Daily thread - French navy blue

[Natalie]

Its not quite black, not grey even but its dark all the same.

The wind has been howling all night and continues this morning. Mild though at 7 degrees.

Nothing much planned today. The girls and animals have worn me out this weekend. Need to sort a few things out and take a top back to next and maybe some ironing.

Off to the vets tonight for a puppy party for Bess. Not sure what to expect but as I never go to parties of any sort I guess I should make the most of this one :-D

Stay safe peeps with this wind.

[yola]

Lashing rain, howling wind and 11 degrees . . . bring back the cold and bright!! OH has a flat battery this morning so he's working from home and I'm in the office trying to get through the festive-period backlog :roll:

Yesterday Balie came downstairs (after pooing on Dominik's rug . . . he obviously felt bad about it). I let him out into the garden and since then he's been skulking in the basement - even when the boys have been down there :-D Maybe he's overcoming his life-long fear of everything; he even let Domi feed him some ham :shock: :shock:

I'm still being bitten to peices by fleas. I've treated that cats and the whole house on several occasions over the last couple of months so I'm completely baffled (and itchy). Any ideas anyone? Am I missing something critical here??

[Kazz]

Are you sure they are your flea's? and not from the office...other than that you are missing something flea's havea life cycle that is adult female flea can lay as many as 30-40 eggs a day which fall off the animal and wait to hatch into larve so to speak...so one flea can be immediately responsible for 200 more....in a week scary eh?
Here is another scary bit Flea eggs hatch into worm-like larvae which move away from light and downwards. This means that they are usually found deep in the carpet pile. They tend to accumulate in areas where the pet rests, but have been observed to crawl as far as 20 feet while in this stage of the life cycle.
After 7-18 days, flea larvae pupate. Not the latest dance fad, but the process by which they spin a protective cocoon around themselves and develop into adults.

Inside the cocoon, fleas are almost impervious to insecticides. In fact, about the only thing that will get them during this stage of their life cycle is a blowtorch (which is perhaps a bit extreme for most people!).

It takes between 5-14 days for fleas to develop inside the cocoon, after which they are triggered to hatch in response to vibration (being stepped on), or the carbon dioxide exhaled by a passing host. But in the absence of a trigger, they can survive inside the cocoon for up to nine months.

So that could be where your problem is Yola

A flea can hatch from its cocoon, jump on a passing pet, and begin feeding in as little as 7 seconds.

Unfortunately, scientists believe there is no such thing as an effective flea repellent. It seems that fleas are not repelled by garlic, citronella or brewers yeast.

Adult fleas are permanent ectoparasites. In other words, once they have landed on a pet, they'll stay there until they're removed by grooming or die. That's logical. After all, if you're already sitting in the best restaurant in town, why move?

Adult fleas usually live for a matter of days on a cat or dog, unless swallowed by the pet, or killed by an insecticide. They account for only 5% of a typical flea infestation at any one time (the rest existing in the egg, larval and pupal life stages).


So Yola after that short lecture I would say consult your vet for best remedy you could do with something thet you put on the cats thats stops the flea's breeding or similar.


Not a bad day here been into work no home done 4 hours....having the yard dug up so took back some lieu time. Horrible day.....ukky.
Off to get some pots for the perennials....to plant up.

See you later Karen

[dinahsmum]

It's dark and wet here too. It comes as a bit of a shock after the long dry cold spell, doesn't it?
Have fun at your party Natalie!
Yola - are your 6-legged visitors immune/resistant to whatever you are tretting the cats with? Is it Frontline that the varmints are developing resistance to? Maybe try Stronghold? (vet only). Dab your own itchy places with lemon juice & water to relieve it.
Have a good day all - keep dry

[angieh]

Nasty grey day here, but only light wind and mizzly rain - sorry to hear about gales in other places. Weather news from US was horrendous - I do hope our American friends are all safe and sound.

OH has rigged me up in the hallway, so I'm still connected - wheeee! No Catsey withdrawal for me.

Sorry about the fleas, Yola - I seem to have conquered the problems I had in the summer - changing to Stronghold and using Acclaim spray seemed to help. But then I only have 1 shorthaired cat. Good luck getting rid of them - I do sympathise.

Have a good day everyone - keep safe and dry.

[yola]

I use acclaim spray . . . cats are treated with Advantage. I will spray whole house again and this time inside chests of drawers and wardrobes too.

Karen, thank you very much for your detailed answer. I think the solution is frequent spraying. We've never really had a problem, just the odd bite here and there so not sure what's triggered this - possibly being at home over Christmas and the heating being on day and night during this time?

[Moli]

Afternoon all. I am in agony today, waiting for the Doctor to come...Raining here, Mums foot is improving, but she still cannot walk....
Just hope I get home on Thursday ok.

[yola]

Oh Pat, I'm sorry you're in so much pain :( I hope the doctor can offer you some relief.

[angieh]

So sorry Moli - hope you are out of pain very soon.

[Moli]

Its all over the left side of my hip, which is swollen, keeps going inro spasms....Its more frustrating than anything else....

