Diary

Gwenna / Potatoes / PoppyRSS feed

Posted: Monday 1 August, 2022

by Rosemary at 2:04pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

Monday 25th July

Nicely wet today.

I had to take Gwenna to the vet this morning. Not sure what’s wrong but she was in a lot of pain. The vet couldn’t even examine her, because she was rigid. She’s had two painkiller injections, has had a pee (allowed out on the lead only) and two scrambled eggs. She’s now asleep. She goes back to the vet tomorrow morning.

GwennaPoorly Gwenna.

Tuesday 26th July

More painkillers. Gabapentin this time. Still not sure what’s going on. Got another appointment for 4.30pm tomorrow.

Neil brought down a load of willow from the community garden and the cattle, Smokey and Gracie started converting it into manure – for the community garden. That’s a circular economy.

CattleWillow.

GracieGracie's share.

SmokeyAnd Smokey's share.

Slipped in a quick visit to Ashbrook Nursery – didn’t buy anything but got some ideas.

 

Late this evening, Gwenna started dragging her left back leg. I’m going to take her to the vet at 8.30am tomorrow, when they open.

Wednesday 27th July

Gwenna is now dragging both back legs. Took her to the vet at 8.30am and they saw her right away (ugly crying in the waiting room precede this). Looks like she’s slipped a disc. She had methadone and I brought her home, while the nurses phoned round practices that can do a CT scan AND surgery, if that’s indicated.

Phone call at 10.10am to say there’s a practice near Ellon that can take her, so Dan’s on the road by 10.30am. Scanned this afternoon and operated on. She had a degenerative condition that affects the cartilage between the discs, causing it to become brittle. It wasn’t a trauma that caused it. Which in some ways is worse.

Gwenna has come through the surgery fine; now just have to wait to see how badly her spinal cord was damaged by the slip.

Thursday 28th July

Inspired by my visit to the garden centre on Tuesday, I started weeding this bed, which on the east side of the West range, between the byre and the feed store. Full of ground elder, but oddly satisfying to weed. I’m going to move geraniums from the front garden here, plant alliums and Welsh poppies, same as the bed next to it. It’s a bit dull now but it looked lovely in spring. Got about half of it done.

BedBefore.

BedDuring.

Gwenna is well in herself. Eating, settled and keen to go out in her sling. She won’t get home until she has a “conscious urination”.

Friday 29th July

Penfold, our wee old man, in his sunny basket.

PenfoldPenfold.

Let the cattle into Home for a bit of fresh grass, albeit in short supply. Blizzard looks fine for twelve years old.

BlizzardBlizzard at twelve years of age.

Dan lifted the first potatoes, just for a wee treat. Caledonian Rose. Very tasty. I did some weeding in the veg garden for a change.

Caledonian-RoseFirst potatoes.

Gwenna doing well but still waiting for “the pee”. She has some movement in her back legs now, which is great news.

Saturday 30th July

Dan was off on the first of two morning trying his hand at pottery. We love the “throwdown”. Lifted the garlic and fed the leeks with muck tea, then finished weeding the West range bed.

GarlicThis year's garlic crop.

BedReady for replanting.

“The pee” has happened, so we can pick Gwenna up on Monday afternoon, all remaining well. Had a bit of retail therapy buying a pen, non-slip mats and bowls, as she’ll be on pen rest for a wee while yet.

Dan set up the electric fence to give the cattle a walkway from Near Top / Home through Near Ditch, so that Near Ditch gets a chance to come back. We had some rain last night into this morning, but it’s still very dry.

Hmmm, he likes pottery but isn’t planning to build a kiln.

Sunday 31st July


Dan was up and out in the tractor, topping Near Top, before setting out for more potting. Far Ditch will be done once more of the thistles have flowered. Near Ditch will get a high top as well.

Gwenna’s good for home tomorrow. Can’t wait to see her. We’re both going up to get her, so I’m trying to get ahead with jobs. I feel like I’ve been on holiday for two weeks – since my birthday, really, so things have stacked up a bit. Focus is the key. Can’t believe it’s August tomorrow.

This beautiful wee poppy is growing by the feed store door.

PoppyPretty poppy.

Comments

doganjo

Monday 1 August, 2022 at 6:17pm

Sorry to read about Gwenna. Hope she continues to improve. Has her breeder looked back the pedigree to see if there's any other occurrence of it?

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