Blowing in the Winds of Change

*Robin*

Forgive me, but this will be another *Robin* post.
Need to write a list: Find Colloidal Silver dropper bottle. Check 'phone & torch - charge? Freezer. Find internet bank details for: Solicitor2, animal2 and child2 charities. Fill water bottles, decide on next stage for Kefir cheese - do it, breakfast, M patrol pueblo [*sample for DV?], find thing for coiling lekky cable on - do it + gas + empty thunderbox. Bank, puppy-park, vet [bloods, more raw, M's sore eye?], beach. Contact off-spring.


Written earlier in a different headspace:
Thank you Dansmam; yes, am starting to perk up again now.
Finally got my Xmas dinner on Boxing day afternoon, it was delicious; an energy-giving healthy feast.. Was still pretty wobbly so spilt a dribble of sauce between cooker and sofa-table - all of three steps lol - Musketeer made short work of clearing up though. Who knew dogs like orange and balsamic sauce? This one does. In fact he thought it was so delicious that when I dropped off to sleep and my mucky plate slipped down to the floor he polished off the left-over salmon skin, orange rinds and every last morsel!
..Normally that isn't allowed of course, but it was Christmas, and his helpful snurfelling saved me treading the mess everywhere when I came round. :embarasse :rotfl:
Musketeer made do with several short "scent-enrichment" walks around the village that day and the next - have realised, he is back in his element here! Living in suburbia his behaviour appeared quite juvenile and reactive, but here he understands the job; to guard his patch against intruders of ill intent, be they two-legged or four. He has a look-out in the front of the van, where he's got a good view of the ridge which attaches this small knoll to the main spine of the mountain. There are steep ravines on either side choked with cane thickets growing on top of landslides, so anything approaching from above will be seen by our self-appointed guardian.
From below it's as steep a climb as possible without requiring crampons and ropes; one hundred and fifty metres up from the river bed. Which for me, is one of the problems with living in this little village so beloved of my darling DH. All dog walks further than around the knoll involve an awful lot of up, down and up again.. Hard if one is short of energy. :cool:

Now:

skeggs885 wrote: »

can someone pse send me a link to start a new thread i cant see the button for it

Chev - ^^^ thank you very much for helping Skeggs.

Dansmam wrote:

sorry if I was a bit crass on the envy point - it’s a time of year for missing old times, isn’t it just.

Sorry for jumping back at you.. DH loved this place so much, I find it unsettling - he should be here.. His absence seems most "wrong" here - it's thought-provoking which is a slow process given brain fog which tends to descend about four hours after waking.
Sometimes there is a murmuring at the edge of hearing, which could almost be DH's voice talking to someone behind the houses or on the bottom terrace of his jungle garden.
Am being bugged by another noise regularly; a short but repetitive high whistle. Thought it was a bird at first, then perhaps laptop fan, something in freezer gizzards or another electrical gizmo. Can't find it though - doesn't sound internal?

Dansmam wrote:

Two big dogs in a van. Hmmmh, glad you’re thinking that through first. Is there any real reason GGF folks can’t take grandpup while his parents are away?

Well to be fair, at 18 and almost 24kgs they are medium sized dogs. The problem is more that they are boisterous together, and GrandPup's training schedule has mostly been on the non-existent side of lax since his accident - hence his other potential hosts aren't too keen. There is another possibility which would be better all round, but it will cost.. DS3 won't be pleased.

Dansmam wrote:

I got my Christmas wish for nothing I can’t use up in the next 12 months - this house wont be short of soap for a while ...

Now that is a really imaginative Wish - well done! I just said "socks please" - the last batch have been falling into gaping holes for the past few months [a case of wearing then binning rather than into the wash-bag!].

It will be light soon. The hunting dogs in their kennel on the hill are barking frantically - some of them will be running on the high lands when morning has broken..

After the Boxing Day hunt M showed me very clear signs of boar tracks skedaddling down into the ravine thickets.. He followed the trail back up to the road and across it - which was far enough for me as it got steeper the further we went. Looked like a pair, one smaller than the other, so perhaps a Mum and baby? If they're still down near the river they'll be safe today - which is probably more than can be said for the hunters' unfortunate dogs. Apparently, on average three out of ten do not return to their kennels from a boar hunt.. It is a brutality of the Andaluz macho caballero character, alas.

Have gone through everything in the "medicine cupboard" - no sign of a dropper bottle with CS in - unfortunate because Musketeer thinks the spray version is a snake! Have had to resort to spraying CS onto a used tea-bag and wiping his eye with that. To be honest, it seems to be working; no more discharge and looks a lot less red this morning.
He needs a revision anyway, so will show Dear Vet - just in case there is a grass seed or something stuck in M's eye.
Did find a sterile sample pot[*], so need to fabricate a hygienic collection bottle - for the other test which is part of M's regular maintenance; time to see just how effective the holistic treatment has been re his bladder crystals.

