Hiding! Bath time! Ducks after a good nights sleep! Time for wing clipping! Two happy ducks! Wing clipping sounds familiar in world wide pandemic! Walkies! Flip and Flop . It was an amazing and rewarding adventure to raise our Muscovy ducks Flip and Flop. At first we thought we had been given two fenales but […]
Quackers about Muscovy Ducks — alexandrapettitt
Well it seems that finally the mystery has been solved as to who done it so to speak no total and final proof though but a certainty it seems as ,mysteries abound around here I think and I am pretty certain that I have seen the horrid creature the cats certainly seemed terrified as they retreated high above ground onto window sills and watched in terror as this black dog with a clanging sheeps bell sounded as he moved about in the area he seemed to know the territory well as he moved around and about quite stealthily notwithstanding the clanging of the bell that alerted us all of his presence. It was the cats and Nerone our black rabbit who also seemed somewhat terrified at the sight and sound of this creature that gave me cause to believe that indeed this was the fiend that got our poor Bianchina sadly missed by us all our tame free living New Zealand white rabbit it was a case of happy families no more as she had been badly savaged and it is my belief that this fiend was the cause of our loss of our beloved Bianchina. Well I suppose that we can hopefully start up that happy family again as our cats miss the fun of chasing around after each other it is the abscence of the presence of our Bianchina and who knows Grigio that was also another free living rabbit maybe went the same way or was it those pine martens that I saw a few years ago they are pretty aggressive too against such creatures others have stated oh it is Reynard the Fox or even a Wolf as Wolves have repopulated the area certainly it was not a Riccio or a Cinghiale who are being hunted to extinction in our area soon we may have to establish a programme to refurbish the area with Cinghiali as they are being hunted and caught 8 -10 in any single hunt even the little baby Cinghiali!
It was an amazing and rewarding adventure to raise our Muscovy ducks Flip and Flop. At first we thought we had been given two fenales but eventually we found out that we had been given a male and a female. We later learnt that it is mightily difficult if not impossible to sex chicks. Muscovy ducks may seem the same but are quite different as they get older males develop a pronounced pertuberance on their heads red coloured which denotes their masculinity whereas the females do not
I do not suffer from the Winter Blues or SAD Seasonally Affective Disorder but I do rejoice when I see a ray of sunshine that is warming to our lives and Nature all too fleetingly sometimes and I think of a line of a Donovan song “Sunshine came in softly through my window today” the trick is to be motivated to “rise up and shine!” another day has dawned upon us and we are still alive we have to be grateful for that alone but it is all this quarantine, this lockdown and that is so burdensome on our lives which are totally disrupted no normality in fact I wonder what is our normality and as to whether we will return to a form of future normality that sustains us that as humans makes us feel worthwhile, vibrant, active. This seems to give the word Hibernation a whole new meaning maybe that is what some of us should do or do in Winter months. Despite all this we are told that we are saving the NHS by staying at home and that is excellent if only to maintain the promise of the NHS that was created to help us from the Cradle to the Grave when it was created in 1948 and long may it continue in its valiant work. Covid 19 is this Silent and Invisibible Enemy we all have to shield from it wearing masks or even a plastic visor as this virus can get into all the openings or orifices of the body also maintain that 2 metre distance and this is mandatory to enter shops for food, trains, buses and underground. Frankly it is such a palaver each time you have to make a sortee either to buy food or exercise or whatever the need to exit out of the house. Do you know what I mean misplaced mask ,not to mention the visor that gets misty ,the thought of this preparation to go anywhere is so trying and tiring. Then there is the business that you need to deal with the unending long waiting times on the telephone the misdialled numbers the wrong number keyed in to speak to someone regarding this or that worst of all is the line dropping or should I say the bored person on the end of the phone who has the audacity not to be bothered with your problems and so day in day out the tribulations of trivial life continue to mount up until finally possibly you