An Awful Month

The old laptop had to go to laptop hospital, so it's been a couple of weeks or so without internet! We have had a terrible month, I don't know where to start. Here's a list:

Gary broke Bandit's leg
We blew 5 tyres in one week
My back tooth broke in half
The laptop died
The chickens stopped laying eggs
The generator blew up

But the worst thing is that Vincent ran under the back wheel of the Landcruiser as I came around the corner of the camp. He died instantly. It was awful. I was going at walking pace because I knew the dogs were out and he must have jumped over a low part of the bush fence to run up to the car. I still don't understand it as he seemed to have worked out the whole car thing and wouldn't come up to the car until it stopped. I feel so bad about it you can't imagine. I had a complete meltdown. Gary dropped everything and came home for three days to look after me, I was a wreck and he wasn't in much better shape either.

Two days after that, we went up to Newman (450 km) to get Bandit, but Lucy the vet told us that they'd just looked at her xrays again that morning and found that the leg wasn't healing as well as they hoped and there might be an infection, meaning that Bandit had to go on antibiotics and would have to stay in hospital care for weeks and weeks. Gary and I both sat down in the waiting room and cried; Lucy was in tears as well.

The only one who was happy was Bandit, who was dancing around on three legs, happy to see us, playing with Lucy's border collie and generally being naughty. Lucy had set her recovery cage up so that Bandit could see the other animals and people, and let her sit in the office or waiting room as well so she wouldn't get bored. I could see that Lucy was really taken with Bandit, and to make a long story short we gave Bandit to Lucy. Gaz and I were so terrified that something would happen to Bandit at bush camp, not to mention coming home and wondering where Vincent was, and she was so happy and attached to the girls at the vet's, plus having a new best friend in Lucy's collie, that it seemed like the best plan. We both sobbed at leaving her, but as we said to Lucy we just felt cursed with those two poor little dogs and couldn't bear to have something else happen to Bandit.

So Bandit has a new home and is doing really well; Lucy adores her and waived the vet bill for all the post-op care. We got home and had a total meltdown, crying and crying. Gaz made me get in the shower and made us both a stiff drink, then we went to bed, miserable but at least feeling like we'd done the right thing by Bandit. It's very quiet here without the cheeky pups, but at least - knock on wood! - Honey and Smokey are fine, we're OK, and Matilda has laid five eggs, so please god hopefully all the bad luck has had its run. We miss Vincent and Bandit so much!

I'll catch up with all the other news later.