Sospan fach....

[excoriator]

We seem to be going through the same sort of thing as described in the lugubrious Welsh song with a litany of domestic tragedies.

As well as various machines breaking down, our dog is ill and seems to be suffering from a growth in the bladder. At first we thought her frequent need to pee was due to cystitis, but it seems not. She is now passing small quantities of blood, and the plan is for the vet to excise it in the next few weeks. In the meantime the poor thing needs to go outside every hour day and night and we are working shifts to allow this. From an examination (using a camera on a stick, in the vet's words) he was unable to get enough for a biopsy but got a 'scraping' in which he was not able to see any cancerous cells, but it is not conclusive. We live in hope.

Time to hose down the yard again now.

[jonjel]

Only just seen this Exco. How is she?

[excoriator]

Well, she's survived an op to have a tumour removed from he bladder, but the biopsy revealed a malignant form of cancer that will probably see her off.

Apart from that she's pretty good. Eating and going for walks, and doing what she usually does, but we are not optimistic for the future.

She needs to be let out for a pee at night too so I am staying up to about three a.m. and Mrs E. then gets up as soon as she barks to go out next, and takes over.

The vet is supposed to be getting some drug that slows the spread down, but it has side effects like vomiting and diarrhea so it may not suit her anyway.

We shall see what we shall see. Thanks for asking Jonjel.

How is your lake these days? All finished?

[jonjel]

One of the worst things about life Exco is you usually outlive a lot of very good dogs.

The 'lake' is finished as a construction, but now needs several tons of topsoil to make up the surrounding area. And it is a job I think that will go on long after I have shuffled off.

Part of it, I will sort others out as soon as I have the time.

[jonjel]

This was it under construction. There are two of those bridges which are Chinese, granite. And I calculated the weight as near as possible. 230Kg each! It was four very strong men with slings and poles to get them in position. I just did the 'left a bit, right a bit, steady' part of the job.