After thinking that Pepper Pooch was gone for good when he ran off on Saturday, Furry Mama walked him on the lead on Sunday. But it was so hot that Freda Fretter was a little worried about him. So Clever Bird suggested that now that travel restrictions have been lifted, on Monday, they should get up at dawn, and take him to the beach for a proper run. Calum attempted to wake Baggy at 5.00am. Baggy couldn't get her eyes to function and the early walk plan was abandoned.
It was already 22 degrees Celsius in sunny Suffolk by 11.00am though, and as Pepper seems to react to river water, Furry Mama suggested that maybe they could venture to the seaside anyway. The beach at Cove Hythe is not the easiest to get to, so Clever Bird thought that it might be pretty empty. However, if the tide is in, it's not an option; which they could see was the case as they drove past the inland waterway at Blythburgh.
Plan B: head to Southwold and see whether it was busy. It wasn't. Better yet, the tide appeared to be going out, which meant that they would be able to walk to the beach at Cove Hythe. As the tide was in, to get there does require scrambling over some large coastal defence rocks and then running along the beach for twenty yards at exactly the right moment, but once that mission is accomplished:
Miles of completely empty beach. The Pooch was in his element, as to be honest was Hormonal Hannah, who has seriously missed being by the sea every day, having not been for two months.
The high winter tides have done some major coastal erosion though! There appeared to be a chimney and fireplace in this sea water!
Walking in the warm sun, contemplating the power of nature, was literally a breath of fresh air and a feeling that the world can return to some new form of changed "normal".
Furry Mama was delighted to be able to let Pepper run free, knowing that he could not get lost, and even though it was pretty hot, knowing that he could cool down in the sea.
Even Hormonal Hannah got in on the act.
In ninety-minutes of walking, they saw only seven other people, and it felt wonderful.
On the way home, Grotty Groom asked whether they could go over to see the horses later that day, as Pauline had sent some photos of them earlier in the day, and Grotty was missing them so much.
So after a late lunch and a rest, they headed to see the Boys, also for the first time in two months. Calum and Grotty left Pepper to rest in Billy Bob Jalopy campervan; grabbed their grooming kits, and headed to the paddocks. After an initial, "bottom-turning" by Wesley to Grotty, to demonstrate his displeasure at her absence, he gave in to his better judgement and trotted across the field towards her, whilst whickering.
Hormonal Hannah got upset when she realised just how tangled Wesley's mane was. No surprise, as the horses are living out, and Grotty hasn't been there to groom them. But still!
It took an age to get them out, and he lost a mass of mane in the process.
As Grotty groomed, all Furry Mama could hear was Pepper Pooch getting more-and-more hysterical, barking and whining. As Grotty was struggling to sort Wesley out, she put his bridle-headcollar on him to try to hold him still, but he was clearly very irritated by the flies (and probably the pollen). He threw his head violently - constantly trying to rub his nose on Grotty's arm, bashing Baggy in the process with the metal side pieces of his bit.
Grotty sent Calum off to see if he could find a fly mask, and asked him to bring Pepper out to the paddocks, as by now he was clearly distressed, and Joey was fully groomed, having stood still like a poppet!
Grotty eventually managed to get some plaits in, as Pepper lay in the grass by Joey's paddock, and Calum held Wesley still and rubbed the Boy's itchy nostrils.
As there were no fly masks (Hormonal Hannah had a vague recollection that the horses had trashed them last year), Grotty went off to find a fly rug for him. She could only find his waterproof one, but Grotty decided that it was better than nothing.
He seemed to approve of it anyway.
On the way home, they did a little detour to put some flowers on Calum's mum's grave. Pepper Pooch amused himself by eating grass.
Home at around seven, Calum started to cook supper, and sent Baggy out to cut some fresh rosemary. As Baggy approached the bush, Furry Mama was concerned to find Pepper eating yet more grass, while standing next to two large piles of vomit. She took the lad back inside with her, but he seemed extremely unsettled. He went out, and was promptly violently sick. Furry Mama decided to call the vets emergency service at 7.45. After a chat, the vet asked them to bring Pepper over for 9.30pm as they had "another" emergency to deal with first. Before they set off at 8.45, Pepper had been sick a further three times, and was drooling and constantly gagging.
On the way there, Hormonal Hannah was getting extremely emotional.
"Cal, I just want to try to explain how my anxiety works. I know it's not logical, but I think it's my fault that Pepper is ill."
"Why?"
"Because my brain is a constant running commentary that we shouldn't have gone to the beach or to see the horses. We should have stayed home and none of this would have happened. I know it's probably not true, but that's how I feel! But after losing Pepper on Saturday, and him being poorly with his leg and ear and everything, I just wanted him to feel like he wasn't in trouble. And the horses don't understand why we have deserted them either; so now it's okay to go I just wanted to go, but maybe I was wrong, and this is all my fault."
"Well it isn't! Sometimes, shit just happens!"
As Baggy turned her head to look at Calum to thank him for listening, a massive female fallow deer appeared from nowhere! In a millisecond as Calum braked, the deer had hit the front of the car, and Furry Mama felt sick as she watched its underbelly fly up into the air with its legs facing the sky before vanishing from view.
