Silly Speedy.

Crisp and bright for most of the day with heavy rain arriving in the evening.

It was such a lovely morning that although my knees were aching (muscles rather than the joints) we headed up the hill before breakfast. This time I got all the way up without a stop.

Most of the morning was spent preparing for the Welsh class, got to straighten the fluffy fringe for starters. Then to check my emails where I found out that my homework had arrived without any answers. I don't have 'Office' so it's awkward opening and editing documents. I did it fine with the first homework but I must have done something different this time. I got one lot of washing out on the line before the class which was nearly dry when I brought it in but the second load which didn't go out till later didn't dry at all. The doorbell rang twice, or should I say crowed, during the class. Fortunately I can open the window next to my desk and call to whoever is at the front door. The first time was the postman with our fish oil capsules and the second time was our neighbour to tell us that two of our ridge tiles had fallen off in the storm and were sitting unbroken on the flat roof. Peter has already spoken to the builder, not the slapdash one and he'll be round to fix them back on. (The missing render on my study wall is where the rendering chap took off any loose render and he is supposed to be coming back sometime to do that.)

After the class I made more biscuits for Peter and then got on with pinning and ironing the front door curtains. I had already prepared supper and was about to take a longed for break when I noticed that Speedy's eye was looking pink. He had come in yesterday evening with a deep scratch alongside his nose and when I looked closely at his eye tonight that also looked scratched. Typically it had gone five o'clock and I didn't even know if the vets' would be open. Luckily when I checked the website I saw they were open until seven. I gave them a call and if I could get there in half an hour they had just had a cancellation. Fine, we'll be there I said, shoved Speedy into the cat carrier, grabbed some cat treats and the car keys and off we went. It was already dark as I set off but although there are a lot of things I don't like, driving along country roads in the dark isn't one of them. I got to the vets' right on time only to be told they were running late and I should wait in the car until they came out to get me. I wasn't wearing a watch but I think it was about half an hour before we were allowed in. There the vet checked Speedy's eye and found that he had a number of scratches but they were to the third eyelid and not the actual eye. I now have to put in antibiotic drops in his eye four times a day but that's easily done. While we were there I got the vet to check Speedy's ears as although he's been on regular flea drops for the last three years and they're supposed to kill ear mites Speedy still has itchy ears and the dark ear wax you get with ear mites. For that I now have more drops to put in Speedy's ears and another one off flea/ear mite drops to put on his neck. And that little trip cost £85, the same as my current weekly pension (no state pension until I reach 66).