Sun_Addict wrote:

Chevalier your post mirrors just what I feel. One selfish child and one totally oblivious child plus OH with brain damage = not a very merry Christmas I bought my own present from OH.

Been thinking about you and Lucky a lot recently Sun.A; wondering whether I would actually have coped half as well as you two, if Life had thrown DH a hand similar to your husbands'..? There must be such poignancy for what has been lost, along with very understandable frustration.. (((hugs)))

*Robin*

*Robin* wrote: »

Need to write a list:
Find Colloidal Silver dropper bottle. Figment of my imagination.
Check 'phone & torch - charge? Torch charged, events overtook 'phone - see **
Freezer. Most contents transferred to house freezer, van freezer now replenished with raw 3kg chubs.
Find internet bank details for: Solicitor2, animal2 and child2 charities. S2 and C2 found and paid. A2 on list for New Year.
Fill water bottles, decide on next stage for Kefir cheese - do it, breakfast, M patrol pueblo [*sample for DV?], find thing for coiling lekky cable on - do it + gas + empty thunderbox. All done.
Bank, Bill a/c was down to 10€. Transferred half of balance in current a/c.
puppy-park, Roaring success! Musketeer had a fantastic time playing with the other big pups, he must have run at least five miles. :T
vet [bloods, more raw, M's sore eye?], See below **
beach. Current location!
Contact off-spring. Another win for telepathy? Again, see below **

Well. What a day! **M was an absolute :staradmin star :staradmin at the vet's clinic; first of all ignoring both resident rescue cats who were asleep on waiting room chairs, then submitting quietly to a general health check, a prolonged and intimate examination of his eye, a stabbing blood-draw and finally a boring interlude while I was extracting non-beef chubs from packed freezers..
Then he suddenly made a dive for the front door, returning with GGF who looked very close to tears. I hugged her and asked what was wrong, then heard DS3's voice in the consulting room:
"Oh - he looks a bit better now!"
Following the end of M's lead we found GrandPup struggling to get off the bench Musketeer had just vacated, trying to reach his best mate - who was about to jump up and join him. Dear Vet was doing her best to examine GrandPup while Divo Three hung tight on to his collar..
Eventually the chaos subsided. GGF was issued with a syringe & an emetic liquid, and we all went outside. GrandPup was very wobbly - yet again the wretch had eaten something he shouldn't have done!
Musketeer went back to the van to play with his new toy - Dear Vet gave him some tiny dehydrated liver treats as a reward for being so well behaved, they were perfect to go inside M's K0ng Gir0. Kept him quiet while I paid my bill and provided moral support to GGF and Three.
The emetic was effective. What came up was copious and disgusting. Not sure of the verdict, because I was distracted by the unexpected but happy arrival of DS2 and family, who just happened to spot camper-van as they were driving past.
When Three joined us, all he could say was that DV thinks GrandPup will be ok now - however, the bill for this dog he never wanted had emptied his wallet!
Divo Two took us all for a late lunch, but GGF was very subdued. The pups stayed in their respective vehicles to avoid GrandPup getting excited again.

So. M hasn't got any foreign bodies or ulcers in his eye, but it is still inflamed so DV gave me a prescription for antibiotic drops. She wants to see him again next week to make sure this is no more than a case of conjunctivitis or the result of jabbing himself with a twig. Apart from his eye Musketeer seems to be in excellent health; no warning signs that the Mediterranean illness he's got is about to flare - but I'll wait to see the blood test results before opening a celebratory bottle.

Having paid today's bills, collected M's script and hidden an extra cash gift inside DGD's Three Kings present, it looks like I am ending the year with 8€ in my current a/c and 40€ in cash. The bills a/c should be ok until February.

The sea is quiet today; gentle surf providing a wonderful lullaby, with Moon-light shining through the roof-light* [*sure there's a better word for that but am too tired to think of it..].
Good night everyone. :lovethoug

Sun_Addict

I think you must keep your vet in business Robin. Glad M is ok and that grandpup is recovering. Fingers crossed M's blood tests come back clear. Grandpup is a demon eating machine bless him, wonder what he keeps finding that's so enticing.

The sea, surf and moonlight through the roof hatch sound very soothing

please-let-me-be-lucky

Happy New Year to you and Musketeer, Robin. Much love Xx

stepuptothepl8

Happy New Year to you and to M.. here's hoping Grandpup only eats what he is supposed to this year! xx

*Robin*

A slightly belated Happy New Year Everyone! :hello:

Another list [no brain]:
Sort out / freeze dog's enrichment toys [while on mains ]
Wash up
Wash me
Get blue milk out of house freezer, butter & green beans from fridge.
Find dog's passport / last test results.
Retrieve dry washing, stow away.
Search all likely places for any forgotten €€ cash. Write shopping list accordingly.

