Miraz Jordan

Bumblebee, meet pollen.

It’s not often we see one of these around here. They didn’t stay long. And I’ve never noticed the “Highway Patrol” text on the car before either. What are we, in an episode of CHIPS? We don’t much use the word ‘highway’ in Aotearoa New Zealand.

A few years ago now I spotted a cop in Wellington who looked like he should have had a note from mum to be off school… So this is good: NZ’s oldest police graduate celebrates after 40 year wait:

Perry, 57, has finally realised her dream of putting on the blue uniform

In the middle of this year we hope to be cruising with friends round Rakiura (Stewart Island) at the southern tip of Aotearoa New Zealand. After that we’ll be hiring a car and visiting the Catlins. It’ll be our biggest holiday since 2015 when we went to Spain. 🛳 (My 1st cruise.)

I have now learned the correct way to put the chain back on my bike. Now I need to learn how to remove the chain guard, which would make it easier.

I learned Latin for 2 years at school. It’s invaluable for understanding English (and some other languages). However, that understanding could be gained in other ways and perhaps dropping Latin would make way for more currently relevant languages. Latin lovers mourn language loss

Yucca in the dunes with Kāpiti Island beyond.

Oshi eating. 🐶 He’s doing fine now! Even came and lined up for breakfast like he’s supposed to, rather than me having to tempt him off his bed.

Thanks to a word puzzle, today I learned about Machicolation:

a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones or other material, such as boiling water or boiling cooking oil, could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall.

Oshi update 🐶: he’s still not quite 100% but he’s so much more himself — played with his stuffed duck after dinner, scrunched up the bedding to be just right, other very normal behaviours. 👍

The Monarch caterpillars seemed to arrive late in the season, but they’re growing nicely on our swan plants. Some pretty long and chunky caterpillars there. Equinox is only a few days away now and we’re on our way towards winter.

Huh!!! One ‘s’!!

Just deserts uses this, relatively uncommon, noun form of desert, which may mean “deserved reward or punishment” (usually used in plural), “the quality or fact of meriting reward or punishment,” or “excellence, worth.”

Via ‘Just Deserts’ or ‘Just Desserts’?

I was intrigued to learn about Complete Knot List | Alphabetical list of all Knots | Animated Knots by Grog, especially since I had to store a length of rope just the other day. I should have done it like this: Coil Unattached Rope. Time to go back and rewrap it.

My ‘technique' for giving dogs pills is 99% torture and 1% luck. 😧 🐶

Mini Oshi update 🐶: Had to really coax him to eat breakfast. Booked an X-Ray. Drove to vet, put Oshi on the ground and he strolled around the carpark peeing on everything and being a perfectly normal dog! As he did when I took him to the dog park. Cancelled the X-Ray!

On safety, and the freedom to walk home: When words fail us. 🔗

Two years ago today, the terror attack in Christchurch — Muslim community to pray in private on anniversary of attacks.

For the last few days we've been struggling with what's wrong with Oshi. Last weekend we thought his bottom was worrying him so when Sasha had to get a shot at the vet on Tuesday we had the vet clean out Oshi's anal glands. She also noticed some swelling at the base of his tail but after aspirating it with no result concluded he'd been licking it, perhaps because the anal glands were sore.

On Wednesday he was fussing with his rear end, but he was also wolfing down his food (as he always used to but not so much lately). I figured maybe a worm treatment was in order so we did that. When moving he'd suddenly sit down and fuss with his rear end. His bottom seemed to be really bothering him, with lots of suddenly paying attention to it.

By Thursday he was still fussing, and nibbling, so I tried a flea treatment even though I couldn't see any signs of fleas and it was only 3 weeks since the last one. Great appetite, perfectly good pooping. Also he was spending a lot of time in his bed and seemed reluctant to move. Sometimes he'd cry a bit, and he looked very sad. When he did move he'd scuttle or bolt but suddenly stop to pay attention to his rear end. Check the first couple of seconds of the video below. He was also holding his tail to the left, pressed against his bottom. In these dogs the tail is usually curled over the back unless the dog's frightened or something when it droops. This holding it to the left was definitely weird.

By Friday I was very concerned and things seemed worse so I made an urgent appointment to see Mary the vet again. She checked him over, took his temperature and checked his bottom. He didn't seem to have pain — she could move his tail, work his legs and so on and he didn't mind any more than usual. On the theory that this was possibly allergy related or itching caused by excessive licking because of the previously full anal glands she prescribed Apoquel which "starts relieving allergic dog itch within 4 hours — and controls it within 24 hours".

Saturday morning arrived and Oshi was no better. In fact he was worse with not wanting to move around. I had to coax him out of bed to eat the food he then hoovered up. I carried him to the car. We had a few moments at the dog park before seeing the vet and he did zoom around a bit, but always stopping to worry his rear end. When he 'bolts' (rather than walks) I have the impression he's trying to get away from his rear end. Charlie the weekend vet squeezed Oshi in and after more temperature taking and limb manipulation and exploration of Oshi's rectum concluded Oshi's symptoms were a puzzle. He sent us home with Rilexine antibiotics, and an instruction to give Oshi 1/4 of a paracetamol tablet if he seemed in pain, no more than twice a day.

Sunday: Oshi's no better. He really doesn't want to move around and his legs seem a little weak: when he was having a pee (after I carried him to the dog yard) his front legs seemed to give way a bit so he put down his back leg, but carried on peeing. If there's no change by tomorrow morning we'll be asking the vet to do more thorough tests — perhaps an X-ray (not so desirable for a 14 year old dog because he'll have to be knocked out for it — the risks from anaesthetic are a bit high). One odd thing: around 1 pm we gave him 1/4 of a paracetamol. Within moments he stood up and licked my leg (I was right in front of him), then went into the kitchen and sniffed mightily as though on the track of a wonderful treat. Then he got back on his bed and pretty much refused to move again until I chivvied him out to eat the dinner he wolfed down.

So, we're worried about what's going on with Oshi. He seems mainly fine so long as he's in his bed. He trembles while standing to eat his food and any time he tries to move he goes fast then stops suddenly, maybe sitting, and fusses with his rear. It's mysterious! And worrying!

And suddenly, between writing this and posting it Oshi seems very slightly better … maybe. We'll see what a night's sleep brings.