Saturday 11 October 2014

Beautiful Morning!

This time last week, Dusty was very poorly. We had to take him out to the vet twice on the Friday – an hour round trip each time, but worth it.

He’d woken up with no bounce at all and he was holding his head on one side and twitching. He looked almost as if he was about to have a fit.

Jo gave him drops for a mild ear infection, but said to bring him back straight away if he got any worse. A couple of hours later, he had a swelling under his chin like half a hen’s egg. It was rock hard and clearly giving him a lot of pain. He couldn’t even rest his head down and was trying to sleep with his head up. So back we went.

Thank goodness for antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. The swelling softened and he started to feel better. But he was still so quiet all over the weekend and didn’t even want to go for walks.

By Wednesday he was back to his normal mad, jumping-about, bright-eyed, full of beans self I am very glad to say. In fact, it seemed to hit him that he’d been out of action for almost a week and that he’d got to make up for lost time! Yesterday when we saw Jo for his follow up appointment, he was absolutely fine.

I’m not even going to mention my toothache. Oh, I just did. It’s been a month now and I have yet another appointment to go back in two weeks. She can’t see what’s causing the pain, so she’s replacing my fillings and putting liners in. I think I have another two to be done – I was in such a state of terror as I crawled out of the chair, I’m not quite sure what she said!

As you know I’m not a fan of this time of year, but this morning made me realise October can be beautiful. Dusty enjoyed himself at the beach.



I was down there at low tide and it was extra low meaning some of the creeks weren’t there and even the big one fizzled out, the further out you went. On my way there, a skein of geese passed by, honking their heads off followed by three swans. Behind me the ducks on the dykes were quacking.

There were cormorants lined up along the edge of the water and the usual huddles of gulls here and there. And it was so still and peaceful.

There were dark clouds gathering over Walton though – or maybe it was Clacton which is just a little further along the coast.



Then again, it looked pretty dark over towards Harwich and Felixstowe too.



Years ago, we used to search the beach for holey stones to use as weights for crabbing. This one would have been perfect.



We called them lucky stones as a stone with a hole going all the way through was meant to bring good fortune.

They are also known as Hag stones, Witches stones and Hex stones and have generally been used to ward off evil by farmers, sailors and just about anyone.

I’ve put mine on the windowsill.

Harley has a new pink collar and pink name tag. She said "It's very pretty, but does it make my bum look big?"



Oh, and I've a new book of ghost stories out on Kindle




It's raining now, not such a beautiful morning, but it was a great start to the day and right now I am feeling very lucky.





36 comments:

  1. Hope you are all feeling much better. Although it heralds the end of summer, I love the Autumn, especially those sunny days which give a special light to the scenery.
    I have just finished your "Mother of the Bride" short stories and absolutely loved and never able to guess the endings! Left a review on Amazon.

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  2. It's so kind of you to write a review - thank you so much. It means such a lot. I'm glad you enjoyed Mother of the Bride.
    I must admit, I think the trees look beautiful at this time of year and now the sun has come out again, it looks lovely out there :-) x

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  3. You are such a font of information Teresa. What an interesting Blog again. So glad Dusty is back to himself and hope soon you will be too. Toothache is so horrid.

    Out the other day and there was a swan, wings outstretched, skimming along on the top of the water, its feet trailing - what a fantastic sight.

    Harley looks beautiful as always as does Dusty.

    Haunted is fantastic. Amazing stories just can't put it down. :o) xx

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  4. Thank you, Sue - I'm feeling very chuffed today with another lovely compliment :-)
    Swans do look fantastic in flight don't they - then there's the clatter of the take off and landing :-) x

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  5. Poor Dusty. I'm so glad he's back to his old self now. I do sympathise with your toothache. I had a similar experience with the dentist a couple of years ago,, i was in pain too but he kept checking my mouth and couldn't find anything wrong. It turned out that my teeth are just very sensitive and he advised me to use Colgate Pro-Relief which seems to do the trick. Harley's collar looks very posh. I've downloaded Haunted stories and will enjoy reading them with a cuppa.(during the day, not at night time). :-)xx

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  6. Thank you, Deb :-) I don't think they're the sort of stories that will give you nightmares though, but I hope you enjoy them!
    I use the Colgate pro-relief - it's great for sensitive teeth which mine are too :-) x

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  7. You have my sympathy regarding the tooth problem... Ouch!

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  8. I'm glad Dusty is back to normal. It must have been very worrying.

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  9. It was. His poor little face was creased with pain - even Harley was worried about him x

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  10. Your animals do have some adventures, Teresa. I think they owe you a little peace of mind now!

    Very good luck with the new collection.

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    1. I quite agree, Frances - that's what I keep telling them! x

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  11. I'm so glad Dusty is better and love the picture of him on the beach. He looks in fantastic form.

    Hopefully, your dental demons will soon be chased away. An annoying pain that couldn't be traced happened to me once, but it turned out to be sore gums in the end, rather than teeth, and improved with special mouthwash.

