Mandarin Ducks

Our Mandarin ducks are starting to get their adult plumage.

Keith.

More News on Paddy

It was back to the vet with paddy again this morning. He gave over his blood sample like a good little boy, had his weight done and temperature done. His temperature is fine, his weight is down again to 13 kg from 13.8 kg. The vet has given him a month's course of steroids to see how he goes. The vet rang Jo this afternoon to say his red cell count had gone up to 2 points from 24 to 26. So a slight improvement. We will now see how he goes over the coming month. At the moment we and the vet are looking at a condition called myelofibrosis, which is not curable and so we know at some point we will have to make a decision, but for now he is wagging his tail and is eating again, so we will see how he goes .

Keith.

Paddy Improving

Paddy has picked up over the last couple of days, his appetite has returned and he seems more himself again, although he still appears to be anaemic. We have an appointment with the vet on Wednesday so we will see how he gets on then.

Keith.

Temperature Still Up

Although the vet had asked us to take Paddy’s temperature in the evening, we took it this morning as he wouldn't’ eat his biscuits or the meat with his steroids tablets in. We had to force the meat and tablets into his mouth and made him swallow it. His temperature was back up again, although Jo is not sure she measured it correctly yesterday. I eventually got him to eat his morning biscuits later. Daft thing is when Jo took him out for his walk this morning she said he was quite spritely, and I have probed and pushed around his abdomen and chest and he isn’t reacting as if he is in pain in any of that area. He is becoming a bit of a mystery at the moment.

Keith.

More on Paddy

We took Paddy’s temperature today and it was a little lower, but Jo wasn’t sure she had done it right.

Keith.

Paddy’s Blood Test

We had Paddy’s blood tests results today, and they didn’t show too much, other than his white blood cell count is low and he is not producing enough red blood cells. We decided after listening to the vet that we would try the steroids first and see how he goes.

Keith.

Poorly Paddy

We took Paddy to the vet late this afternoon, he hasn't been eating properly lately, the vet says he has a temperature, and she took a blood sample, we should know the results tomorrow.

Keith.

All Quiet on the Boating Front

Not much to report lately, I have been resting my back since Physio last Friday, which is getting better, but a further visit today was a good result, at least today Frances my Physiotherapist said I was walking better upon leaving than when I arrived, the total opposite of last week! Frances is working on a course which apart from exercises, is looking to build up the muscles in my back to hopefully prevent this problem occurring again. It would seem this is going to be a long process, but I am in no hurry.

Jo is busy knitting and crocheting for the Heritage weekend here at the  Saltisford Arm on September 13th-14th.

Keith.

Clever Ducks

Our mandarin ducks this afternoon managed to get out onto the bank at our winding hole.

We think they must have been a bit knackered after all their adventures today.

Keith.

A Cinema

Unfortunately I don’t think the roof is quite appropriate, I think most cinema roofs were curved, but Bayko doesn’t have curved roofs. It is exactly how specified in the instruction book.

Keith.

Mandarin Ducks

Yesterday afternoon the door to the pen where our Mandarin ducks have been living for a few weeks was opened to allow them out into the big wide world. They finally ventured out at about 10:00pm last night. This morning they were happily swimming around in our winding hole, which is good news, because if they stay in that area then visitors will be able to see and feed them there.

They swam up and down their pen all afternoon but did not venture out. The moorhen was quite happy to sit on the open door and occasionally popped inside the pen and helped itself to their food.

 

You can just about make them out in the gloom of the evening, swimming about in the arm having finally plucked up the courage to come out of their pen.

The next few photos were of them swimming in and around the winding hole here in the Saltisford Arm.

They appear to have made friends with this female Mallard, but haven’t worked out how to get up onto the bank where she is.

Keith.

Runner and Dwarf Beans

Today we had a good crop of both runner and dwarf beans from our garden. So many in fact that we didn’t have any other veg's with them and the Quiche Lorraine, not even potatoes.

They were very yummy.

I also built this church with my Bayko, well according to the instruction booklet it is a church, I will let you decide, but I am not convinced.

Keith.

Warwick in Bloom

Today the sensory garden here at the Saltisford Arm won it’s category for Community Garden in the “Warwick in Bloom” competition.

Jo and Jacky who helped revamp the sensory garden recently, Nigel Hamilton the trust’s Chairman, and dignitaries amongst the sensory garden having been told by the judges that the trust had won.

Monday we will be judged as part of Warwick in the “Britain in Bloom” Competition. Fingers crossed.

Keith.

Warwick Thai Festival

Jo and I went to the Warwick Thai Festival today, we had a Thai lunch from one of the many food stalls, Jo had chicken and cashew nuts with rice and I had Thai green curry with chicken and noodles, and very yummy they were too. We arrived at 11.00am so had a good opportunity to get some photos before the place filled up with visitors.

 

After midday the market square started to fill with visitors.

 

Keith.

St. Mary’s Lands

This morning Jo and I took a walk around St. Marys lands, an area of wild meadow land and small wooded areas in the centre of Warwick Racecourse, and alongside Warwick Golf Course. An area that Warwickshire District Council want to build houses on. It would be a shame to lose such a wonderful area of natural beauty. Various photos of views, flora and fauna. There is an on-line petition against this scheme.

Skylark

 

 

Keith.