Visit

We are on a brief visit to Ashburton - to find some kitchen cupboard 'furniture' (fancy sliding basket things we want to reuse). 

That meant moving dozens of boxes around.

Again.

However we found enough to satisfy the kitchen fitters.

Poor Fergus has gone blind (diabetes). Although closely monitored and injected with his insulin daily he lost his sight virtually overnight (4-5 days it seemed).  He has however adapted well and can negotiate most of the environment by smell, sound and sensations of proximity.  Anyone accompanying him talks a steady stream.  He is thin but seems happy and is more active than he had been while vets struggled to diagnose him - quite remarkable. Imagine going blind overnight in mid-life.  

The best bit is seeing him pick up a prey scent in an area he knows is unencumbered with tripping hazards - he runs back and forth following the trail, the hunting instinct hasn't dimmed.

The workshop surrounds, with all its surrounding junk, is a bit of a challenge.  He stumbled into a wooden pallet this morning and looked a bit forlorn trying to wade through the maze of slats. We also bump into the poor fellow while working in the kitchen because he can't see to take avoiding action.

I pulled a sheepskin out of our boxed possessions and decided that perhaps wee Ferg would appreciate a thick wooly bed to cushion and insulate his thinned down body - so it has been donated.

Wee Jock is now 'Uncle' to a new pup and engaged in teaching it proper doggy manners (which doesn't stop Jock from stealing the pup's dental chewy thing whenever he thinks he can get away with it).

The pup is a menace - it licks everything, but particularly bare feet. Like Scully, the 'no lickies' rule means nothing or is totally ignored (although Scully reserves hers for surprise licks in the face while one is leaning down to do up boots).

We do have other business to attend to - some has gone well some less well than we hoped but we got satisfactory clarifications as to why (or why not).  Pension transfer stuff.

It is good to see Bro and SiL. I always enjoy returning here.  This time it's a bonus to get info on how to turn a collection of vintage spanners into handles for our kitchen cupboards and drawers, and help converting some whistling kettles into lampshades.... I know ... weird.