Hello Mum's blogger friends; this is Ambrose. I have had to wait to post about the kitties and our doggy friend. Mum has been worried about Skabby being ill (he's getting better now) and she has also been very sad. We, the Hedges pets decided to be good to help her!
I'm currently writing my blog from my cottage in the Drakensberg, Champagne Valley, Kwa-Zulu Natal; South Africa
memorablemeanders.blogspot.com
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Hedges kitties and dog
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Update on my Skabby
Good afternoon dear Blogger friends. As posted last week, Skabby had been to the vet. He improved during the week. Not once did he go off his food and never was his enthusiasm for his daily walk diminished. But he was a much quieter puppy; at times looking quite introspective.
In memory
Good evening dear Blogger friends. Many of you may remember how, three years ago, I lost my darling husband, Grant very suddenly. You can read about it here
Today is the anniversary of his death and I have been inundated with wishes, phone calls and WhatsApp messages from friends and family.
I scrolled through my external hard drive for photos and posted on Facebook. Here too, I was showered with loving comments and kind words about Grant.
I thought I'd share these here too.
We attended a Sudanese wedding while we were there
Namibia on two wheels
SA national roads boast sweeping passes which are a biker's delight and architecturally superior bridges across our many major rivers. Photo ops of the bike on a bridge was my forte and my old biker always obliged by posing in a relaxed manner while I clicked away
At a motorcycle rally in Bloemfontein in 2017 |
Monday, November 23, 2020
Sick as a dog!
Good evening Blogger friends. I've been away from my laptop (as has Ambrose) due to a very uncomfortable doggie. What do you say when a dog is sick? Sick as a human?
On Friday evening I noticed that Skabby had what I thought was, dewlaps. Huge extended skin under his chin. Of course, he goes into a frenzy if I bend down to look at him and spins around in circles. When I managed to calm him, and ran my hand under his chin, I felt two huge lumps like cricket balls. He didn't seem to be too distressed but my mind spun into overdrive. I hardly slept a wink worrying about the dog. (who slept soundly beside my bed)
On Saturday morning I loaded him in the car (I was able to do this myself, which bodes well for when I take him to the groomers in future) and drove the 50km to the vet in Estcourt. A young woman attended to him. She drew fluid from the lumps and checked it out. She was rather non-committal about what it could be. I asked her if it could be a snake bite but she said no. She suspected they were abscesses which would drain naturally, but if not, I'd bring him back in a week, and the main vet would lance and drain this under anesthetic.
She gave him an antibiotic injection and prescribed five days of tablets for me to administer.
He's been very quiet. He drinks copious amounts of water and I see it's a challenge for him to eat his food. I have to crush the meds in milk warned with water and he manages to get this down.
I took him for a walk today. He was very excited at the prospect and did all the normal things he does on this walk. Even dived into the dam at the end of the first part of our sortie. Back home, he lapsed into quiet mode again and lay under the shrubs until dark when he came indoors to lie by my bed. Ever the loyal guard dog even when sick as a dog!
Roll on Friday when my poor boy can get relief.
Sunday, November 15, 2020
My turn at last !
Dear Mum's fellow Bloggers; this is Ambrose and at last I have a turn at the computer. Mum has been very busy but most of her work is done at home and we have her with us a lot now!
I am sleeping on Mum's bed at night while Mama sleeps in the wardrobe. She and I still don't get on too well.
Skabby the dog went away with Mum in her car. He came back all smooth and so happy he made a big splash in his water bowl
Chappie enjoys the sunshine
The Hedges pets are very happy !
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Clear skies and another rescue mission
Dearest Blogger friends; more than two weeks have elapsed since I blogged. I have been very busy at the farm office and of course, the accommodation keeps me and Thandiwe on the hop. We are eternally grateful for the guests, and have the stripping, cleaning and sterilizing after checkouts and prepping for check-in guests, down to a fine art!
As always Skabby and I still go out for our daily walk on the farm.
Early last Friday, it was very misty. At 8.20 that morning, when Skabby and I walked, the sun had burnt off the moisture; the air was crisp and clear and the sky a deep blue. As I focused my camera on the majestic peaks, I realized that for the first time since I moved to the Central Drakensberg four years ago, the mountains were standing out in stark relief against the Lesotho highlands as their backdrop.
And then it was upwards and onwards with the walk! |
We spent a few minutes chatting before Skabby and I entered our garden gate