Blowing in the Winds of Change

Bubblesmum

:p:p:p This is how I am feeling, reading such lovely news about Musketeer

I know Grand Pup and he, have done sonme :eek: moments but what grand tales and so much joy....:T:T

*Robin*

Good [damp] morning, :hello:

Sun.A - haha, all unscathed so far except for my nerves! Pup has now learned how to escape over the wall, but don't think he goes further than the avocado orchard next door - where he stuffs himself on windfalls, the little wretch! Shouting:
"Who wants a treat?" and crinkling the bag brings him back at a gallop, but am having trouble remembering to check every few minutes whether he's actually disappeared or is just playing on the lawn!

Dansmam - we've done that walk several times since m' last post; on each occasion Musketeer has helped me negotiate the dangerous part of the path. Am so pleased with him!
DD probably needs a brolly and wellies in North Spain atm. Apart from a narrow strip down the Eastern seaboard, it's raining everywhere - which is very good news, but shouldn't last long. Personally am delighted the increasing heat has eased off for a while and our Earth Mother has gifted us a little more water.
Grand-Pup is turning into a typical canine teenage hooligan; if I can keep him safe for another week, his loving owners will be taking over the training regime. :T

Lucky and Bubbles - it does give me pleasure to relate these "Yin-Yang"** boys' waggy tales. Musketeer arrived at the Nest at just the right moment - Pup would have been much harder to handle without a playmate to distract him from chewing up my home, garden and personal extremities (fingers and toes)!
** One small, black silky-haired whirlwind of teeth, the other large, white fluffy oasis of calm.. Did wonder about changing Musketeer's name to "Yin" - but not for long!

We had another expensive day away from the homestead: Started with a socialisation lesson at the market - Pup so excited he was doing his Tasmanian Devil impression each time another dog hove into view (about every four seconds; market was very crowded). Roughly half of the other canines reacted badly, so Pup found himself anchored to Musketeer with a foot-long link-lead, which did stop him causing too much chaos.
Called in to pay camper-van's rent and look for m' sunglasses - didn't find them where they should have been (hoping my memory is at fault as it would be annoying to lose 'em).
At Dear Vet's we discovered there had been a misunderstanding. The new intake of trainee nurses made several mistakes during our previous visit, obliging Musketeer to provide another blood sample. <sigh>
There was mixed news from the tests they did carry out the first time: Musketeer is positive for the same Mediterranean illness that CD had at the end of her life, but thankfully he tested negative for the other four.
He put on just over a kilo in weight over the past week - great; makes me hopeful that the infection Musketeer does have is not active. The cohort of young nurses were kind enough to pop both dogs into a stable so that I could collect Musketeer's meds without having to leave the boys in a hot van, and I took the opportunity to top up household grocery supplies from the German supermarket at the same time.

Couldn't wait to get home, utterly exhausted. Since then have been in bed much of the time except when walking or feeding the dogs. Luckily had had enough foresight to make m'self a vat of garden stew before this week's excursion, so at least my meals have not required any effort.
Don't think Musketeer even notices that the slivers of ham he's being given twice a day are hiding a pill - he is such a good natured fellow!

Am so grateful Musketeer is fitting in well, that Gardener has time to come and help when I call, and for the rain clouds currently truncating my view of mountains and sea.

Spends:
Market - £12
Camper-van Parking - £53
Vet - £55
Supermarket - £65

*Robin*

Our new neighbours have been burning toxic rubbish on a bonfire which has kept going - even through rainstorms - for at least three weeks. Now they've lit another fire on the other side of the Nest.
Am feeling besieged. Can't be outside for more than a couple of minutes because of the poisonous chemical stench, but am so crashed think it must be seeping inside the Nest too.
Grand-Pup has taken to going onto N.Neighbours' land and barking manically at them. The fast diminishing treats bag does bring him back - can't chase him - but am worried their next step will be rat poison.. It will be on their land, so legal, but the odds on Pup not eating anything he finds is infinitesimal. Am in no condition to make an emergency run to the vet's so the three of us are having to spend most of our time locked inside the Nest.
Yesterday was ME Awareness Day. Don't think any of my friends noticed; certainly none thought "Oh, maybe we should get in touch with Robin, check she's ok.."

Sorry, can't think of much to be grateful for today, except that there's plenty of food in, and my bed is very close.
No spends.

stepuptothepl8

Oh Robin, I'm so sorry to hear of your being confined to barracks. What on earth are the neighbours burning for that length of time?? When is the pup leaving you? In the interim would it be possible to keep him on a long lead? I know youthful exuberance will make that hard, but if it's only for a day or two..
And I'm sorry that I missed that yesterday was ME awareness day. I do appreciate your posts, and count myself very lucky to have found them x

Sun_Addict

Sorry to read about the toxic neighbours, hate people who light bonfires, usually on nice days/evenings, spoiling your enjoyment of being outdoors

I would be tempted to get a hose pipe and "accidentally" put the fire out.

Dansmam

Morning Robin, sorry to hear about the neighbours poisonous activities and another one who's sad not to have noticed ME awareness day. Are these the same neighbours who are interested in buying the Nest? If so I wonder if they could be gently encouraged not to poison you while you decide whether they deserve it 😉
Lurcher lad is on a hunting spree at the moment, had a baby rabbit (grim, and I wish he hadn't but it was over in seconds) on a country stroll this week, and nearly got a rat last night (urban stream here must be full of them). I'm fearful he'll eat something poisoned as Facebook is warning someone is putting poisoned meat down in local dog walking areas. Local Facebook is a standoff between responsible dog owners and the anti dog poo brigade. Live and let live would be nicer ☹️
Hope you're on the up, with good dog company, good food and cosy bed comforting you x

please-let-me-be-lucky

Sorry to hear your conditions aren't good. I also had no idea it was ME awareness day, and I'm disappointed with that as my Dad suffered from it and I would have liked to have helped raise awareness.

