Emotional Support Dogs.

Home inspection done.

October 9, 2026

Well, it turned out to be hard work because I have somehow now got a sore leg, from ankle to lower back. It meant that any work involving walking had to be done in short bursts before I had to rest.

But I got the place tidied up enough to keep them happy (I hope). I just have to get my lawn mower fixed, but the company that will pick it up wants $100.00 each way, for about a 6Km trip to Reynella, plus what they want to charge for the repairs.

It would be cheaper for me to register my trailer ($76.00) and take it to whatever repair centre I want, but NOT the one at Reynella.

Unfortunately, due to my sore leg, I have had to give up visiting for a while, until I get rid of the pain. But as I look back, I have been visiting with the dogs for about 7 years. I started with Rassilon, then Evie, then Evie and Swagger and finally Swagger and Lucifer.

The good thing with Swagger and Lucifer is I could get to the nursing home and just let them go. They would jump out the car while I got their leashes, walk across to the entrance, then while I logged in on the computer, they would go and visit people in the foyer and cafe.

Eventually I would put their leashes on, but only for looks. When we got to the dining room they were let go to wander around, and when we got near the room where Jenny was visiting, they would take off on their own, run down the corridor and into that room.

Of course, being dogs, they got fleas. But the strange thing is, it was only Lucifer that got them. He was on the bed one day and there were so many fleas on him I was reminded about how ants work…

I could imagine the fleas carrying Lucifer off like this.

Fortunately I had a spare $100.00, a very rare occasion indeed, so I had to go and get some flea treatment, but I had to do all 3 dogs. Close to $90.00 for the 3 treatments. But on the plus side, it worked brilliantly. No fleas any more. I just have to remember, $90.00 per month for treatment. On the negative side, it stinks!

I have another 2 blood tests coming up. But I think I can hold one off until November. That is for an Iron count, but I am now taking a stronger dose tablet every day, so I am not worried about that. I know the count has to be higher than the last time.

The other, and more important one, is the PSA count. That is to do with the prostate, which will be checked every 6 months now. But seeing as there is no prostate, I am guessing that count to be very low.

I just realised, I want the Iron count to be HIGH, around 100 – 120, but I want the PSA count to be LOW, preferably below 1.

I did have an accident during the week. Nothing serious, just annoying. I was getting a movie for Ralph but we didn’t know what it was called, so I was going to transfer ALL my movies onto another hard drive. From drive “Just Movies” to drive “Spare Movies”, and let him go through all 4998 movies to find the one he wanted.

However, when I transferred them, they refused to play from the new hard drive. Then his son told him the name of the movie, which I had, so I formatted the hard drive to remove the movies that didn’t play. This is when the accident happened. Instead of formatting “Spare Movies”, yes, you guessed it, I formatted “Just Movies” deleting all the movies I have collected.

Luckily the movie he wanted was still available on YouTube, so I was able to download it again for him. I also found episode 2 and a 1988 movie of the same name. I haven’t watched them, just scanned through them to make sure they worked. It just means that I have NO movies left for me to watch.

MUSIC TIME

If you are a fan of LOOOONG movies, you might have seen “The Stand”, a Steven King story. I saw it and fell in love with the opening music. I just didn’t know what it was called or who sang it. Many years later I eventually found it…

**Maybe not as popular as he tells us?**

Greyhound Chef!

September 27, 2026

This weekend I did some tidying up and sorting out rubbish before my house inspection.

I also restocked the dogs freezer (yes they have their own freezer). I had let it empty so I could fill it with fresh food.

Each container, (and there are 35, 3 in the drawer), holds 3 meals. So 1 container for the 3 dogs for 1 meal. So, 35 meals. They get fed twice a day so I need 28 containers for the fortnight between pension days.

What this equates to is 10 kg of meat, 2 kg of frozen vegetables and 1 kg of uncooked pasta. The pasta and veggies get cooked together then I mix in the meat and put it into the containers in 150g serves. At meal time I add a cup of biscuits and they get treats during the day.

When I go shopping the first thing in the trolly is dog food. Then I can see what money is left so I can get something for myself. Without any fancy treats, last fortnight my grocery bill came to $306.00. But I will need very little this fortnight. But as I already have car registration to pay, that is a good thing.

MUSIC TIME

Everyone looks like they are having FUN

Just about everyone in the western world would know the name Freddie Mercury, the singer from the band QUEEN.

But he not only sang the songs, we wrote a lot of them, including Bohemian Rhapsody. But he didn’t just write rock songs. Freddie was multi-talented.

