Flash Recovery

Finally a heatwave is on the cards.

Time to go back to work after a cold, soggy and breezy Easter holiday. Typical.

Wednesday 18th April 2018

Sue and the dogs looking after Flash

Temperatures hit 23 degrees today and are forecast for even higher tomorrow. The soil will be workable for the first time in a long time. At the same time, the grass will need cutting and the weeds will be growing.

Everything will be playing catch-up. But not me. Not only am I back at work, but I have a very big day coming up on Saturday.

For it is my first meeting as Chair of the Smallholders Club and, along with the Grow Your Own group, we have a very busy event planned. I have talks and games to prepare for and display tables to get ready, as well as food to prepare for catering.

It will take up all my evenings and the whole of Saturday.

I don't really mind, but the timing on the weather could not have been worse. Not only are my hands completely tied as soon as I could get out and making proper progress in the veg plot, but the first sunny weekend of the year is sure to keep people away from the event which is taking up all my time to organise.

After Saturday, the forecast is for thunderstorms on Sunday before a return to cold and grey again!

Enough moaning though. Life is still pretty good.

Flash has continued to worry us. He is not bouncing around like a week old lamb should be. For the first few days of his life we felt that every day we could keep him alive his chances of survival would be increasing. But he is still not strong in his legs. He totters about stiffly and struggles to get up when he has been sitting. Most of his time he spends just sitting. Last night he really struggled to stand on the straw in the stable, but this morning he was looking stronger than ever.

Thursday 19th April 2018

Scorcher!
It was 29 degrees today. Not Fahrenheit! The thermometer in the polytunnel hit 120. This brings its own problems for the delicate little seedlings in their pockets of compost.

Dentist.
This has been worrying me for quite some time so the hour long delay in the waiting room was most unwelcome. I survived, but only because they did no work today!

A Visit to the Vets
After that, we had arranged to take Flash to see the vet all the way over in Norfolk.

He started out in a cat carrier, but quickly ended up cuddled in on Sue's lap. Like us, the vet could find no obvious problems, but administered antibiotics (just for luck) and an anti-inflammatory.

It was like a miracle. Within five minutes fFash was able to hop over the step of the vets without stumbling or falling onto his face.

By the time we got him home he was trotting up and down in his pen and by the next morning he was running up and down with me and Rambutan.

Friday 20th April 2018

Work and final preparations for the meeting. Parsnip Cake and Butternut Galette.