Post 495: Sally loses a four-legged friend.
There was a scramble this morning as the phone call was put down and the word was that I had to take my Darling up to the far-away hairdresser because Sally, who was going to take herself and my Darling up the road, had a major issue and her treasured horse needed pulling up from the stable floor. But when that was done she would follow on soon after.
So I jumped in the car with my Darling, and headed north.
On the road there was the normal traffic and the day after the Bank Holiday weekend traffic too. So what I thought was a slow-moving steam engine towing a land trailer and buddy trailer on the back was actually a real roadworks.
It was later that we met up with an ancient Fowler steam tractor engine, chugging up the road in front of us. It was slow going, but it can’t be helped, as those lovely steam units need to get home too.
In time, I guess there’ll be legislation to keep them off the roads and have them all trailered to their destinations. Keep them off the roads, they’ll say.
There are still steel-wheeled rollers around here crushing the roads. Rubber tyres will probably be the first action to be taken to quieten and safeguard the road and the ironmongery on them. But that’ll but a while in coming.
Anyway, we got to the straight road into town where I dropped off my Darling near the far hairdresser.
That little farm road has the busy-market feel without any ability to withstand any modern loads of traffic.
As I tried to pull away with my indicator lights flashing, there were two cars behind me trying to get ahead of me, even though there was no space for one to pass. I was not in any such hurry, others were obviously…
Blinking heck, some drivers!
So I turned left and crawled through the main town and eventually headed back home on the road the steamers were coming up on.
I saw two more old smokies on my way back, and what a sight they were coming up the hills. Black and grey smoke blowing and the chuff, chuff, chuffing as I passed. It was a truly wonderful sight, all too rare these days.
But because they can only speed at 15 miles an hour maximum, the cars behind them were all in a frenzy to get by.
The world has changed a lot in the 100 years since the big iron-wheeled tractors were the only thing in the fields. That and horses…
I got back into town and tried to find my new Digoxin prescription in either of the chemists in the high street, but I couldn’t.
So then I asked at my GP surgery and they wanted my hospital discharge letter.
Silly me for not bringing it.
Doh!
So I gave up on that and moved on to the other reason for being in town.
I needed a present for my other Mum. She calls me “the son I never had.”
So off to the jeweller’s I went.
Her birthstone was sapphire, and after looking at the prices of those beauties, one was £625. So, I asked for something less pricey.
I looked around and the lovely assistant helped me along the shelves to the gold earrings selection, where a beautiful Tree of Life-styled pair hung.
In fairness, they were much less than half the price of the sapphires I’d seen earlier, but no more costly than a good old four-way meal on a night out at a decent pub with a couple of uncorked bottles and some nice desserts would be.
“Them’s the ones,” I said.
“Can you wrap them up, please?” I asked politely.
And with that done, I was a few quid lighter but happy that my task was completed.
I hadn’t got home long before the gurgling stomach gave me the idea that I needed the bathroom.
I’ve had no laxative today, but for the last two days I have.
The problem is that my poor stomach is the size of a child’s stomach and there’s a lot of wind and bugger all else in there.
Yes, I’ve finally got some movement, but there’s a new problem.
Because it’s shrunk to half size, my weight is now falling again to the mid-eleven stone range.
That’s not wholly bad, in fact it’s good, but I have no appetite at the moment.
Ah well, we’ll get it sorted in the end.
Leaving that for a bit, I had a chance to sort out the Digoxin, so I got onto Anima and asked for help.
This I gladly got, and I’ve now sent off the photo of the discharge letter.
I’m now looking forward to getting a new prescription in the next three weeks.
So that was nearly that, except for the four-legged friend Sally had.
She loved him so much but had to put the old guy down.
He was a real trouper and such a help to Sally when she needed a helping hand — or hoof, in this case.
But his time had come, and 15-year-old Leo is no more.
Bless him.
I finished the day at work, which was a happy distraction.
The new project is in full swing and I’m back in the groove.
I don’t have a great time with my stomach, but I survived.
Good night.
Take care.
By the way folks…
Thanks for your kind words of support over the last week. It’s not been fun, but I’m still here, bobbing along.
Thank you all
Mr U xx
