Monday 11 June 2018

Mowing the Lawn.

I can;t help starting with a feeble joke which I was reminded of when I typed in the header.   Many years ago somebody published a list of incongruous book titles, one of which was 'Mowing the Lawn' by The Duke of Edinburgh.

As to my lawn - when I went out after lunch to take Tess for her walk I passed my gardener at the top of my road.   I thought he would perhaps progress on to me and mow my lawn which urgently needs doing.   No such luck - he has disappeared.   But at least it has given me time to go out and take a photograph of the delightful weed which takes over the lawn when it is ready for mowing.   It is Bird's Foot Trefoil (as kids we called it 'Lady's Fingers) and each time it happens I wish I could leave my lawn and let it become a mini wild flower meadow (there are various other wild flowers in it too).   But most of the other lawns on the road are of bowling green standard so I daren't let standards slip.

I took Tess to the vets and the vet thinks she has somehow strained her jaw (very common apparently).   She has given her a pain injection and also tablets for a few days when we will review the situation.   As to her 'lump' it has not grown at all and doesn't appear to be causing her a problem - in fact the vet (a different one from last time) suggested it just might be a fatty lump.  That would be really good news -.  On the vet's suggestion - as Tess has had nothing to eat or drink for two days - I called and bought some ham, cut it into small pieces and put it on a plate.   It disappeared in the twinkling of an eye - surely a good sign?

26 comments:

Ursula said...

As Rachel's and my wires are crossed I hope you'll allow me to comment here on the one you left her on her Hilary post earlier today:"I think we should stop calling them'migrants' and start calling them 'distressed human beings' - how anyone can treat their own kind in this manner has long escaped me."

Have as many up votes as you can accommodate, Weaver. Your humanity speaks before politics get a look in. I salute you.

Best wishes to Tess,
best regards to you,

Ursula

diana said...

Such good news about Tess.

justjill said...

Phew. Love Tess. Keep trying to finish painting her and the cat walking together. Apparently to get a wildlife lawn you do have to keep cutting it, so ...

Living Alone in Your 60's said...

We all have our off days and dogs are no different. My lovely boy Harry used to go off his food regularly but if he saw you dunk a digestive biscuits he was completely ok!

jinxxxygirl said...

I would say thats a good sign!! Any time an animal is eating and drinking they can't be too bad off from my experiences...Its when they don't and they have a hot dry nose that i begin to worry.. I think of my old cat Jinx often... 16 yrs old... He sleeps a bit more than he used too and at times i think his old joints bother him but he's a friendly cat and he's still loveable if a bit more cantankerous ... he eats well and drinks well and jumps up on the windowsill So i think all is well with him... I'm pleased to hear the vet had another opinion on the lump on Tess.. Lets hope he's right.

We've been mowing our lawn for a few days now.. 2 1/2 acres... I'am not one to try to do it all in one day.. Not any more.. It is all mowed now and now i'am walking around with the weed eater... tidying things up.. Hubby hates weedeating.. good thing i enjoy it.. You should see the little circles of wildflowers i leave uncut in the yard....lolHugs! deb

Bonnie said...

I'm so happy to hear Tess is better. Enjoy your day Pat!

Rachel Phillips said...

I always feel like that about my lawn before my brother cuts it. Then when he has cut it I like it like that too. Glad Tess is back on her hay.

Bea said...

The wee wildflower grass looks nice. I'd probably be against cutting it as well.

Librarian said...

Oh yes, definitely a good sign that Tess ate her treat so quickly! She must have been starving, two days without food!
Wildflower meadows are so important to insects and birds. Maybe if you start the trend in your neighbourhood, others will follow.

angryparsnip said...

Have been so worried about Tess and you. I know worrying does not help at all but ! ! !
If i ever lived somewhere that had lawns I would plant wildflowers and plants. Nature knows what is good for the world.
That is why most of my land is whld except for the very small bit I live on.

cheers, parsnip

the veg artist said...

Regarding the state of your neighbouring lawns - I once had a boss who hated gardening. He moved, unaware, into a village that was used to entering, and winning, the local 'village in bloom' competition. His neighbours used to come and offer to do his front lawn and hedges for him, rather than miss out on their trophy!
So glad Tess is feeling better.

Penhill said...

So glad to hear the news about Tess!Just read you latest book- The Lazy Life by Pat Weaver!

Sue in Suffolk said...

Used to know someone who bred and showed dogs professionally and they always said it was good for a dog to go without food now and again as it helped them with digestion.
Glad Tess is better and hope you get the grass done soon.

Bovey Belle said...

What a shame you can't allow your lawn to be a wild flower one. I am so glad I don't have to keep on top of mine because of neighbours (wink) - I just have cows looking in on mine!!

Hoping that Tess's jaw will be comfy again soon AND that the lump DOES prove to be just a fatty deposit.

Heather said...

We used to call those lovely little flowers 'Ladies' Slippers'. I love to see crocus and other small flowers growing in a lawn but my husband was of the bowling green fraternity and forbade such untidiness.
Poor Tess, I hope she will soon be more comfortable and am so glad it is nothing more serious. Glad she enjoyed her ham.

Virginia said...

Yay! Excellent news about Tess. I find 'bowling green' lawns depressing - they are a standard I have never been able to maintain past the first few months. Lawns are hard gardening, and I wasn't consistent enough to keep on top of everything. Fail! It's bleak and cold here today, with gale force gusts. Oh! to be a Snow Goose and follow the sun! I hope Tess is back to her enthusiastic self very soon.

Tom Stephenson said...

A fatty lump. A benign fatty lump. I can think of worse descriptions of many people.

Jill said...

Great update for Tess!!

Cro Magnon said...

Bok has one or two small fatty lumps under his skin. I try to ignore them, I'm sure they're not a problem.

thelma said...

The news on Tess sounds good, fingers crossed. As for lawns, ours was a field in an earlier life, so springs little surprises every now and then, full of clover at the moment.

Elizabeth said...

Was amused by the lawn story - yes a mini meadow of wildflowers would be fun
and the neighbors might sniff!
So glad Tess is back on her food!
Summer here at last.

Ursula said...

Weaver, please do ignore the snide remark Tom left (with regards to my comment on the above post of yours) on Rachel's blog; my reasoned and measured reply to him deleted by Rachel. What I wrote to you was meant sincerely. Human to human. Alas, some people's animosity knows no bounds, knows no fairness.

Wishing you well,
Ursula

liparifam said...

I feel like this happens to my little 12 yr old dog; sometimes she goes through periods where she will readily eat certain things that are easy for her to pick up (bits of chicken, ham, dry kibble) but will pass on canned food which she usually loves. Watching her try to eat it and then passing on it, I always feel like the reason is that it is painful for her to try and lick it out of the bowl. If I feed her small bits from my fingers she will generally take it. At some point, she gets over it and goes back to eating everything...

liparifam said...

Oh, also, fatty lumps (lipomas) are so common in dogs; my dog Emma was covered in them.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Relieved to hear that other dogs have fatty lumps. I feel like one today actually. I started out in good form but it has gone very thundery-feeling here and therefore it is hard work just walking about. Thanks for your comments

Incidentally I have told my comment page I am not a robot so many times that I shall soon begin to think I AM a robot as it does keep asking me to confirm my status!

lynda said...

A vet I was going to pronounced my Lab to have cancerous tumors and would be dead with in a year. When I took him back thenext year for his jabs and a check up, he looked at him and said " I guess they WEREN'T cancer".... the dog lived to a good old age....and I changed vets!