Bramble counting sheep on holiday near Kirkcudbright (with thanks to gordonrasmith for the photograph)

And then it all went wrong.......

Since I last wrote, we have been having further problems with Hannimal Hector – serious biting (without any warning), and a major tail-bushing fracas between Dog and Cat (fortunately Cat is young, VERY fast and relatively sensible, so remains uninjured....not so ChickPea........).

We were loathe to give up on the dog without first trying to properly – and appropriately - address the behaviour. So a fully validated behaviourist, provided by the Dog’s Trust, visited us last Friday, spending a significant amount of time with us, giving us most valuable advice and a very clear programme of exercises to follow. She was kind, and very sensible. “Be safe” was her Ultimate Directive.

All seemed to be going nicely over the weekend as TH worked with the programme. Dog seemed quite comfortable with the first exercises, gradually progressing from Day One to Day Two of the set regimen.

Come Monday, after he had been breakfasted and well (and quietly) walked by ChickPea, she felt the time was right for her to start on the earliest exercises with him too. Not so. Dog was NOT having it.

So Hector went back to the Dog’s Trust at the beginning of the week.

It was the only option. Each time he bit someone he was building his confidence, and under-mining ours. Not the way to a happy, safe or joyous future for the four of us (let alone bringing the hens into the equation). He had made some good progress with us along the way – he was beginning to walk more comfortably on the lead, he was a little less restless in the house, he was allowing TH to touch him a little - but we were not up to giving him what he needs just now to deal with the biting issues. We hope that returning him to the rescue centre with extensive reporting of the issues which arose will assist rehabilitation for his future.

But we are still sad that he had to go, and the home is desolate without a canine member of the household..........

Staying Awake on a (late) Summer’s Afternoon

(With considerable difficulty, that is.....) 

These past few weeks have been hectic.  Hannimal Hector the new hound requires some serious behaviour modification, especially where golden Labradors are concerned.  Also in terms of basic handling (difficult to manage a dog with a cut paw if he doesn’t like his feet being touched), basic walking on a lead, relaxation when there’s more than one person in his company, and grooming. 

Who knows the ‘Why’ – perhaps inadequate basic handling when he was a puppy, perhaps an attack by a golden Labrador - but certainly all this needs to be remedied before we will have a dog we can even trust a little.  Dog Behaviourists appear to abound on the internet – tho credibility and qualification seem rather less available.  As the Dogs’ Trust have an in-house ‘behaviour advisor’, we have made arrangements and an appointment to gain guidance ASAP, well aware that we may inadvertently be presenting conflicting or inconsistent demands without realizing that we are so doing. 

In the longer term we are planning to attend Dog-person Training Classes (aware that these occasional signs of aggression need to be a thing of the past by then) and hope that occasional forays towards Agility Classes may be good for body and mind (as these sessions appear to clash with choir rehearsals, he’ll have to make do with ‘occasional’ I’m afraid).

Get-along-ability with the Feline Fella is making (rather slow but) steady progress – lots of space-sharing (initiated by cat, including managing to spend the night in the dog’s kitchen when ChickPea was away), and respectful nose-to-nose sniffing (initiated by both dog and by cat).

Today a new sleeping place has come into the house.  Bought for Dog, (as we will be going away on for a few nights’ holiday and a moveable ‘known’ bed seems like a good idea to help Dog cope with more new experiences) Cat was into it just moments after it was accessible, checked it out carefully and pronounced that it could stay. Surprisingly he then settled elsewhere, allowing Dog to take possession.

Peace has now settled upon us – TH asleep on the sofa, Big Cat asleep on the chair, and Hector Hound snuggled into his new bed.  Disturbing the harmonious silence to initiate dog walk in the park can wait another five minutes........

Welcome.......

The dog-shaped gap in the household has been unbearable. Thank you to the West Calder Dogs’ Trust for providing a new family member to enliven our lives.......

Hen-y Thoughts

The chooks are getting much happier as Spring enters the year, and we are now daily finding three eggs from between the four of them. Warmer ambient temperatures are doubtless a factor, along with longer daylight hours, and increasing amounts of sunshine – plus getting out to roam around (and trash) the garden. Last Friday they got the double whammy of OUT plus SUNSHINE – considered by Eena and Meena as ideal ingredients for a spot of dust bathing. Myna and Moe, meantime, were more interested in scratching about to find any unexpected edible goodies (we’ll not go any further in pursuit of the details). Mr Mutt was sleeping in a sunny spot near the hedge (a good place to dissuade local foxes from visiting), and Master Moglett was bouncing about, climbing trees, chasing shadows and eating the crocuses.

