Finally, finally, it's quite a bit cooler out, a pleasantly warm 24 deg with an even more pleasant light cooling breeze. However - we can smell smoke.....it's not a fire anywhere near us thankfully, but it's all over our local FB pages, apparently, it's coming from the wildfires in South Wales, the breeze coming from the north is blowing the smoke our way. If we can smell the smoke here in Somerset, across the 10 miles or so of the Bristol channel, how much more awful it must be where the fires are - terrifying. Having had a house fire years ago (I was 13 at the time) which was thankfully confined to the kitchen and part of the hallway, I cannot imagine how utterly dreadful it must be to lose one's entire home and belongings in a fire. Not to mention the destruction of so many acres of land, and I can't even bear to think about the poor animals and birds lost in the fire. I don't think any people have lost their lives due to the wildfires, I hope not. And food is going to be so much more expensive (as if it isn't costly enough already) as a result of these wildfires and the heatwaves destroying the crops and animal feed. It does make me appreciate even more just how fortunate we are to have a lovely home, space to grow produce, enough money to buy the food we can't grow, to have reasonably good health (even if it's not perfect) and to live in a civilised part of the world. I hope any of my readers who live near one of the danger areas are safe and well.
I'm in a philosophical mood today.
I've decided that when Betty's pet insurance is next up for renewal (January), I'm going to cancel it. Since she turned 7 years old (she'll be 10 at the end of October) her insurance premium has shot up each year, seems the insurance companies class dogs as Seniors once they reach 7, thus being more susceptible to illness. I dread to think what the premium will jump to once she's 10. Already I've found out that the insurance company will not now cover certain things because of her age, so it seems a bit pointless to keep paying increasing premiums for less and less cover. Instead I'll be putting money away in a savings account to pay for treatment, I've already started actually so there'll be a good little lump sum come January. I've also come to a decision that if she becomes very unwell with a serious illness or, God forbid, a nasty accident, either of which requiring lots of hugely expensive treatment which may only prolong her life for a short while, then I must seriously consider whether it would be right to try and keep her going, if it were only for my sake. Of course I don't want her to die, she's my baby and I love her to bits, but the reality is she is going to die in the probably not too distant future (average life span for her two breeds is between 8 and 12 years). And I don't want to try keeping her alive with expensive, invasive or unpleasant (for her) treatment if it's not going to significantly benefit her. I just hope I'll be strong enough to do what's best for my beloved Betty when the time comes.
Obviously husband will have a say in this too, but I must consider the possibility that he may not be capable mentally to make such a decision, so it may well rest solely on my shoulders.
Now I must do something to cheer myself up!!
Yes, thank goodness the heat has abated somewhat. We actually had some rain this morning, but it didn't amount to much and soon fizzled out. Sadly, it seems many of the wildfires have been started either deliberately, or carelessly by people using portable barbecues. Who decides to have a barbecue on ground that is so dry and parched?
ReplyDeleteIt is heartbreaking when our pets are reaching the end. That's the main reason, when the last of our 2 cats had to have that final vet's visit, we decided not to have any more. We couldn't go through that again. When the time comes, you'll do the right thing, simply because you love her so much, you won't want to see her suffer. Let's hope it's a decision you won't have to make for a long time yet. xx
I did the same with both cats, we saved the monthly amounts, and when their time came, like you I decided their well being came first, neither would only survive a few extra weeks after treatment, so we said goodbye and ensured they fid not suffer unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteMy friend's dog insurance renewal quote has jumped from £350 to more than £500 a month. She's cancelled as it's just becoming ridiculous. She always has a rescue dog or two and they are the children she never had.
ReplyDeleteYou may be elegable for PDSA treatment as you're pensioners and in housing authority or council sheltered accommodation. Some vets do PDSA work at reduced price if there's no PDSA in your area. Worth looking into for the future hth
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