Furry Mama burst into hysterical sobs as Calum carried on driving. As she continued to cry, Calum reached across to hold Baggy's hand.
"Do you think it survived?"
"I should very much doubt it. But I daren't stop to check, in case the car won't start again, and we have to get Pepper to the vets."
While they waited for Pepper to be taken into the surgery, Calum checked the car. The front radiator panel was smashed. The side panels were bent in under the warped bonnet. The poor Volvo, who was the bargain buy of the century, was definitely a right off.
As Pepper was in the vets, being given a blood test to check for salt poisoning, Baggy and Calum sat in the poor car and talked, realising just how lucky they were not to have been seriously injured or worse.
"I know I'm selfish, but I'm really glad you ignored me and we didn't come in Billy Bob."
"So am I! If we had, he would definitely have been written off. And there's one thing about Volvos, they are built for situations like this. If we'd been in Billy Bob, that deer would have come straight through the front of him."
An already extremely distressed Hannah decided not to dwell on that thought.
At 10.45, Pepper was given an injection to stop him from feeling sick, and they were told that he could go home, as he'd be less stressed there. Calum was relieved when the car started. On the way past the incident spot, they tried desperately to see whether there was any sign of the deer so that they could see if it needed help, but they could see nothing in the dark.
They got home safely by 11.30pm. But Pepper was far from okay - constantly, drooling and gagging, so Furry Mama stayed up with him, while Cal went to bed. At 3.00am Pepper took himself upstairs, so Baggy joined him. But he wouldn't settle, and Furry Mama was up and down with him until 4.00am when he finally fell asleep. Baggy fell asleep at about 5.00, having at least had the joy of listening to a nightingale launch the dawn chorus.
This morning, Pepper was still drooling and gagging, and Fred Fretter couldn't relax. Furry Mama decided to phone the day vet. They wanted him straight back in again. At 9.30am they dropped Pepper off and were told that he would need x-rays as they suspected a blockage, but if that wasn't the case, then he may have been poisoned!
It's been a long day! To distract themselves, Calum and Baggy went and bought the week's supplies from the butcher and greengrocer. Grotty bought Wesley a fly mask and before going home, they popped to the yard, so that Grotty could swap Wesley's waterproof rug for a cooler one, and put his new mask on.
It might look daft, and Clever Bird bought the girly pink one accidentally, but he seemed grateful regardless.
At 3.00pm Furry Mama had a call from the vet to say that there was no obvious blockage in Pepper's gut, and that there was no obvious indication of toxins in his blood. Phew! They were going to put him on an intravenous drip and give him antiinflammatory drugs to see whether he improved, as he was still in distress. They would call later. At 4.30 Baggy couldn't take anymore and decided to go for a lie down. Calum woke her at 5.45 to say that Pepper was considerably better, and that they could go and collect him at 6.30.
He's home with them now - tired, whimpery, and very unsure of himself, but not drooling or gagging, so Furry Mama is hopeful that he'll have a good night, and will not need to return to the vet again tomorrow.
Now Hormonal Hannah just needs to get over the thought that it was her fault that the deer died, as she had started to think it wasn't her fault that Pepper was ill.
Sometimes, shit just happens...
Depression (Black = really bad/Grey = not great/Blue = okay/Yellow = sunny day): Yellow.
On the way home, Grotty Groom asked whether they could go over to see the horses later that day, as Pauline had sent some photos of them earlier in the day, and Grotty was missing them so much.
So after a late lunch and a rest, they headed to see the Boys, also for the first time in two months. Calum and Grotty left Pepper to rest in Billy Bob Jalopy campervan; grabbed their grooming kits, and headed to the paddocks. After an initial, "bottom-turning" by Wesley to Grotty, to demonstrate his displeasure at her absence, he gave in to his better judgement and trotted across the field towards her, whilst whickering.
Hormonal Hannah got upset when she realised just how tangled Wesley's mane was. No surprise, as the horses are living out, and Grotty hasn't been there to groom them. But still!
It took an age to get them out, and he lost a mass of mane in the process.
As Grotty groomed, all Furry Mama could hear was Pepper Pooch getting more-and-more hysterical, barking and whining. As Grotty was struggling to sort Wesley out, she put his bridle-headcollar on him to try to hold him still, but he was clearly very irritated by the flies (and probably the pollen). He threw his head violently - constantly trying to rub his nose on Grotty's arm, bashing Baggy in the process with the metal side pieces of his bit.
Grotty sent Calum off to see if he could find a fly mask, and asked him to bring Pepper out to the paddocks, as by now he was clearly distressed, and Joey was fully groomed, having stood still like a poppet!
Grotty eventually managed to get some plaits in, as Pepper lay in the grass by Joey's paddock, and Calum held Wesley still and rubbed the Boy's itchy nostrils.
As there were no fly masks (Hormonal Hannah had a vague recollection that the horses had trashed them last year), Grotty went off to find a fly rug for him. She could only find his waterproof one, but Grotty decided that it was better than nothing.
He seemed to approve of it anyway.
