Ady rang the vets this morning and the vet was not happy to go ahead with Bonnie’s spaying. I had been googling last night and was feeling uneasy about the increased risk, particularly given we’d not be in easy reach of vet care should she not recover well so it was almost a relief really, albeit a nusiance. They were happy to keep her kenneled though and we arranged to visit her during the afternoon – we’re all missing her lots, it feels most strange to be without her.
Davies wanted a bath but there is a problem with the boiler in the cottage so although there is hot water if the immersion heater is on we had not done that in advance. We left to walk into town for Davies’ eye appointment and were about half an hour early. We *almost* walked into the town to look round a few shops assuming they’d be running late anyway but decided to go in and wait incase there was a long walk around the hospital to find the right place. I’m really glad we did as we handed in the referal letter at reception and were told we were in the wrong place! The appointment was in the health centre, just outside the town. The receptionst looked at me as though I was mental when I asked about walking there 😆 It was only 3 miles so although we’d not have made it in the half an hour we had I think she was more amazed at the concept of anyone walking anywhere that far!
Back to the cottage to collect the car and then to the health centre. We were still early but decided to go in anyway and were seen straight away. Infact we were back in the car again five minutes after the appointment time so prompt was the service. Davies and I went through while Ady and Scarlett waited in the waiting room. Davies did a brief eye test and then had drops put in to dilate his pupils. That was most entertaining watching them get bigger and bigger. The nurse told us about how her and her fellow nurses had dilated their own pupils in their training days having read that men found woman with large pupils more attractive 😆
The doctor called Davies in and checked what we were there for, we had to say we were not entirely sure but at the last routine eye test the optician had referred us to our GP due to some scratches or scars on the back of Davies’ eye. He did a very thorough examination but found nothing and said his eyes were fine and healthy and the eye test revealed his vision is fine. He said that in the last five years or so they have had a massive upsurge in referrals from high street opticians since they were asked to look for general eye health but the trouble is they are not trained to look for anything particular so often refer when there is no cause for concern or like in this instance whatever was seen has long since healed up and may have just been a small injury. Hurrah for Davies’ eye being fine and I’d far rather waste time and find it is okay than any other outcome but the doctor was frustrated and I was too – the only two reasons we’d come across both turning out to be a waste of time particularly as at no point had we had any real concerns about Davies eye anyway.
We left there and called in to Direct Pets who we have an account with and wanted to check out what they sell. We bought a harness for Bonnie as she pulls lots on her lead and is very tiresome to walk that way but sometimes does need to be on a lead so should be better with a harness than a collar. We picked up some nice dog treats for her too. Then back to the town via Argos (kitchen scales and uplighter to run off the genny) and Poundstretcher (kitchen cloths, price check on cereal bowls, batteries,
some onion sets to get autumn sowing started, big flask with two cups for jaunts to the beach in the winter, door mat for the static). We went to McDonalds for lunch where we got recognised by a couple who we’d chatted to in Mallaig on the morning we moved to Rum. They asked after Bonnie and wanted to know how we’d settled in – it was really nice to see them and made FW feel not quite so big and impersonal :).
Then we walked into town. We had a bit of a shopping list – socks for me, underwear for everyone, jeans for all of us and tops for me and the kids. I needed various toiletries if I could find perfume free stuff. It was a fairly unsuccessful trip really – Ady and I did get thermals in a newly opened Sports Direct and I picked up a pair of jeans for me from a charity shop along with some toiletries but that was about it.
Then to the vets for a Bonnie fix 🙂 She was delighted to see us, less delighted to go back in the crate when we left but just fine. Looking forward to collecting her tomorrow :). They will look at her ear and we’ll book her in to be spayed, probably in January but at least her current season has been suppressed with the injection.
Then to Lidl and Morrisons for mega shops – tinned goods, a few treats such as olives, nuts, chocolate, stocked up on coffee, cereal, stock cubes, lasagne sheets – stuff that is so much cheaper when you buy supermarket own brand rather than the stuff we can get from Amazon. We also picked up pizzas for dinner tonight.
Finally back to the cottage just before 7pm. A crazy-long day. I got dinner sorted, Davies had a bath, Scarlett had a shower and hair brush and then I had a lovely long bath – always so much more special when you’re not sure when you’ll have the next one! 😉
There are gales predicted for tomorrow and warnings of disruption to the ferries. As it goes we don’t mind too much as we know we can stay here another night and Saturday is due to be fine, or even Monday would be okay accommodation wise although it will start to cost lots for kenneling Bonnie. We want to go home really though so fingers crossed the ferry gets to Rum even if there is disruption over times. Alarm is set ready for an early start to check the update from Calmac.