Travels with my camera

Well, I have been AWOL for a few days I know, but my week of things going wrong went even wronger, and I ended up with no broadband for over two days, I won't go into great detail though, as it is really a yawnfest of the first degree, I spent a fair bit of time using dial-up, had forgotten how awful that is (not to mention the cost, I hate to think what my phone bill will be next time) but in the end I did away with my wireless broadband as the routers are too bloody complicated for me to set up, and I bought a little USB plug in one, and am back in business.

My ex and his other half came over on Saturday and he connected up my new shiny calor gas cooker. It was a hell of a job for him, but in the end it cost me the price of a piece of hose (£5) and our meal down the local restaurant (fish and chips for four and our drinks £18) So to say I'm chuffed is an understatement. Bit better than £130 don't you think which was the cheapest price I was quoted. I even managed to help by changing all the natural gas jets to the calor ones, which I thought was beyond me when I first read the instructions, it's surprising what a bit of moral support does for your braincells. Today have cooked up a batch of spaghetti bolognaise, enough for four meals (three lots in the freezer already) and a bread and butter pudding! Yay, the first one I've made for about 5 years, my speciality, everso fattening but I don't care! And I boiled an egg last night too, so I've already used my new cooker more than I used the electric one in 9 months!

Yesterday they asked me if I wanted to go with them to the huge carboot sale and market at Stormy Down, and then down to the beach at Porthcawl, I've never been there before, so was a new experience for me. I was on my way to their place just as it was getting light, and I saw a V-formation way up high of some migratory birds - miles too high to see what, but thought it was an amazing sight, there must've been around 50 birds. We were very lucky with the weather, being as all we have had this past week was gales and lashing rain, it was cold, but no wind and lots of sunshine. Didn't see anything much that I wanted at the market, but we had a look round Porthcawl and I got a few bits and pieces. We went in Barry's camper which was fun, hadn't travelled in one for a few years, you see so much more at that height, going along the M4 there were some surprising things to see that you miss when you are at car level, or driving yourself of course, which I normally am. Good fun on the beach with the dogs, Barry & Christine's Misty is a real livewire, never stopped still long enough for me to get any decent shots of her and Emma together, but I did get one when she was a bit more worn out in the camper on the way home. She's a really lovely friendly dog, definitely about 75% border collie and I think maybe 25% greyhound. She's got the odd eyes that collies often have too, which is interesting (one blue eye, one brown)

Talking of eyes, poor old Emma has bad ones. I had to take her to the vets this afternoon, (damn and blast, why couldn't she have been ill tomorrow - Damien's day - but I couldn't risk leaving it any longer.) She has had one bloodshot eye for a few days, and I've been putting drops in it that I bought from the chemists, which are apparently the same as you would get on prescription, but it hadn't really cleared up. Well last night I noticed her other eye was all puffed up, and it looked awful this morning, she could hardly open it. Turns out she has an ulcer, Marie showed me it clearly by using the green dye (see picture below) She has drops, antibiotics and some other stuff which forms like a contact lens over the eye, so that it is protected from everything. This stuff costs £17 a bottle, and she may need 2! I've got to take her back on Thursday or Friday for a check up. Poor little devil. It was obviously bothering her too, she wouldn't let me touch it. Marie thinks I can claim on my insurance for this course, but I have to pay the first £50 excess anyway, so not sure, will have to see how much the bill is when it comes. It gets worse. I asked about her limp on her right leg that she's had for a couple of months now, and she has the start of arthritis in her shoulder. Theres also a treatment for this, course of injections, but we are going to sort her eyes out first.