Midweek Blues

Thank you to Rebecca from 'The Dusty Cellar' for hosting this meme.Click here to see more participants.

Some people like music as a background to their lives, others don't. I fall into the latter category. If I'm trying to concentrate music gets in the way, something to do with the rhythm, I think. Barry belongs in the first group. He exercises to music and the beat helps him to maintain his cadence. If he is exercising in the pool then an ordinary radio suffices. If he is swimming that is no good and then he employs the Swimp3 earphones in the photo above. The speakers sit on the bones below the ears and the delivered sound is very good, apparently. Barry uses a snorkel so his head is mostly below water. I'm not sure how big a part rhythm plays in swimming. The only thing I used to count was lengths but it's not possible or necessary to do that in an endless pool!

The Further Adventures of Frodo the Faller - update

If you're familiar with tales about Frodo the Faller you will know that he acquired his name from his habit of collapsing without warning (usually) and dancing while unconscious. The first time he did this his female servant, who was alone in the house at the time, apart from two other Dalmatians, was quite frightened. She had seen humans experiencing this but now here was her gentle, loving, devoted dog turned into a snarling, uncommunicative beast – the snapping jaws, the frothing mouth, the unseeing eyes, the frantic paddling paws were unrecognisable - but in the back of her mind she understood what was happening. After that first episode she took Frodo to see Nadia-the-Vet. By the time Nadia saw him he was completely recovered and wondering what all the fuss was about. Further episodes occurred and he started a mild drug régime for he was now officially diagnosed as idiopathically epileptic, undergoing tonic-clonic seizures. 
For eleven months Frodo was free of seizures and then they recurred; they happened every three to five weeks and he would have clusters of two to three in a 24 to 48-hour period. They were not prolonged – about one and a half minutes – and his recovery was swift but gradually his medication was increased to try and control them.

Eventually, we decided to try and find out if there was an underlying cause and took him to the Royal Veterinary College for tests. He had to stay overnight – that was a shock for the poor boy! Thankfully there was no evidence of anything untoward though they discovered a cyst, which might have been present from birth and not have caused any problems, and so we continued with the treatment. However, we were advised to have another MRI scan to see if the cyst had changed in any way so we travelled to Potter's Bar once more, this time taking Jenna along for company for the lad. Again, he stayed overnight and though the scan showed no change in the cyst, poor Frodo went into status epilepticus, a potentially fatal condition when fits either do not cease or follow each other in such rapid succession that the brain cannot cope and the individual dies. The mortality rate is high, around 20%. It happens to humans too. A seizure of longer than five minutes is considered an emergency. We are sure it was stress that caused this.

The neuro-surgeons were able to help Frodo and added another drug, so thereafter he was taking three drugs. We brought him home and drugged him as prescribed. He slept like a puppy or an old dog – that is, very soundly. During the intervening years Frodo has balanced so that he can go three to five weeks between seizures, occasionally as long as eight weeks. His fits are short, increasingly singular rather than clustering.

What causes a seizure? Frodo is fortunate in that there are no food or drug-related triggers. Some dogs, and cats, have seizures triggered by delays in drug administration or food to which they are intolerant. Others are affected by perfumes in hair spray or carpet shampoo, deodorant or soap. Yet more react to sudden changes in weather or the phases of the moon. Frodo reacts to stress. Now this is a problem when so many things in the course of a day can excite him. Breakfast! Walk! Doorbell! Janice moving out of eyesight! Car! Janice returning! Telephone! Supper! Visitors! Vet!

When he first started having fits, just before his third birthday, he was so aware that something unpleasant had happened that he was reluctant to return to the scene of the disturbance. This meant that I had to accompany him out to the garden and reassure him if one had occurred out there. If he had a seizure as he was getting into the car the next couple of occasions with the car would be cause for anxiety – for all of us! Fortunately, he seems less anxious these days, or perhaps better able to deal with stressful situations.

