lil_shepherd

Though it's getting colder, the weather is still sunny and dry. (The icon is more in hope than anticipation.) There is a huge crop of acorns, horse chestnuts, wild apples, haws, rosehips and rowanberries, and there will be photographs in a while. It's the last week in October, and the place is full of Red Admirals, looking so smart they must be presumed to be newly out of the chrysalis.

Gaddafi is dead and there are lots of people being holier than thou about taking him alive. Of course, they are generally not those whose families were 'disappeared' or tortured under his rule...

Then we lost Marco Simoncelli in a horrific MotoGP crash, which was just plain unlucky. I have always been amazed at the way MotoGP riders walk away from crashes - not this time. That's two motorsport fatal casualties within the month. Of course, back in the 50s and 60s, you could expect at least a couple of deaths a season, at least in F1. Safety is so much better nowadays, so when tragedy strikes it is unexpected.

On the other hand, Frankel was at his imperious best in the QE2 Stakes on Champion's Day at Ascot a week last Saturday

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/horse_racing/15322834.stm

but Masterminded just didn't turn up at Aintree.

Meanwhile, at home, Xolo, who had such a bad time last winter has been losing weight, and since last Thursday has not been eating. She even turned down tuna. She also found it difficult to move, and was obviously in pain. When we took her in to the vets this morning we were sure it would be her last trip, but she is still alive, even though now at the vet hospital on a drip. Scott-the-vet decided it looked like an infection, took a blood test. Her kidneys are bad, but there is still a chance she might have a few more months with us if we can get her through this, so she's on antibiotics and a drip and she'll be tested again in 48 hours to see if she's responding.

This week was always going to be fraught. They are replacing the gas main on our side of the cul-de-sac, and have now dug up the drives of five houses, all of which are either fenced, plated, or fenced and plated. Half of the rest of the road is either dug up or fenced. The place has acquired a portaloo, a transport container which contains all their gear and, sometimes, a teeny-weeney digging machine (a road drill on tracks), as well as several more holes and a lot of paint. They don't have to move our meter or replace the spur to our house, as they did that when we had a leak a few months back. However, they are scheduled to turn us off on Thursday when they replace the main and, for this, we need to be in all day. Luckily, there is no agility training. Tomorrow, Ina heads off to her sister's housewarming. Considering the other family guests, she may have to be poured into bed on her return.

Wednesday we take Kurt in for his injections and hear the worst, or best, about Xolo.

Thursday we are gasless.

Friday... well, we may be picking up Xolo from the vet. Or we may be going to see Tintin.

And, somewhere in this mess, we have to lay some more floor tiles. And I have beta reading to do. Waaaaaaa!