On the way home, they did a little detour to put some flowers on Calum's mum's grave. Pepper Pooch amused himself by eating grass.
Home at around seven, Calum started to cook supper, and sent Baggy out to cut some fresh rosemary. As Baggy approached the bush, Furry Mama was concerned to find Pepper eating yet more grass, while standing next to two large piles of vomit. She took the lad back inside with her, but he seemed extremely unsettled. He went out, and was promptly violently sick. Furry Mama decided to call the vets emergency service at 7.45. After a chat, the vet asked them to bring Pepper over for 9.30pm as they had "another" emergency to deal with first. Before they set off at 8.45, Pepper had been sick a further three times, and was drooling and constantly gagging.
On the way there, Hormonal Hannah was getting extremely emotional.
"Cal, I just want to try to explain how my anxiety works. I know it's not logical, but I think it's my fault that Pepper is ill."
"Why?"
"Because my brain is a constant running commentary that we shouldn't have gone to the beach or to see the horses. We should have stayed home and none of this would have happened. I know it's probably not true, but that's how I feel! But after losing Pepper on Saturday, and him being poorly with his leg and ear and everything, I just wanted him to feel like he wasn't in trouble. And the horses don't understand why we have deserted them either; so now it's okay to go I just wanted to go, but maybe I was wrong, and this is all my fault."
"Well it isn't! Sometimes, shit just happens!"
As Baggy turned her head to look at Calum to thank him for listening, a massive female fallow deer appeared from nowhere! In a millisecond as Calum braked, the deer had hit the front of the car, and Furry Mama felt sick as she watched its underbelly fly up into the air with its legs facing the sky before vanishing from view.
Furry Mama burst into hysterical sobs as Calum carried on driving. As she continued to cry, Calum reached across to hold Baggy's hand.
"Do you think it survived?"
"I should very much doubt it. But I daren't stop to check, in case the car won't start again, and we have to get Pepper to the vets."
While they waited for Pepper to be taken into the surgery, Calum checked the car. The front radiator panel was smashed. The side panels were bent in under the warped bonnet. The poor Volvo, who was the bargain buy of the century, was definitely a right off.
As Pepper was in the vets, being given a blood test to check for salt poisoning, Baggy and Calum sat in the poor car and talked, realising just how lucky they were not to have been seriously injured or worse.
"I know I'm selfish, but I'm really glad you ignored me and we didn't come in Billy Bob."
"So am I! If we had, he would definitely have been written off. And there's one thing about Volvos, they are built for situations like this. If we'd been in Billy Bob, that deer would have come straight through the front of him."
An already extremely distressed Hannah decided not to dwell on that thought.
At 10.45, Pepper was given an injection to stop him from feeling sick, and they were told that he could go home, as he'd be less stressed there. Calum was relieved when the car started. On the way past the incident spot, they tried desperately to see whether there was any sign of the deer so that they could see if it needed help, but they could see nothing in the dark.
They got home safely by 11.30pm. But Pepper was far from okay - constantly, drooling and gagging, so Furry Mama stayed up with him, while Cal went to bed. At 3.00am Pepper took himself upstairs, so Baggy joined him. But he wouldn't settle, and Furry Mama was up and down with him until 4.00am when he finally fell asleep. Baggy fell asleep at about 5.00, having at least had the joy of listening to a nightingale launch the dawn chorus.
This morning, Pepper was still drooling and gagging, and Fred Fretter couldn't relax. Furry Mama decided to phone the day vet. They wanted him straight back in again. At 9.30am they dropped Pepper off and were told that he would need x-rays as they suspected a blockage, but if that wasn't the case, then he may have been poisoned!
It's been a long day! To distract themselves, Calum and Baggy went and bought the week's supplies from the butcher and greengrocer. Grotty bought Wesley a fly mask and before going home, they popped to the yard, so that Grotty could swap Wesley's waterproof rug for a cooler one, and put his new mask on.
It might look daft, and Clever Bird bought the girly pink one accidentally, but he seemed grateful regardless.
At 3.00pm Furry Mama had a call from the vet to say that there was no obvious blockage in Pepper's gut, and that there was no obvious indication of toxins in his blood. Phew! They were going to put him on an intravenous drip and give him antiinflammatory drugs to see whether he improved, as he was still in distress. They would call later. At 4.30 Baggy couldn't take anymore and decided to go for a lie down. Calum woke her at 5.45 to say that Pepper was considerably better, and that they could go and collect him at 6.30.
He's home with them now - tired, whimpery, and very unsure of himself, but not drooling or gagging, so Furry Mama is hopeful that he'll have a good night, and will not need to return to the vet again tomorrow.
Now Hormonal Hannah just needs to get over the thought that it was her fault that the deer died, as she had started to think it wasn't her fault that Pepper was ill.
Sometimes, shit just happens...
Baggy's current state!
Anxiety (From 1 = barely any to 10 = gibbering wreck standard): 8 - warranted though.
Tears: Justifiable ones in droves.
Overall days: Extremely up and down.
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
Tears: Justifiable ones in droves.
Overall days: Extremely up and down.
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
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