I have just managed to get away to the village of Sant’Antonino in Corsica for a brief holiday (and glimpse of the sun) leaving the sanctuary in England in the capable hands of Peter Kirkwood ,the dog expert, and Helen and Cathy, my two lovely neighbours with Jo Bailey- my longest serving volunteer and the web site designer - taking care of all e mails and web site requests not to mention helping with the animals as well.
It has been extraordinary while England was suffering from torrential and interminable rain Corsica was sweltering in almost intolerable heat. Even under umbrellas on the beach it was too hot to stay long. However it was hardly an uneventful trip with both the airlines Zoom and Excel on which we were booked going bust. Thanks to the agency Corsican Places’ deft handling of the situation I did manage to get out on an Astraeus flight and to come back with First Choice Airlines albeit very late at night- but by that time I was glad to get back on any airline!
Reports at home of all the 150 animals seemed fine apart from Peter saying he was exhausted by Pip the dobermann puppy! He said he was “Quite a handful !” He also took in a 17 year old sweet tabby cat whose owner had died and whose relatives were about to put it down. I do wish people would think about what will happen to their animals should they die and make provision for them in their wills. I have taken in many old cats in that situation and most have lived very healthy lives for a few more years. The catteries are full of our old furniture so they are very cosy and hopefully it reminds them of home, they certainly seem very contented and keep fit roaming over the sanctuary’s 10 acres.
My husband Patrick proposed to me on the top of the Asco mountain range which towers above the village of Sant’Antonino so for me it has always been a very romantic place.. We have been going there for many years and have a lot of Corsican friends. However this year was very sad. There used to be 12 shepherds in the village with their flocks of brebis – agile Corsican sheep- but this year the last shepherd retired. It is quite a lack as we used to love hearing the clanking of their bells, and the sound of them scrabbling over the rocks not to mention spending hours just looking at them. Besides that the little village church no longer has its own priest so the services are now infrequent. Which is to say that the village where I used to feel we were going back a century is moving with the times. There are now 12 restaurants and an endless procession of buses wending their way up to the village on the steep narrow roads and tourists constantly traipsing around it. The stunning 360 degree views remain and the historic ninth century village has been voted one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France, but I think maybe it is time now to move on to some of the less known villages of the interior where some of the old ways still remain.
As usual there were stray dogs running around loose left behind by their uncaring owners and far too many unneutered and pregnant cats. I particularly befriended a little grey blind cat. However it would have been difficult to move it as it knew its territory and a local friend promised to keep on feeding it so sadly I decided to leave it behind.
Southern England tends to have the same weather as Northern France. In Northern France the country people believe that if a year has 13 full moons in it they will have a bad summer. There were 13 moons last year and this year – both very bad summers- and guess what there are 13 full moons next year! So we had better book our 2009 summer holidays now! Since coming home from Corsica the weather, thank goodness, has improved .However I am worried about the hay supplies for all our equines because it is very late for hay to be cut and each morning now dew lies heavy upon the ground so it is difficult for it to dry out properly. I have had to order in an initial 400 bales but it is not nearly enough so I am still hoping my neighbour Jim Green, the farmer next door, will be able to salvage some more.
As far as Pip the dobermann puppy is concerned apart from being a bit confused as to who his owners were after 2 weeks away I do believe Peter’s hard work with him has paid off. Peter did have to go without his dinner a couple of times as it was pinched in the 2 seconds his back was turned and a bag of flour was spread all over the kitchen not to mention all over Pip himself. But although still very exuberant he does seem a lot more biddable – and the fabric of the house is still intact. Please may it continue!
Gretel, the fragile little rescued donkey, has also improved. Before I left I dewormed her again with a new wormer and moved over all of poor Freckles’ vitamin supplements to be added to her feed. Helen and Cathy managed to isolate her at meal times so the other equines wouldn’t pinch her bowl and as a result she is looking much, much better.
That is all the news from the sanctuary at present. My thanks to all of you who have sent e mails about my 2 appearances on EastEnders. As I have been away I am a little later than usual in replying.
All the very best,
Alexandra Bastedo.
copyright A.L. Bastedo
Alexandra is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary on www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk We are all volunteers and are most grateful for any adoptions of animals or any donations . £2 would pay for a bale of hay forinstance. We have a Paypal button and a PO Box number on the website. Alexandra has also written “Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks” and the veterinary recommended “The Healthy Dog” and “The Healthy Cat” books. a few remaining copies are available from our web site shop.