give up they state often to go look on their magnifiscent web site okay you take that challenge if you are computer savvy what about those older members of society who are not I often wonder even if you are able the problem is the website is not available or what you needed was really not listed and no aternatives then what…I wonder are we all grinding slowly to a halt and that is most dangerous and I am truly worried as I read somewhere that our Planet is due for another Sleeping Sickness all the markers are in place lack of physical exercise, alcohol, drugs, comfort eating causing obesity. I mean the Silence is frightening at times in a large bustling once thriving City like London. Albeit Nature is fast approaching buds are peeping through the dark sodden earth to delight us once more and to slowly signal in the passage of time and the longed for Spring which gives us hope of renewal, energy, laughter, hope, sun, longer days, happier times, freedom to travel, no more restrictions, quarantine or lockdowns or cancellations so that we can finally shake off those Winter Blues. I wonder is this a Living Nightmare that we are all ,living and dying and grieving and yet there are quite a few hopeful souls that manage to help us through these dark moments in our lives that cheer us up with their positive outlook to this greyness abounding they are not minimally phased maybe they realise it is all foretold a Biblical Tale seems that maybe we are living through the Apocalyptic phase of our Planet. Worst of all is that we emerge out of this transformed and into the dreaded Orwellian view of life as described in 1984.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH AND INTO THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR. Why me I asked myself many times. Often I felt that the pain that Jesus Christ must have suffered was unbelievable compared to my pain which for me was quite unacceptable. Imagine this 3mm twin ganglion on my foot which caused such dreadful pain. No one should have to suffer such pain it is now over 12 weeks which seems to qualify me to visit NHS Pain Clinic.
Pain affects the way we act and think and I felt that I had to identify with how this pain was affecting my life. Indeed in truth it was and is unbelievable that I should have been prescribed painkillers that did not one jot to alleviate this pain as it is according to my doctor a neuropathic pain but the pills for this are incredible as they can potentially affect other parts of the body. Luckily a topical cream Capsaicin 0.025% the lowest level is easing somewhat the pain but it is not curative of the ailment.
There are complementary methods to ease this pain and better manage pain such as acupuncture, acupressure, osteopath, chiropractor non offered on NHS as far as I know. I have tried Reiki music, meditation music and music in general to avert sleepless nights tormented and racked with pain. Exercise, massage of foot is also a possibility. Coming to terms with such pain as burning sensation, pins and needles, cramps, darting pain, nerves jumping. Fergie the singer encapsulates somewhat the various meanings of pain in the song entitled Love is Pain, Pain is Love.
There exists a British Pain Society I have yet to discover what help they impart. NHS offers Pain Management Programmes as well as MSK (muscular skeletal solutions) via podiatry, physio therapy which can lead to being seen by an orthopaedic or neurology doctor as well as orthotics if needed. This whole procedure though is all very time consuming and all I wanted was to be given a magic pill or cure and a name for the actual ailment. I still am uncertain apart from the 3mm twin ganglion and the possible Moretons Neuroma as to what is causing the spongey feeling on the side and ball of the foot.
in fact I was lucky enough to find some excellent exercises on UTube but as to whether these are suitable or not for my condition is quite another matter also there is an excellent page on an NHS website as to the explanation of foot pain and what to do although I already knew most of this and it was suggested that I look no further.
My latest discovery however seems to be just what I have been looking for it is an Electromic Acupuncture Pen which runs on batteries. This indeed seems to be the miracle cure with all that this has to offer as follows ” promotes blood circulation, firms sagging skin, detoxes the meridians, helps muscle pain, has no side effects viz pain killers, treats chronic pain, acute and chronic physical pain, rheumatism, osteoporosis, sciatica, migraine, sports injuries, muscle, joint and back pain” this indeed seems to me to be just the miracle cure that I have been searching for to help me overcome this excruciating, unbearable screaming pain.
