or toe tips like a ballerina. A bit painful to do it that way! The bandages should be off soon and she will be able to walk on her pads again and be more comfortable. I have had to battle with her about going upstairs. It is obviously awkward for her to go up, and more painful and awkward coming down. Yesterday she actually fell down the last couple of stairs as she lost her balance on 3 legs :-(

I have put the box back to stop her going upstairs during the day just to kip on my bed. Last night I slept on the sofa again so she would sleep downstairs and not try the stairs. She is one stubborn dog and prefers to be near me even if it's painful getting there. I do hope the op is successful this time.

I went to the diabetic clinic with Linda Wednesday. It's a special session for newly diagnosed diabetics and gave us some really useful information. There are two more sessions to go, 2 hours a time. They weighed me in and according to their scales I've lost about 2 kilos/5lbs since I started managing my food better. I've also not shrunk as much as I thought I had, measuring bang on 5ft 4 ( I used to be 0.75 inches taller). I think I should become a bat and sleep hanging upside down to stretch out my spine at night ;-)  I can tell I've lost a bit of weight because the roll below my boobs has shrunk and I can see my belly below now :-( Hopefully I will soon see past that!



Bongo



I am trying to resist scratching. I went out for the day yesterday with my son to Longleat, where I collected a couple of very small but VERY itchy insect bites.

We did not 'do' the stately home, much as I'd love to see the things the eccentric Lord Bath has done to it. We did the 'safari' first with a leisurely drive through the huge paddocks. The animals are mostly blase about cars and stroll around ignoring them.

We had a very close encounter with a large long horned African Bongo (I think it was). He decided to cross the road right in front of us.

He did not move too quickly either.



white rhino



We saw a load of African antelopes and cattle, giraffes, zebra and rhinos. The rhinos were impressive, and luckily for us they were happily grazing.

We drove on and by-passed the monkey enclosure. We could see cars driving through it covered in monkeys, all fiddling with aerials and loving roof racks to hold on to LOL. I value my car too much to risk it.



Tigers



We saw the tigers at play - the dull weather was not condusive to much activity, and they were very lethargic.

We moved on to the lions and they were brilliant. One pride were just sitting around on a mound, but the next enclosure's pride were out in the long grass, perfectly camouflaged, with some cubs frolicking and the male just lying right on the edge of the grass by the road.



Lion



Lion cub



The cars were driving past him only a foot or 2 away from his bum. I did note he'd tucked his tail round the side so it didn't get run over! I did briefly wonder if he was stuffed and placed for the tourists to photograph but his head did move now and then so I think he was real. The cubs were lovely! about half adult size and playful.

The wolves were all lying down in longish grass and barely visible but looked happy. After the safari, we headed to the cafe for some lunch. I had jacket potato with beans and cheese and salad, and a nice coffee. Lovely! After lunch we headed to the Animal Kingdom and smaller animals you can see up close. I spent nearly half an hour in with my favourites, the meerkats.

Our path, which had low open fencing to keep us in, wound its way through the centre of the meerkats den area and the meerkats ran around, through the fencing and across the path, stopping to inspect and sniff bare toes. The secret was to keep moving or you might get a nip! They are such delightful creatures.

There were many other animals, such as porcupine, anteaters, mara and otters - always a delight to see playing.

If anyone is thinking of going, don't bother with the train ride! It is popular with families but everyone who came off it was moaning it was boring.

The last thing we did was go and see the birds of prey flying display. Superb!! Don't miss it! You'll leave loving vultures!

Ah I nearly forgot the deer - herds of fallow and red deer out in the paddocks on safari, and a herd of fallow deer, near the bird of prey display, you can feed.



The deer were so soft and gentle and well used to being fed by visitors, with feed on sale by enclosure.

All in all it was a lovely day out, and I managed all the walking ok, but had had enough by home time. My knees were aching like mad today :-(

It was nice having time with my son too.

Thanks for the company, James xx

I hope you all have a great week ahead. Take care xx

Not So Sweet

Update on Honey first. She saw our vet Tuesday and has had the dressing changed. There is still considerable bruising but it's looking clean and dry and no sign of infection. They re-dressed it with her fully conscious and unsedated and she was as good as gold having it done. The model patient! They also managed to clip her claws which have grown at a rate of knots as she has not been getting the amount of exercise she got previously. To restrict her movement around the house, I had used a huge TV packaging box as a stair gate. My stairs are wide and the gap is too big for a standard baby gate. The box sat on the bottom step and filled the gap perfectly. I just swung it out far enough to get through the gap at one end, like a hinged gate. Honey watched me doing this a few times and was not happy when I went upsatirs to bed at night, leaving her to sleep downstairs. She finally worked out that a bit of a nose at one end of the box moved it enough for her to slink past it and up the stairs. She joined me in the middle of the night! She also managed to make it down again in the morning but VERY slowly. I am not too happy about letting her up but at least this way we both get a decent night's sleep. She was waking and getting distressed several times in the night, waking me up with her whining/crying so I went to see her to make sure she was ok. Now it's bed time together and peace all night (apart from my snoring! :-D)

I have been undergoing tests to sort out my old decrepit body. My BP is ok and does not need medication. My cholesterol is too high for my doc's happiness so I am now starting on statins. I have had 3 tests for diabetes which have come back positive finally. It's caught early but because of my weight and age doc has put me on Metformin and a controlled diet. *sigh* so I am off down the Diabetic clinic next Wednesday with my friend Linda, who has also just been diagnosed glucose intolerant. She is a few years younger than me and not nearly so overweight so at the moment she is on diet only control. So we will support each other with diabetic stuff and get to Weightwatchers or Slimming World together. Good job we have a laugh together!