Am annoyingly flat today, which is making an arranged trip into town difficult. Moving very slowly, probably rattle due to painkillers taken. Will decide whether safe to drive once actually ready to go. No matter if not, both appointments can be delayed 'til tomorrow.

Two of the Divos have let me down a tad. Three spent the money earmarked for repaying a short term loan on GrandPup's latest medical emergency. Four diverted my December and January expected income towards paying his uni fees until the next bursary instalment arrives at the beginning of February.

Not sure I've got enough food to last that long.. :cool:

Three is also cross because I have not solved his foster-problem re GrandPup, although he agrees my current set-up living in the van plus poor physical state makes me looking after their not-very-well-trained, bouncy dog an untenable option. << Ow; bad sentence, sorry, best I can do right now.

Knit_Witch

Happy New Year *Robin* - sorry to hear you are under the weather (and that your finances are a little :eek:), re Grandpup - sorry to say this but Divo's dog - he needs to sort out what is happening as you can't take him!

Dansmam

Happy New Year Robin. May 2018 treat you well.
What on earth has grandpup been eating? Yeurgghh! Hope you’ve found the odd spare euro - you do have to eat, after all...
Love the sound of the moonlight and the sea - what a peaceful picture that’s painting.

*Robin*

Don't remember writing m' last post at all..
Do remember Three turning up the next day bearing more cash than I was expecting to get back. He topped up van's water tank and took Musketeer for a walk - later I realised they explored the bottom of the ravine where M still thinks the piggies are living. Plenty of sign in the village supporting M's nose - tracks, paths through rough land - it was lucky they didn't meet tbh; wild boar well deserve their name!

*Robin* wrote: »

Another list [no brain]:
Sort out / freeze dog's enrichment toys [while on mains ] Done
Wash up Done
Wash me
Get blue milk out of house freezer, butter & green beans from fridge. Done
Find dog's passport / last test results.
Retrieve dry washing, stow away. Done
Search all likely places for any forgotten €€ cash. Write shopping list accordingly.

Knit_Witch wrote:

re Grandpup - sorry to say this but Divo's dog - he needs to sort out what is happening as you can't take him!

He says it's GGF's dog. If the idea was supposed to be a trial run pre baby planning, then it's back-fired; DS3 is now adamant that he cherishes and will defend his child-free status!
GGF is staying away from me - she is probably more disappointed that I haven't welcomed GrandPup with open arms. He's a lot bigger than he was before, and maybe she's feeling guilty for not keeping up his training which would have made him an easier prospect for any of our family members to take on.

Dansmam wrote:

What on earth has grandpup been eating? Yeurgghh!

Don't know what it was this time [not identifiable]. First temptation was a dead toad - out walking with me so removed immediately; pup got stoned but didn't need vet. Second time it was tiger slugs - hospital overnight on a drip. Then the desiccating granules - vet and jab.
If he were my dog he'd walk off-lead wearing a muzzle because he obviously can't be trusted not to pick up poison! ..This opinion did not go down well with pup's 'parents'. :cool:

Dansmam wrote:

Love the sound of the moonlight and the sea - what a peaceful picture that’s painting.

I've always loved sleeping by the sea; ozone in the air really helps, and it's warm enough to leave the skylights open.

Still struggling physically, on a wake-sleep cycle of roughly four hours. Am so grateful there are no young children relying on me to look after 'em!

*Robin*

Good morning MSEers, :hello:

At last the weather has broken here; every time I woke in the night it was raining. Dawn didn't really happen as we were deep in the clouds, but I knew when it should have been because the new municipal street light [a contentious issue] switched itself off.
Musketeer nipped out to spend a penny but then dived back into the van and brought me his Gir0 - now nick-named "doughnut" - fine; he can do enrichment activities rather than going for a walk this morning.

Am running out of food but it's Three Kings, so everything will be shut until Monday. Actually am quietly glad this extended crash prevented me from driving; it's not a good day to be parked on sand in a heavy vehicle!
Still, the neighbours won't mind me scrumping a few chard leaves and abandoned tomatoes from their veg garden, and I have a frozen "meat feast meal" in stock - was going to get a couple of duck breasts last time out shopping, before realising a whole duck cost the same price! So I'll make a stew with whatever veg I can find plus slices of the breasts and thighs, and the rest - the bony bits and giblets - will be portioned up and re-frozen for M (yes I know - lucky dog! But it will last him quite a long time as the 'bone in' portions of his dinner twice a week).

Brain is beginning to function again, albeit creakily, so guess I'd better take a look at the "official business" [HMRC, correspondence with Solicitor1] today, at least until the rain lets up..