    Congratulations on your ghost stories book - what a lovely-looking collection. xxx

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    1. Thank you, Joanna. I'm glad they found the root of your pain :-) x

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  12. Oh, so sorry to hear about all your poorliness, Dusty. Glad you're all better, and the horrible lump is gone.

    Harley, your pink collar is just beautiful. Did your mum let you see Cat Watch on BBC2 this week? Kittens, kittens, kittens!

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    1. Dusty says "Lump, what lump? I've forgotten I was poorly already!" and Harley says, "My mum's is always told to 'step away from the kittens' but she says I need a little brother or sister. I don't think she'll win this one!" :-) x

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  13. So glad Dusty's back to his normal bouncy ways, Teresa, it must have been such a worry for all of you. After all that, I imagine a visit to the dentist will be like a walk in the park.
    I love those dark, growly days on the beach when you can see the bad weather rolling in from the sea. And ... Loved, Loved, Loved ... your fab book of ghost stories. Any more where they came from? xx

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    1. Thank you, Rena :-) I'm really glad you enjoyed the ghost stories. Yes, I'm sure there will be more to come!
      I was quite frantic with worry about Dusty, I must admit. Luckily my family keep me grounded or I'd have been in even more of a flap x

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  14. Tim 'n' Ted here, Dusty.
    You poor fella getting a painful lump, so glad you're better now. You got lots of sympathy from your mum - so give her lots when her teeth hurt.
    Have a woofly day
    Tail wags and licks
    Tim 'n' Ted

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    1. Hello Tim 'n' Ted. I did get lots of cuddles when I was poorly. I do try to look after the old mum. I suggested that she should give her food to me as eating doesn't do her any good, but does she listen? Wags and licks, Dusty x

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  15. Pleased to hear Dusty is back to his lively self after treatment. And Harley's new collar looks good. :-)

    Hopefully your dental troubles will soon be sorted and you'll be pain-free, Teresa.

    Congratulations on the book- very atmospheric cover, with the misty background.

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    1. Thank you, Carol. It is quite a nice cemetery (as far as they can be) :-) x

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  16. October is beautiful at times, Teresa! Lovely photos and great to hear Dusty is running around again. Love the look of those stories!

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    1. Thanks, Rosemary. It's not very pretty today - bucketing down with rain and I got soaked to the skin out with the dogs, but there is something very nice about coming home to a nice hot cup of coffee and being in here and not out there :-) x

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  17. I've also heard them called Adderstones - the legend goes that the hole is created by the tongues of snakes going in and out.....ugh!

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    1. That's very interesting, Becca - thank you. I hadn't heard them called that before. Fascinating! Those snakes must have strong tongues :-) x

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  18. I'm glad Dusty is back to normal. I do worry what will happen if antibiotics stop working. I hope medical science can keep up. I have admired your wintery walks by the coast before. Those skies look very menacing. Are any of your books in print, or are they only available on Kindle?

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    1. Thank you, Maggie. It is a worry isn't it that antibiotics will lose their power, but doctors and vets now seem to be far more conservative about prescribing them.

      My only print books are the large print ones which are available in libraries. I may look into publishing paperbacks of the Kindle books one of these days - I need to pluck up the courage to look at Createspace and see how it works :-) x

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  19. I've always found that pets usually respond quite quickly to treatment and then are back to their old selves in no time. Glad Dusty is well now and enjoying the beach. Your book of ghost stories sounds just the ticket for a cold autumn evening (You Can't Love a Stranger was the first story collection I ever bought!)

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    1. That's very true, Wendy. I think I dwell too much on what has happened in the past and get myself into a state.

      I am very happy that You Can't Love a Stranger was the first one you bought :-) and I'm looking forward to reading your collections :-) x

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  20. Hi Teresa. Been absent for a while but glad to be back now reading all about your lovely animals and seeing your fab pictures! Glad everyone is O.K. Good luck with new collection. Something about autumn and ghost stories...xxx

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    1. It's lovely to hear from you Lydia! Yes, it does seem to be a spooky time of year doesn't it - all that fog and the dark evenings after the lovely light evenings of summer! :-) x

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  21. Hi Teresa, So glad that Dusty bounced back so quickly - animals are like children aren't they? One minute you think it can't get any worse and the next they're bouncing around as though they've never been ill. It must have been so worrying for you.
    Congrats on you book, I've just downloaded it to my Kindle. Not sure it will be for holiday reading when I go away next week but it will be perfect for the long winter nights when I get back. If I have trouble sleeping I'll be blaming you!

    Linda

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    1. You're right, they're just like kids, Linda. All my grey hair is down to either children or pets.
      I hope you enjoy the book and even more I hope you enjoy your holiday! It's a lovely time of year to be going somewhere hot and sunny - hope you have lots of fun and relaxation :-) x

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  22. Ooh, I love the cover of Haunted! Can't wait to read it. And, like everyone else, I am delighted that Dusty is his normal self again.

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    1. Thank you, hydra :-) He is absolutely back to his usual mad self now I'm glad to say x

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