I feel qualified to comment, it was good if not a little sweet.

What a shame, HOSS is sicker than we thought. I have been battling with him for a month with an infection on his back and yesterday I gave in for the second time and we went back to the vet who took a skin scrape which turned her into a weak and blabbering vet to announce that he was suffering from Demodicosis, which to us laymen is, mange. The vet was unable to explain herself well and seemed more up set than us but then we don't truly appreciate the implications. I started to understand that a dog his size and age with this condition could mean that his ammune system is not functioning and there could be more complications for him as he gets older. 135 Euros later, I have a three week treatment which is horrid and he needs to keep the collar on to prevent him scratching. The vet was so insistant about the treatment in terms of dilution, wearing rubber gloves, and not letting him lick whilst the solution is still wet on him that I have lost the will to live but we will give him all the help he needs to get over this.

I did my gardening today and using my nifty little weed 'puller outer' cleared the way past my new little hedge, home grown from the hedge around the compost heap and then I cleared the Garden garden and although it is impossible to clear everything it does look better. Mike is frustrated because I think he hankers for a perfect lawn and weedless beds but with a garden this big it is not possible and now that we understand what is required in developing a garden we may need to start planning a move to something smaller and more manageable but that is today and there is always a tomorrow to get strong and focussed to deal with the next project.

It is sunny and we have lots of full up water containers to prove that we did get 17 cm of rain in one night so as long as it keeps coming at night I am happy.

I performed in a concert last night in a tiny chapel about 25 km away. It was a nightmare to find as it turned out to be the chapel to a fantastic chateaux in Berignie and was situated in the middle of a field. It has just been rebuilt from four walls to a beautiful intimate space with new stained glass windows roof and alter. We were delighted when the owner turned up and lit over a hundred candles to add a warm glow to the atmosphere. Singing our religious pieces just made the hairs on my neck stand on end and I was in danger of cracking up but it was a wonderful experience. At the end of the concert just before the sun went down we gathered outside the chapel to chat over a glass home made cider. As I am now an expert on home made cider I feel qualified to comment, it was good if not a little sweet.