I guess some days are meant to take one by surprise, turning out to be totally unexpected, knocking routine for six, and yesterday was such a day. Everything seemed hunky-dory when I woke up although I was still wheezing from the bronchitis but it wasn’t until I was sitting on my bed and starting to dress that it suddenly happened – I went virtually blind in my right eye! Having missed the good Doctor Elizabeth the day before due to it being All Saints Day and everyone praying for the dead and neglecting the living, within minutes Douglas had driven me to the surgery and, after a short wait, we were ushered in to spend a long while there, firstly on the oxygen machine, then being roundly ticked off for not taking prescribed medication for high blood pressure, then a whole load of new prescriptions written out in a doctor’s usual illegible handwriting to be sorted out at the Health Centre today. One good thing came out of the waiting. While I was imbibing oxygen, Douglass thought of a better title for ENTER ANTHONY. It is now called THE JOURNEYS WE MAKE. He is so much better than I at coming up with stuff like that. Ever since then he has been worrying about what kind of cover the book should have. It will have to make sure stupid people don’t imagine it’s a travel book. Anyway, from there it was into Xania for a brain scan Doctor Elizabeth insisted on in case a thrombosis was present causing the eye damage, and from there to the ophthalmologist and all of that took us well into the afternoon by which time, having had a thin slice of cake earlier on and nothing else, we were both starving so stopped at an obelisterio for a souvlaki and salad and came home to drop onto my bed exhausted. The eye had started to clear slightly but by late evening there was still a black patch over one section. I might add all this has given the bank account a knock as well, not being done under IKA.
My study these days is full of butterflies but they were joined this evening by a very large orange striped winged creature almost two inches long that looked rather nasty. It was behind the window curtain making a noise like a jet passing over so I sprayed it, went to dinner and, when I came back later, found it on my desk struggling like mad. The convulsions were awful and I felt really terrible that I was the cause of this little creature’s suffering. I should have just tried, as I often do with bees and wasps and the like, to help it on its way through the open window. At this point I did, so didn’t have to watch its final agony. I cannot understand how human beings can lay poison down for dogs and cats and feel nothing. Notice I don't mention rats but, when we have caught one in a trap I invariably wish it could have been otherwise because in fact these country rats are very pretty little creatures. Unfortunately they’re also very destructive.
This morning the eye has partly cleared up so let’s hope that continues.