Summer onions out…
Winter onions in.
Still they come, young and oh so sweet!
Even sweeter, the best I’ve ever tasted. First ever home grown apricots.
The parsley has been particularly strong and flavoursome this year…
and the Accidental Orchards’ underplanting of wild flowers is beginning to bloom. There have been mallows, cornflowers, love-in-a-mist and now cosmos and marigolds are beginning to burst forth…
and roses be blushing once again.
The torrid week? Sam was due to go to the vet on the 26th of August for his X-ray, nasal flush and dental. A week before this, his breathing became more and more ragged as he simply couldn’t breathe through the right side of his nose and was gasping for air from his mouth. The rattling, explosive sounds coming from his nose were horrendous and to add to his misery the problematic side of his nose began bleeding. The vet prescribed more anti-inflammatory meds and told me to hang on until his appointment.
Never have I seen such a miserable dog. To add to it all, I had a horrendous dose of norovirus which had me unable to eat or barely drink for a few days. I was shaky, burning up and dizzy and for the first time in over twenty years, I actually had to lie down.
Hubs took Sam for his appointment last Thursday, I lay next to him the night before thinking it may be for the last time. Neither of us slept a wink, he was suffering horrendously, and I was borderline delirious and burning up.
I was fully expecting a call once Sam was out, informing me that a monstrous growth had been found and that the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep. Instead, the vet explained that he was awake, had eaten, and had two massive back molars removed, his nose had been flushed and fluids and cells were being sent to the lab for tests for fungal infections and other things. The troublesome side of his nose showed thicker tissue, which doesn’t surprise me given how many nosebleeds and all the violent sneezing and snorting he’s endured over the months, fingers crossed it’s not something more sinister.
Anyway…
my Sam came home and for the last three days he’s been breathing normally, with his mouth closed, no explosive snorting, horrid rattling or gasping for breath. He’s happy, relaxed, even playing again [though he’s not supposed to given the stitches in his mouth, but how to stop him?] and the nose bleed has stopped. All he has is a slightly runny nostril and eye. I’ll take that, and long may it continue, although that’s how the problem started last March.
The next steps are check-up, lab results in ten days and more intense scans if any further problems.
A grand well spent! But, thank god we can afford it, I feel for those who can’t.
And Finally…
Hibiscus, they flower so late. Hazy photo but rather dreamy and paintable, for me anyway.
Until next time, stay safe guys. xxx
Isn’t it always the way that just at the time we have some major challenges to deal with, our health takes a turn for the worse. I do hope that both you and Sam are on the mend after your trials and tribulations.
Glad to see that your garden is providing a soothing backdrop and some lovely homegrown produce. I never have much luck with parsley. You must share your secret. And those apricots look luscious !
Take care of yourselves xxx
How true, things always happen when we’re unwell. Thankfully we’re both right as rain now. I just grow parsley from seed in any compost, just watch it doesn’t dry out. It seems to enjoy full sun. Good to hear from you. I hope all is well.Hugs.xxx
Oh you poor pair! Hopefully you are both on the mend xx
Thanks AnneMarie. Thankfully all is well now. xxx
It sounds as though you have had a dreadful week, but I’m so glad to hear the Sam is much better and I hope you are too, not a nice experience for either of you. Your roses are doing really well and your apricots look so yummy! Take care x
Thanks Pauline. It was a pretty miserable week, thankfully all is well now. Hasn’t it been a great year for the roses? They just keep coming. xxx
So good to read that Sam is starting to feel better.
Hope you are too, norovirus is not a good thing to have!
Your home grown apricots look delicious 🙂
Take care, and happy September wishes
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan. Oh norovirus is monstrous I’m glad to have recovered from that! xxx
Your apricots looks lovely, I’ve always been able to get lovely sweet apricots from a friend and now she has moved out! Enjoy yours. What an unbelievable week. Good to hear Sam is starting to feel better, but with you being sick while he was sick must have been awful. I sometimes wonder how people manage the expensive if a pet is really sick, and they haven’t got insurance, it is a nightmare.
Anyway, I hope you have a better week, both for you and Sam.
Thanks Gerrie, shame about your friend moving. Having tasted those apricots I doubt I’ll go back to shop bought, there was no comparison. Yes vets bills are nightmarish at times but thankfully this time they seem to have sorted Sam out. xxx
Wonderful news about Sam…..and yes long may the good new continue:)
I can’t believe your apricots – they look beautiful and I do love the purple thistle a plant I enjoy painting…Also love the hibiscus…which does have a dreamy quality.
