Gloomy and Grey

Today has seen little in the way of sunshine but plenty of grey menacing thick cloud cover. Dark and pewter they hang like a sodden dirty blanket occasionally pouring torrential rain down upon the unwary or unprepared. I am grateful for the rain in some ways because the  wind had dried my clay soil to a hard concrete that took a great effort to penetrated even with the best of tools. The only exception was my “pointy” spade. An excellent tool and I would recommend getting one to every gardener. 

The Wren made another appearance today – hopping out of the bushes on to the path and quickly disappearing again. A Great Tit perched on the back of the garden bench and looked, head on one side, straight in through the window and once he had satisfied his curiosity he flew away across the field. We have had the electricity off all day – a planned power cut that we were able to plan for but nevertheless not very convenient. I got up early to boil kettles for hot water for hot drinks.  I had managed to find a couple of flasks which was handy. Then the log fire was lit – I am pleased to say it blazed away all day and we were toasty warm while it poured with rain outside. Himself was quite confused in the night and I surmised that he might have a urine infection. In anticipation of such I had already purchased the “dip sticks” that they use at the doctor’s surgery. When I did the test it was indeed so. After breakfast I needed to get a sample to the doctors  – not easy when I didn’t want to leave him and didn’t know when the carers would arrive. Just as I was about to phone the doctors a car pulled into the drive. It turned out be the district nurses a day early. I asked if they had come to do a blood test. They hadn’t but they did. A charming man did the test absolutely painlessly. I nipped down to then doctors with the sample and returned very quickly. Himself, as good as his word, had not moved from his chair. The carer arrived and all was looking good. As indeed it turned out to be. The doctor rang and confirmed the UTI, prescribing antibiotics. He also had the result of the blood test and Himself is now on double the dosage of sodium pills. At last we are more or less where we should be. He has also ordered a monitoring blood test for next Thursday. Is it too optimistic to think that we are now getting to where we should have been and that the GPs are taking it all seriously? I hope so but I am not that naive as to truly believe it is going to be that easy. We have the pills and fingers crossed they will work and we shall be able to get a good night’s sleep again. On that front too I have decided to invest in a “luxury” fold up bed with a thick mattress and a mattress topper. Tomorrow will be the order day along with my taking receipt of the extensive Waitrose order. Himself used to be an avid reader of quite scholarly works along with crime fiction but now he finds it very difficult to concentrate on any lengthy tome. Instead he has come to enjoy looking through magazines – most notably those that concern gardens along with Country Life and Country Living. There will be a copy of each with the Waitrose order!!