Well you know the idea of 'home' is very confusing! So we'd bought an exploding tent, some self-inflating bed rolls and it was becoming dark as we neared the boatyard, so when we saw a campsite we stopped. The tent exploded nicely and we put it up in the drizzle and prepared it for the night, then walked off to find the nearest place of refreshment. It was Buffalo Grill, and that's what I had!
It has a label in case you get confused, and there are horns on it! It was actually very good, and we were very hungry which helped. These new beds were an improvement on the foam apologies we'd used on Francis's floor! Still, we were glad when it was morning and we could be off to see that Archangel was still there and in one piece where we'd 'abandoned' her. She was, but we had a long morning wondering when the prop would go back on. In the end it was mid afternoon. This time we were lifted in a new way - what? Put my bow into that?
Well, we did, and he fitted it! I watched the process from the 'safe' position above and thru' the weed hatch. It was pretty impressive, and taught me how to do it but equally that it would really be hard to do from underwater or thru' the hatch as we'd been contemplating. The new prop looked nice in place:
This left Thursday free to explore as the car was arranged for return on Friday by 10, so we visited Fontainebleau Chateau - outside again as it was so warm and sunny. The parks are lovely:
As are the flowers, and it was free entry to all visitors (provided you could find free parking like we did!):
Now all this is by way of preparing you for something rather nasty. Well as Douglas Adams was wont to say, the end result is only a little loss in confidence to our dear Bolly, but it could have been much, much worse. To be brief, we collected him from the Cattery, La Gatellerie, and because they wanted cash we didn't see him out of his basket until we reached the boat (about 15 minutes drive); it was clear he was serioulsy unwell, staggering, disorientated, and when he found water that he was very dehydrated. He drank for nearly 3 hours virtually continuously; we took him immediately to the same vet who'd seen him the morning of his incarceration. She was utterly horrified! Here he is on 30th, after emergeny rehydration and at last being able to eat a bit:
This emaciated feline is nothing like the boulder of a bruiser were used to, in fact about half his normal weight. The vet estimated he'd been dehydrated for at least 5-6 days. We very much doubted we'd make it out of there with a live cat. You can imagine how we felt following so on the heels of losing Burdock. Here's how he looked before (and does again now):
He has certainly regained his mass and seemingly his health, but only after several vet's visits and medications against a sneezy cold he picked up there too. Knowing me you will expect there will be repurcussions for La Gatellerie cattery, kennel and equestrian centre. Well, I've done my bit, my dossier is with the local government and licensing department now. The cattery denied all responsibility, said it was his fault if he didn't eat or drink, and that it must be stress due to absence from us - as if !! Well, as the French say, "Tout est bien qui finit bien!". Well, there you go.
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