The whole scene was so relaxing, household chores got put on ‘hold’ and ChickPea sat on the dustbin for half an hour.

See the focussed effort invested in dust bathing ? Phenomenal ! And much as you may doubt the ability of a feathered face with a beak to reveal any expression whatsoever, those two hens were in seventh heaven in a state of sheer bliss.

The mind freeflows in sunshine.

First thing in the morning, the hens tend to shout a fair bit – until we appear and reassure them that they are not forgotten, not being ignored, not being taken for granted, and not going to miss breakfast ! In fact, their positive response to any attention, however fleeting, is quite remarkable.

Quite a lesson for relationships, really.

Faith. Fully.

I’m not sure I often wave the flag when I peek over the top of my parapet to gaze askance at the world around me.

I guess I tend to think that my faith is so integral to who I am that I don’t actually NEED to wave the flag about it very often. On the other hand, being a fully fledged cathedral chorister for rather more years than I care to add up, and wardrobe manager to boot, is perhaps a thinly disguised alternative flag that I wave very regularly indeed without noticing........

Tonight’s service at St M’s was a place apart. Faure’s Requiem was the music on offer for All Souls’ Day, and another ‘first’ for our treble choir who joined the regular adult choir for the occasion. And the trebles stepped up to the mark and conjured up a most spectacular ‘Pie Jesu’ for us all. Competently. Spectacularly. Our Director of Music deserved accolades from On High.

But, tho notable, that was far from all we shared this evening. The serving team had paid attention to all the necessary details that most of us are completely unaware of when a good job is accomplished, and the visual gloom that results from too few light bulbs remaining fully operative provided the sort of atmospheric lighting that we generally yearn for at this time of year but rarely quite achieve......

Most seats were occupied in the cathedral, and methinks the shadows were far from empty......

Once again our Chief Pastor demonstrated his liturgical ability by planning and facilitating the whole, and his priestly expertise by dealing quietly, most gently and sensitively with each and every demand of the evening.

This service was undoubtedly One Of Those Times when the step between Here and There was a remarkably small one.....

Ms Mog – R.I.P.

My beloved feline friend died this afternoon. She had lived with me and shared my life for longer than I lived with my own parents. Arriving in my flat as a tiny black kitten, just six weeks old, she could sit on my hand with all four feet and a tidily curled tail – and continued to try and do so for months after she outgrew my palm. She then became a rebellious teenager – and she withdrew bodily contact during daylight hours – objecting with tooth and claw if I transgressed her decision. But in the middle of the night, when her feet got cold, she would creep onto my bed and snuggle close. I had to wait until she was seven years old before she would again allow me to pick her up, or accept a cuddle.

She tolerated TH coming into our lives. He was allergic to cat fur in those days – not a promising start to our new relationship. He had never known any cats, admitted a certain dislike. Tolerance would be a positive achievement between them. But, astonishingly, over the intervening years he has developed tolerance to Ms Mog’s fur – though most other cats will still trigger an allergic reaction. And the initial ‘Tolerance’ became ‘Respect’, and then companionship.

Ms Mog loved moving to this house, with the garden. During the first week, we were breakfasting on the back lawn, and a streak of grey followed by black dashed past our feet – Ms Mog chasing the local squirrel as fast as she could, and faster than she believed possible – we both saw the look in her eyes that said “I hope I don’t catch up with it......”

Today is about three months short of her 20^th birthday – an astonishing lifetime, given that she had twice been rescued from The Brink – about eight years ago and again about four years later. She has been nearing this end point for more than long enough – but each time we asked her The Big Question, she smiled gently, and said “Ok, so I’m old, and a bit creaky, but I’m fine - where’s the food ?” She hated vets – with a pathological hatred which increased as she got older - and she made me promise four years ago that we would not push her on before she was ready to go – she was determined – so determined – to make that decision herself. I got home at lunchtime today, and she was clearly nearing The Time – we would have to Take Steps when TH got home with the car. But though now so drowsy, with her breathing getting irregular, she seemed very comfortable and settled on my lap – but getting colder - so we sat in her beloved conservatory in the sunshine. When this fantastic addition to our house was being built, Miss Mog would creep out every evening and inspect every detail of the day’s progress, and somehow made sure she marked her ownership of the enterprise by leaving her footprints for posterity in the concrete floor.

