Bonjour!

Hello all, we have returned from a splendid week in the south of France and are now getting back to normality.

We aways love visiting our little bit of paradise in the French Pyrenees and although we are still a few years off we can picture the mighty Patou herd roaming the foothills with the mountain backdrop.
Our nearest neighbour, George, a french farmer who speaks no english at all came round for a beer and told us all the latest news. It appears that two plots of land near us have been bought by Brits and they will be building houses there within the next couple of years. Not exactly what we had expected.
We hope to fully integrate into the french rural lifestyle and will speak the language fluently. Angus will be going to a French school and hopefully one day I will be accepted into the local boules games in the local town.
Still we can't criticise anyone doing exactly what we are doing and funnily enough met one of the couples a day after speaking to George. They seemed very nice and by the scale of their house plans we will look a little like the poor neighbours!

We returned in the early hours of yesterday morning and I have just returned from the equine hospital in Salisbury where I have left Lily and her cria Millie together with Lola.

Lily has gone in to have her jaw abscess looked at and will be having x-rays this afternoon. The vet will then let me know what he thinks and what needs to be done. To say that I am cacking myself just about sums up my feelings, and that's not about the inevitable large bill. I know we are doing the right thing and that Lily will be very well looked after but I worry something may go wrong. And yes I am far too attached to her I know. The rest of the herd are looking in fine fettle and although I know they missed me terribly they are keeping stumm. They can hide their emotions very well.

Whilst writing this I have heard from the vet. The x-rays have revealed that there is a clear sign of an abscess on the front root of Lily's first molar. We discussed the options and on his recommendation Lily will have a general anaesthetic tomorrow. They will remove the offending root leaving the tooth in place. The hole will then be filled with a plaster mix containing antibiotic which will release directly into the surrounding area for a couple of weeks.

All the risks and possible complications have been discussed and my 'cackometer' has now risen to Defcon 4.