Last post on here!!

Only just got a new pc as the last one died well over a year now and as things have changed quite a bit in my life since then I have decided to shut down and probably delete this Blog. I'll start up a new one before I do though....once I think of a cool name for it!!! Hmmm this could take a while!!

Flight of the Bumblebee

..Or perhaps that should be Plight of the BumbleBee.

They are becoming scarce, in fact I found out yesterday that two of our native BumbleBees species have become extinct in the UK within the last few decades which is awful and almost entirely due to human activity. Bees are vital especially nectar and pollen feeders, without them the planet's ecological system, which is already teetering on the edge, would pretty much collapse. Humans would starve as most of the plants we rely on for food would die out with no bees to pollinate the flowers. Many trees would cease to seed so no new trees and therefor the atmospheric conditions would change.

Bees need our support and anyone with a garden can help by growing more native or old plant species, even if it's just in a small patch you set aside. Exotic and highly bred flowers may look nice but they are useless to animals that rely on them for food and this is a huge problem.

Encourage bees to nest by buying premade nest boxes or making your own.

The use of insecticides and chemicals in gardens as well as agriculture is another culprit responsible for the decline in many species right up the food chain so please stop using them or if you must be careful what you use. You are also killing birds too as many feed on the insects you poison!! Wonder why there aren't so many butterfiles around?? Take a look at your pretty, un-naturally tidy, sterile garden and the chemicals in your shed....there's your reason!! You are killing summer and in doing so you are killing yourself.

If you need more information on how you can help the humble Bumble there are many websites including this one, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

I love the sound of summer days, it's such a wonderful sound, the buzzing of bees of all shapes and sizes as they flit from flower to flower in their endless search for nectar and pollen. I love watching them and even thought I had more than my fair share of bee stings as a child (catching Bumblebees with your bare hands is a rather stupid idea, even for a 3 year old) I will still quite happily wander in amongst the flowers as the bees fly around me. Unless you really frighten them they will not harm you at all.

I was highly delighted to discover we had a nest of White Tailed Bumblebees under our shed this year, something that would have had the average person reaching for the phone and dialing Pest Control, but then I'm not the average person. I welcome our little fuzzy friends and wish I had something better than a compact digital camera so I could take better pictures of them, but hey!

The topmost picture shows my favourite and she is huge. I wish I'd thought to get something in the photo that would show her size but at a guess she's at least 4cm in length perhaps even pushing 5cm. One of the biggest I've seen. She has a very low flight path and very deep droning buzz. I looked her up on the internet to find out what this red tailed BumbleBee is called and found that she's a Red Tailed BumbleBee, well fancy that!! I'd never seen this species before I moved to the house I have been in this last 9 years. On a good day in my garden there's probably at least four BumbleBee species and three bee species as well as goodness knows how many other insects.
Hopefully I can make my messy garden even more wildlife friendly in the years to come and help preserve the sound of summer.

These last few months............

Things have been pretty much up and down since I last posted. The good news is that Penny has recovered well, there are certain things she has difficulty with but considering what happened they are more than acceptable.

I'm also going to be an Aunt end of November/beginning of December.

Bad news is that my hours (along with those of many other staff members) got cut (practically halved and I only worked part-time anyway) at work so I've had to sell some of my dolls in order to refine my collection, my other dog got stung by a bee and took a severe allergic reaction to it. He's fine now but it meant that my wages went in on Friday and then all went out to the vet on the following Monday leaving me with nothing.

Most people would just go get another job but that's not so easy for me as I can't drive, won't leave the dogs alone for more than a set number of hours, and as I suffer badly from clinical depression finding an understanding employer and place I feel comfortable working in is damn hard!

Where I am just now may mean I'm living on a knife edge money wise but we all get along great, I'm happy doing what I do, and that for me is important.

I have also stopped taking my anti-depressants as they just don't seem to work the same anymore, plus the doctor recommended I do so as I had been on them for years. The adjustment has been difficult. As well as the physical withdrawal symptoms I have to deal with emotional and mental readjustment too.

