Tantrums

It has been bitterly cold today, but after the claustrophobic environment of Intensive care last night, I kind of enjoyed the inclement weather this morning as I was completing the chores.
Feeding and watering the stock can be a bit of a bind when its wet, but I always try and spend a few minutes sitting with the buffs, so that the girls can climb up on my knee for a spot of pampering. This morning I sat in the lee of the wind, next to the hen house and true to form Violet, Lily and Sorrel all ambled over like the fat teenagers that they are ; and heaved themselves on my lap. Poppy the shy cockerel sneaks over somewhat guiltily for a chin rub leaving the two non hand reared Elizabeth and Shelley alone in the henhouse, rather unimpressed with all these shenanigans.
Clover the now huge cockerel seems to hate my "love ins" with his females and has suddenly developed a rather caveman type mentality where I am concerned. Every time I sit down, he waddles up to me with his feathers puffed out in anger and with a low growl will give my sleeve or wellie top a true battering. He has not quite got the confidence to physically attack my "real" person as yet, but seems pleased as punch to shred the odd zip or pocket when he can. I have quite a soft spot for him

Thanks to everyone who has asked about William. He remains bruised and battered, but has ( described by Chris in rather graphic detail) had a large formed and magnificent stool!!!!

Not enough time

Short, snatched blog today, what with walking three dogs separate from William, Christmas shopping, egg deliveries, poultry care and work tonight............I have not had much time to sort much else out, but William does look marginally better than he did (although he has not had a poo yet!)

Airport 08?

Taken from the Huffington Times (Canada):-

DUBLIN, Ireland — An Air Canada co-pilot having a mental breakdown had to be forcibly removed from the cockpit, restrained and sedated, and a stewardess with flying experience helped the pilot safely make an emergency landing, an Irish investigation concluded Wednesday.
The report by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit into an incident in January applauded the decision-making of the pilot and the cockpit skills of the flight attendant, who stepped into the co-pilot's seat for the emergency diversion to Shannon Airport in western Ireland.
None of the 146 passengers or other nine crew members on board the Boeing 767 bound from Toronto to London was injured after the 58-year-old co-pilot had to be removed by attendants and sedated by two doctors on board.

my God....has anyone seen Airport 1975 ???

William

William looked so much better when I saw him this afternoon. He wagged his tail when he saw me in the vets and although he was still refusing to eat, they were happy to let him come home.
Since Finlay, I know I am rather sceptical of generalisations given to me by animal carers and medics, and I think that I conveyed this clearly when dealing with the over optimistic "nurse" yesterday, so today I received clear and balanced advice and guidance and I must admit I was happy at the change in William today.
I got him home this afternoon and it was interesting to note that the animal that gave him the biggest welcome was Albert! There was lots of nose rubbing and purring and as I write this Albert has joined William in a deep sleep on the old duvet next to the fire
I cooked a chicken and offered William some morsels on a plate. Initially he sniffed at the bits in a rather half hearted way but after Albert had bolted a drumstick sized piece, he got stuck in a wolfed down his first meal in four days.
For the first time since Wednesday, I can allow myself to relax a little........

My family is back normal.

Stability

It has been terribly wintery today with lashing rain and gale force winds, the field looks bruised and battered as did the deserted beach (above), and I was not surprised that all the poultry (including the usually robust turkeys) all retired to their houses early.

Chris is working in South Wales today, so won't be back till late, so with the weak William fast asleep with Albert next to the fire and the other dogs heaped on the couch I have wrapped all those small Christmas gifts I bought earlier today. the small "thoughtful" ones I need to send by post to friends in Sheffield,Derbyshire,London and Australia!.

I also had a chance to read Nige's wonderfully written blog about the sense of stability he experienced during "our" earlier days in Sheffield and this (coupled with a certain sadness relating to Ravi's funeral which took place this afternoon), got me to thinking of our salad nursing days.

Unencumbered by the firefighting problems of being a manager, we were idealistic junior nurses in a busy city. We worked hard and partied hard. We forged friendships and formed what has been described in the nineties as an "urban family". Yes in retrospect it was all a bit Bridget Jones's Diary, but it did work.....it gave us all a certain sense of security and stability........and it gave us the sense of belonging to something worthwhile and worthy.

Do I miss those days?........no I do not, but I do miss some of the people however, and although most of the group I still keep in touch with, some members, of course have disappeared from the radar.

Now, over a decade later, I have a new "country" family. Simplistically, I play mummy, Chris daddy and the kids all have feathers or fur. We all bring to each other a stability which can be taken for granted occasionally, and which is sometimes at times overlooked......

Loosing a friend and colleague like Ravi, makes us all reflect and reminisce, and it is at these times, like Nige so eloquently stated, that we realise that our own lives are pretty damm good.

Under Observation

The scotties have been away for most of the day getting their yearly haircuts, and with William still under observation at the vets, Meg (above) has been effectively cut off from the rest of her pack. True to form she has become increasingly clingy all day , following me from room to room when I was doing the housework even shadowing me into the toilet As I am typing this she is still firmly crammed under my arm, paws wrapped around my right hand.
William remains very poorly. I called in to see him this afternoon and he looked dreadfully forlorn and quiet, curled up on a blanket like a puppy. He had a drip going but had not drank or eaten anything since his operation, but he did raise his head a little when I called his name. The "nurse" sounded dreadfully upbeat about his condition( I could have slapped her) but the vet remained rather more balanced --our little chap was far away from being "out of the woods" just yet he said kindly.
Chris has been more upset about all this than I would have expected, I guess that William with his easy nature and less needy ways is less demanding of my constant attentions than Meg, Maddie and George. When the three others are flopped over me on my sofa, William will now seek out Chris on his sofa and quietly and with stealth has wormed his way into Chris' heart over the past year.
As usual Family and friends have rallied round with calls of encouragement. Even though William is only a pet, their support is gratefully received

Not again!

William didn't eat anything this morning but had stopped vomiting after a rather unsettled and messy night.

I still was not happy with his general condition so took him to the vets at lunchtime. As luck would have it, the senior partner (the guy that everyone wants to see their pets) just happened to pass the vet that was examining William. He watched the junior staff member "oohh" and "arrhh" about William's physical then simply and rather chillingly interrupted with "Admit him and put him on a drip now!".
I know there are more important things in life, but the whole thing just reminded me of what happened to Finlay last year and I felt that dreaded deep knot in the chest that always occurs at times of crisis. I was convinced it was starting all over again.
William was put into the holding cage that Fin had been admitted to (which upset me more) then was taken to xray before going to theatre for an exploratory operation on an obstructed bowel.I went home and kept myself busy with the field.......thank god for the neediness of hungry poultry!
The senior vet finally rang me at 5.pm with the news that William had an extensive infection to his lymph nodes which was occluding his bowel-- but hopefully there was nothing more sinister lurking around that area.
Right at this time I really wish I was not an ITU nurse as I know only too well, just how poorly a septic patient can become.....I just hope he pulls through the night ok

I am reminded of a verse of Rudyard Kipling's poem yet again....

.......When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But...you've given your heart for a dog to tear.

Sick as a dog

William and Albert, hen watching

William and Meg have spent a rather sickly day sleeping,being sick and pooing for Wales. Both dogs have got some sort of bug, so I have spent most of the day like some demented domestic (kitchen roll in one hand & bottle of bleach in the other)- cleaning up various multicoloured piles of waste.
I did have time however, to sort out the garden shed that was donated as an addition to the ever expanding allotment furniture by affable scouser Geoff. It is amazing how much crap you can cram into a large plastic box- but at least the allotment looks a little tidier.