I am very aware that it is some time since I have written
anything on our blog, but the reality is that we have done very little in the
last few weeks. Having spent all our spare cash on the wedding last spring, we
entered this winter with no stock of wood to run our heating, so it has been a
tough winter for us. Normally we buy our wood through the summer but this year
we were not able to do that, so we have struggled with having to buy it at its
highest price. At one point as I mentioned in a previous blog we ran out and
had to forage for fuel until we could buy some more. Consequently we have
tucked our heads down and been nowhere apart from to do our monthly shopping
and of course the car boot. Cannot miss the car boot!
We were determined to enter spring with a clear account so
that we can continue with our projects in the garden. We have also had the
added financial burden of having three female puppies to spay and the cost of it
has meant we have had to save for that through the winter.
Little-E was spayed in September and we finally managed to save
enough for the other two pups to be spayed and this was done last week. As I
have said before I hate sending them off to have it done, but I know it is
essential to prevent any more unwanted dogs in this country where there are
already way too many waifs and strays wandering the streets. If we want another
dog in the future there are many needy animals searching for good homes without
adding to the problem by producing more.
They were poorly girls when they returned home. Both of them
were very, very sick and neither of them was interested in food for a couple of
days. Believe me that is extraordinary! They came back home with an injection
to give for pain the following day, anti-biotics for a few days and large
spongy collars that they were supposed to wear for 5 days minimum. It took both
of them under five minutes to remove them, when they got in the door! Probably just as well as they would have been bound to eat them and that would have been more expense. Luckily
neither of them has touched their wounds so we have been lucky. The vet
apparently loved Bebek, his comment about Big Red was “She is a character!” So
I dread to think what she got up to while she was there!
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Two poorly little flowers return from their operations |
In a couple of days Red had bounced back to normal. Bebek on
the other hand was seriously traumatised by the whole affair. David stayed with
them downstairs on their first night home and when I came downstairs in the
morning she was lying on the sofa and when she saw me she wailed. It was as if
she was trying to tell me how unhappy she was. It doesn't half pull at your
heart strings.
By the next day she really was not any better, just laying
down, not interested in food or anything else in fact. I sensed that it was
trauma rather than pain, so I dragged her out into the back garden with me for
the afternoon for some ‘one to one time’. It did the trick, she improved beyond
compare, ate her tea and the next day although still a bit stiff was almost
back to her normal self. Now five days on she is fine and we have all put the
experience behind us.
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Big Red soon back to normal - stealing and carting around my clothes! |
Of course I thoroughly enjoyed my morning out to the car
boot and came home with more little treasures. As always the odd book! But also several baubles for the garden and this times treasure - a lovely old çay pot. I shall so miss the car boots through the
summer.
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Love my old çay pot |
However, all things considered I can’t tell you all how glad
I am that the weather is improving, the fruit trees and plants are starting to
show signs of life again and we are moving away from winter and in to better
days. We have entered the rainy, stormy period and several days are wet, but the dry days are lovely now and really warm.
We have been blessed with some glorious weather in the last
couple of weeks and it has been wonderful to get back outside to start in the
garden again. But more of that next time ……
