I'm feeling very sad - again - but for a different reason. My beloved Candy is very ill and the outlook doesn't bode well. A few weeks ago she began having trouble keeping her food down. She'd eat half her dinner - with great gusto - then go outside, bring it up and start all over again, with the same result. I took her straight to the vet who discovered a 'mass' inside her rib cage which is pressing on her oesophagus and causing her to choke. It could be cancer, which I think we both suspect, or it could be a very virulent type of worm which I of course am hoping for. In order to find out definitely if it's cancer, she would have to go to Phalaborwa to have a biopsy, and if necessary a huge operation which in no way guarantees success. I wouldn't want to put her through the trauma of extensive surgery, so the vet is treating her for worms - she has an injection every two weeks for twelve weeks, I puree all her food, love her to bits and hope for the best.

Initially the thought of losing her devastated me; Candy was the first dog who came to live with me at the sanctuary. I remember well my first night there: sitting crying in my tent, unable to find my torch and knowing I'd made the biggest mistake of my life, when suddenly the tent flap flew open; it had lost its zips and was held together by velcro, and in bounded Candy. I had never been so happy to see another living creature in my life! She stayed with me all night and has remained with me ever since. Fiercely loyal and protective, she is living proof that dogs really are a mans' best friend.

No-one really knows her age, but she is at least ten, probably older and I expected to have her for a few years yet and the thought of losing her hit me really hard. I've calmed down a bit now, but t'will be a sad day when she joins that great big kennel in the sky. I wish I wasn't such a technophobe and could post a picture of her to accompany this blog. A friend has taken some pictures of her for me and when possible I shall post pictures of Cand and the rest of the pack so you can see - finally - who I am talking about.

Aside from Candy's illness, life is good. Winter has arrived - thank God - the days are like an English summer at its best, and the nights are getting very cold. I had to buy an electric blanket, and the blissed out expression on the faces of the 'kids' when they hit the duvet and discovered the warmth underneath it was extremely funny! Snooze and Rusty sleep under the duvet, Tosca on my pillow, Candy on top of the duvet and Lux gave up trying to find a space and slouched off to join Ev looking very disgruntled. I settle where I can and a good nights sleep is had by all.

Forgive me if I keep this blog shorter than usual but I want to get it off. I'm in the IT cafe in Tzaneen and have to leave to get my lift back to the bush. My laptop seems to have finally died which makes communication even more difficult. I used to be able to write my blog at home plus any emails I needed to send, bring my laptop into the IT cafe and send everything from there. But now I have to write everything in the cafe which is much more time consuming and have to adjust to the time shedule of my driver. But we manage!

I hope all is well with you guys; I know I don't have to ask you to send loving thoughts to Candy because I know you will. Thank-you, and know that we're sending loving thoughts from all of us to all of you. xxxxxxx