Sending hugs and ear tickles to all Xx

*Robin*

Hello MSEers, :hello:

Stepuptothepl8 - dread to think exactly what is smouldering away on the neighbours' larger, long-lasting bonfire. There's everything they've thrown away from the previous owners; so certainly lots of plastic and rubber from greenhouses and irrigation systems, pots of various agricultural chemicals, uprooted trees and bushes, plus horse-stuff and general junk.
The fire they lit on the other side was just tree prunings so that wasn't so bad (and burned itself out overnight).

I didn't dare put Pup on a line as well as Musketeer - too much danger of one of 'em getting tangled with possible tragic outcome.
..We all survived, although sadly the offspring of "my" partridges did not - Pup found the nest and made short work of their eggs.

Sun.A - bonfires are winter entertainment. Guess you probably know there's a country-wide ban right through the summer because of the very real risk of starting a wildfire, which presumably is why New Neighbours want to get it over with. They did lie to me; when asked not to burn one pile they'd put right beneath my electric mains cable, they said a lorry was going to take everything to the recycling centre. Maybe when they subsequently learned how much business users get charged for the service they decided to burn everything themselves?

Believe me, if I owned a 400mtr long hose, that fire would have been doused every night after N.Neighbours went home - but it may not have done any good as the conflagration kept going through three pretty heavy rainstorms (and is still burning)!

Dansmam - yes, these are the same neighbours. Am tempted to tell them that there will be two prices; one for helpful friends, and another much larger one for people who take pleasure in being obstructive! But have already said nothing is going to happen until after the summer, so they probably aren't very interested in my feelings at the moment. To be fair, standards are different here; doubt any local-born person would object to a neighbour burning plastic and chemicals - it would just be approved of as "tidying up".

Oh dear, yes I've seen warnings on FB about poison being put down in several areas of the UK recently - that really is awful and I do hope you can keep Lurcher Boy safe! I worry about Grand-Pup when he gets there too - little gannet - but can't see DS & GGF walking him in a box-muzzle which is the only real way of stopping dogs picking up things they shouldn't.
It's hard with hunting breeds, isn't it? Awful when they do catch something, but they're just following their nature..

Lucky and everyone - wasn't having a go at any online friends re ME Awareness Day, was upset because m' RL mates ignored it.. But that none of you realised it was happening just goes to show how little attention publicity campaigns like "Millions Missing" get in the mainstream media. Very sad, and not very hopeful for everyone affected by this or any other 'invisible' illness.

Gardener put on his mechanic's overalls to take the van [and all my cash!] to the government testing station. For no logical reason the van is more likely to pass it's technical inspection if they think a garage has arranged it - and the ruse worked; Spanish van has been passed as roadworthy for another six months.

The evening before Pup left us he had to be inspected, subjected to prophylactic de-bugging, and have his passport stamped by Dear Vet. Afterwards we all made our first ever visit to an official dog park, where both boys could run safely off-lead together.
Musketeer thought it was another shelter exercise yard; suddenly on guard, behaving very "macho" around the half dozen larger dogs who came up to greet him. No fireworks from any of 'em, thank goodness.
Meanwhile Pup almost went into orbit, he was so excited.. It didn't last long. There were another couple of grannies in the park, who between 'em had at least nine or ten Yorkies, all sporting a whole body number two clip except for a topknot, which was tied with a different coloured bow for each dog. This pack descended on Pup as soon as we were through the double gate, all yapping their heads off in ear-splitting fury. I've never seen Pup so cowed, trying to squeeze himself back through the chain-link fence!
Luckily it's a big park, and as soon as I moved away from the knot of owners near the gate, both Pup and Musketeer relaxed and began to enjoy themselves. They probably ran at least ten miles in a couple of hours, and slept very well indeed afterwards.

Pup didn't enjoy his dash North, but fortunately was reunited with his loving owners less than 36 hours later. GGF sent me a 'photo of him snuggled into a heap of blankets, so I guess he wasn't impressed with the drop in temperature either! He has since been fitted with a fleece jacket and is now perking up, thank goodness.

Musketeer likes having me to himself. He's putting on weight nicely, and has today endured "the unkindest cut". Am off to collect him shortly (don't want him to stay at DV's overnight in case he thinks he's been abandoned again).
Will update once I know how big the bill is, and expand on another health issue we have discovered.

DV has already called to say Musketeer came through surgery well, so am grateful for that today. Also the opportunity to top up supplies while Musketeer was safe in DV's care, and for a wonderful breeze which is keeping the temperature at a very pleasant 25'C.

Spends:
Van technical inspection - £45
Gardener's wages - £85
Groceries - £25

Bubblesmum

Sending love and ear rubs for darling Musketeer

maddiemay

Sorry not to have been able to comment for ages, some health stuff followed by a lovely 3 week tour with caravan of Northumbria, forays into Tyneside, on to the Scottish Borders, finishing up just outside Edinburgh.

So pleased that Musketeer is settling well and fingers crossed that the newly discovered health problem is resolvable.

Tail wags and little licks from Miss MM to Musketeer, and to you too:D