The Filthy Part Of Pet Ownership

'Tis the season of mists and muddy paws. Kit especially is a great one for walking through the garden before coming inside and hopping up on the bed. But you can't be mad with an animal that is so laid back she lies like a dog.

Meanwhile at some point on Sunday Mishka must have found a very very old nest of eggs because by that evening he was suffering from a nasty case of the squitters. Monday I had to wash his backside seven times including in the evening in the dark with just a torch to see by. Tuesday a friend suggested I crutch him so that I didn't have such a task keeping his bushy haunches and hind legs clean. Mishka was mortified at my attempt at a Brazilian and kept rushing away and sitting down so that no one could witness his abject humiliation. The cats of course thought it was hilarious.

Today he is on a fast to try and stop the diarrhoea along with colloidal silver in his water in case he has an infection plus Merc Sol 30c twice a day for three days. If I still can't get this under control it will be a vet visit which is a scary proposition for the pair of us. So here's to prayers that Mish's star sign will soon be out of the house of poo poo.

Things That Orb In The Night

My friends Marie and Steve invited me to their beautiful home for lunch on Sunday (home made soup, bread and chocolate mousse!) and after a guitar concert from Steve which had us bopping to “Cocaine”, “Sweet Child” and “Stairway To Heaven” we settled in front of their huge TV to watch “Underworld” in surround sound. It was like being in the movies with vampires and werewolves sounding as if they were creeping around you. And when the head vampire’s head slid off diagonally onto the ground it was awesome. Just like being there.


I can watch vamp movies till the cows come home and I’m never nervous. But ghost movies are a different matter. I’ve seen a ghost. My atheist brother has lived with a ghost. So I know they’re out there. Which is why my friends think I’m crazy continuing my paranormal photography hobby. Yet I don’t find snapping orbs in the least scary but oddly comforting. I can’t see them until they appear on my camera screen and then they’re usually hovering near trees and garden beds as if they’re busy doing something with the plants as if they were psychic gardeners.


Then there are the beautiful colours. Some are large and apricot, others small and vivid glowing white. Others are pink like this one which is hovering over a bed of pink roses. No I have never ever seen anything to be scared of.


Until I took this. Near the front gate, by the pine tree shelter belt, amongst some weeds. Immediately I took another snap but there was nothing there and the next morning when I checked there were no reflective surfaces that could account for these images. Not surprisingly since taking this picture I have felt a bit weird when I go past to get my mail as you never know what’s lurking unseen in the foliage.

Demelza's Embryo Modelling Career

The last of the monarchs hatched over the weekend bringing the complete total to thirty butterflies. Of course as soon as the last one flew away the weather turned cold so hopefully they’re well on their way to a warmer climate.

I am intending to enter Demelza into the New Zealand Top Cat Model competition this year. Fortunately all done over the net otherwise there would be no chance as her eyes turn as big as saucers and she falls off windowsills if she happens to see a strange human in her vicinity. A friend once told me her eyes look as if she’s on “P” (methamphetamines) but I think she looks as if she’s watched one too many horror movies on TV. Anyway I have opened a Twitter account for her so people can read her version of what happens around here- she is a bit judgemental so it will be tough reading for me occasionally.

Briar was due to have her hooves trimmed again but I had to make an urgent appointment as Betty saw she was limping. I couldn’t see as the farm worker here had taken it on himself to move her far far away with the few pet sheep she hangs about with. Betty brought her back with the dogs and I cleaned out her hoof and found a stone stuck there. The farrier couldn’t make it till Saturday morning so I hoped she would be able to stay nearby till her appointment but Friday morning she’d been moved way back over again. I told Betty who went over and got her again with the dogs and told the farm worker to leave her next to me till Monday. Suffice to say that I saw on Saturday she had been moved way over to a paddock at the back of Betty’s.

I had to ring the main house anyway as the water dried up in the cottage at 8.30am but Betty had gone out and wouldn’t be back till lunchtime. It took me a good half hour to go and get Briar who wasn’t limping as badly but it still was quite painful for her to walk back to my place. Then the farrier was an hour late so I waited out in the garden with Briar to keep her company until he arrived. Turned out a small abscess had also burst in her hoof so he cleaned that out and sprayed it plus trimmed her feet. I was too tired to take her all the way back so just popped her out the back gate into the field nearest me where she has been since, complaining loudly when I don’t arrive with the occasional carrot.

The water situation became quite dire as I didn’t have any collected unusually for me and by 3pm I had nothing to drink. I rang the main house again and spoke to an English lady staying with Betty and before I knew it she had walked over with a kettle of water as she hated the fact I couldn’t even have a cup of tea. By 4.30pm the water was back on again so I could feed and water the animals and have a tepid bath before settling down for the evening. However it has reminded me of how important it is to keep water stored at all times in case of emergency as it is the one thing you cannot live without. That and chocolate.