A Freddy composition written specifically for Montserrat as the opera singer

**He was 100% right. Despite his lies and insults, they still voted for him.**

The many sides of a greyhound.

September 25, 2026

This week was Lucifer’s week. He showed the many aspects of his personality.

Firstly, I was moving some stuff to the shed. In the shed were several bags of plastic bottles for recycling, and apparently a rat. Unfortunately for the rat I left the door open while I was working and Lucifer saw it.

What it meant was, I have to pick up a torn up bag full of plastic bottles. But compared to what happened to the rat, that was nothing.

But on our visit, he showed his gentle side while visiting with Jenny. He really snuggled in.

Snuggle Buddy. (Notice though, Lucifer is on the bed while Jenny is on the floor!)

Then we went downstairs to visit someone else. Swagger went straight onto the bed (with the residents permission), while Lucifer took up a position known as WALLDOZING.

MUSIC TIME

First we start with a clip of what it is like when your dancers have no bones.

And for those of you, like me, that like the music…

Digidy Digidy

Big Boom

The end of a non-week.

September 11, 2026

I didn’t go visiting on monday because I had a sore knee, making walking uncomfortable. By Wednesday it had moved to include my hip and by Thursday it was up to my lower back, which made even sitting painful.

Today my back is still sore, but the dogs freezer is almost empty, so I have to do their meals up.

Fortunately I have found an easy way to do it. I cook a full packet of pasta (spirals, the shells get all gluggy and stick together in 1 lump), and 1 Kg of frozen diced vegetables (the winter vegetables have different vegetables, but mostly green beans, which the dogs don’t like).Then I mix in the 3 Kg of dog mince that they like. As a result I have upped their serving from 150g to 160g. It is much easier to portion into their dishes as it is just one dish to serve from.

Of course, they had to have some last night when the pasta had cooled and I mixed the meat in, but as a treat they had a bigger serve.

I also found something delicious for me. I bought some Rump Steak which I diced and cut out all the fat, then I coated it in Pumpkin Soup Cup-a-Mix. I sliced up a large onion and put that in a container with the steak, then I cooked some chips in the deep fryer, and when they were nearly done I added the steak and onions. For me, it is addictive, and I am having it again tonight.

I almost had a heart attack last week when I got my electric bill. Adding on what I already owed them (that I was paying off), I got a bill for $997.40.

So I have been on the phone most of the morning arranging to have a payment deducted directly from my bank on pension day. It leaves me with less money each fortnight, but there will be no more of these heart stopping bills.

MUSIC TIME

Miami Boys Choir

Drakensberg Boys Choir (South Africa) (Soloist – Charlie Brown)

Aldershot Brass Ensemble

You’ll never hear these tunes without thinking of this.

Late addition: Another night when I can’t sleep, so obviously I got up to finish off the last 20 trays of dogs dinner. The fact that it is 1.30am shouldn’t count.

One of those weeks…

September 5, 2026

Twice I have been called to see the doctor, only for him to tell me everything is fine, something that could have been done by text or even better, leave it to the next time I go and see him.

Wednesday I got home from our visit and I was so tired I had a sandwich, fed the dogs, took a sleeping tablet and went to bed at about 4.00pm. I was watching TV before I fell asleep at about 4.30pm.

When I woke up after a really good sleep I looked at the clock and it was 7.00. I felt good and ready for my morning visit, until I got up to make breakfast. It was 7.00PM. Obviously I had trouble getting back to sleep again.

Sadly a resident I knew from our Thursday visits passed away. But apparently that’s what they had wanted. Even sadder was the fact that the other residents on the ward didn’t know they had passed away.

Of course old age or blindness is getting to me. I cooked some toasted sandwiches and cheese melted over the sandwich press. So I wanted to clean it. I have some cleaning spray that would soak the cheese and make it easier to clean.

I looked all around the kitchen to find the spray, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Although I know I leave the spray out, I even checked the cupboards.

After I used a different cleaner, guess what I saw!!

Fortunately I have to go to SpecSavers soon.

I was lucky. When I adopted Evie Swagger and Lucifer, they were already 2 years old. Just think, Swagger was 2 years old and already retired. But there is a warning that comes with greyhound puppies, and it is this…

Another warning that you will hear from greyhound owners is; Greyhounds are like peanuts. You can’t have just one.

MUSIC TIME

2 songs dedicated to a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent.

At first you get the idea that it’s going to be a questionable performance because he’s joking and having fun.

When you hear him in the finals, it is fair to say the crowd enjoyed the performance.

Somehow he only finished 4th. Which is why I question the judging on these shows.

Interested in Fostering or Adopting a greyhound?

**Click on logo to go to the GAPSA website.**

Another week gone.

