Friday 31 May 2019

Dont rain on my parade.

Well it did!


I managed the railings.  Breathing under control.  Beautiful.  


The Gull gang were not that impressed with the weather either.


Heads tucked under wings.

Sith cat went to the vets this morning.  He had blood taken which was tested.  Liver function reasonable.  So back on the whole blue pill daily.  If he has another seizure they would appreciate a video......The seizure could also be due to the liver function rather than the pill which is supposed to aid liver function....  Carry on with the 1/2 steroid, which is for his asthma,  which can be put in food.  But us having tried the blue pill in food it does not work as it tastes horrible once crushed and is why he then refused to eat.  With me so far?  He also had thyroid levels checked which were fine.  So carry on as before - with video camera in hand.  Very large bill for blood test.  But hey ho.  They never have been able to listen to his heart as he purrs so loudly.  My cat is nothing else but kind!  And a creep.

I spent the afternoon watching the birds.  A bit of painting and made a total mess.


Thrilled to see a Foxglove growing.



It was raining heavily as I left the Shedudio to return to the house.  I noticed this pink thing in one of the troughs on the patio.  No I have never planted anything there and the DP also denied any knowledge.  I think it might be an Anemone.  I was drowned by the rain and did not turn the flower to show the inside.  Any ideas?  I googled anemone and it does look like one.


A Goldfinch baby begging.  But ignored.  It has been fascinating to watch how weaning is carried out in the bird world.  The parents just ignore the begging babies.  They have led them to food, fed them the food and thats it.  You are on your own mate.


A Daddy Woodpecker.  No doubt soon to bring his offspring to the garden.  Perhaps when it isnt raining quite so much.



Thursday 30 May 2019

Pacing myself.

Well - trying to!

I went to the Prom on my own today.


I walked to the Kessock Burn and back.  In stages.  Lots of pauses.  

It was very overcast and spitty rain.  Not that pleasant.  So you have one of my jerky videos of the massed Gull Gangs.


One of the middle sized fishing boats.  Heading for the harbour.


The Kessock Burn enters the North Sea.  

Then it was back home.  The DP was off to complete the shopping.  

Thanks so much to Jean for her advice about halving cat pill and ensuring he ate it.  We managed the halving. Unfortunately we did all that she said but had not the cat treat.  So it was put into his food.  He refused to eat it.  In fact he refused to eat anything all day.  He was spaced out.  The DP then went and purchased the cat treat stuff and we managed him eating his steroid.  After a management discussion the DP has now an appointment with the vet tomorrow.  We both feel his brain is no longer working.  Spending time staring into corners, sleeping lots.  We seek a medical assessment.  


The DP is currently encouraging him to get on his knee which he always does in the evening.  But Sith doesnt seem to know what to do.  So bloody sad.  Sorry all.


Wednesday 29 May 2019

Think Positive.

The DP came with me to the Prom today.


Here is me hanging over the railings.  There was a cool breeze.  But the sun was out.




The DP.  


Suddenly some surf!


Reflections of the wind turbines on the shore.

Later it was the breathing clinic.  As I expected....  The damage to my lungs is such that all I can do is pace myself.  So, gird up the loins and get on with it.  Thinking positive.  If I could just remember, before I start off to do something, to pace , pace, pace myself!  Slowly was never one of my favourites!

Tuesday 28 May 2019

Bit of a struggle day.

I am becoming used to my new carer.  She is quite restful.  Lack of chat is no longer a problem as I do not have to reply so can breathe!  She is the first one to rub her hands together with the moisturising cream so it warms it up and I do not have to flinch when it is applied!

The DP came with me to the Prom today.  The reason for this was I was to make a rare visit to a shop.  Being vertically challenged he can reach down stuff I cannot.  Prom first.


Beautiful.  Lungfuls of clean air.


Lots of Gulls.  





Small boat.


A lone surfer.  No surf....


I had a chat with the painter.  They have only to do the Buoys in the car park now.  Then they are done.  We had a discussion about the cafe needing some painting.  Quite what he thought I could do about it I know not.  Anyway me being me I have messaged the cafe and asked if it is to be done.  Everywhere else is now so smart.  

After that to the supermarket.


