Tuesday 24 February 2009

Pop Goes the Weasel

Well what a shock I got this morning.
I went into the shed to feed the sheep as usual, we have a large fish bin situated in the corner of the shed that we store feed in for the sheep.
As I went in the bin and scooped up some of the hay, I was scarred out of my whits by a loud shriek that came from the bin, I dropped the hay and shot back out from the side of the bin and watched in silence, all the while this shrieking noise was getting wilder, I could not as yet see anything but the hay was flying up and down where the creature that lurked within must have been running around underneath, probably just as frightened as I was.
The sheep by this time were running about and butting me because I had the audacity not to feed them after going in the bin for their breakfast.
So I had to go around to the shed to get breakfast for them, as I was not going in the bin again until I had a bit more light to see what the creature was.
The dog was running about the bin I had to chase him out just in case he jumped in the bin, after all by this time I had still not seen the creature so I was not going to chance him getting bitten by this invisible noise.
I put the sheep out a bit later and went back to the bin in the corner, by this time I was armed with the hay fork just for protection you understand, I prodded the hay a bit but nothing stired, so I thought it must have got out, but just as I was walking away, there was that shriek again.
I went back and peered over the side, and there he was, I am just assuming it is a he because it was complaining so much, and a female would not have been so stupid as to have fallen in the bin in the first place ; )
I rushed back to the house to get my camera so I could get a picture of him.
Well here he is.

I believe he is a weasel but if you know better let me know.
I have put a couple of planks in the bin to encourage him to climb out of the bin, I went back to check a little later but he is still in there, see I told you he is a boy he's got no smarts at all.
He is only young yet the piece of wood in the second picture is 4" wide so you can gauge his size from that.
Let's hope he gets out soon, old whiskey must have know he was about the place, as he was going mad a couple of weeks ago around the back of the sheep shed, there are some sheets of corrugated iron there, so whiskey must have smelt him under there.
Speaking of smelling, the bin will have to be fumigated as the little so and so has urinated all over it and it smells absolutely disgusting.

Thursday 19 February 2009

Black Friday struck our house


Our home will never be the same, Black Friday struck our house with a vengeance.
What started out as a normal day turn to a nightmare for us, that we will never forget.
I have not been well over the last few months, I have had some sort of viral infection with flu like symptoms since October last year on and off.
So I was at the Doctors having a consultation and looking at some of the results that have come back from the Lab but again have shown that there is something wrong but as yet it is unidentified.
After my appointment I went down on site where my hubby was working to fill him in on the Doctors findings so far.
He had the dogs with him and decided to go home for lunch, so I went to get somethings for a light lunch from the local shop.
On the way home I stopped at a neighbours to ask if they had seen the coal man, as he has been a bit illusive of late.
Anyway I set off down the track towards home, when just before I got to the gate at the bottom, my hubby came running around the corner shouting and screaming, I thought the cow with the new calf had got out or something, I wound the car window down and I went into a state of disbelief, slow motion, all the time, my hubby was saying he had run over our Jack Russell, I could not take it in, I thought I was dreaming.
I rushed home and there my poor wee crater was lying in his bed gasping for breath, dying before my eyes, I wanted to sweep him up in my arms and hug him but I could not do it for fear I would make him suffer more than he already was.
My hubby called the vet who asked us to take him nearly 35 miles into Fort William to put him down, I was not going to let my poor wee boy, suffer anymore than he had to, I called the local Doctor and asked him if he could put him to sleep for me.
The Doctor came over straight away and met my husband at the road end to do the deed.
He stayed with my husband for quite a while consoling him, our Whiskey would have been 14 years of age this week.
After the Canna trip and his accident he had never been right, he was stiff in his joints which slowed him down a bit, he was also getting a bit deaf and blind, but he was all there in everything else.
My Hubby still does not know how it all went out of control, the dogs usually get out of the car and run down the road to the gate, but Whiskey had not bothered to do this for a while, probably because he was so stiff in the legs, but on this occasion for some reason he decided to get out of the car and do the run.
My hubby got out of the car to open the gate and Whiskey was there christening the gate post as usual.
My hubby got back in the car and drove through the gate when he felt the car lift in the air slightly and Whiskey started to scream in agony.
He must have wandered over to the back tyre and pee on it, being as slow as he was he must not have been able to get out from under as quick as he used to and tragedy hit.
My hubby brought him home in the back of the car after the Doctor had put him to sleep.
I took him out of the car with his favourite blanket wrapped around him, I hugged him so hard and weeped for our loss, my hubby did the same, we have lost our baby, the big fella, Cullan did not know what to do, he is still grieving as we are as he misses his pal.
My hubby took them to the beach every morning for a long walk and a swim, Cullan, used to go in and fetch a toy from the sea, he would drop it on the way back in for Whiskey to carry back to the beach.
All the time Cullan was out getting the toy Whiskey would be barking with excitement waiting for Cullan to give him the toy.
We went to the beach on Monday the silence was deafening.
Cullan is still dropping the toy for Whiskey to collect up, it was so sole destroying and pitiful watching Cullan looking for the wee fella.
I cryed my heart out we all miss the little man who had a big heart and character.
He will be a hard act to follow, he had been all over the Highlands, Lowlands and Islands.
He had been to the top of Ben Nevis and walked over hills and glens that a lot of people have never ventured in their lives.
He had the courage of a Lion and would not concede defeat easily.
But he was our wee boy and will never be forgotten.
We buried him in his favourite spot in the garden, he used to lie in a particular place in the garden in the spring, as the sun came over the back of Creag Mhor it would shine in the garden and he would bask in it's warmth.