A Veterinary Journal by Claire Poole
Chapter 1 - Page 1
I hope you enjoy my first book, it was published in 2002 and is now out of print. So we are about to publish the book as an eBook.
We have published the first three chapter for you to read online which I hope enjoy and decide to buy the eBook version of "A Veterinary Journal" available at the end of September 2005 from this website. The cost? £3 or $5.50
Chapter 1
Sunday 4th January
Monday 5th January
Thursday 8th January
Thursday 14th January
Thursday 21st January
Monday 25th January
Tuesday 26th January
Back to the Clayfern Intro Page
Chapter 2
Thursday 1st January
New Year’s Day, and I am on duty. Unlike most folk nearby, I have a surprisingly clear head. Drinking too much is not possible on duty as you might have to work or even drive. Leaving Jay in bed, the dogs and I set out on the first walk of the New Year. We stop at the farm to collect Jonno, Sheila and Colin’s dog before taking the track up the hill behind the cottage. It is a dry, cold day without much wind (unusual for these parts) and the track is coated in ice. One or two yellow flowers are to be seen in the gorse hedge, a touch of colour in an otherwise muted world. The ‘pop’ of guns echo in the distance. Most shooting parties will take place tomorrow, but some enthusiasts have started early. Almost on cue, a brightly coloured pheasant erupts from the undergrowth and flies laboriously over the fence, descending into the field below. Pheasants always live on the edge – they are always just making it over obstructions or just taking off before a dog grabs them. On the roads, they are notorious for playing ‘chicken’ – ’Will I go? – No, I won’t; Yes, I will!’ straight into the path of a car. Probably as many are killed on the roads as are shot. Although it is nearly full daylight, an owl hoots in the woods, advertising his territory to interested parties, and a buzzard mews overhead, gliding effortlessly, looking for breakfast. He seems a creature of habit - we have seen him several times recently. As the track wends up through the woods, a dusting of snow covers the ground - we have passed the snow line. From here onwards, the world is white. Emerging on the far side of the hill, the dogs take off, hot in pursuit of a winter hare; except for Jonno who remains by my side. Chained night and day in a filthy farmyard until rescued by Sheila when he was 15 months old, he has missed out on the normal puppy’s exposure to the sights and sounds of a household which makes them well-adjusted pets. He does not behave like the others; only watches them with bemused disbelief. However, he seems to enjoy our expeditions and is always thrilled when we appear to collect him.
We work our way past the deer pen with its small herd of red deer. There are green patches in the snow where they have been lying, but they have got up as we draw closer and are watching us with a mixture of suspicion and anticipation. We occasionally bring old fruit and veg. for a treat, but they are out of luck today. They follow our progress down the side of the pen, heading back to the house. There is a patient to be seen in half an hour, an ongoing case being treated on a daily basis. So far, a good start to the year.
This is an account of a year in my life - My name is Kate McKelvie, and I am a single-handed vet based in the small village of Clayfern on the border of the Scottish highlands. There is a surgery in Clayfern which is open for consultations mornings and evenings; much of the rest of my time is spent in the surgery attached to my home – a cottage situated on Fern Farm, 4 miles from Clayfern. I live with my partner Jay and our two dogs Kippen and Fintry. Unusually for a vet in a rural area, I deal solely with small animals, that is - dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets. Also unusually enough, there is enough work to make a living, although not perhaps as generous a one as can be achieved in larger city practices. Jay and I moved from such a practice several years ago in an attempt to avoid the rat race. Certainly the financial rewards were good in the city, but this involved working hard from morning till night, and much of the hard-earned cash was spent getting away from it all. Here the pace of life is slower (usually!) and work is generally a pleasure, with time to see to patients properly, and chat sociably with their owners.
There is also usually time during the day to go for walks in the surrounding countryside. We are truly spoilt for choice, with hills and woods behind the cottage, and rolling fields descending gently to the River Clay in front of us. The farm scene is always changing, wildlife abounds and the passing seasons mean there is always something of interest to be seen or heard. Of course, there is one major disadvantage to being a single-handed vet – you are almost always ‘on call’, and cannot stray more than half an hour from home. When I am out and about, the answering machine gives my pager number for use in the event of an emergency. This little contraption travels with me at all times and has to be practically surgically removed from my waistband if I am off duty. This only occurs when the surgery can afford to pay for a locum to cover for me.
At present, I have one half day off per week, and one weekend per month, plus the occasional evening off if there is something special to do. I also carry a mobile phone to respond to calls coming through on the pager. Thus equipped to communicate with the outside world, I am free to roam the countryside on our doorstep. The dogs are used to the sudden increase in pace required if an emergency call summons me back to the surgery, and can always be relied upon to rise to the occasion. Today we have been uninterrupted, and leisurely descend into the valley, refreshed, relaxed and ready for action.
Copyright Claire Poole 2005
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