I have not written for several months now due to the excruciating pain caused by my foot ganglion. I have not progressed much at all with resolving this matter even after having been seen by various doctors in the UK. I first was seen by a doctor way back in September at the local walk in centre my husband was taking the mickey yeah he said walk in centre my foot, no pun intended. The doctor confirmed what I already knew, yes this is a ganglion and was going to offer Ibrufen pills for the pain which I could not accept as I am allergic so I suggested MOVELAT cream which has Salicyllic acid this I’d used several years ago and it did help however the pain seemed to get ever stronger and unbearable indeed I even tried Fenbid Gel which has Ibuprofen to no avail. I was told to get a scan but I had to get a letter from my own surgery. I arranged to see the practice nurse who can arrange this which she did. It was just as well that I missed the appointment as I had not received the letter as she had notified the wrong foot, what madness! I phoned up 111 due to pain and they made me talk to a nurse who suggested cold compress with pack of peas someone else had suggested hot packs I felt a little confused till recently and both are it seems suitable and beneficial. The next humongous pain again I phoned 111 who sent me to be seen by a doctor at the hospital the outcome was miserable as he suggested the cause was tight shoes and a fallen arch no solution was suggested. I left feeling short changed and upset as still several weeks later the pain was not only there but increasing exponentially. I was totally desperate I then decided as I had to travel to visit my husband I started to take Paracetemol which did nothing only half pills 250mg instead of 500mg as I am unused to take pills, I am no hypochondriac! I travelled in flight without boots that was a relief but the pain still raged on and what’s more the extraordinary matter was that my foot was burning hot too!
A few days on and the pain was in comparison to tooth ache 1000 times worse I went to the local First Aid Hospital who kept me a whole day blood tests X-ray proved no broken bones. All my toes hurt and felt numb at the same time as did the ball and side of the foot a very painful condition indeed! I was sent home with a prescription to purchase vitamins and anti inflammatory product to calm things down and to help my nerves which were jumping at the stabbing pain and burning sensation these seem to make me pee a lot maybe removes pressure in body however now only pinky toe is in spasms as if held in a morse. Previously another doctor had suggested Arnica to help against the inflammation which was also unbearable. But still no real pain relief. I drove around changing feet as the pain was horrendous. Meanwhile I bought more of those pills despite these did not help against the invasive pain but helped anyways to spare my nerves else I feel I would have been a nervous wreck.
As a result of the hospital visit I was sent for a scan to see the blood flow of my leg and also another scan for the ganglion. The blood flow is ok but the ganglion well that was a shock as it proved to be a twin ganglion, I had never heard of this. No operations are now done by the NHS as these ganglion can possibly return again and there is not enough fluid to remove as it is too small as my doctor at my surgery had confirmed a couple of years ago. In amongst all this I was upset as no one had told me that my previous Egyptian doctor had retired and I now have to see an Indian doctor whom I met on my return.
To be seen by an orthopaedic surgeon and a neurologist despite it is all one same ailment one has to return to obtain a referral. The referral process has also changed it seems that despite the doctors intention to have the patient seen, the request goes for triage and on that result then an appointment is possibly made or not through a central office if this needs to be changed you have to have a personal password (one chosen at random by the computer for life) then and only then can the amendment be done. Not to mention trying to get a doctors appointment at ones surgery that would be a whole other blog!
Meanwhile on my return I was sent to another local hospital via 111 I had hoped that I would finally get my scan no such luck but I was given Colcodomol tablets presumably for the pain which equally did not work but gave me constipation and pains around the bowels worse lot than ever so I reduced the dose and visited another doctor who gave me a lower dose which I promptly halved due to the fear of constipation and more pain I also managed to get the scan rearranged this time for a suspected Moretons Neuroma that I was told I had due to classic test of sqeezing my foot which caused me to scream out with pain this was done at the hospital abroad and the doctor there suggested also for me to have an operation which I declined.
