Travels with my camera

Starting with the hedgehogs in my care. Max still eating so little I can't believe he's still alive. He also passed blood in his wee last night too, and so did Ryan again. Ryan seems to do this every third night, has been very consistent, can't work that one out. Max only wants to eat a very few pieces of chicken, first thing in the morning when it's daylight. I'm wondering if I should try leaving a light on in the porch all night, maybe he doesn't like the dark. He had another pain killer at the vets yesterday, but now I am to just see how he goes, but the vet is really thinking in terms of putting him to sleep. I have to say I am beginning to come around to this too, what with his obvious deformity with the bad leg, not wanting to eat anything, and now weeing blood, the signs are that maybe it would be kinder. I don't think he's ever going to be able to be released, I haven't the facilities here to keep one confined indefinitely, only through hibernation, but he is way too small to allow him to do that even if he survives on what he is eating. I am hopeful of releasing Ryan shortly though, I will put him out in the vacant box in the garden, and hope that he chooses to use it on a permanent basis. If not, I will just have to hope that he will be okay wherever he decides to go. The blood problem is nasty but maybe not life-threatening, it's cystitis and messy but maybe something that hogs get from time to time, and there doesn't appear to be any treatment other than flushing it through, which isn't working too well.

The other bad news is my chicken. I took her to the vets yesterday too, and the vet wanted to put her to sleep there and then. I asked that we could please just try with her, so she had an antibiotic, and I wormed her when I came home as I already had some in the cupboard. We think she may have an infection in the oviduct, she has no appetite, is swollen around her back end, cannot go to toilet, and is very lethargic. Last night, she couldn't even manage to get up on the perch to roost, and again tonight, she is sleeping in the nest box. She seems worse today too, and I think it will be kinder to have her put down too. Sad times unfortunately, as the cockerel will have to be on his own now, I can't get him anymore hens now, I shouldn't have had them as it is, as it's not allowed where I live, but I couldn't bear to rehome him when I came here, I saw him hatch from an egg over 8 years ago, he is a dear little pet. I shall have to try and spend more time with him and he can come round to the back door again, I had to block this off from the big hens as they cause too much mess but his little feet and poos are no trouble. He can sleep in the back in the winter too, it will be warmer than up in the big house on his own.

Today I went to meet my friend in Ammanford as she is staying over there and pet-sitting for her son and d-i-l whilst they have gone on holiday. I got off the main road about a mile in from the M4 roundabout, and heard a bang, and thought at first a bungee had snapped in my boot which I use for holding all the junk in place. Then there was this awful noise coming from the rear of the car, and I thought oh no, must be something more serious, I thought it may even be a rear wheel bearing or the axle. Pulled in at a bus stop to get off the main road, and I had a bloody puncture! That tyre really went with a bang. Luckily it was one that needed changing really anyway, the wall was a bit perished, although the tread was good and it was still legal, only just passed the mot. Anyhow to cut a long boring story short, I just want to say thank god for mobile phones and the RAC. God knows where the nearest phone box was, so I was able to phone my mate and tell her what had happened so she wasn't sitting waiting for me at the shops, and phone the RAC. They said anything between 40 mins to 2 hours! But the guy was there within 15 minutes, which was brilliant and I was on my way, and ended up only being half an hour late.

Had a nice day in the end, took the dogs round the park, it's lovely over there, if I was to move but stay in Wales, I would like to live on the outskirts of Ammanford, her son lives at Hopkinstown and its only 5 minutes out of the town, but completely in the countryside, with stunning views from their house, the scenery round that way is fantastic. Its just so much nearer civilisation, for the shopping areas of Swansea, Llanelli, and an hour nearer the border for visiting home. Worth a thought maybe, I wonder if I could get a transfer.....???

And finally - the weather. It's crazy. There's a hurricane raging outside, it has been breezy today, but very warm, and still is. At 7.30 just as it was getting dark, it was still 70f/21c up by my aviary. The wind out there is horrendous though, I've actually just had to get up and go look out the door. There's going to be a lot of damage tonight. I just hope it isn't to my aviary. I am not going to sleep well tonight for sure, I am cringeing with the noise even in the living room now with the tv on. This was supposed to be here this afternoon, why does it have to be after dark when it sounds worse when you cant see what's happening? Bet theres a lot of poor birds not going to have a good night either.