Off on Holiday!

It’s that time of year again – Norfolk Broads holiday.  I have a route planned so that I don’t need to use anyone to get me around the M25 and M1.

After leaving the place where our motorhome is stored and setting off along the A30 I looked down and noticed that my speedometer was telling me I was stationary!!!  Thankfully I had the Sat Nav (Jasmine) set up and so I used it to tell me my speed.  I hoped it was a blip and would work again but it was not to be

The first night was spent parked outside a friend’s house in Somerset …

We went to the local pub for a meal as she had thought we were arriving the following day!  We’re stopping here on the way home and have been promised a roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings!!  The following morning I happened to mention that our motorhome was looking decidedly dirty and her OH very kindly offered to power wash it for me …

It was positively sparkling when he’d finished and I was petrified that I’d get it dirty on my travels.  There were cats living here which Hamish was thrilled about and he proceeded to make friends …

From Somerset we went to our favourite site on the canal near Devizes …

From Wiltshire it was a short hop to Oxfordshire and a new site for us.  The Burford Caravan Club Site is situated opposite the Cotswold Wildlife Park and we were given a lovely pitch close to the toilet block …

Early the next morning I took Hamish for his walk and we went to investigate the Park …

We set off at ten o’clock and the journey can be read on my Broadland Blog.

Verulamium Park, St Albans.

On our last Sunday in Luton we were driven to St Albans for a walk around the Verulamium Park. 

It was lovely weather and the park was very busy.  Half-way round we stopped at the Inn on the Park for coffee and then continued on our way.  Near the end of our walk I found these Roman wall remains and in the distance you can see St Albans Abbey …

Snow in Luton

One of the bonuses of our stay in Luton is that we enjoyed some snow.  When you live in Cornwall and very rarely see the white stuff it’s amazing how exciting it is to have it falling and laying!  Hamish loved it and went sniffing about to see who else had been out walking on ‘his patch’.

Simon came up to visit his dad on the Sunday after his op and by the end of the day the snow was falling and beginning to lay.  He left early just in case he had a bad drive home but he said it disappeared the further down the M1 that he went.

Jamie and Phill had been out for the day at Grace’s first birthday party and by the time they got home it was really laying.  Phill put the lights on in their front garden so we could take  photos – very pretty!

By the following morning it was beautiful.  Photos from our bedroom window - spot the white dog in the snow …

It lasted a few days and I took these pix of the boys in the garden …

Mike’s Operation on his Left Eye

The last time Mike had a check-up at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London they decided that he needed an operation on his left eye asap.  We were given the date of 8th Feb and so on Sunday 3rd Feb Simon came down to Cornwall to collect us and take us to Jamie’s house in Luton.  Hamish made himself comfortable on the back seat in his bed …

Jamie had managed to get the operation day off work and so we all got the train to London and checked in at McKellar Ward.  After all questions were answered and checks made, Mike was taken down early and Jamie got ‘gowned up’ to accompany him …

Mike was in theatre for ages and so Jamie and I got chatting with a lovely couple who were seated at the bed next to us.  We ended up by exchanging mobile numbers and have kept in touch.  Once we heard he was out of recovery and on the ward we made our way down to find him.  Poor love he was totally blind as his right eye has no sight and his left was smothered in padding and plaster …

We fed him some jelly and gave him a drink of water.  His mouth was sore as the donor graft for his eye had been taken from his mouth hence no hot drinks or solid food tonight.

We left him to sleep off the anaesthetic and then the next day we went back to collect him.

Christmas Bath

Hamish went to see his Aunty Helen for grooming last week and this afternoon he had his Christmas bath …

Not one of his favourite pastimes!! However he loves to just curl up and get dry on the sofa afterwards …

Hamish is Diabetic

For a couple of weeks Hamish had been drinking excessive amounts of water and so on our return from holiday I took a urine sample in to the vet and it was tested.  The result as I expected was that he is diabetic.

He is now on a strict regime which means that I have to be up early every day to walk him, then feed him and then give him his morning insulin.  It’s like being back at work with no weekend lie-in!!  In the evening it’s all repeated as he’s on a twice daily dose.

He’s being really good although he’s missing his little treats that he used to get when we left him at home to go shopping.  He gives me a ‘look’ when I pick up his insulin pen but he stands still and lets me inject him.

Over the last few weeks he’s spent a couple of days at the vets for monitoring but they think it’s stressing him and he’s now just going to have blood taken for a fructosamine test and then he can come straight home.  He’s returned from his each of his day stays with a bandage round his leg and a look that says “Take pity on me please!”

Afternoon Stroll on the Beach

I took Hamish for a lovely walk on the beach this afternoon.  Not many people about apart from surfers enjoying the waves and I spotted some pebbles just itching to be built into a cairn …