Flying solo

*Robin*

I was up late, Granny; result of still having to sleep a little in the afternoons..
Got up early too - DGD brought me a cuppa tea in bed which is a rare luxury these days (but I'd have been content to sleep another couple of hours first, lol).

She's got a nasty cough but is otherwise as delightful as always.
I bought her an art set which is on the dining table, as she doesn't have many toys here. She's not mentioned it yet although I know she's seen it (maybe wondering if it's not for her?).

Aha - must go; she and DS are back from their walk.. They've been to visit [and untangle] the pony who is still tied up on the rough ground beyond the garden. Better go and see what's happening next..

missrlr

Hi Robin, can you snaffle the pony to munch your burgeoning greenery? It might not be the most selective weed muncher though ......

Enjoy DS / DGD day today

*Robin*

missrlr wrote: »

Hi Robin, can you snaffle the pony to munch your burgeoning greenery? It might not be the most selective weed muncher though ......

There's an idea! ..But it's one thing 'fielding' a straying animal and tying it up on my land for it's own safety, and quite another to go and fetch someone else's pony that the owner has tethered securely.
Plus, the herbage in my garden is even richer than it is on the hillside where Pony has been put - don't want to give him colic!

missrlr wrote: »

Enjoy DS / DGD day today

Might have them longer than a day - DS let slip that he's desperately short of money and [during a different conversation] that he and DGD would rather stay here than base themselves at PC's cottages this time (which is great from my point of view ). Only problem is that I've been running down food stocks, so have given them both some 'pocket-money' and sent 'em shopping - just like my Dad used to do with me, lol.

It was a good opportunity to remove most of my funds from the bank which was unexpectedly still open. Rumours abound.. :cool:

*Robin*

*Robin* wrote: »

bought her an art set which is on the dining table, as she doesn't have many toys here. She's not mentioned it yet although I know she's seen it (maybe wondering if it's not for her?).

DGD was quite charmingly over-awed by the box of art materials.
"My brother's got one of these but I'm not allowed to touch it," she said with a shy smile, as she ran her fingers across the rows of pens, pencils, paints and craft tools (think that will be a successful gift! DGD is old enough now not to wreck it or paint on the walls ).

please-let-me-be-lucky

I'm sure DGD will treasure the art box and get lots of enjoyment from it. Lovely that you get to enjoy their company a little longer too Xx

grannyx2

How lovely that your gift was so appreciated, it really is nice when that happens. Enjoy your time with them.

Granny x

*Robin*

Good morning Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

Feels like a long time since I've had a chance to update. It has been very, very busy recently at the Nest.

DGD is amazingly easy to entertain; we've had loads of fun with her art set and now the kitchen walls are decorated with her colourful paintings and collages, but she's not here today.

A very dear friend turned up unexpectedly the other night, closely followed by DS1 and DS3 whom he had visited earlier. It was obvious that this friend is suffering a reprise of a mental health problem which, two years ago, got so out of control that it took six burly policemen to subdue him before he was sectioned.

He hasn't got BP, but he's fallen into the BP trap of feeling so well that he decided he no longer needs the pills which keep his chemical balance in equilibrium.. Six months on he was clearly about to crash again, although in denial that he has a problem.

This chap is 6'3" and built like the proverbial brick out-house. He could knock me flying with a careless slap, so because he was so volatile we decided it was best if DGD went to stay with her cousin - just in case he did become violent again.
DS3 stayed here instead (for the same reason).

The morning after Friend turned up, I awoke to discover the door wide open; there was no sign of Friend or Daft Dogs - whose leads and harnesses were ominously still hanging on their peg.
Soon spotted them; Friend was sitting on a hillock about a klik away, staring into space and ignoring Daft Dogs who were wandering around in his general vicinity.
This sight filled me with dread as they were all right in the middle of an area where partridges nest. The owner of that land enjoys hunting them and is known to put down poison for any foxes or dogs who might disturb the birds. :eek:
I never go up there with the dogs unless they're on short leads and I'm paying attention, ready to whip anything suspicious away from their curious noses.

My anguished yells brought Daft Dogs running home (followed by Friend, thank goodness). All I could do was observe the dogs closely, my misgivings increasing when CD refused her lunch. But then DS1 suggested a W.A.L.K - CD jumped about, sang and stepped eagerly into her harness just as she normally does, so I told them to watch her closely and took the opportunity to start a much-needed kitchen clear-up.