My wee feisty black feline always loved lying in the sun, and even though she was getting further from us, today was no exception. She relaxed in the sunshine, stretching gently...... and with a wee smile she gently slipped away before TH got home - she evaded The Vet just like she wanted.

Beloved pet. We have missed her so much as she has gradually withdrawn from our lives – she decided to be an Upstairs Cat about three years ago, demanding a waitress service for her meals, and waking us up for cuddles when she felt lonely in the wee sma’ hours. But frail though she had become, her voice was as insistent as ever when she decided it was her suppertime. She was still very much a part of the household, and her presence continually enriched our lives.

Now, at last, she rests in peace, and we must get used to the resultant emptiness.

New year Greetings

Here’s hoping that 2009 has started well for you.

TH and Chickpea have been having loads of ‘chill and recover’ time this year, with both feeling on the verge of ‘going down with something’, but thankfully not quite succumbing. (Yet). This has tended to keep them ‘grounded’ at home, with the hatches battened down and drawbridge up. Having been intending/hoping to invite folks round for Conviviality, Fostering of Friendships and Partying with Pals, this has been a little disappointing. But bugs is bugs, and not nice to share.

Billy the Kid, our House Guest of the Season, thankfully seems immune to the nasties, steadily exploring and claiming the house as satisfactory territory, and checking that Ms Mog is not receiving Preferential Attention. He is a fine orange cat, allowing Mr Mutt to share his space so long as Mr Mutt is appropriately deferential. The chooks were most concerned to see a feline living next door to them, and made sure the neighbourhood were aware of their disgust. Billy, however, was totally non-plussed, especially when he realised the chair is ideally placed for the sun shining in through that window on a good morning ! And the chooks forgot he was there after about an hour of fussing.

So all is generally well with The Household Here – apart from poor Myna, still overcome by broodiness, determined to occupy the nestbox and desperately keen to hatch non-hatchable eggs, so making laying difficult for her companions. Advice to separate her from the flock and seclude her in a ‘broody-coop’ has been taken. She’s not impressed. We hate seeing her discomfited in this way, but hope this is the quickest way to help her back to normal. (More likely she’ll decide the conservatory is a preferable domicile and complain when returned to Outside !).

Soon it’ll be Epiphany, and time to take down the twinkling lights that gladden our hearts and remind us that this is also our ‘Wedding Anniversary Season’ – celebrated in style this year with loads of candles and the Cathedral’s Carol Concert. Thirteen years. Who’d have thought it !

Caring for the carers......

ChickPea, TH, Ms Mog, Mr Mutt and Myna and Moe got back to the big city last night, in the same rain that loads of other people were getting too. Myna and Moe, two more very beautiful hens to bring our wee flock to four, had only just joined the family during the afternoon, but the rest of the gang had spent a few days in Dumfriesshire, at a fabulous cottage surrounded by sheep, where you can see the local beach and sea from bedroom, conservatory and bathroom, and where ‘dark’ at night really does mean ‘dark’. A few days with including enough wind to blow away most cobwebs, enough rain to wash away accumulated dust, enough sunshine (YES – REALLY !) to lift the spirits aloft to fly with the local red kites, and enough sleep to allow both Rest and Recuperation to join the party. Yes, a few very good days, thank you.

Mistress Mog

Ms Mog has lodged a complaint. As Most Senior Addition to ChickPea’s life (pre-dating TH even), Ms Mog reckons she should have had a blog to herself by now. ……. So here we have it.

Ms Mog was a tiny black 6-week old kitten when she joined ChickPea’s life. Like most (all ?) kittens she spent any time awake dashing about or eating….. or using her litter tray. Just 6 weeks old – and never an ‘accident’. When she wasn’t awake she was usually crashed out on ChickPea’s lap. She was gorgeous.

Then she turned into a wee monster – or was it a teenager ? No longer would she allow ‘cuddles’ – or even being picked up. ‘Red in teeth and claw’ would be accurate. ChickPea was Having Difficulty With Life – Ms Mog, nonetheless, was a good reason to come home. In the middle of the night, when she got lonely, or cold, she would sneak up onto the bed, and just Be There.

