Thank you all very much for your comments on my last post. I read most of them in hospital on my phone and then on my laptop when I eventually got out of hospital. The procedure itself is uncomplicated and fairly routine (every 4 months for me) and simply involves replacing my uretic stent. My problem for many years was my propensity to become pre-sepsis or even get sepsis which is not a Good Thing. My body has given the medics (and me) a right royal scare on a number of occasions.
All that seems to be a thing of the past and the medics have got my infections more or less under control.
Anyway I was called into hospital earlier than intended because of an unusual infection that they wanted to treat intravenously before the procedure. I was then in hospital longer than anticipated whilst they made sure that I was clear when I left their care.
I arrived home on Lewis last weekend. I had left the heating to come on for a few hours each day to keep the house from getting too cold. The house was very warm. I never turn the heating off completely. It's an old house and the main walls are solid and very thick. I never let them get completely cold and they act like an integral storage heater. Somehow, though, it felt warmer than usual for being empty in the very cold weather. I discovered that when the boiler was switched off by the control unit, it stayed on. After a number of days and investigations the problem was solved and I have working heating. However I'm also now awating a new control system which will, hopefully, be more efficient.
My pond had almost emptied leaving very little water for the two sizeable carp who had disappeared into the depth of the remaining water and pondweed. I switched off the stream pump and re-filled the pond and it has stayed full so I have yet to discover why it had almost emptied in six days. There will, doubtless, be a logical and probably simple explanation but I have yet to expend the time and energy on the matter.
I won't bore you with the other irritations but needless to say they have been time-consuming and made me even less enthusiastic about leaving the Island again in the winter.
So, nearly a week since I arrived home, life is returning to normal which is busy without the hassle.
We had the Last of the Summer Wine Club Christmas Lunch on Wednesday. There are fewer of us each year. However it was excellent company (as one would expect) and I think we were all very satisfied by the food and service. We occupy the whole of the original lounge bar in the County Hotel (which hasn't altered one bit since we used to meet there for a drink on a Friday evening half a century ago!). It still has the wood panelling and the coal fire.
Your Last of the Summer Wine Club has a great name and I love that the lounge bar has not changed one bit since you first met there half a century ago. I am glad your two carp survived and your home heating is sorted out and most of all that you are well and at home. Hello from me in California.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Terra.
DeleteI didn't know you had been in hospital. It must be good to be home again. Home is best.
ReplyDeleteHome is definitely best, Rachel. Although the care at Ayr Hospital is absolutely second to none. After regular treatment there for over 22 years I am going to sorely miss the staff when I transfer in the New Year to a hospital much nearer home in Invernes.
DeleteThat seems like just a little too much hassle to deal with after returning home from hospital. I hope everything settles down into a more restful routine now.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, thank you. It's been a tad irritating but I'm hoping that everything will be sorted shortly.
DeleteNice to know that they were willing to hang onto you for a while to make sure that you were properly sorted.
ReplyDeleteHeating systems do like to do things when you aren't looking!
Gwynneth, the care in Ayr is all that one could wish from the NHS and more!
DeleteGood to hear you are home again, Graham and feeling up to sorting out your fish and heating problems although I suspect that would be harder when you've recently been hospitalized. There should be more Last of the Summer Wine Clubs in this world. My "The girls" mean more to me as each year passes.
ReplyDeletePauline, your 'girls' are a very special set of people.
DeleteSorry to read of your problems, both health and practical, but you sound to have managed to keep on top of them. A lesser man could have sunk into hopelessness.
ReplyDeleteTasker, some would argue that a better man might have prevented the issues in the first place. I would, of course, disagree.
DeleteGlad everything is working out for you, Graham, slowly but surely. I'm glad you are home and feeling well enough to handle all of the home troubles. Take care!
ReplyDeleteEllen, in a few more days I'm sure I'll look back and wonder what all the palava was.
DeleteDon't you hate to find out about necessary home projects that pop up when you aren't home? Glad you got them sorted. Someday, I would like to see your carp.
ReplyDeleteDebby, I'm hoping that someday my carp will stop sulking and come and get fed at their usual time. They are there but being secretive.
DeleteYou are a away for a week and so much went on at home while you weren't there. I'm pleased you went out and socialised. It is so good for us seniors, although tiring at times.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I'm verty fortunate that, although our merry band keeps getting smaller, there are still enough of us to enjoy the company.
DeleteI have got an idea why the pond emptied like that. The carp kept drinking the water!
ReplyDeleteYou know, YP, that's an explanation I never thought of.
DeleteWelcome home Graham; home is always best. Were there any large hoof prints by your pond?
ReplyDeleteCro, now that is something that did not occur to me. We do have deer in the neighbourhood although I've never seen any in the vicinity of the house. I've had a good look around the garden and there's no sign of deer that I can see. There is a path and stones around the pond which could hide/prevent hoof prints. However I will keep a close eye on that particular possibility.
