He's Asleep Now

Jordy passed away in my arms today at 4.15pm. :(

I am so glad it was this way and not with the needle.

There was no one here except for he and I and my sweetheart Jen was with us the whole time via the phone. I am so glad I was able to comforted him as he went.

I can't write anything else right now :( I will do that when I can.

Getting Worse

3:10pm

Okay things have got really bad here :( I rang the Vet this morning at 9am and was told she would ring me back at lunch because she was busy with consultations. So far today Jordy has had three painful breathing attacks! I can only assume the cancer is in his lungs. I know now that he is in pain and all I want is to make it that the pain is gone for him forever!!

So at 2pm with him having an attack, I rang the Vet back to ask what was going on. She wasn't even there!! She had gone through my town on her way to another town 30 mins down the road!!! WTF!! I ask the girl on the phone if she could get someone else to come and administer the needle for Jordy and she said the best they could do would be for me to bring him there (45min drive) in the morning!! What the hell is up with Western Australia!! I swear that nothing here is done in a professional way! No ... I said ... I can't possibly bring him there tomorrow because he is in terrible pain NOW ... and the trip would stress him out to much :( She puts me on hold :( Comes back and says ... the vet will come by on her way back home ... but she hasn't got a Nurse and cats usually struggle a lot so it wouldn't be nice. I said ... I don't care that giving him a needle might not be nice. I would rather that than have to see him in pain!!

So the vet will be here at around 5.30 - 6.00 tonight. I hope that Jordy can get lots of sleep between now and then and doesn't have to suffer any more. I can't stand to see him in pain.

The Road to Home

It's been such a long time since I have written anything here. I guess in a way that is a blessing, no bad news to report so little Jordy has been going well. Up until now that is.

I went away for the Xmas/New Year break and had a friend look after the boys while I was away. When I returned home she informed me that Jordy had been missing for three days but that he had come back and all was fine. He seemed fine too, although he was looking a lot skinnier. Apart from that he was normal, eating and sleeping with me. Still wanting his rubs and cuddles.

During this week however, he has taken to just being under the house all day, only coming out at night to have a mouthful of food and then going up to my spare room and sleeping here till morning, when he would cry to be let and and go under the house again for the day :(

I am more than sure now that the cancer has progressed and is well and truly in his system and although he doesn't appear to be in any physical pain ... I can tell that Jordy is not well at all. Now I have to make the decision. :( Why is this so hard to do? I have known this day would come for two years now. Knowing doesn't make it any easier :(

I will try to do updates here as soon as things happen, I know there will be people who read this with loving pets that will go thru the same situation and will appreciate knowing what Jordy and I went thru in regards to ending his beautiful life in a humane and dignified way.

I hope to god I can get him cremated somehow. :( I don't want to leave my little man behind when I leave here :(

I rang the Vet first thing this morning. She is busy until lunch time and is going to ring me back. I will have a good talk with her and discuss my options then. The vet is 60km away and at this stage ... taking Jordy there would be too stressful. I hope to god she can get over here today to see him.

Jordy Update :) :)

Hi Everyone :) I am so sorry it has been so long since I did an update in here.


Jordy is doing exceptionally well!!! It has now been a little over a year since he had his operation and had the Cancer (and his eye) removed. He still has cancer around his good eye and it bled for the very first time last night, since his last freezing about 8 months ago. It was at that time the Vet suggested I had Jordy put down!! I am so glad I didn't listen!! Apart from his sore looking eye (and me wiping it every night) there appears to be nothing wrong with my little Alien! He still goes outside most of the day, purrs, brings me his prey to show off and is not in pain.


Thank you once again to those that have given so lovingly to the Jordy Fund in Red Bubble. I have been VERY quiet in RB over the last few months and so the Fund has slowed down a lot. But we appreciate all the help we have gotten this far :) :) {{{{{{hugs}}}}}}

Mr Sleepy Head :)

I am so sorry it has been so long since I did an update on Jordy. I know there are a lot of you that check back here often and I am sorry it has taken me so long to let you know how the little man is doing.


Jordy has started to slow down a lot. I have noticed a big change in him over the last month or so. He has gone from being a pretty well outside Kitty, to being inside 90% of the time and sleeping either by my feet, or up in the spare room in the cool and dark. It's very hard to see this in my Jordy. I sorta know that this is probably the start of the end and now I will need to find the strength to watch closer for signs of pain with him.



At this stage I cannot see that he is in any extra pain that would concern me. Being a 14 year old cat (and with the heat wave we have been having here lately) his being inside might just be a sign that he is getting old. He has arthritis in his hind legs so that may be playing up and making him feel more like being inside too. His eye has not bled again since the last operation at the vets and that seems like a good sign to me. I do notice his eye is always watery and I can see he has cancer lumps on his third eyelid as well, so I would think there would be a bit of discomfort from that too.


