Alfie, Badly Placed Sunflowers and My Garden

On Monday morning we drove Alfie to the vet. On the top lane, before reaching the main road, there was a handsome hare, just sitting on the verge and totally unflummoxed by my driving to within a few metres of him. Why didn't I have my camera with me?

Because Alfie was going to have the stitches taken out of his face where his eye and some tumour were removed three weeks ago, all three cats had been starved since midnight, since any food or drink I put down could have been eaten by any one of them. The vet, Aude, who is lovely, said that unusually, because Alfie has such a gentle temperament, that she might be able to remove the stitches without sedation, but just in case, that he shouldn't have had anything to eat. He was so good on the journey to the vet, not a sound from him. We waited for ten minutes and then went into Aude's surgery and she removed the stitches without any fuss from Alfie at all. What a lovely cat he is! She dimmed the lights and checked his remaining eye, which appeared to be fine still.

Today, things were not so good with Alfie. His eye was pouring with puss and clearly there was an infection. I kept expressing the revolting stuff by gentle pressure and wiping. We drove to see Aude, our lovely vet, and with a large needleless syringe she washed out the infection several times until the draining fluid was clear. I asked the question, through tears, that all pet owners dread asking "is it better to let him go now and not put him through anymore stress and pain?" She said that if he was her cat she would give him another chance with antibiotics. She then gave him an antibiotic injection and asked to see him again on Friday morning. She said he had the most beautifully temperament of any cat she'd ever seen. He didn't flinch while she had been doing all of these horrible things to him, except a little flinch at the rectal thermometer, which showed no raised temperature.   Here's Daisy looking after him.

And, by the way, on Monday, on the way home, in the same place, the hare was sitting, as if waiting for me to come back. He crossed the road in front of us and sat on the other verge for a while before making his way into the field.  It really makes my day to see something like this. I had never seen any hares before coming here and to see one close like that is just so wonderful and starts the day off really well.

Note to self - DO NOT FORGET CAMERA IN FUTURE. I used to carry it in my pocket all the time, but slammed the car door shut on it a few weeks ago and the screen has broken.  

I think you can make out the dent in the front of the camera in this photograph.  Luckily I picked up one on eBay for a pretty good price, so have the same model again - it takes me so long to get used to a new one with different features. 

The next thing was a friend coming from near Rostrenen to trim the goats' hooves. She arrived about 11.00am and Andy held each goat in turn while Ros cut away the overgrowing cuticle. While they were being held firmly, I managed to put a large syringe, without needle, into their mouths with worming treatment. Everything went well and that's that sorted for another year.

I think it make have been a mistake to sow sunflower seeds under the sitting room window. Two plants have grown about a metre now and are coming up past the glass and will soon block the view on one pane!

Still, at least I shall have a good view as they go on upwards towards the flowering moment. 

Under the kitchen window I have my blue pots and nasturtians which won't cover the view.

   This evening I had a quick walk round the garden when the sun popped out for a bit and took photos of - first Lychnis Chalcedonica Cardinal

Secondly the honeysuckle on the garden wall.

Then two seed heads from my red poppies in the border and

next of the nasturtians which have turned out to be plain and variegated this year.

Lastly a view of the pergola with the pink rose growing by it.

It's been a reall weird weather day, perhaps now we're heading towards winter again the weather doesn't quite know what to do.  I can't believe the sunshine finally came out today.  Apparently it's going to change at the weekend and be wall to wall sun for a while - let's hope so.

Three things I like:

1.   Purrdy snuggling up on my shoulder purring loudly.
2.   Collecting hen eggs - still warm.
3.   Eating my friends' daughter's birthday cake in the polytunnel.