I now have a spotty dressing gown and spotty pyjamas.  I also have new trousers, flip flops and nail varnish.  All this to take advantage of £7.50 off.  But I did need everything purchased.  I also need a new pair of slippers but totally forgot having left the list where I wrote it....

Sith was shouted at.  I laughed also, in hind sight.  He is a cat but I really did not think he was up to catching anything anymore.  We failed miserably in halving the pill today.  It shattered into pieces and we mashed it up in his food which he totally refused to eat.  

The DP is accompanying me again tomorrow.  Its the breathing clinic.  We need to know if this struggle to breathe is it.  The way of things.  If so.  I can try to adapt.


Monday 27 May 2019

No rain today.

Probably as it was a bank holiday everywhere else but we ignore them in Scotland so the sun shone.


The Kessock Burn meets the North Sea.


I walked, as did some others.  I was on the Prom, they were on the beach.


Herring Gulls.


Small Fishing boat.


The roof of one of the shelters gets painted.  Never seen the roofs be painted before.  All the sides and the seats but this time the roof gets done.  Yes.


Just struck me.  Skurries love roofs but you never see them on the shelters.


Dyson, our alpha male, and Mrs Dyson and Junior Dyson.  Are you sitting down?  Get a tissue.  Just after this photo was taken.  Our elderly cat Sith ate Junior.

An update on Siths health, should you want to hear it after that, is the vet wants us to halve the liver supporting pill which has the side effects that could have caused the seizure he had, and give it twice a day.  Rather than a whole one once a day.  If he has another seizure then back to the drawing board.

Speaking of drawing boards I continue battle with portraying the toad.


Still not happy with his fingers.....

The garden is blossoming.  


Peony.


Allium.  Lots of these.  Different sizes.  One of my favourites.  Which once gone over I dry.  Great for pen and ink drawings.



The 'joys' of living in the countryside.  Something being sprayed on the Barley.  And some will have gone into our garden....  Pesticide probably.  Hmm.

So - no rain and only a light shower tomorrow.  Whats the betting it will be when I am at the prom.

Sunday 26 May 2019

Rained off.

Never stopped in fact is still descending.


The Prom today.  I never left the car.  The rain was bouncing.  All the way home I was kicking myself at being a wimp and not getting out.  

Back home bird watching.


Having seen a rival off Pheasant was eyeball to eyeball with me!  On the patio table.


Soggy Tree Sparrow babies huddling together.


Baby Siskin finds the Nyga  Seeds.


Young Goldfinch begs.


Is fed.


Jackdaws have babies too.

I did some painting and drawing and inking.


Sanderlings getting a rock to stand on.


Mr Toad needs more fingers, well quite a lot more really, another elbow and a back.  Patience.  Toads always make me think of Beatrix Potter.

The forecast for tomorrow is the rain stops.  Wind is back....cant have everything.  But I will get out of the car.




Saturday 25 May 2019

I Survived.

I managed to survive the day.  Just imagine doing everything you do but breathing through a straw.  Well that is what it is like for me.  I dont ask for sympathy just not the eyes raised to the ceiling when I state how it is.  So moving round the kitchen, preparing my breakfast, loading the dish washer, was akin to a marathon!

I went for the newspaper to Tesco.  Fully intending to get a variety of other things. Dressing gown, nail varnish, slippers, shoes, trousers.  But it was packed.  I got the paper and left.

After a boiled egg for lunch I was off to the Prom.


Dull, overcast and spitty rain.  But it wasnt cold.  Not many people around, so plenty Gulls.




A lone walker.


Fishing boat away on 'the hunt'.


Back home.  Sith cat sitting on a garden chair.  No problems today thank goodness.

Lit the wood burner. fed the birds.  Collapsed for a while!


Young Blackbird, looks bigger than the parent, being fed.


Baby House Sparrows being fed.

The garden is bursting with young birds.  Including Dyson and a partners baby Pheasants.  No photograph as we were both surprised to come face to face and the wee ones shot off into the undergrowth.

Other birds are frantically gathering food and shooting off to feed their off spring.



Here is Dyson who appears to be asking himself "Why are we here, what are we for?"

More likely the seed has run out as the DP was not here to fill all the feeders up and scatter the seed.  But he is back now.  We have had a lovely Chinese takeaway.  Stove is lit.  All good.