DeleteI am with Neil about the reason for the nearly empty pond!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Graham, it is very good to read from you again. I am sorry you had so much to deal with after your return from hospital, but I am confident that you got (or get) everything sorted. The lunch with your friends sounds just the right thing to put you in a relaxed, festive mood. Stay well and keep warm (but not too warm :-)
Meike, in my book there is no such thing as 'too warm'! I think things are getting back to normal though which relieves the pressure.
DeleteSo glad you left earlier to beat the weather - and that all went well in hospital - good too have you back xx
ReplyDeleteThank yiou very much, Fi.
DeleteThat’s me above… blogger having fun with sign ins…
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteGood to know you're back home again and "in one piece" and even fit enough to deal with the various hassles. Well, at least better to come home to a warm house than to an icy cold one!!
ReplyDeleteMonica, The Glad Game. You are absolutely correct. A cold house would have been terrible.
DeleteSeems like you should hunker down on the island and spend the winter there. Dodgy weather and uncertain ferry schedules are not something you need to deal with.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that the procedure was successful and that they kept you in to make sure. Always things to fix around the house. The reason we moved into a village. My husband was a fan of "The Last of the Summer Wine.
ReplyDeleteDiane, my Uncle and his wife lived in a retirement village in Wales and loved it. It's not an option on the Island although, socially, it's like one big Village.
DeleteIt's good to read that you've arrived safely home, again. And that you did so before the storm landed.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy a more restful December. X
Thank you, Jules. So far December is proving manic but, hey ho, far better than having nothing to do or friends to see.
DeleteIt must've been nice coming home to a wam house though especially now that the weather is getting colder for you. Glad the operation went well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy. Warm is always good!
DeleteGraham, it sounds like you’ve had quite a whirlwind of events to deal with, but I’m glad to hear things are settling down and you’re back home. There’s nothing like the comfort of home after a hospital stay, even if it comes with sulking carp and a few unexpected challenges! Reading this while taking a quick break at the gym in logan ut and your resilience is truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shelby. It's amazing where readers hail from. Logan looks a very pleasant little town. I've just had a little wander around.
DeleteIt's amazing how many things can go wrong when an eye is taken off them!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know you're ok
Indeed, Kylie, and concentration has never been my strong point at the best of times.
DeleteGB - Glad to hear you are home and well. Expect a small something by post at some point in the future, hopefully before Yule. 8-) Your "Last of the Summer Wine" group sounds like something out of a cozy novel that I would very much like to read. I very much relate to your heating and pond issues, for different reasons. We at Thistlebright Cottage have decided that this year, rather than do Christmas presents that just clutter up an already-full houselet, we are going to put our gifting energy toward things that need to be fixed or upgraded. So far we have done new tires on one of the Jeeps, and just now we are in talks with a handyman to install a new storm door on the cottage. The storm/screen door we currently have has been there since we moved in more than 20 years ago, and it resembles more a slice of Swiss cheese than a metal screen door - it's full of holes and looks awful. I used to comfort myself with the thought that it might discourage would-be thieves, they'd take one look at that front door and think "there couldn't be anything worth stealing behind a door that tatty"... but really, it's time for an upgrade. So we are taking care of business this holiday season, but our everyday lives will be more enjoyable every day as a result.
ReplyDeleteAs for the pond - I relate to that because I am always coming across mystery situations in my own small gardens. For example, I have three large and rather heavy bird feeders which hang from a very tall metal pole in our back garden. The feeders are suspended on strong metal hooks, and I have to use two hands to remove each feeder from its hanger in order to fill it. Well, this morning I went out to fill them, and one of them was lying on the ground underneath the other two. These feeders are much too heavy to be lifted by a squirrel, so how did this feeder get off the hanger hook and end up on the ground? It's a complete mystery to me. The thought that some random stranger walked past the cottage gate, into my back garden, and went to the bird feeders and unhooked one of them and put it on the ground is just too silly to be considered seriously. But other than that, what could it be? If it was the wind (no way), then why weren't all three feeders on the ground? See what I mean? There are garden mysteries that just have to be chalked up to "no idea" after much PONDering.
What I wonder is how the entire pond doesn't freeze solid. It certainly would here... I wonder if people take their carp indoors for the winter?
Graham, glad to read that you are home and OK, unfortunately, my blog reading has lagged and especially during this time of year. You seemed to have received great care from reading your replies to comments. There's always things to do at home when you have been away and gld those are being sorted out, slowly is always best. Sending best wishes for a Happy 🌲Christmas and the best for 2025. 🎉
ReplyDeleteBeatrice you and me when it comes to Blogland I'm sorry to say. I am hoping that in the New Year I will be more organised.
Delete