I finally had my scan at my local hospital which caused me further pain as the operator squeezed my foot to get good insight into my foot and what is going on in there! The twin ganglion was confirmed at the doctors surgery and I was prescribed neuropathic pills Gabapentin Milpharm capsules to try for 10 days no such chance as these had counter indications, over a foot long, (again no pun intended) including tongue face blowing up considering I’d had a similar problem as a child and needed an adrenalin injection to revive me it was a definite no no with good reason! I nearly forgot I was previously prescribed Tramadol Hydrochloride Capsules again these worried me more than the pain as to their possible side effects especially sleepiness! I was feeling less than impressed as I am still in pain so I requested a topical cream or gel for my foot pain which has taken over 3 months to obtain, it is Capiscum cream which I am yet to collect as it had to be ordered specially. This made me think that we are pill popping people, I would rather cure the problem directly rather than exacerbate other vital organs. We have choices in life and we have to ensure that these are respected and maintained and not to be walked all over ourselves especially when it comes to curing our bodies! I managed to secure this topical aid by phoning 111 and a kind doctor agreed with me and told me that it was prescription only and not over the counter medication which meant referring the whole matter back to the doctors surgery who wil be glad I am sure when and if my pain is finally sorted!
Meanwhile several more weeks and days have passed and I found a useful web sight on how to cure ganglion 30 possible ways VKOOL.com very inspiring indeed and the first on the list is Arnica I have tried several of the suggested remedies with no results but Castor Oil and TTree Oil I use to massage my foot and Cider Vinegar as well as Aloe Vera Gel (I hope to purchase a plant as that is the purest form), this seems to have made the ganglion smaller and lessened the pain slightly only. As we are all different and react differently to products it is worth to give these a try no harm in trying with natural products.
A well known guru Baba Cesare on visiting him for higher spiritual matters in his holiday Ashram told me “well you see young lady you seem to have one foot in Hell and one foot in Heaven” so now I soloemnalły pray that the gods will be kind enough to me after all this suffering and pardon me and give me the grace to land with both feet in Heaven as Hell is far too painful indeed’
We have had several goldfish at Longoio the very first one we won at a fairground challenge oh and I just remembered it was the notorious fishing of the duck game in a pond. We were presented with the gift that we had won it was a goldfish given to us in a see through plastic bag water and air which we were to accommodate into a container and it subsequently lived in a glass salad bowl until I found a rather more suitable and attractive typical goldfish like globe made of coloured glass. The fish tank arrived later as a gift from someone then we bought the coloured pebbles a few larger stones plastic grass an oxygen pump and even a magnetic cleaner with sponges that we whizzed about and which cleaned the glass panels internally and it was amazingly effective a frightfully useful gadget indeed. However from time to time as the water got really murky it had to be flushed away and new fresh water was promptly replaced, naturally the fish had to be temporarily placed into a holding bay before popping him her back into its abode. No throwing out of the fish water with the fish as we also bought a small net to scoop them out gently! Soon the useless plastic weeds more for aesthetic purposes were replaced with real ones but these too really became rather obtrusive as they rather filled up the tank too much leaving the fish with hardly any swimming space at all. I do think that in these matters it is a question of trial and error.
I had had a fish tank in my childhood so I was delighted with this opportunity to breed fish I thought a new hobby as adults. Then I had gold fish black fish that were very prolific in producing offspring and they produced them whole quite mammal like rather like sea horses. Angel fish were my favourites they are very graceful and beautiful to behold . We even had a small catfish that we were advised to have as it lived on the bottom of the tank and admirably cleaned all the debris caused by these fish. If you want to observe interesting fish the Horniman Museum has got a varied collection placed in inventive tanks so that we can clearly observe and view them easily and at leisure.