I need to start thinking about what to do if Jordy decides he wants to leave before I have sold my house and moved back to Ballarat. I so want to get him cremated so that I can still take him *home* and bury him properly at some stage where I can still visit him and won't feel like I have left him behind here in Western Australia. Burying him here will be the hardest thing I will do, if it comes to that. :( The only thing is the nearest place I maybe could get him cremated is in Perth (which is two hours drive for me). I couldn't make that drive with him beside me in the car. If anyone from Western Australia is reading this and you know of a place closer to Kellerberrin that cremates Pets ... I would be very appreciative of your help.

I took these photos of Jordy today :) :) He followed me outside this afternoon while I did a bit of Gardening. :) He is still outside so he must be enjoying himself ... and that makes his Daddy VERY happy :) :)

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed Jordy's story and has given to the Jordy Fund I have going on Red Bubble to pay for his Vet bills. You support and love is amazing and it means so much to both Jordy and myself :)

Solace

Click the photo to view it Large on Black, at Flickr
This photo is available as: CD, P, LP, MP, MTP, CP, FP.

I have been a little up and down lately. My Ex Girlfriend has finally signed two Real Estate Agreements after having denied me two previously. I don't want to go on too much about how she has been behaving because there is still legal action pending in regards to fighting her for what is rightfully mine. Needless to say, after she left 4 years ago, she never put a single cent into this property (and I was the sole financial contributor while we were together) and yet she insists I give her a huge share of the profits from the sale of the houses. Not only that but will not pay any rates or insurances on the houses and still wants to see Real Estate agreements etc. She basically has me imprisoned here. I am just grateful at least now she has actually signed these latest two and I can now sell and hopefully move home and continue to fight her for what is rightfully mine.

Thursday saw me get yet another huge bill assosiated with this property. Once again I have forwarded the details to my solicitor and to the bussiness involved and asked that she pay half this bill considering she wants a share of the profits. It's only fair. Yet I know she won't and I simply fall further and further in debt having to pay for 100% of the expenses on this property. So with my head about to explode I took a long drive with Fudge and got some gorgeous sunset photos.

This one reminds me that no matter how chaotic and stressful things seem to be you only need to stop and look and you will always find peace and beauty around you if you want to allow that into your life. It lifted me so much. :)

If you would like to buy this photo as a card or even as a fully framed print, just click on the little letters under the photo to check out my prices. :)

Thank you Ibah~ - Jordy's Card :)

Click the Card to go leave a comment in Flickr :)

I would like to thank a new friend of mine Ibah~ from Flickr, for this beautiful gift to Jordy. :) VBS

She read Jordy’s Story here on my blog and wanted to share the love as much as she could and made this gorgeous card for him, signed by friends and fur kids alike :) :) Jordy loves it so much!!!

Thank you so much to Ibah and everyone else involved in making this loving card for Jordy :) :)

The Strongest Man in the World

Well my little man seems to be recovering from his latest surgery pretty well. :) His fur is slowly growing back over his face and arm and the parts of Cancer they burned off have scabbed up pretty well and should heal soon. When I first got him home I kept him inside for a few days. We went out together at night so he could go to the toilet privately (giggle) and have a little sniff around etc :) He really hates being locked up inside and I hate taking that freedom from him, even though I worry about him so much and would rather have him inside with me all the time. He just seems to get a little depressed being locked up and I would rather the last few months of his life to be spent happy and carefree :)

He finished a course of anti-biotic tablets on Wednesday, so all he has to take from now on is some pain killer and anti inflammatory drops in his food and eye drops twice a day. He hates the eye drops the most, but I think he also understands he needs to have them. I always cuddle him so close after I give those and tell him how much I love him. I can't believe the strength he has. He is such a brave and humble kitty! I am so proud of him for all he has suffered and gone thru. I just wish now we could have cured him, but I know he has had a wonderful life and he has given me so much happiness and so many beautiful memories. It's going to be very hard to say goodbye to him :(



I would like to thank Ibah so much for her support with helping to get the Jordy Story out there and also recently for the wonderful Card she has made for people to sign and send their love and wishes to Jordy. It is really appreciated so much!! {{{{{{hug}}}}}

If you would like to see how the Jordy Fund is going click HERE and have a look at all the wonderful support Jordy and I have received. If you would like to also support Jordy you can purchase anything I have for offer on my Red Bubble site from T-shirts and Calendars to Framed Prints and Cards.

