15/11/2024
As always…it’s been a while!! 😀
September and October have disappeared in a flurry of the usual chaos….hanging on in there by our fingertips and racing towards the end of the year...how on earth did that happen?! The weather has been glorious for most of October and November although the temperatures have dropped from the rather pleasant 20's down to the 14-15 degrees this week and heading lower next week with some rain thrown in...winter is approaching it seems...anyway, let's dive in to the update!
Woody is settling in well, it’s been almost 2 months now and he turned 6 months old on the 1st November so it will soon be time for him to say goodbye to his newly acquired furry love potato’s…😂 This will be a relief seeing as he spends an inordinate amount of time washing them, nibbling them and licking them with a sometimes nauseating enthusiasm...🤮😂He is still not great with men on their own when he first meets them and he thoroughly disgraced himself in front of the ultra well trained doberman and his owner that live in the next hamlet…I moved as far away as I could when we saw them heading towards us but Woody still lunged, barked and whinnied in a wildly enthusiastic manner whilst I clung on desperately…I squeaked out a mortified sorry at the chap as he strolled calmly by with a superior air and pitying look at me. Oh the shame of the unruly dog...😂Of course we are working on this issue, taking him to places where he can watch people go by from a less exciting proximity but it’s not a quick fix and we are in it for the long haul! I’m also working on general training which will all help him to control his emotions better…we hope…that’s the theory…I have trawled through thousands of videos on YouTube so obviously I am now totally confused with all the conflicting advice but I think we landed on a trainer that seems to jive with me and Woody. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't indulge in too much training with our wee cairn terriers and although they were often naughty, very cheeky, extremely good at escaping, ridiculously stubborn, very independent and often deaf, they were much smaller, less imposing and easier to get a grip of…Woody is 18 kilos of pretty much the same traits, minus the stubbornness thank goodness, but definitely not so easy to get a grip of!! But apart from this, he is an utter sweetheart and a joy to have around. He still isn’t up for too many cuddles yet much to my disappointment and he has the best side eye I have ever seen which makes us laugh, such an expressive scruffy face.🥰 My days revolve around him and his walks, his training and the constant job of keeping things out of his mouth that shouldn’t be in there!! Ian is taking the strain with the larger animal care so I just have the smaller animal family to deal with…sitting down has become a rare treat though!
In other news, Lewis was finally diagnosed with Lymes disease back in September and he has caused us quite a lot of worry over the last few months. Lots of very tense days spent constantly worrying and taking his temperature to see if the meds were working. He recovered well thankfully but we were warned relapses might happen. And, with impeccable timing, a relapse happened just as Ian was out of the door to head back to the UK for a visit to his Mum in October…of course it did!! 🙈The vet administered more meds and the anxious wait and temp testing began again. Lewis is a big chap and I am a diminutive 5 foot 2 and a half so his bottom is pretty much on a level with my face…you can see where I’m going can’t you?! 🤣Every time I lifted his tail to pop in the thermometer he proceeded to let out a long, slow and viciously stinky fart…I cannot let go of the thermometer and I cannot put enough distance between my nose and said bottom…I have a strong stomach but FFS and it was every bloody time!!! The thermometer beeps when the reading is ready, which I assume is one minute, but it feels like the longest 60 seconds ever!! I asked Ian if he did it to him but apparently not…he seems to know that he wouldn’t be able to achieve the same satisfying impact with 6ft of Ian….But we are just pleased that he seems to be on the mend and so far he’s not needed another visit from the vet…I whispered that quietly…🤞
Lola has been with us for a whole year now and she has turned 13 at some point this year…we don't know her exact date of birth so we’ve made her gotcha day her birthday…October the 22nd. She has had a stellar summer and even got a little chubby!!! 🥰We never thought she’d even get through winter let alone thrive like she has and thank goodness she has thrived as we absolutely adore her, such a huge personality and number one cuddler! Our brilliant farrier, Mary, did some research on goat feet and has now trimmed her overgrown front hooves almost back to normal and Lola spent most of the summer standing properly rather than going down onto her front knees. She is just starting to get stiffer now that the weather has turned cooler but we will keep a close eye on her and this winter she is cosy in her own private stall on a soft fluffy straw bed enclosed in the stable which is so much better for her than our old goat hut which Arthur guarded fiercely so wouldn’t always allow Ted and Lola in!! 😳I love Arthur but he is sometimes a bit of a sh*t….😂they now all have a stall each all next to each other and they are loving it. Charlie alpaca sleeps in the stable with them too on his own fluffy bed and is happy with the new arrangement after a hesitant start…we had a few nights of affronted murmuring from him because the goats were not where they usually were..Charlie likes a very ordered life and if he considers the goats should not be there then he makes his feelings clear!😂 He’s had a good think about it though and has concluded that this arrangement is better as the horned devils are now securely caged during the night so he doesn't have to worry about them wandering into his space…he likes them near but not too near….
Another milestone is our big gentle boy Clyde reaching the grand old age of 30 this year! 🥰 Again, we are not sure when his birthday is but I got him in an October so that is as good a month as any to celebrate! He’s doing great, obviously he is slowing down and he has dropped some muscle but he still likes a gallop around with the ponies and Lewis. He goes absolutely nuts for his food which he has to have 3 times a day now as he can no longer grind down hay with his old teeth but a nice sloppy bucket of feed is much more exciting than hay to be fair and he slurps and chomps away with a look of bliss on his face! He doesn’t have any major aches or pains, he's such a proper sturdy boy so long may it continue.
Another big birthday on September 22rd was for Dotty the chinchilla who is still going strong and causing havoc at the grand old age of 22!! She never ceases to amaze me and still charges everywhere at full pelt and is totally unfazed by the arrival of the rather large Woody into her domain. She sits and glares at him if he barks at her, bites his nose if he’s stupid enough to shove it near her cage and doesn’t even flinch if he smacks a huge paw in her direction. She is nails.💪 Obviously we leap into action to stop Woody annoying her as soon as he starts and he’s a lot better with her now but she does a good job of looking after herself when we are a bit slow on the uptake. I would also like to mention that Dotty has only ever had one visit to the vets in her entire 22 years and that turned out not to be necessary…she thrives on her angry disposition it seems!! Legend.
Tabby cat is still living next door in the gite and showing no signs of wanting to re-enter our house. She seems to be enjoying having her own house and it’s probably cat party central in there, all her mates round smoking, drinking and watching unsuitable stuff on the TV whilst the parents and idiot dog are non the wiser next door…😂
And on that note I shall stop rambling for now.. I guess the next update will be sheep arrivals and festive filled…I’m trying to imagine Woody and a Christmas tree living harmoniously….😂🙈🎄
