Bartimaeus

We have enjoyed great company and good weather here in Edinburgh and spared overwhelmingly hot weather down South! I wish I had brought more than one pair of shorts, still the washing has dried very fast in a warm breeze.

It has been perfect weather for catching up with people outdoors for meals, drinks and walks. I particularly enjoyed Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston. Too bad my battery gave out before I got a picture – a much neglected spot. I also explored a new garden I hadn’t seen before “Jock Tamson’s Garden” and found out about accessibility to each of them and cafe opening hours in Dr Neil’s for a future visit. It has lots of seats and hidden paths and  some very fluffy cygnets.

In my own garden the weather has been perfect to sit outside outside reading and knitting in the sun. This is not my knitting but I found it on our fence beside the back door and conclude that a dog trying to pass through the fence got his wee coat snagged and wriggled free. It is very fine knitting, but the question of who it belongs to remains unanswered .

Other questions have been answered. The oncologist has told Shane on Friday that he is to have immunotherapy every 4 weeks for a year. There is a list of side effects as long as both arms: some are serious, but rare, and some are common, but manageable with other treatments. We can hope he is in the lucky half who don’t get any.

It is good to have some regularity to work around and having been seen on Friday, the phone rang this morning (Monday) and already he has his first treatment date, this Thursday, and he had no difficulty organising the obligatory pre treatment blood test at our GP practice for tomorrow morning. He just has a scan to be organised, then we can get down to planning our return times.

He was then off this afternoon to The Eye Pavilion for the eye laser treatment and his optimism was not unfounded. It was quick, painless and he felt fine afterwards. Meanwhile I was having coffee nearby with another retired colleague. I checked my phone in case he needed help getting home. I was not required and he was home long before me but I bet he missed this interesting sight right opposite the Eye Pavilion.

Edinburgh already has a Giraffe statue near the Playhouse Theatre at the top of Leith Walk, but now they are all over town but this is the first one I have seen so far.

The inside of Bartimaeus was 35°C so I am glad to be here, though  it would be cooler with the windows open. More warm weather ahead so between hospital visits we are continuing to catch up with friends and family. The uncertainties are rapidly clearing.