Travels with my camera

I took her to the vets this morning. Had to wait nearly an hour to see Damien, but it was worth every second. Nothing to do with Emma's health though, but it did me the world of good! I shouldn't be lusting after a man who is probably about 15 years my junior and is probably very happily married, but he shouldn't be so fit, and have such a divine French (well Belgian) accent! Swoon. And I nearly did when I first saw him too, he had shorts on today. OMG, lovely legs for a guy too. Smooth, tanned, not hairy....And that smile when he recognises you in the waiting room... I am feeling quite faint all of a sudden..... *thunk*

Anyway enough about that. Where was I? Oh yes, Emma and her scratching. She has been tearing herself to pieces for the past three weeks roughly now. She has been on allergy injections since this time last year, as she is allergic to virtually everything, the vaccine costs nearly £100 but it's been worth every penny, because this is the first year that I have been free of her constant scratching and biting herself to pieces. Then suddenly, it stopped working, it actually stopped working before her month was up (I inject her every month) I wondered if it was because it was the end of the bottle and it wasn't as effective, but then I got fresh vaccine last Tuesday, and she has been terrible. I am getting hardly any sleep, and neither is she. Consquently, we are both worn out. Although the stuff is expensive, it has meant fewer visits to the vets with her this year, well none practically, no frontine flea treatments, which has saved me about £50, no steroid injections, no antihistamines, so have no complaints about the cost really. Anyway, Damien (swoon) confirmed that the vaccine is the same. So he asked if I have changed anything in the time that the itching has started, so I said no. So he started with a list, like washing powder, no, diet, no. Oh hang on. I told him about the hedgehogs, and the chicken and that Emma was now having some cooked chicken on her biscuits instead of tinned-type dog food. Ah-ha he says. Or more like Oui Oui (swoon) The itching started folks when Emma started having chicken. How sad is that? No more chicken then - he says he may be wrong (I doubt that he is ever wrong - swoon) But to try that first. Also I have bathed her today in anti-itchy shampoo, and I have frontline to give her in three days. If she's no better in two weeks, (it may take that long to get the chicken out of her system) then I am to go back. Well she hasn't scratched once since the bath, but that was only 3 hours ago now. She is going to be mortified to smell that chicken when I do it for Ryan, and not get any herself. Still, it won't be for a lot longer anyway, as Ryan will be hibernating, and as I plan to release him this weekend anyway, maybe he won't even return for his food after a few days, so I will just stick to the dry food again after that for the others.

So there you have it. Damien (swoon) says to put Emma in an old t-shirt to stop her scratching herself, lol, can you imagine that? Well maybe I will try it anyway, the pictures will be funny! Poor Emma.

Other news today, Diddy Boy has stuck around the back door all day, as it's been raining a lot of the time, like April showers really. I have put his little shelter box round here now, so he has dived in there a few times. At present he is exploring the kitchen I think, I hadn't the heart to shoo him out when I was making my cuppa just now. Pulled the door to though, so he doesn't come in here again!

Cleaned the porch out where Ryan is residing, was getting a bit smelly. I will mark him with the humbrol paint tonight when he comes out. I was going to get him in the box today, but I thought he will burrow down in the nest afterwards and it will stick to his spines with wet paint on them, so thought I'd best leave it till later.

"I've been thrashed to within an inch of my life!" (See she's really quite slim under all that fur)














"No, really, I have!"














Dry and fluffy again
















And finally, I've just come back from a walk with Emma, and the nephew of my two neighbours who live opposite me has come across. I can't remember if I mentioned on here before about Bella being rushed to hospital with a ruptured appendix a few weeks back, and then about a fortnight ago, her husband Paddy was taken in as well as he had fallen and hit his head. He had angina, and had looked ill for ages, well he has died in hospital - such a shock, and made me cry actually. Apparently he had liver failure too, and passed away on Monday. He was 70 a while ago, and they are a lovely couple, and he was so excited to tell me that Bella was coming home the next day, when I last spoke to him, which would be three weeks this coming Sunday. They used to have a small farm, and he was always keen on my birds and animals, and would tell me what birds he had seen in the garden. I will really miss chatting with him, feel very sad now. Bella is going to stay here which is good, I shall go and see her once she is settled back in, and will get a card tomorrow. How awful.