Dangerous Grass Seeds

Christmas Eve. The Christmas shopping had been completed and I had planned to spend a fair amount of time vacuuming, mopping floors and cleaning outside. I'd run the lawnmower over the dust the day before so it was looking nice and, well, dusty. Good thing there was dust, if it hadn't covered me in a thick layer, I might have gotten sunburnt.

I allowed myself a slow start in the morning .... and that was a big mistake. After having lunch and patting Jess, I noticed a large lump on her neck. A very large lump that had not been there in the morning! So, rang the vet and arranged to take her straight in. Half an hour's trip later, we dropped Jess off at the vet's and they promised to find some time to look at her. Went to the butchers to grab a leg of pork and then got out of Hamilton. Made it half way home before the vet rang to say Jess was ready to be collected.

She'd had a grass seed go into her mouth and through into the epidermis on her neck. So they'd put her under, cut it out, inserted a drain and sutured her back up. And she was not happy!! $109 later and we were on the road again. Michael dropped me and Jess home and took Caitlin to the pool whilst he had his hair cut. I was stuck in the laundry with her, not allowed to move two feet away or she'd have a spack attack and try to scratch the stitches out. It was not a productive two hours!!

So I was still vacuuming and mopping at 10.30pm on Christmas Eve. But Michael kept me company whilst he cooked two chooks (bought from the butcher, not gleaned from our chook house) and a leg of pork (Michelle, the crackling was DIVINE!!!!).

Michael fashioned a bucket for Jess's head which prevents her from dislocating the drain and scratching open the wound - it's a very good bucket!!