So far over 4000 quid has been raised!
see Janet's blog
British Bulldog
So far over 4000 quid has been raised!
see Janet's blog
Mitten demonstration
It was so cold this morning that the dawn air actually hurt the lungs slightly when I took a big breath in.....as I said in the video......thank goodness for my new mittens!
Matt Cardle
He's back on track tonight......Chris caught me smiling at the television................how sad is that?
A horror movie remembered
Well I think I will keep my (MY) Matt Cardle video until later. ( He was very sweet singing Nights in White Satin!Tonight, whilst reading waspish Tom's highly entertaining blog ( http://tomstephenson.blogspot.com/) I was reminded of my fairly brief sojourn into psychiatric nursing way back in the last years of asylum care.
The long dark corridors of a building that dated to 1829 lent themselves more to Hitchcock's Rebecca rather than a "modern" day health care system and the imagination of an inexperienced nurse could literally run riot when on night shift.
One particular shift I remember to this day, I was the only student nurse working nights on a ward called Dunham, which was a 20 bedded ward for, what was termed then, as the Elderly Mentally Infirm. I worked alongside an elderly senior enrolled nurse or greenies as they were affectionately called ( because of their green uniforms), and the night flew by in a flurry of toileting, bed changes and over tired attempts at reality orientation.
I must take a moment to describe the ward.Twenty foot ceilings and two inch thick doors that were locked at night with cathedral sized keys. Pealing blue paint, ancient wood block flooring and wrought iron radiators there were permanently set on "hot"At night the ward looked more creepy than the motel in Psycho!
This one night, at around 1am, the trained nurse and I was sat in the ward office which over looked the sleeping patients. Unexpectedly the phone rang and it was the hospital chief nurse who said in a clipped and somewhat breathless order " Go around your ward and ensure all of the doors are locked do it RIGHT now" before hanging up
We were terrified! As a fairly fit 22 year old male I got the job of racing around the Gothic darkness double checking that we were secure and safe...and boy was my hands shaking when I got to the final connecting door to the main asylum corridor, for in the distance I could hear shouting, shrieking and the sound of breaking glass!!
The enrolled nurse and I then stood in the darkened office listening to more shouts, bangs , crashes and screaming.....and I practically wet myself when the sound of running feet could be heard thundering up and down the central corridor only feet from where we stood.
My imagination ran riot , and if I could have resigned my nursing career there and then I honestly would have done, but like the true Brits that we were.....we sat there in silence, praying for the end to be merciful quick!
The noises finally diminished somewhat and feeling brave I walked to the office window and opened the huge out-of-date floral curtains in a flourish so I could look out on the main hospital building.
There standing not two feet from the window, and barely illuminated by the office lamp was a pale starring face of a man.
I remember everything stopped for a moment.
I said something rather manly like "eeekk!"
and the enrolled nurse bellowed "Jesus Christ Almighty" before the man turned slowly away into the dark.
I have NEVER been so frightened in my life and I can honestly say that I all but wet myself there and then on the ancient parquet floor...
As it turned out, the man was high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol and had been flinging milk bottles at staff from the rooftops . (Like you do) after being refused night sedation from the neighbouring A & E department.
...and to this day, I still cannot cope with a sudden face at a window...or saying that.....I hate horror films to boot
A Little Kindness
It also had a dig at the snow that thoughtfully fell in bucketfuls this morning.
But I will leave the rest of the day on a rather sweeter note
As I was walking the dogs around the village, a door opened in one pensioner bungalows and a elderly couple I know to wave to beckoned me over.
Mrs Hopkins held out a selection of hand knitted mittens and gloves and said "Now we have noticed you don't often wear gloves when you are out walking the dogs! so pick yourself a pair to keep you warm!"
It was a gentle and kind gesture and it made my day
First Snow and thoughts of getting old
Well it had to happen! This morning the snow came down and Constance , after taking one long sad look of the back garden galloped into her cage and refused point blank to come out.
The hens too have been reluctant to come out of their coops, so I have had to put food and water out into each of the 15 houses to keep them all going.
The American Bourbon turkeys are moulting, so have no reserves to fight the wet snow. I have locked them safely up in their shed.
Now anyone that really knows me, will testify to the fact that I seldom get melancholy.
But....last night, when I was soaking the chicken poo out of my pours I had a brief yet heartfelt tip toe into the realisation that I am two years off fifty!
My father was 48 in 1973!....(it was one of those absent thoughts that come into your head when your mind wanders)
It's not an interesting fact....but to me...soaking in the tub.....it proved to be somewhat terrifying!
I then had a gallop around some facts and figures
We have been on Wales over five years now
I have been a nurse for 27 years
In twelve years time I will be sixty
Twelve years ago , it was 1998
...and I remember everything in 1998 as though it was yesterday
In 2022 I will remember everything now as it was yesterday.........and I will then officially be.....an old man!
My dad died when he was 65!
Does anyone else do this age realization thing?
I don't feel 48. I dont feel middle aged (well except when I farted when leaning over a supermarket freezer) But middle aged I am....and it is a little scary to realise that most of my life on this planet has already been experienced...........done and dusted!
Looking at Constance, curled up tight with George in her new bed , I realise that sometimes it must be easier being a dog......
The hens too have been reluctant to come out of their coops, so I have had to put food and water out into each of the 15 houses to keep them all going.