To return to our fish I bought a surprise fish for company and I hoped for proliferation as a hobby sadly this was not to to be and worst still our fish mysteriously died which made us feel considerably miserable at the loss they were like our offspring that we never had. This was totally unbearable and we believe that our tap water may have been responsible as after a few months they were floating belly up lifeless . We bore this loss and got over it by my buying another goldfish with a silver streak again after a while I purchased a companion a fully gold goldfish. This time though we gave them pure fresh stream water unadulterated by man with chlorine addition and whatever other chemicals are placed in water. However one evening after an event we found our Tira e Molla belly up one was completely lifeless and the silver gold goldfish was struggling for survival. Immediately I put my First Aid skills into play and I practiced mouth to mouth resuscitation this indeed did the trick as he she survives to this day, what a stressful moment we had though both simultaneously happy and sad. It was in fact the oxygen pump that had shut down.
We then got a replacement goldfish and have enjoyed these not without a few near misses though from the grim reaper caused by idiotic situations like Francis had stored the famous petrol oil mix for his lawnmower and placed this bottle in the bottle holder with the other bottles of water. You can guess what happened next this bottle was inadvertently used its lethal contents spread over our scaley friends and lined the tank with this oily substance. What happened next was panic mode these fish were coated with the greasy oil and were hardly able to breathe rather like us last week in temperatures above 35 in London unbearable indeed. So now a horrid scenario ensued I jumped into action grabbed each fish one at a time and vigorously washed them of this wicked sticky substance in our kitchen sink. An impossible task unfolded as everything pump glass stones all caked with this potentially lethal mixture good for lawn mowers but not for fish. My intervention worked and the fish were saved. I suppose the moral of this story is never to store such miscele or dangerous fluids in amongst edible things as only dangerous situations can happen.
The story though of their lives living happily ever after in our fish tank at Longoio ends here as a certain person called Francis husband of 41 years and shortly reaching his 70th Birthday just today 30 th July 2018 announced to me via his blog that our fish are now swimming happily in someone else’s pond upsized fish he calls them. Against my better judgement he decided again and on his stubborn insistence and plan that this was the case in question to upsize them rather than possibly finding a larger tank. Unbelievable. Well this does not ring true to my title Be Kind and Merciful to all Animals and that includes us humans too. I was not given prior notification of this fait accompli how cruel can ones husband be to a misunderstood humanitarian soul a soulless unkind act. However Do you know that it is said that fish do recognise their owners I was intrigued by this fact and I believe this to be wholly true. Then there were two independent goldfish and now Tira and Molla are swimming amongst a tribe of goldfish.
This is our beautiful cat called Carlotta. She will be four years old this year. We found her at Borgo a Mozzano beer festival where she had been rescued by the piccole cucce (small pet baskets) association.
She was all alone in a little cage. Her name carlotta had already been given to her by the association. We couldn’t resist her and promised piccole cucce that she would receive a good home and all the correct inoculations.
Francis was hoping to have a pint of beer there but instead we returned with a pint-sized cat…
Carlotta is truly beautiful and with her three colours (common only in females) she is also known as a calico cat. Calico cats bring luck and wealth and while we are not yet millionaires our lives have been incredibly enriched by her presence.
Carlotta loves to go on long walks with us. She is incredibly affectionate and very undemanding with a cool and placid temperament.
We are truly in love with her!
The weather continues fine. As I drew the curtains a lovely view of our valley opened out. Blossoms and flowers are sprouting everywhere. Napoleon our cat is sitting patiently on a chair waiting for us to get up and feed him. a lovely day to do lots of things, especially in the garden.
Proceeding from Ponte a Serraglio to Bagni di Lucca Villa the road is lined on the right –hand side, just past the art-deco styled Carabinieri headquarters (the “Casa del Fascio” under a previous regime), with a mysterious, somewhat dilapidated-looking and orange-stuccoed villa displaying signs of former architectural splendour in its ionic columns and details. This elegant building happens also to be of the greatest significance for Puccini opera lovers for reasons which will become clear…
I stopped there the other day to take the following pictures which show that what we see of the villa is just its back-end: the façade faces a beautifully extensive garden sloping down to the Lima River, now still in full flood after the recent heavy rains. Not only does the villa always seem shuttered but even its present ownership is a mystery although I gathered from my barber that it may be now in…
View original post 760 more words
alexandrapettitt 