An unexpected home visit by the vet. Cost Rs160 for 8 cows

Whilst my blog reading friends are pestering me to give them constant updates, I tell them it is not due to lack of content, it is simply due to lack of time to update!! Only if I compromise on my sleep will I have time to blog on my busy schedule.

Actually I have also not been sufficiently cognizant of the fact that I should go to a vedha mahattaya (native physician) to get some oils to help in my recovery as I still have moments of stiffness and pain in the recovery process, and still find it hard to walk for more than 10 minutes before the knees become too painful, so I should also be taking physiotherapy to boot. So as if I have time to blog!

I took a much needed day off today, Wednesday, to be on the farm, as I have a busy schedule on Saturday and Sunday on constituency work in Gampaha. An early morning friendly threewheeler ride to the Govt. vet in Homagama to give Sinha Bahu (ridgeback) his annual shots. In the past year, I have succeeded in losing his vaccination book, much to the annoyance of the new Vet there. The previous lot I have known for the past 4 years have been transferred. Actually his assistant a girl (vet student or qualified intern) took a blood test on the dog also and had the results in 5 minutes, as the new lab is now in the premises, that was a wow factor for me. WOW Thankfully it was negative so Bahu got the all clear.

It was then into Godagama town for a hair cut. Well the charge has now gone up from Rs100 to Rs 120 (since my last hair cut that is) and then for the first time I decided to stroll down the high street to meet the people I know in the shops I used to pop into before the accident, many of whom did not know about it and had not been told and had been wondering what happened to me! First to the clothes shop where I buy essentials for staff, then to the newspaper joint, chemist and then to the place I used to have my Tata cab serviced, and finally to the Battery and Tyre shop where I used to get my tires, flats repaired and periodically air pressure checked. They sure were glad to see me, and once they found out what happened did not appear to have one good word for the Govt. though I am sure they all voted for them!!

I decided for the first time to walk back to the farm instead of taking a three wheeler from the rank, for the approx 1km walk. A slow walk meant noticing the changing skyline even as far from Colombo as here. New homes mainly, but also the local school had new classrooms. The road had also been newly paved in one section, and at the head of the road was the regular large as life Board, saying that the people of the area were eternally greatful to Mr Kumarage for allocating 15 lakhs from his Pradeshiya Sabha budget for resurfacing the road. (Rs15 lakhs for that little stretch of about 100 meters!! What is the world coming to?) Of course the photo of his was there as large as life, and thankfully there was not one of MR also taking the credit for that. For the record it was resurfaced on Feb 2^nd 2012 and there are no potholes yet, so let us check in 6 months the state of play. At the head of the road was a mountain that has been cut to fill the Colombo ring road with soil

All this before a late breakfast of red rice flour string hoppers, pol sambol and watery dhal hodi, no need for lunch after that. I forgot mention, when I woke this morning sent my helpers at 6 to go milk the cow for some fresh milk with the tea. The regular milking time is at about 7.30.

While the chores of doing my laundry, boiling the water and bottling it to take back to Colombo. (Nothing like fresh water from the well here to take for drinking than imbibing treated water from the mains) Cleaning and mopping the floors, ironing the clothes, the Vet turns up unannounced. This was the same chap who saw the dog earlier in the day in his office.

He came in his Green Pajero about 30yr old with his assistant and official driver to tag the 8 cows and calves and register them all. It must be a govt. program to take a census of the dairy industry. I guess it is good to visually record as we do receive certain free vitamins from him for the FEMALE calves and also subsidized food sacks so that they will hopefully grow up well nourished to give us a lot of milk.

The tag is in the ear as shown in the pics, and it must hurt them as it is like an ear piercing of a much bigger size. I had forgotten how strong these animals are and so they had to be tied round the trees and in a position for the vet to be able to do his job. The cost to us for each animal was Rs20 so a total of Rs160 for the home visit. In contrast the bill for Bahu’s three shots and blood test this morning was Rs800.

www.sinhabahuridgeback.blogspot.com

As one can see the day off was filled with work of one sort or another with no time to blog except now after 1 am when all is quiet and Hugo the other Ridgeback is asleep beside me. He used to live in a fully airconditioned mansion in Colombo, but I think he is rather happy to live here as he is usually let out at nights to roam around the property. He was getting too big or a handful there, so I got him gratis but I cannot have Bahu and Hugo together as they fight like hell, as Bahu is first born and head of the pack, Alpha male they refer to him in a sense so I want to avoid the incidents of bloodshed when they happen to meet each other. Another busy day tomorrow with an early pick up to take me to the office, and back to the hustle and bustle of Colombo from the relative cool and peace of Godagama.

Hugo Parakrama Bahu