Seizures can occur at any time of day or night, and an animal may be awake and active or asleep. Many animals display particular behaviours before and after a seizure (pre-ictal and post-ictal) Pre-ictal conduct may involve restlessness, trembling, unresponsiveness to commands, biting or snapping at objects or persistent gnawing at paws. Post-ictal behaviour can include pacing, excessive thirst and/or hunger, confusion, ataxia, temporary loss of sight and hearing, when they may crash into walls or down stairs. These behaviours can continue for hours and are very distressing. Frodo tends to become very clinging when he's about to have a seizure. He also becomes rather clumsy. During the ictal (fit) stage he loses consciousness, thrashes his limbs, his neck and spine arch, his jaws open wide, he growls and salivates and urinates. Afterwards, he is dazed and then stumbles around for about twenty minutes. If it's daytime he'll have a long drink. At night he goes back to (a clean) bed.

A dog in a multi-dog household is potentially at great danger from his housemates. There are many instances of dogs being attacked and severely injured while they are having a fit. In Frodo's case each of the dogs reacts differently. Before he lost most of his sight and some of his hearing, Buddy showed every sign that he would attack if we were not there to check him. The late, great Dominie was concerned, gentle girl that she was. Jenna is usually frightened and wants to get away. Gus thinks he's playing and wants to join in but I have a feeling he may also be inclined to assault when he's a little older. A dog in the throes of a seizure looks aggressive but is unconscious and therefore unresponsive to the subtle dog language of his canine companions. Thus, if he continues to show apparent aggression he is likely to be set upon.

We rarely leave the dogs alone but have to be careful who goes where

Recently Frodo's pattern seems to be changing again. He has had two short fits a week apart and we expect another one imminently. At night I sleep with one ear open, ready to leap out of bed as soon as I hear the tell-tale scrabbling in Frodo's basket. I support his head and talk to him although I know he is lost to the world and cannot hear me. When he comes round I change his bedding and reassure him. Eventually, we all go back to sleep, thankful it was not worse and hoping there won't be more in the next couple of days.

ABC Wednesday F is for Fred!

 Fond and Friendly appreciation Fly Forth to Denise and her Faithful Force For their Fortitude in organising this meme. Click here to see more posts.I am being idle again this week. The post I had prepared for F is far too long so I decided to Feature Fred once more. From an early age I loved watching Fred Astaire dance.

Dancing on the ceiling from 'Royal Wedding'

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, my favourite combination, dancing in 'Swing Time'

100th Macro Monday

Thank  you to Lisa from 'Lisa's Chaos'who organises and hosts this meme. Why not visit her to see more macros?
I thought finding 100 things to post would be difficult and then I looked around.

Dalmatians and Ocicats have hundreds of spots. We used to challenge our young children and grandchildren to count the spots on a Dalmatian. Bethan enjoyed dot-to-dot pictures and tried joining up the dots on our first Dallie.

An allium has at least one hundred flowers.

The pyracantha flowers of spring have been replaced by the scarlet or yellow berries of late summer.

Hundreds of ceanothus flowers provide plenty of nectar and pollen for visiting bees - and the bee has hundreds of fine hairs on its body.

At least a hundred blackfly are gathered here to feed a hungry ladybird.

Cricket

Listening to the cricket commentary is one of summer's pleasures in England. The commentators are witty and wise and frequently bring a smile to my face. Last week I laughed out loud at one remark. Jonathan Agnew, commonly called Aggers, commented on a Pakistan fielder who was racing to stop a ball from reaching the boundary.  He said, 'Everything was moving fast apart from him over the ground.'

I was pleased that Pakistan won the third Test - they deserved it and I hope it will have brought some slight, light relief to that beleaguered country.

Microfiction Monday #45 The Skeleton

Susan from 'Stony River' organises and hosts this weekly meme. Thank you Susan J She provides a picture and the challenge is to create a story in 140 characters or less – including punctuation! Click here to read more marvels of microfiction – and perhaps join in. It's fun!

Here is this week's picture accompanied by my offerings. 

Henry was notoriously slow at making decisions. This time even he realised he had deferred too long. How would he explain to Bob's widow?

(137 characters)

Arthur felt eyes on him. Suddenly he started humming, 'I ain't got no body'. When he turned round, he wasn't shocked to see a skeleton.

(135 characters)

Simon's Cat - the latest

For anyone who is a fan of Simon's Cat, here is the latest video - 'The Box'. Simon Tofield has an uncanny way of capturing what goes on in a cat's mind. Anyone who has owned been owned by a cat will be able to relate to this little film. Enjoy!

Today's Flowers #107 Japanese anemone

Thanks go the the Today's Flowers team who host this lovely meme. To see more flowers please click here.

The Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis), also known as Japanese Windflower or Japanese Thimbleflower, belongs in the family Ranunculaceae. It is actually native to Hupeh province in eastern China but has been naturalised in Japan for hundreds of years. It grows to a height of 3' and was introduced into Europe in 1844 by Robert Fortune. He had discovered it growing in a Shanghai cemetery, spreading between the tombstones, one of several beautiful plants used to commemorate the dead. 

Japanese anemones may appear delicate but, once established, are strong and reliable plants, appearing year after year to flower profusely from early August until the first frosts. We planted two plants a few years ago and now have quite a clump of them. They are pleasing at all stages, from the first emergence of green leaves in spring, through the pretty buds to the unfurling of the flowers. 

Pet Pride - After breakfast

Bozo and his human host this weekly meme - thank you! To see more pets please click here.
Breakfast is an exciting time in our house. Winston miaous at me and if he thinks I can't hear him or am ignoring him he yells louder and comes to pat my leg. Frodo whinnies, Tia, one of our visitors, whines softly and Foxy, our other visitor, dances from front paw to front paw, as though she's kneading the floor to bring forth food. Jenna, Gus and Buddy watch every move.
Buddy is the first to be fed - that is his privilege as the oldest dog. Correction! Winston is fed first but his food is put in the conservatory so that it doesn't get snaffled by a quick dog. Depending on what I'm giving them for breakfast the rest are fed in the kitchen or outside. If I'm cutting up heart or kidney then they remain indoors and watch as the bowls are filled. Minced tripe is the easiest meal - and probably the smelliest. I simply remove the packaging and put the mess in a bowl. Tia is the next in the queue as she needs a little extra to build her up. Frodo follows, then Jenna and Foxy. Gus has already had one breakfast but is given more in the sitting room to prevent him pinching the others' food. 
If chicken wings are on the menu, Winston has one in the conservatory, Buddy doesn't have them at the moment, so he'll have tripe or heart, and the rest, including Gus,  follow me into the garden. Then it's rather like feeding the penguins at the zoo - or perhaps the alligators. I toss a wing to each dog in turn and the snapping of Frodo's jaws is loud and fearsome. They edge closer and closer so that I have to toss the wings further afield to make them move back. After I've counted the wings for each dog we all troop back indoors again. 
The next excitement is the ritual of the pills, all served in peanut butter. They all watch as I set out the tablets and capsules. Frodo has the most as he has anti-epileptic drugs three times a day, plus MSM, glucosamine, bromelain and a couple of other tablets. He has his dose first. Buddy is next, followed by Tia, Jenna, Foxy and Gus.
Then they settle down for a well-earned rest.

Winston chooses one of the footstools.

Frodo curls up in his basket.

Jenna likes to rest on Barry's chair.

Buddy and Tia play bookends on one of the settees.

Foxy and Gus sleep together in another dog bed, close to the box of toys.

Peace reigns supreme, punctuated only by snores and whimpers as they dream of rabbits.

Camera Critters #124 moth

To see more Critters please click here. Thank you to Misty Dawn.

This photo is bigger than the moth itself which was less than three quarters of an inch. This is the underside as it rested on our grubby patio doors.

This is the more usual view. I haven't been able to identify it so if anyone out there knows what it is, please shout out!

Blog problems

My apologies to those who have had problems accessing my blog through Internet Explorer and whose screens have frozen because of it! Carletta suggested it might be a widget so I removed them but it made no difference. Then the Genius, (variously known as Himself, the Lord and Master, Sir, or more commonly Barry) intervened.


'I've never seen another blog with such a long page as yours. It gets near the bottom and seems to choke.'


We looked at some other blogs and he was right (curses!)


It was the labels, folks, which I have now removed. IE is able to cope once more – in our house, anyway, but I shall continue to use Google Chrome because it loads so quickly.


Of course, if you still can't get in (or simply have given up and gone elsewhere and I couldn't blame you!) you won't be able to read this.

Weekend Reflections

Thank you to James from newtowndailyphoto who hosts this weekly meme. To see more reflections please click here.

This is how the water looks before the dogs charge into it.

SkyWatch Friday Season 4, Episode 6

Thank you to the SkyWatch team for this weekly meme. To see more skies click here.

Last week Barry went to visit his mother in her retirement home in the Blackmore Vale. How could you not be happy with views like this? 

Hopefully, given time, she will be content.