Various vivid memories from those early years – including the time she jumped out of the kitchen window and landed on a seagull ! She stopped catching birds after that one – they don’t come much bigger than that round these parts.

When she was 6 years old we moved out of the one-bedroomed flat into the current abode – and she chased squirrels for a while until the delights of spending all day lounging in the sun took over.

At about seven years old she decided that a cuddle might be ok. It took her over 2 years to learn how to make herself ‘lap-shaped’ – night-time snuggling up being her speciality. Starting with just enough inches on the edge of the bed and progressively stretching and pushing to make the folks give her more room…….. and over the years she has perfected this trick - we now wake up in the morning to find she has commandeered at least 1/3 of the total available space…..(lucky we got ourselves a big bed, eh !)

She had a fine life then, waited on for breakfast and supper, central heating, out for 10-20mins constitutional (out the back door, into the neighbour’s garden, up the side of the house, across the front, up our drive and in thru the back door). What more could a cat want ?

About May 2006 she decided she was Now The Upstairs Cat. When carried downstairs she would kick and complain. If taken out to get a breath of fresh air and sunshine she would stomp off and disappear for 4 hours. Upstairs is her domain, Thank You Very Much. (Unless there’s prawns……)

She’s now a wee wisp of a thing, but feisty yet, and still demanding her share of the bed. We may be into her last chapter, but we’ve not yet got to the Last Word. ChickPea will miss her.

And it's FRIDAY

Good morning ! Sunshine creeping between the grey clouds and 3 comments have been posted – this will be a good day…….. despite DJ needing a shower at midnight last night, and then awakening ChickPea at 3.43am, 4.15am and 7am……

Mr Mutt is out in the sun already, watching the ‘baby blues’ on the peanut feeder and the ‘baby greats’ on the seed feeder. Now a week on from fledging, they are all flying without hesitation and busy with the business of staying alive. Maybe Mr Mutt’s presence will help – he’ll maybe deter the Fluffy Black Marauder Mog that likes to lurk in the flower (weeds !) border and reduce the Feathered Friends’ population…… Not sure if he’ll also deter the sparrowhawk…….. but I hope so.

The kitchen is too quiet. The recycling is lounging in heaps rather than waiting outside in a bright yellow sack for collection. The washing is festering in a pile from last night rather than billowing in the wind. The washingup hasn’t. Mr Mutt is dreaming longingly for his walk.

ChickPea is flagging. So is TH, with another working day of being essentially the only one – yet again - to handle the whole team’s workload.

We usually look forward to the weekend, but with DJ’s recent poor health and poor sleeping, the weekend promises little respite. The GP was out to see him yesterday, but was fairly dismissive – well, he’s 95 after all. Happy Birthday DJ.

This Morning.......

I thought you might like to hear about Mr Mutt’s Thursday morning. ChickPea is waiting in for more parcels to be delivered today – maybe including Mr Mutt’s outdoor bed. Meantime…….

The sun was shining, a light wind from the NorthEast…….. DJ was in a slightly less Tangential Universe than of late, and the porridge was cooking nicely on its own…… so Mr Mutt could go out into his garden. This Was Good. The head was up, the eyes were bright, the tail was waving a little, and he was dead keen to get out. Yeah – Life OK for Mr Mutt. A bit draughty, of course, becos of the wind – so he settled as flat and windfree as he could in the sunshine, and Life Wuz OK.

Then ChickPea took the base bed-bit of his kennel out into the garden. Oooooooh ! This wuz good – up off the cold grass ! “Hey – I like this” sed Mr Mutt. Draughty, and a bit hard on the elbows - but hey – ok.

Then the top bit went out into the garden too. Mr Mutt moved out of bed because ChickPea insisted – she thought it A Good Idea while she put the top on. (Unpredictable dog has been known to bite)………..

Straight in. Settled down. “Very Nice Thank You” sed Mr Mutt.

Hasn’t moved for over an hour. The Tabby Twins from next door came to say ‘Hello’ and to investigate The Kennel. The Feathery Friends have been around. But Mr Mutt is Taking Time For Himself. Life Is Too Good For Sharing just now. Mr Mutt is Over The Moon.