I just returned from beautiful Crickhowell, which after the Green Man Festival is rife with covid. I will be tested tomorrow….as some of the people I was with were either tested positive or felt. a little off colour.. Having said that it was a wonderful few days reminding me of how much I love Wales:)
It does feel that autumn if upon us…very cool and overcast here… Enjoy your beautiful gardens and veggies.xxxx
Thanks Janet, I have my fingers crossed Sam remains well. It’s certainly looking good, touch wood. Oh, I do hope you don’t have covid, please keep us posted. The festival sounds wonderful, I would have enjoyed that. Love and hugs.xxxx
You poor thing! It all sounds monumentally nasty for both of you. Very pleased Sam is on the mend and do hope you are too xx
Thanks Gill. I’m grateful we’re both fully recovered.xxx
Vet’s bills – ouch! I’m so glad that Sam is breathing much better – his poor nose; it’s bad enough for us when we’re just blocked up with a cold! Poor you as well; I hope you are feeling better now too. Your garden is amazingly productive and I really envy you those apricots! Fingers crossed for those lab results and here’s to a quieter week! xx
Thanks Veggiemummy, it’s quite a relief seeing Sam back to normal again, long may that be the case! Thankfully all is well with me too. I really am hoping my tree produces more apricots next year, they truly were delicious. xxx
Great post and images as usual. Glad Sam has recovered.
Have had a couple of health issues of my own. Have an infection through my Bronciastasis. Coughing up a bit of yellow stuff now. Its a bad sign and the first since the New years holidays. Fell out of bed the other day and bruised my ribs – pretty sore Started my anti-biotics this morning. Suspected something was happening and rang the doctor – he sent a script through. Will be right in a couple of weeks. The lockdown is easing here outside of Auckland – rest of NZ going down to level 3 tomorrow, though Auckland has another 2 wks. Only one death, first for a long time, the victim had existing health problems.
Thanks Peter. Oh goodness, sorry to hear you’ve been in the wars! Good to know you have antibiotics and will be better soon. Hoping your covid situation is sorted soon, the numbers are high here but the government seem happy to accept a loss of 100-200 deaths a day, everything remains open. xxx
Oh, poor darling, a week far more challenging than you deserved to be handling. Glad your dear husband was there to live you through all that suffering and worry. Crying for sweet Sam and sooooo happy to hear he’s back to a happier baseline. Hoping for optimistic lab results. Please give him hugs for me.
And I hope you’re feeling better than average as well, dear friend. 💕 How horrible to feel so ill. 😢
The garden looks heavenly; my goodness, what a lot of gorgeous blooms beneath the orchard! And those apricots!
Looking forward to the unveiling of your hibiscus painting!!! I’ll get wine and cheese ready we’ll do a (very short) gallery walk!
Take good care. Xoxoxo 🧡
Thanks Kitty. I was grateful to hubs, he did look after me, even eating in another room and feeding all the beasties. It’s just wonderful seeing Sam back to normal, long may that last, I’ve dispatched your hugs, he sends lickies. Hahaha, looking forward to unveiling of the hibiscus painting. Love and huge hugs to you all.xxxx
Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry you’ve been sick while you’ve got a miserable Sam as well. So glad it sounds like he is on the mend (and you too!). When you’ve both recovered, I’m sure there will be the vet bill to attend to (so sorry!). (Wimsey is still not eating yet; thinks about it, walks away, wants to go outside)
Love that dreamy shot of the hibiscus as well as the lavender. So sweet.
How pretty that orchard will look when your wild flowers bloom. It already looks like a lovely mini forest in that corridor. I’m terribly jealous of those wonderful onions. Have you tried making onion/garlic/tomato confit? Basically put them in a pan with olive oil to cover and random herbs on top, bake until toasty, spread on bread. The sweetness of the onions comes through and infuses the oil with amazing flavor.
Thanks Anne. Oh, My Poor Poor Boy! I do hope he recovers soon, he must feel exactly as I did, not nice at all. Oh my, I’ll be making that confit for sure, sounds utterly delicious! xxx
Goodness what a miserable week for Sam and yourself, I hope that you’re both feeling better now.
Those apricots certainly look tasty, and I’m glad they were.
Thanks, and you too. xx
Thankfully Sam and I are back to normal. I’m hoping for a lot more apricots next year, fingers are firmly crossed. Thanks Flighty.xxx
Awww, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Sam, I do hope he’s okay. They do cause us some worry but what would be do without them. I’ve just had Archie’s insurance renewal through, £2k, it’s madness, but I daren’t cancel it in case his heart problems get any worse and he ends up on more medication. I hope you’re feeling better now too.
Thanks Jo, he’s so much better now, just like his old self. Dear Lord! 2K? That’s insanity!!! It’s borderline blackmail for sure.xxx