Grandma P's Ramblings Through Life

We finally made the decision that George should be seen by the vet.
I had given him a thorough examination myself and could find no lumps or any reactions as if he felt pain and nor did he seem very distressed – but he looked pathetic.
The vet did just as I did and also took his temperature which was normal.
We told him that we were also worried that George had become very thin and his weight proved to be not much more than half what it was 3 years ago.
I think the vet knew what he was looking at. He told us his thyroid gland was enlarged, which is common in older cats. Then he took some blood to be tested.
We left with George, thank goodness, and anti inflammatory liquid to be syringed into his mouth.
Later today the vet phoned with the news that the blood test showed very high thyroid activity and that medication is waiting for him to be collected tomorrow.
I have looked this condition up on the net and it suggests that the medication will do a great deal to improve George’s life – and that he will be on it for the rest of his life.
Oh well, I suppose we can add putting a nasty tablet down George’s throat twice a day along with the other medical needs in this house.

The weather today has been bright and breezy and so we decided to go out.
We have not walked in Ashdown Forest for a time.
I love this area – hardly a forest anymore for there are few trees. Henry VIII had the trees felled to create charcoal to fuel the Tudor iron furnaces. There was a lot of iron ore in our area.
Ashdown Forest is untamed – the poor sandy soil makes it unsuitable for agriculture. I feel a bond with its failure to respond to the demands of society!

We planned to eat out – just a little snack. The pub at Colemans Hatch looks pretty. The menu out side was a little daunting – high quality cuisine at high prices.
We went in and asked if they did bar snacks … “Oh Yes, madam we serve everything from sandwiches to steak”. We scanned the menu again and found the sandwiches with varied interesting fillings and a side salad…. for £7! Our 3 sandwiches and a drink would have cost nigh on £30.
Of course we left.
We drove into Forest Row – found a sandwich shop. I decided I didn’t want bread today – goodness my gut is behaving badly right now anyway.
So we went to a fish and chip shop and bought some chips and drove back to Ashdown Forest and enjoyed them on a seat placed there to commemorate the life of Daniel Arthur Charles Dickens – somebody who clearly had loved the Forest too.

Then we walked – we had downloaded a walk from the internet before we left.
The views and air were bracing.
We walked first to the Forest Visitors’ centre – didn’t know of its existence before today. The centre was well done and we thought it would be a good place to take Ekatarina to in the summer. And whilst in the area we could take her to the original Pooh sticks bridge.
From there we walked down past one of the medieval quarries where rock was dug out to smelt for iron and down to a small ghyll (stream). I should have had my stick – walking downhill can be a real trial to me.
The climb back up was much easier.

I had already prepared tonight’s dinner – a massaman curry. It was made with left over beef and vegetables and a jar of massaman curry sauce. The manufacturers seem to have omitted most of the spices for it was the most bland curry I have ever eaten – hardly a hint of spice.

We plan another trip out tomorrow if the weather is OK. We want to call in a shop at Horsham and then we will explore Shipley village – home of the poet Hilaire Belloc whose family established a Catholic shrine. There is a windmill there too.

Now for a few pictures.



This shows much of the area we walked in.