Ten minutes later DS1 'phoned me; CD was behaving oddly. Pausing only to gather CD's passport and my wallet, I drove down to meet the walking party and then we went straight to the emergency vet (Dear Vet must be away for Easter as she didn't answer her 'phone). E.Vet was very good; saw us immediately and took bloods which the on-site lab could analyse in half an hour.
He explained what I already knew; the slow poisons can take up to three days before the dog shows clear symptoms, by which time the liver has been destroyed - it's a horrible, inevitable death at that point.
But six hours after possible ingestion? CD was looking sad, she was slow to respond and had refused her lunch.. E.Vet shrugged; we waited for the blood results.

The news was mixed; there's certainly a problem, but CD's white cell count and infection markers were not what the vet would expect to see if she'd eaten the slow poison that the campesinos usually use.
E.Vet decided that I am capable of monitoring CD at home which is far less stressful for her than keeping her in hospital. He gave me his personal number and said I can call him any time, day or night, if CD has a crisis in the following three days.

It's now over forty-eight hours since this incident and we're still at home, so the likelihood of poisoning is decreasing as she's not shown any of the other symptoms I'm watching out for. But CD still isn't right; she has no appetite and looks depressed.
Last night, a cheeky little mouse came into the kitchen, within three metres of CD - but she didn't notice. That is a first ever; very worrying.

Meanwhile all the El Divo's accompanied Friend to the doctor's; a task made easier because Friend both speaks Spanish and has medical insurance. Emergency medication and an appointment at the local clinic for Monday was issued, and today he is better than yesterday although obviously not capable of living alone (needs someone to dispense medication).

Not sure what's going to happen once El Divos have to return to work next week - we're all a bit uneasy about Friend staying on here when there's no one strong enough to restrain him safely if necessary, but at the moment it's hard to see another possibility for him. Once he's back on the correct meds he'll be fine, but it could take a week or so.

I will also probably be distracted by the need to find out what is wrong with CD - E.Vet is expecting us to go in for more tests early next week, assuming she doesn't need an emergency admission before Monday.

RosiePuddingPaws

Oh, Robin
I normally only lurk, but just want to say that I will be keeping fingers and toes firmly crossed that it is nothing serious with CD. If you are 48 hours after the incident without signs of things getting worse, then hopefully she will be okay.

Will be thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way. You've been through more than enough, without this.

RPP

please-let-me-be-lucky

Dear me Robin, it never rains but it pours!!

I've got everything crossed that you, CD, Friend and all the Il Divo's make it out of this unscathed!

Thinking of you Xx

*Robin*

Welcome to my diary Rosie, thank you for your support - you too, Be Lucky.

Don't think I'll have P&Q long this morning - grabbing a few minutes for myself before the household awakes..

Yesterday evening was utterly chaotic. A woman in the next village had an egg hunt for the kids so lots of folk called in here on their way home - all the little darlings quite out of control due to the quantity of chocolate they'd eaten. Lovely that so many of the parents came to be supportive of Friend, but I wasn't planning a party and found it all rather too much.

To cap it all, Nasty Neighbour turned up and dumped a couple of very young kittens in a pile of his rubbish right next to my land. CD heard them squeaking - I found her crouched on her lookout post peering down into the tangle of rubbish..
Which suggests she is feeling better, but didn't bode well for the kittens. The kids brought them up to the house, Friend sat with them on his lap - said he was introducing them to Daft Dogs and refused to believe me when I said the only reason CD hadn't already 'dealt' with them was her training - one second after her senior pack members [notably me] weren't looking, they'd be toast.
In CD's eyes they were smaller than rats and therefore fair game. She is fine with kittens belonging to cats who live with us; part of 'her pack' - I have some lovely 'photos of her babysitting the last kittens our cat had - but these ones, no. Her body language was quite clear so I had to insist another family adopted them.

That did not go down well with Friend. He is very intense, in many ways child-like at the moment; thank goodness he's agreeing to take the pills (but keeps offering to take them all at once - I must have explained a dozen times that doing so will not make him get better faster but just end in a trip to A&E!).

DGD is back as today is her last day of holiday; all going ok so far but Friend has just got up so my P&Q is over for now - close supervision required. The pills are working though, he's making more sense than he was, and I don't think there's any danger that he'll upset DGD by being too weird.

CD is hunting for the kittens in N.Neighbour's rubbish.. Another one who needs keeping a close eye on today, though am pretty certain now that she has not been poisoned which is, as you may all imagine, a huge relief.