Minnie is very poorly

We had a dreadful night's sleep - the house isn't the same without Minnie and even Charlie and Boris seemed confused by her absence.  We got up early and decided that we would ring and check on her progress - we are mindful of the fact that we took Chivers to the vets under similar circumstances and he didn't come back - that was nearly 2 years ago and it is still fresh and raw in our memories.  John did not want a repeat of that and, if Minnie is as poorly as we think then we would prefer that she spends her last days with us surrounded by love and familiar surroundings.  We rang the vet and he said that she was completely traumatised by being in a cage and that she would be better home with us as she was refusing to eat and was cowering in the corner.  He wanted us to pick her up just before lunchtime so that she could finish her drip.  We were beside ourselves driving down to get her because we knew from the vet's conversation that she was very poorly.  It transpired that he had found an issue with her pancreas and her liver.  The blood tests that had been taken showed that she should have had a pancreas reading between 0 and 30 and hers was over 300.  The trouble is that we cannot be sure exactly what had caused this spike and whether or not permanent damage had been done but the pancreas is such an important organ.  We were given injections to give her tomorrow and the day after and instructions to try and get her to eat some plain food little and often.  She cried all the way home and looked pathetic because they had shaved her neck for the blood test and shaved her leg for the drip and the paw on that leg was about four times the size it was supposed to be.  Let's just say that the remainder of the day was fraught as we tried to get her to eat which she wouldn't nor would she drink and she just hid herself away in a drawer under my bed.

On a different subject there was a flurry of activity as the Elephants Truck came today to pour the concrete in George and Pam's because they are having their outside space tiled.  It was all very exciting because the two vehicles came to the front of the house and we had text everyone to move their cars if they needed to get in and out and then because of electrical cables they couldn't do it so they had to go in through the fields next door which don't actually have great access!

These elephant's trunks are bloomin' amazing as they can stretch and fold and deliver the concrete wherever it is needed but the guys working underneath have to be quick to move it to where it is needed.  In just a short period of time the concrete was delivered and you could begin to see what the 'garden' area is going to look like.  Exciting times for the Kailous and for the estate - after years of neglect it is now becoming THE place to be - I wasn't sure how I would feel about that but I am loving the community spirit and watching how the various newbies are developing their homes which are fundamentally 'the same' but oh so different.

When we called over to see Lakis and Argy today we sat on their back terrace to admire the amazing view across to Chysochous Bay and that unmistakable horseshoe on the right when we suddenly realised that there was a magnificent black snake crossing the road.  We know that many Cypriots view the snakes with fear and dread but the black whip snakes like this one keep down vermin and are 'good' and harmless.  We were so pleased to see that it made it across the road before a big old cement lorry thundered by!