Before the rain - coming up behind us



It's only 3 weeks to Fairport's Cropredy Convention and I am getting excited about it. It does mean camping but it's a fun few days and very relaxing.

They have a great line up for this year, including UB40, Horslips, Seasick Steve and many many more.

Most years it's around 25,000 people in one field in Oxforshire a few miles from Banbury. Three nights of amazing bands and music. The only down side is it's all in the open air and subject to the vaguaries of an English summer.



One of the warm sunny spells



 There's somewhere in the region of 30+ food stalls all round the field and I love the variety on offer. Best eaten at the stalls though as the food chills off quickly trying to get it back to your seat which is.....somewhere

Oh the joys of festivals!

Back to square one - almost

Well here we go again. Honey has had her op. They've inserted more bone grafts in the wrist and a small plate and pins (Plate £270, 4 pins @ £67 each) and they've splinted up her leg so it's all in a straight line and she's walking on tip toe on that leg. It's nowhere near as bulky as the external frame was so she is moving ok. There was a terrible amount of bruising from the op all round her shoulder and her leg was obviously sore for the first few days. She seems much perkier now and even asked to go walkies tonight!!
However she is not allowed anywhere for a month and must remain on the lead when she goes out to pee and poo in the garden. The BIG issue has been her tablets. In the past I popped the pills inside a slit in a chunk of sausage and she just swallowed them down. Now she is wise to tablets and won't take a treat without biting into it and spitting out any pill she finds *sigh* I tried grinding up the tablets in her food and she would not touch it, preferring to go hungry.The 'pop the pill down the throat' technique is very tricky with a dog who knows what's coming and wriggles her tongue around so much it's almost impossible to get it in her throat without choking her. She holds it as long as it takes then spits it out when you release her mouth. I found strips of bacon wrapped round the pills like a tiny parcel worked for a day or so, but last night she realised what I was doing and mouthed the bacon until the pill dropped on the floor. That dog is too smart!
The bruising is fading now thank goodness and she seems much brighter. She has to go see my own vet this week to have the dressing changed on her leg and it all looks fine at the moment. I wonder what colour bandage they will use? She has fluorescent pink at the moment!
I have blocked off the stairs so she can't go up for a while. It's not the going up that's a problem. I am sure she could do it. It's the coming down that's the problem, putting a lot of strain on her leg as she can't make it on three legs and it's too early to risk it. I want this op to be 100% successful!

Not Jen's but similar

Why do bad things come in bunches? Jen's car is terminally sick.
It does go but not well and is basically falling apart. The list of parts needed comes to around £2500 plus labour and VAT. It is time to send it to the scrap heap or sell it on E-Bay or in Gumtree. I am lending Jen money to get herself a car - small and economical to run but big enough to meet her needs - looking at Focus/Golf/Jazz sized cars - diesel preferably. Nothing French or Italian. Preferably Japanese like a Honda or Mitsubishi, or a common as muck Ford. NOT a 4x4!!


The flat roof over the kitchen extension is leaking and needs re-doing - more money!

Honey's problems limit my activities a bit, but now John has had a nasty fall trying to get stuff up into his loft. He did that ok, but the ladder got jammed and while attempting to free it he fell down, sliding down the ladder scraping a load of skin off and landing on his back. He's shaken, bruised and sore but seems ok otherwise. He will be achey for a few days after the jarring. I just pray he's not done any damage to his back and neck.

I've had to cancel plans for a holiday in October and hopefully make it next spring now. I was going to rent a holiday home with Linda for a week and take Honey and Linda's guide dog with us, but the money situation will be tight for a while, and Honey is not mobile yet either. :( But we will make it some time.

It's Folk Festival season and I've got 2 coming up in August - both camping!!
I just hope my aching bones will survive it all!

Hope life is good for you xxx

It's cool, it's windy, it's showery - it's July??

A lot of nothing much has been happening of late.
Honey saw the vet on Wednesday and she is booked in for another bone grafting op on Monday :-(. She has been limping on and off for the last few weeks and it was obviously not right. Examination has shown some bone grafts didn't take and she has too much movement in the wrist so off we go again! Another six months of recouperation and light exercise! Not to mention a few visits to the vet again!

I have been having a full MOT - a whole series of blood tests and other tests. BP was high, kidneys fine, liver fine, sugars up slightly so now having glucose tolerance test to see if it is diabetes or heading that way, cholesterol still too high but a lot lower than last test so heading the right way. I've had a 24 hour BP monitor and it was ok - yes peaks high but drops back too, average 132/77 so no BP meds yet. The glucose levels are a worry - I am hoping dietry control and losing weight will stop the full onset of diabetes. My knees were ok following the last injection but that has definitely worn off now and I am getting pains again although not as bad as before - yet! Next stop is referral for knee op.

Things are ticking along with Swanage Folk Fest. It's looming large!

I am looking forward to Fairport's Cropredy Convention in August 3 days of top music in a huge field. Just one stage and around 25,000 people. I am sorting my camping gear ready for it all. I have a nice comfy new chair, director's style. It's robust (got to carry a bit of weight!) but lightweight and easily carried. It's got a slightly higher seat than the usual fold up camping chairs so it's easier for me to sit down and stand up again. I have checked all the wet weather gear, have a new pack-a-mac type coat and my brilliant poncho is still in working order. My boots are ready to go as are my mock crocs. I have the SPF 30 spray ready too for the sun! All eventualities catered for! Clothing comes as the layering variety - strappy vests, T shirts, cardigans, coats, a couple of quick drying skirts and trusty jeans (not good in the wet! take forever to dry)
I love eating out at festivals and Cropredy is well supplied with a huge variety of stalls.

Time to get ready for tonight's folk club evening. Have a great weekend xx