Of Material Matters.......

There was an ENORMOUS parcel arrived in our porch today.

Mr Mutt, TH ( avec scissors ) and ChickPea eventually achieved liberation of the contents – despite yards and yards of sticky parcel tape - and Mr Mutt had A Very Great Surprise.

A kennel !

Mr Mutt loves being outside – but he really HATES rain – and wind. And he hates DJ’s hearing aid when it whistles. And he hates Being bored Indoors. He finds it a very difficult choice sometimes – stay indoors out of the wind, but with the H.A. …….. or away from the H.A. but cope with the wind - and hope against hope that ChickPea notices the black clouds are gathering and the temperature is dropping and it’s going to rain…..

And NOW he has a kennel ! Maybe tomorrow the postie will bring the ‘bed’ bit to make the inside of the kennel cosy and cuddly……..and soft for his old bony elbows…… Mr Mutt is optimistic - Life Is Looking Up !

Ranking with Royalty !

Today, ChickPea found she had ‘An Official Birthday’ – just like the Queen !

We’ll not go into the details of quite HOW this occurred (Protecting The Innocent).

(Oh yes – there HAD been a secret after all ! )

This has been a glorious sunny day – just like you’d want for your birthday. And I got presents ! And TH did all the cooking (that’s a real gift too). AND we had scones with jam and clotted cream for tea (never mind the cholesterol – it’s my birthday !)

Wot fun !

And we now have a Wii to play with ! (And it’s got NOTHING at all to do with incontinence………!)

Mr Mutt's Morning

Mr Mutt is having his morning siesta on the lawn. He’s had his breakfast, been out for his morning stroll and is now snoozing outside, well away from DJ’s hearing aid and ChickPea’s attempts to keep DJ awake whilst awaiting the transport out to the Day Centre. (This amount of effort does not bode well for the day centre staff, who will no doubt bring him home early………) But for Mr Mutt, life is ok.

He has a variety of companions in his garden, does Mr Mutt. There’s the Tabby Twins from next door who visit him for a bit of entertainment (they get bored at home, and Mr Mutt is good for a larf – he tries to disappear into the scenery in his efforts to avoid the TTs). Then there’s the Flying Fraternity. These are wearing coats of very many colours – the bluetits and great tits in particular love the peanuts hanging from the rowan tree, while the sparrows, greenfinches, dunnets and occasional goldfinches prefer the seed feeder (not such a good mix as usual, so not so many visitors this morning). The neighbourhood robin is keeping an eye on proceedings, while the blackbirds are wary because the lawn is a bit too long for their liking. I keep hoping any available thrush will call by for a snail feast – these are walking up the windows of the conservatory this morning, and disporting themselves in a most unseemly manner. (Will the chooks eat snails ? – I’m told they will help me sort out our slug situation).

Who else to keep Mr Mutt company ? There’s the current grey squirrel who is still learning the knack of hanging upsidedown to raid the peanut feeder – his predecessor was much more accomplished at this feat, but our neighbour saw a fox feasting next door, and that gymnast has not appeared since. The Fox Family have not been seen in the garden visiting Mr Mutt (yet – tho they have been known to tag along for his late evening walks, coming as close as about 6 ft, causing Mr Mutt a little anxiety). They certainly visit the garden in his absence, and we see signs of a hedgehog who visited last night – but I don’t think this one has much of a taste for slugs !

The washing line is filling up, and there’s a wee breeze this morning to make the sheets flap. DJ was busy last night. Oh – the joys of having an outdoor opportunity for drying wet washings. I remember when we moved in, March 2005, glorious sunshine that first week, inspiring breakfasting in the garden, Ms Mog discovering the delights of chasing the squirrels, and TH discovering the pleasure of shirts dried outside. Life certainly holds Good Moments.

So, with all this activity, Mr Mutt has to concentrate quite hard to achieve slumber or significant boredom when he’s out on the lawn. He’ll have to work even harder at sleeping once the chooks arrive – but I think, between you and me, we’ll keep that a secret just now, eh !

Porridge

So what accords ‘Porridge’ the merit of being such a High Blessing ?

Are you a morning person ? I confess that I am NOT – more of ‘an owl’ than ‘a lark’ (usually. Sometimes DJ gets me up in the wee sma’ hours, I cannae get back to sleep and the Lark Manifests… Always a shock to the system).