[meep]

Yola, I hope the flea problem gets cleared up soon! Really great adice to work from ;)

Had a lovely weekend, dinner out with OH was wonderful, food was as delicious as I expected. BUT one really weird thing happened, which is still worrying me. When it came to pay (it was on me, for his birthday) I gave my card, entered pin as normal, and it was incorrect. The first time I entered it without concentrating, as its habit now. Second time it was wrong again. Uh oh. Luckily OH had his card and paid, and I transferred the money to him when we got home via internet banking. But I was really freaked out that I couldn't remember my PIN at ALL. I'd been in town earlier that day and used it about 5 times in different shops buying things. I've had the card for 3 years, and have never needed a pin reminder. I've been out with friends and been quite drunk, and still remembered it. I thought the red wine at dinner may have caused temporary bluriness of memory. But the next morning, I went to a cash machine and tried it once with a numbe that I stuck in my head but it turned out to be wrong :? So i've got a pin reminder winging its way to me in the post, should arrive tomorrow. But I am quite concerned and confused as to why I suddenly and completely have forgotten my pin? Like I said, I used it earlier that day several times without batting an eyelid, but even know when I concentrate on trying to remember, the only thing I DO remember is the number I thought it was but was wrong. Temporary amnesia?? OH just laughed it off and said he liked the drama, what a thing to happen on his birthday meal :roll: Anyone do psychology and could perhaps help in some explanation? I wonder if when I receive the PIN I'll realise my mistake in getting a digit or two wrong, or whether it's all new to me? :?

Anyway, the weather has greatly improved here. Blue skies, 8C (which feels tropical compared to what we've had in the past few weeks!) And i'm on track with my get-fit regime.

Hope everyone is having a great day. Moli, so sorry to hear you're in so much pain. Hopefully the doc will arrive soon and you'll feel better very very soon.

[MrsH]

Natalie- enjoy your puppy party with Bess, they're great for socialising the dogs. We thoroughly enjoyed them with Morgan, it was interesting watching the shy puppies (not Morgans problem!) come out of their shells over the 6 weeks. Ours was the only one who peed on the floor though, the others were much better behaved!

It's a day for catching up with the ironing, going to get all steamy later on!

[dandysmom]

Fleas are horrible, Yola; good luck getting rid of the nasty things. Moli, so sorry to hear you're poorly; hope the doctor will help. Meep, our Random is good at psychology; maybe she'll have an explanation why you've blocked the pin #. That is strange. Your credit cards don't have the pin # on the back the way ours do here? Well, my Visa and American Express do anyhow.

Sunny but a bit windy and -3; worse to come by the end of the week...dread the upcoming heating bill! To Safeway for odds and ends, horrendous wait for the bus. No news, no sign of mouse!

At least the sun's setting after 5 pm now!

[Moli]

Doc came earlier has given me painkillers, he says it sciatica, and I have a touch of athritis in my hip....The Tabs are brilliant, been to Asda with my sister...

[PoshPuss]

Sorry to hear about flea and sciatica troubles with you folks. My chesty cough pales by comparison, I can still manage to work and things but my colleagues have been great at taking an on-call off me for tonight, it's worse later in the day.

Bron will be going down to the parlour for a wash and brush out tomorrow, she's in desperate need. Couldn't fit her in before Xmas so she's really dense and wooly now. Wonder we have't had flea probs here :shock:

Hope things have got better as the day's gone on folks. It's been a really dark one, as you say!

[calismum]

Hi all - Glad doc has managed to give you some tablets that are doing the trick moli.
Yola, sympathies, I had a similar problem quite a number of years ago. Determined and copious spraying and use of spot on or similar done the trick but it took a while.

Wet here today but that wind has died down a bit.

OH gone to visit his Aunt. She has got home in plaster but is fading away before our eyes. Don't think she can get any thinner. I don't know how much longer she'll be with us.

Kinsi is booked into vet on Friday to get dressed. I am worrying already!!

Enjoy the rest of the evening. I'm going for a soak in the bath as I have the house to myself. Think I'll go with a coffee and book.

[Tink]

Hi, all.
Starting my day very late here. I have been sleeping so much and even though I don't get to bed till 4am this is getting ridiculous. Have appt in two weeks at the doctor to discuss my medications. Hopefully they'll be able to adjust something!
Anyway, OH called in to work today and is at home catching up on sleep. It's the first time calling in sick since he's worked there so I think he rightly deserves it.
Also trying to work up the energy to clean this darn house. I did laundry all weekend and cleaned some things but the living room is always last on the list and looks a disaster!
Still dark, rainy, and mucky here. Drove through some fog last night that made me nervous after our grocery shopping. It looks like nighttime here almost all the time! (maybe why I'm sleeping so much??) LOL..
Anyway, hope you all have/had a good day. I am always the last person to post on this thread I think..LOL :-)

[dandysmom]

Or, between the time difference and your sleeping habits, you could be the first poster of the day!

Sorry your weather is so wretched, hope it will start to clear up soon !