The American Bourbon turkeys are moulting, so have no reserves to fight the wet snow. I have locked them safely up in their shed.
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| St Michaels this morning |
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| The Lane outside the cottage well after dawn |
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| The Young runners having a major panic attack in the snow |
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| Boris before I put him back into his house |
Now anyone that really knows me, will testify to the fact that I seldom get melancholy.
But....last night, when I was soaking the chicken poo out of my pours I had a brief yet heartfelt tip toe into the realisation that I am two years off fifty!
My father was 48 in 1973!....(it was one of those absent thoughts that come into your head when your mind wanders)
It's not an interesting fact....but to me...soaking in the tub.....it proved to be somewhat terrifying!
I then had a gallop around some facts and figures
We have been on Wales over five years now
I have been a nurse for 27 years
In twelve years time I will be sixty
Twelve years ago , it was 1998
...and I remember everything in 1998 as though it was yesterday
In 2022 I will remember everything now as it was yesterday.........and I will then officially be.....an old man!
My dad died when he was 65!
Does anyone else do this age realization thing?
I don't feel 48. I dont feel middle aged (well except when I farted when leaning over a supermarket freezer) But middle aged I am....and it is a little scary to realise that most of my life on this planet has already been experienced...........done and dusted!
Looking at Constance, curled up tight with George in her new bed , I realise that sometimes it must be easier being a dog......
The Trelawnyd Flower Show 2011 & HAPPY THANKSGIVING
It is freezing this morning.
After walking the dogs ( Constance had to be manhandled out of her bed)
I broke all of the ice formed on the animal water feeders, set out the corn and layers pellets and let all the birds out to free range.
By the time I had caught Lilian ( a white buff with a rattle cough), given her some antibiotic, then treated Boris with some antibacterial spray ( he has a sore claw digit) and finally dabbed Vaseline on Constance's cracked nose (a job that has to be done outside as she has a tendency to be sick with stress after the treatment) I felt chilled to the bone, so right now I am warming up with coffee and some buttered scones!
The scones were a welcomed gift from Auntie Glad, and were left overs from the flower show meeting held at her house last night. (Half way through the proceedings she treats us to hot sweet tea and lashings of buttered, freshly baked scones)
The Flower Show meeting was brief . The committee had already thrashed out the new schedule for 2011 at a previous meeting, so we just needed to cross the T'S and dot the i's.
Next year's show will have more Trophy prize cups for the winners
The new Schedule can be seen at
http://trelawnydflowershow.blogspot.com/
I would be very interested to read your comments
After walking the dogs ( Constance had to be manhandled out of her bed)
I broke all of the ice formed on the animal water feeders, set out the corn and layers pellets and let all the birds out to free range.
By the time I had caught Lilian ( a white buff with a rattle cough), given her some antibiotic, then treated Boris with some antibacterial spray ( he has a sore claw digit) and finally dabbed Vaseline on Constance's cracked nose (a job that has to be done outside as she has a tendency to be sick with stress after the treatment) I felt chilled to the bone, so right now I am warming up with coffee and some buttered scones!
The scones were a welcomed gift from Auntie Glad, and were left overs from the flower show meeting held at her house last night. (Half way through the proceedings she treats us to hot sweet tea and lashings of buttered, freshly baked scones)
Next year's show will have more Trophy prize cups for the winners
The new Schedule can be seen at
http://trelawnydflowershow.blogspot.com/
I would be very interested to read your comments
and to all you Americans out there
Have a Peaceful and enjoyable
THANKSGIVING DAY
XXXXX
Constance Watching
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| Constance leg hugging |
I will not apologise for sounding like a new parent. I sound like a new parent because I AM a new parent. Having a new animal in the house has always had the potential for trouble. Established pecking orders, attachments to human pack leader and house rules are often turned upside down not only by the arrival of a new dog, but more importantly by mistakes made by the humans of the household.
After looking after 6 dogs, I feel as though I am a bit of an expert at this "bedding in" lark!
and I know that there are several rules that have to followed when a new dog arrives
1. Routine is adhered to at all times.
2 favouritism to the newbe is not shown
3. ALL dogs are ignored from time to time to re enforce your own dominance
4 Feeding is done separately
5. Behaviour needs to be watched closely
Last night the dog pack here has fused nicely. Like I said in last night's blog the fact that all four dogs playfully stood at the door waiting for my arrival signified that they are now acting as one. I tested this by taking Constance out for a short walk on her own, so when we arrived back I watched the other dogs carefully and was pleased when dog leader William trotted over to sniff his welcome at Constance's nose and mouth.
When separated, a pack will always "greet" each other when reunited even if the separation is brief, watching this ritual occur is always healthy moment !
As for Constance herself, she remains a lazy and benign presence at the cottage. Last night I watched her lumber over to Albert ( who had flattened out Chris' knitting to fashion himself a comfortable bed). With her little piggy eyes never leaving his face, she lent forward to give him one almighty "sniff" and as he sat his ground, she acquiesced to his confidence and collapsed in front of the fire ( cat now higher status than Bulldog!)
After meals she has started to become playful with William and a more mistrusting Meg which is another healthy sign , but for 90% of the day she remains a lumpy, snoring mass lying somewhere in a comfortable and warm corner.
Things have normalised
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| The pack awaiting their morning walk ( apologies for the scenic bin bag) |
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