I grew up with a Mum who endeavoured to keep the Feast of Breakfast not only Interesting but Unpredictable. This must have been enormously demanding with 3 ravenous kids, but was presumably A Ploy To Get Them Out Of Their Beds in the morning. Not sure it worked. But it certainly merits 100 out of 10 For Effort.

That DJ is addicted to porridge is Very Helpful. When he’ll eat nothin’ else, he’ll ALWAYS eat Porridge. His swallowing is always ok when he’s eating his porridge - and he doesn’t fall asleep when he’s eating his porridge.

All of which helps create a Much Less Challenging Morning ……….. which has to be A Good Thing.

PS. Porridge is also said to help lower your cholesterol levels. TH and DJ both have very low counts. I don’t. I blame the genes, personally………

12 Things That Go 'Bump' In The Night.......

1. DJ falling over because he turned off the automatic light and won’t use his zimmer……
2. DJ opening his wardrobe door because he KNOWS 2am = 2pm and he should’ve been up and dressed hours ago……
3. DJ falling over his zimmer ………..
4. DJ trying to open the front door by pulling the door handle off…..
5. DJ falling out of bed……..
6. DJ banging his bedside drawers because he’s lonely and wants to be sure he’s not the Last Survivor in the house……
7. DJ falling over because he was taking his pyjama trousers off when walking………
8. DJ trying to break the window because he thinks he needs to get out……
9. DJ banging the lounge / kitchen / understairs cupboard / any other door he can find, ‘just because’ or ‘just in case’………
10. DJ just falling over – ‘How’ and ‘Why’ being largely irrelevant………
11. The ‘DJ-is-out-of-bed-alert pager’ somehow making sudden contact with the floor……
12. ChickPea trying to hide in the wardrobe……

Dotty

DJ was looking a bit grumpy. Often happens when he feels neglected – I’d been trying to learn how to blog, and then getting lunch. Oh yes – and no sunshine. Net result, DJ feeling low and neglected.

Well, life is much too short for that, so out with the SAD lamp to offset the weather, and out with the dominoes to stop him moving away from the light ….. and to keep his eyes open. Helps the SAD light take effect.

Do you play dominoes ? DJ does. For hours and hours and hours if he gets half a chance. And, miracle of miracles, concentration is never a problem when he’s playing dominoes.

It looks easy. Easy Peasy. Especially when you’re just playing against Someone With Dementia.

Forget it.

Eight games, and he hammered me every time. Even when he had a handful of doubles. I tell you, the Force is with him. And he knows it. There’s that wee smile creeps across his face. Makes it all worthwhile.

But he still tells the day centre that he can’t play dominoes and doesn’t want to learn……….

Meet the Family

Let me introduce Us. The Chickpea family.

Of prime importance (‘cos he now pays the bills), is The Hubby, Computer Whizz Kid and ToyBoy. He is one of those people you meet who you remember. Especially his chuckle. I was in a large gathering the other evening, and misplaced him. He was running the bar for the event, but kept taking time out with (my) camera to record the proceedings. No sight of him nor camera – tried the hall next door, outside, the loo (you know how it goes) – no sign……… Then I heard laughter away over the other side of the main venue (behind a pillar).
Makes yer heart melt, that chuckle !

Then there’s Father-in-Law of now 94 who lives with us. He has dementia – so – To Protect The Innocent (give him the benefit of the doubt) – we’ll call him “Domino Joe” – or DJ for short. He’s quite short already, but you know how it is when you’re typing…… His dementia is getting worse, so I am absolutely sure he will be a Star Item in this Blog.

Ms Mog is my ancient feline companion. Nearly 19 years old, she remains as feisty as ever, and I often gain new scars to prove her point. But she’s fading. We have a fabulous vet who has seen us often over the past few years. We thought Ms Mog’d not see 2008 – but she remains adamantly present. I shall miss her when she moves on.

Newest addition to the family is Mr Mutt – a rescue dog ‘with issues’ who joined us about 18 months ago. We are trying to follow specialist advice to best care for this fellow – who we now love dearly, but have to accept is very unpredictable.

Yet to arrive are ‘The Girls’. We have decided to increase our family by about 4. As delivery of their henhouse has been delayed, I shall introduce them when they join us.