Double trouble

Jack isn't really allowed into the conservatory (unless we're in there) - & he certainly isn't allowed to climb up on the futon; but since he's also not allowed in the garden when the squirrels are about, then racing around the house from one vantage point to another keeping an eye on them is, apparently, well worth the telling off he usually gets for all the chaos he leaves in his wake. About ten seconds after taking this shot (which took priority over shooing him out of the conservatory) he slipped off the end of the futon & crashed into the bin full of potting compost immediately below him; there was a loose-fitting tin lid on the bin which he knocked off on his way down, & the clattering of that frightened him so much that he somersaulted in mid-air, legs, compost, tin lid flying everywhere, & ended by skidding on his chin across the floor until his nose hitting the conservatory door stopped him in his tracks. If it hadn't been so funny he probably would have been severely reprimanded, but I was so busy laughing, & hubby so busy sweeping up compost, that he got away with it - & also got away without any broken bones. It's a good job there is only one Jack, as I suspect that double-Jack would be more than we could cope with.

Since the sun had come out we followed it, & did some more fettling of the pond; the heavy rain we had overnight had filled it to capacity - and then some, so we could easily see where the lowest points were & they've now been shored up with extra turf under the liner. The liner has also been trimmed back, & turfs laid around about a third of it; and my plea on Freecycle paid off: this evening we collected a couple of large granite rocks plus some smaller rocks & a selection of broken paving slabs from a house that has had some serious landscaping done. So hubby's schedule for tomorrow is to do some serious landscaping of his own. Not yet sure exactly how we'll utilise our booty, but I'm sure we'll work something out. And I've already decided that I do now like our pond: with the shape better defined it looks a lot more pond-like, making it easier to visualise how it will look when it's finished. Even without any plants or proper edging it was looking very tranquil with the sun setting over it this evening; the shape & size fit the contours of the garden perfectly, & I very nearly blipped it - but I'm sure there will be many pond blips to come, & so decided to give Jack a turn instead; in any case, the pond (pre-trim) is visible here, just under Jack's chin, & the top of the new arbour above his head, so perhaps this blip should really be called: 'triple update'?

Things we've learned about Jack
He loves having his teeth cleaned - or at least, loves the poultry-flavoured toothpaste that the vet talked us into buying last week; we've now bought a toothbrush that you wear on your finger, & I have been nominated as chief tooth-cleaner (which, considering it involves venturing between Those Jaws, I don't think is very gentlemanly of hubby - his excuse is that the brush fits my finger better!). Jack now reminds me to brush his teeth by going into the bathroom & looking up at the tube of paste, & he gets very excited as he watches me priming the brush; there follows several minutes of him wriggling, wagging his tail & slurping up the toothpaste whilst I try to at least brush some surfaces of some teeth. But it's progress: at least he's not averse to the procedure, & hopefully I'm helping to keep his mouth healthy.

Talking of teeth, I finally have a date for mine. I had a letter from the hospital at the weekend inviting me to ring them & make an appointment. And after much deliberation we decided that they would be the better option, as it will involve far less separate procedures being carried out. Initially they offered me a date for about 3 weeks time, but it clashed with an existing appointment that I have with the hygienist there - strangely, they thought that this should take priority, & so the diary was once again consulted, & a new, much earlier date was proposed. And so a week on Thursday I shall be saying farewell to most of my remaining upper teeth - this does of course depend on my dentist having by then found the dentures which have now been made, but which are 'temporarily mislaid' ??