One minute I'm fine the next I'm crying, my anxiety levels have risen, I'm more defensive, insomnia is dreadful, coping with everyday things has become harder, my brain misinterprets things, I'm even more forgetful than I was.......these things will hopefully settle down as my body resets but it also has served as a reminder of just how crippling this condition can be.

On the plus side the chronic fatigue has gone, I feel I want to do things rather than just sit and vegetate, things feel clearer, and my artistic urge is starting to resurface. Only time will tell whether I can cope without meds or whether I am forced back onto them again.

Oh well, time to go get another coffee (decaf or unleaded as we call it!) and finish painting my Pukifee faceplates!

Penny's Progress.....road to recovery post 3

Penny has been back home with us now for a few weeks and has recovered well.
She still has stability and co-ordination problems, trips up a lot, her bark is very hoarse and higher pitched, and she needs confidence boosting ( which sometimes involves lifting >< )when it comes to climbing down from the sofa or bed but she's getting there.
She has however begun to return to her old self and tries to play with the other dog now, is back to sun worshipping (as you can see), and best of all has shown an improvement in her appetite which is good as she lost almost a quarter of her body weight while she was immobile.
We don't know if she'll ever recover completely as we don't know what damage was done although her neck and front legs took the brunt of whatever happened.
Her body needs to heal itself and that takes time.

We can't thank our veterinary clinic enough for all they have done. They've been wonderful and you couldn't hope for a better bunch of people!

Penny's Progress.....road to recovery post 2

The last few days have been a mix of good and well ...not so good.

As far as the good part is concerned she's far more 'herself' now, very alert, getting stronger and able to pull herself upright enough to balance on her stomach and chest, she also actually managed to pull herself up enough to stand at one point although she was leaning against someone's legs and the chair in order to do so.

On the bad side we had to re admitt her to the vet yesterday as she has point blank refused to do the toilet for over 48 hours. We were in contact with the vet during this time but by yesterday she was clearly in a lot of discomfort.
Despite having been given painkillers on Sunday to try and relax her a bit, and taking her outside when she whined day and night she would not go.
She also developed an abcess on her back too which was hurting her.
The vet called us not long after we re-admitted her to say Penny did finally go, she was just too afraid to pee in the house or while we were holding her.

They're going to keep in her until she's better able to support herself and therefor more willing to do the toilet.

So we'll see how it goes.............

Penny's Progress.....road to recovery post 1

One of my dogs, Penny (a cross between a whippet and a saluki), injured herself very badly on Sunday. We still don't know what actually happened but we suspect she tripped and fell whilst out playing with our other dog in the back garden.

Poor thing came in looking very hunched up and sorry for herself and within a couple of hours she was unable to move from the neck downwards.

We contacted the vet and took her straight to the surgery where she has remained since. No bones were broken but she has suffered some form of spinal cord trauma. Thankfully she is beginning to recover but for a day or two things looked rather grim, would she remain paralyzed or would she regain movement.

Today showed the biggest improvement in her condition. She was able to move her shoulders and back legs enough to almost right herself from the lying position she has been in since Sunday. The vets have have been turning her over every few hours, massaging her muscles and exercising her legs to keep her limbs supple otherwise they would stiffen and seize up.

She apparently managed to flip herself over this afternoon but still hasn't the strength or co-ordination to support herself.

Her correcting reflex in her lower limbs and feet is still non existant however. When any effort is made to try and stand her her feet remain curled and she ends up on her knuckles. Even with support she is very unstable.

She looks less dazed now than she did, can support her head for longer, and has got her 'voice' back a bit.

The best news is that the vet is happy now for us to take her home this coming weekend!!

We will be shown what physio Penny requires, what to do, and given whatever advice is required.

Recovery is going to be slow, we know that, but it'll be worth it to see her back on her feet again!!

Winter Foliage part 2

Some more of the photographs I took of frozen plants and herbs in my garden.