August 28, 2026

Just when I thought everything was going well, I got another message calling me into see the doctor regarding test results. I had to phone up and ask what test. A couple of months ago I had a pharmacist come and review my medications. Well the report has finally made it to the doctor. I hope there is something that needs changing, because the last time I got a call in to review test results, everything was fine! He could have texted that to me.

As I suspected my iron level is low, 32 while it should be around 120 to 130, but on the positive side it is going up from the last test. But I have ordered some more powerful iron tablets so that should boost it a bit quicker than the low dose ones I am taking.

Unfortunately I had to get some tablets. Normally I have to pay $7.70 for a months supply of tablets, although after a while I get them for free. Very unfortunately, these are not on the free list, and as a result, I won’t be taking any more (because they don’t work anyway).

That works out to $6.75 per tablet that don’t work

Now, visiting. I managed all 3 visits this week*. I also had to drive Ralph to the bank a couple of times. Tuesday was pension day, so I went shopping. I had to go to Seaford because I had to renew my drivers license and that needed a new photo.

After that I went to Aldi over there. 2 weeks shopping for 1 human and 3 greyhounds…$280.00, and that didn’t include the pizza they had on Wednesday when I was so tired I couldn’t be bothered cooking, so 2 pizzas between the 4 of us.

We went visiting on Monday and Wednesday. The dogs know that Jenny (who looked after them when I went to hospital) visits her father in a certain room, so I can drop their leashed and they will RUN down the corridor and straight into that room.

But they like to make themselves comfortable…

Unfortunately they are taking over!!

2 dogs take over the bed, Jenny has to sit on the floor

MUSIC TIME

Now that’s drumming!!

And now for someone with quite a vocal range, Chris Chameleon with the Drakensberg Boys Choir.

I bet you didn’t expect that did you.

* The human body needs oxygen in the blood for energy. IRON carries the oxygen around through the blood system. No/low Iron = No energy.

And another visit to the doctor…

August 15, 2026

During the week I had a blood test. I told the doctor my iron level was low because I don’t store iron, so I have to take iron tablets to keep the level up. But he wanted to do a blood test to make sure.

Friday I got a text message from the centre asking me to make a ‘non-urgent’ appointment within 3 weeks. (The 3 week time limit makes it sound a bit urgent though).

I know it is low iron because I have this regularly, and I stopped taking the iron before the operation and hadn’t started them again, but I have now.

I had a test when I worked in the hospital, (the benefit of working on the haematology ward). I got in to see the top doctor in that field in the hospital and when the results came back they were not encouraging.

I asked the ward boss what a good iron level should be and he said between 120 and 130. He looked at my results and swore. I managed 3.2.

I’m fairly sure the blood test was just for iron, so I have made an appointment to see him and verify my personal diagnosis. As I have managed to drop below 5 a few times already, I have a very good idea what the problem is.

Apart from that everything is fine. I have got over all the expected problems associated with the operation and I just have a regular meeting with the nurse to discuss what is happening (yes, another blood test).

Now, the dogs are fine. Swagger has been scratching a lot, so he and Lucifer had a shower. First with oatmeal shampoo to soothe the skin, then with a flea shampoo in case they had fleas, and once they were dry, they got a Bob Martin flea spray.

He was still scratching, so I have started him on antihistamine tablets, they seem to be working as they get into his system.

Evie went visiting once, then next visiting day, as I was getting collars out, Evie went to bed, she was NOT going visiting.

Sadly both nursing homes had residents I visited pass away. This is something many people can’t cope with. You visit people and sort of build up a relationship, and then they are gone. I am lucky I worked on the cancer ward (proper name; Haematology/Oncology ward), so people passing away was a regular thing, and sadly, you get used to it.

Now, some advice for people that think they could cope with that. Some dogs DON’T like visiting, so if you think you would like to be a visitor and you get the chance, take your dog on a visit before you make any commitment. Remember Evie does not like visiting and she gets the shakes. I have anxiety as well, so I know wow bad it can make you feel, so I don’t want her to go through that. (You could become a visitor without a dog)

I took her out 1 day last week and as I was signing in on the computer, I could feel the trembling right up through her leash. But I told one of the residents I would bring her in so he could meet her, that’s why she went.

MUSIC TIME

NOT Iron Maiden…but not even close

And another

If God had wanted me to touch my toes, he’s have put them on my knees!

And the news is…

July 30, 2026

Yesterday I had to go and see the prostate nurse to get the results of my blood test, and the result was…

I AM CANCER FREE

Today I went visiting and took Evie because one of the residents wanted to meet her, she was strange. When I got to the home and was signing in I could feel her trembling right through her leash, but the woman on the reception desk came out to meet her and she actually went up to the woman and got patted and stopped trembling.

She was fine for the rest of the visit, but right at the end I noticed that she had a bit of a tremble, but nothing as bad as it was. We were coming home then, it was lunchtime in the home, so Evie said goodbye to the people in that wasr and home we came.

I left Swagger at home for a change because he feels all grotty and definately needs his shower. I will either ramp up the air conditioner, or wait till tomorrow to see if it gets warmer outside. Then all 3 will get their oatmeal wash followed by a flea treatment shampoo followed by good old Bob Martin flea spray.

After watching some cooking documentaries I decided to cook up some rice for myself. 1 cup of rice is enough for 2 bowls full and there is a bit left over. So one day when doing the dogs dinners I added in that bit of rice. The bowls were licked clean. They love their rice and every time I give them some, the bowl is cleared.

MUSIC TIME

1 song, 2 versions.

Version 1…NORMAL

Version 2…MODERN

And our AI feature for today is…

They say Money Talks…

July 28, 2026

Mine just says GOODBYE

What a horrible day it was today. Apart from the miserable weather, it was pension day, Talk about, in one hand and out the other, this week was one of those weeks when everything comes together at the same time.

Apart from the usual bills, I had a larger than normal electric bill, car registration, dog registration and groceries, which were cut to the minimum. I also needed petrol. Of course, when it’s groceries time, dog food is first. Luckily they didn’t need biscuits this week, just the meat. They have plenty of biscuits to use up before I replace them.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY. It is my urologist appointment to find out if the cancer is gone completely or if there is more to do.

Visiting has been fun and easy. One of the residents in one home is a Formula One fan, so I downloaded this years Monaco race (everyone loves Monaco), and because they are a Lewis Hamilton fan, I downloaded the 2007 Canadian race…Hamiltons first win in F1

It was easy on Thursday because there was a virus going around (just a cold or flu), so I was advised not to go upstairs, so I only went to 2 wards and got away early.

I was going to give the hounds a shower today, but it is wet and windy weather, so they are safe until tomorrow hopefully. They have been scratching a lot, so they are going to have a flea control shampoo first, then an OATMEAL shampoo to soothe the skin, then when they are dried a flea spray.

I normally heal quickly, but that slash across my arm by Swagger has scarred.

Meanwhile, the wounds from the operation are all healed and have minimum scarring.

I really need to get out into the garden and cut the grass/weeds. I bought a new whipper snipper because it was cheaper than getting the one I have serviced. Now I have got the petrol and 2 stroke oil and I’m ready to go…but it’s raining.

MUSIC TIME

Lucifer…the song.

Evie…the song.

Swagger…then song.

Still improving, but still not 100%

July 23, 2026

I was lucky today, there was a virus (basicly a cold) at the nursing home, so I was advised not to visit the upstairs wards, so I got an early finish. When I got home I made a coffee but fell asleep before I even drank it.

Certain ways I move still hurts my stomach muscles, but the biggest problem is how tired I get. I have to get my house ready for an inspection, but if I tidy up today, I will have to stay in bed tomorrow.

Fortunately the hounds are fine and can still visit, but Evie is still a problem when I leave her at home. She will go through the bins and pull the rubbish out to get to a food wrapper.

I went out on Wednesday and when I got home Evie had already had her lunch…My TEA!

Pie and Pasty wrappers. **I was looking forward to them too!**

I forgot to shut the gate to the kitchen and she went in and took a pie and pasty off the freezer, opened the packets and ate them. I had to find something else for tea.

1 resident from each home passed away this week. I think this is the part of visiting that some people can’t deal with. Fortunately for me, working on a cancer ward for so long, this is something that you either get used to or leave the job.

At the same time…not all dogs are suited to visiting. Evie is my prime example. When I get ready to go put and put collars on Swagger and Lucifer, Evie will go to bed on her own.

I was asked if I would have 3 dogs again, and the answer (apart from yes) was, if Evie had been a willing visitor, I would only have 1 greyhound. Because she was nervous I got Swagger to try to build her confidence, but it worked backwards and Swagger got nervous.

So Evie got retired and I got Lucifer. And now I think about it, Rassilon was a solo visitor so Swagger could have been too, making Lucifer just an added extra. But he is now a permanent member of the family, and not going anywhere.

(Front to back): Swagger; Evie; Lucifer.

MUSIC TIME

Well, you have to admit it is different!!

Only in America: The Miami Boys Choir…Based in New York!

The lives of 3 Adopted Greyhounds.