Thank you all so very much!!!!

Jordy The T-Shirt :)

Another Tee for those who have followed the Jordy Story and would like to have something they can wear proudly in support of him and myself :) :) If you would like to see how the Jordy Fund is doing click HERE

This Tee was lovingly designed and offered to me to go towards the Jordy Fund by my Angel TBO. Here is what she has to say about it :) :)

Jordy is the biggest cat and loudest purrer I have ever seen/heard! He is also loved dearly by so many. He is loved so much he’s like everyone’s favourite teddy bear from our childhood. He’s a tough kitty in every sense of the word!

The reason why i wanted to do this b/c i think its important to give. I do this without my TBO logo, this is not about me, but about Craig and Jordy, both whom I love so much. If two people can work together and get a message out there, then its twice as powerful. So if you’re a fan of TBO or a fan of Craig and Jordy’s – or even both (oh you!) then buy this tee and show your support!

Thank you so much Princess … we love you so much!!! XXX

P.S. Click the Tee above to view Colours and sizes :)

Or Click here to view this at Red Bubble and read the comments :)

Jordy Update (Wed 5th Nov 2008)

Well I was meant to take Jordy to the Vet (who was visiting town today) but I ended up rushing him into the Vet 45mins away yesterday after a sleepless night with him on Monday. I have him home with me again, he stayed in there over night because he had eaten Monday morning and they didn’t want to put him under on the day because of that. Sunday night while I was petting him in the quiet in bed, I could hear strange noises coming from his head. At first I thought it was the sound of static, but it wasn’t making the noise when I stroked his back, so I listened closer and a huge fear struck me. It sounded as if the skin on his head was dead and was crinkling as I petted him. I panicked!!! I thought that the Operation months ago had failed and that the blood supply to his skin there had stopped and I also linked the blood from his eye to that.

The vet assured me that his skin was fine. She suggested it might have been trapped air under the skin. Although she explained something to me that I didn’t understand before now properly….. Jordy isn’t cured of cancer. :( As a matter of fact it is just going to get worse for him and what I am doing is just prolonging his life (and therefore maybe also … his pain) :( The cancer he has on his eyelid is not curable … just treatable. I can keep taking him to have bits and pieces of it frozen off … but it will get worse and worse and his pain will continue to get worse also. I am not sure now if I should be continuing to keep the treatment up or not :( This visit alone cost me just under $400. It’s money I don’t have as I am still paying off his Operation, with the help and support and love of those who have contributed to the Jordy fund thus far.

Sadly now I (and all of you who have followed his story) will need to figure out when the time has come to let Jordy be free. It’s not something I want to think about right now, but it is something that will happen in the next few months and this is so hard for me right now. I would like to thank you all for your compassion and love, following Jordy's story and letting him into your hearts. I know my love for Jordy is shared by so many of you and it helps so much. I am so sorry this update isn’t as happy as I would have liked it to have been. He is still here and he is happy and comfortable. And I love him VERY much … we all do!!!

Sweet Dreams

Jordy hasn't seemed to be himself much lately. He has taken to going up to my room and sleeping under the bed by himself which is very unlike him. His eye has been bleeding on and off since I got him back. About every week or so it lets go of a lot of blood so I am hoping it isn't another tumor in behind his eye.

Hopefully it is just an infected third eye-lid which I will be able to have removed. I haven't had the money to drive him the hour to the Vet plus pay for the bill sadly. But I found out they come here to town once a month and so have booked him in to see them on Wed 5th Nov.

They said they can't do a lot but will have a look at him and at least we will know if this is serious or not. Fingers crossed it's nothing to worry about. I hate to think my little boy is in pain and isn't telling me. He is so strong and I love him so much!!!

2009 Calendars for sale

I have finally got around to adding 2009 Calendars in my Red Bubble site. There is a limited choice there at the moment, but keep an eye on the Calendar Section as I will be adding more in the near future.

Into The Trees ------------------- Into The Trees II ----------------------Bug's Life

Just click the picture above to go and have a look at what each Calendar includes :)

If you have an idea for a Calendar using my photography, drop me a line and I will Custom make one for you. Just include the names of my photos from either Red Bubble or Flickr and let me know the order you would like them :)

Don't forget that all Profits from all my sales go towards the Jordy Fund.

Love Is Blind - Painted :)

I received the most beautiful gift from my sweet Soulmate for my 41st Birthday this year. She surprised me by doing this gorgeous painting of Jordy and sent it to me in the mail. :) Needless to say when I opened that package from her and saw this I cried my eyes out!!

Jen, I love you so much darling and you have no idea how much I love to hold you!! I feel your love so much everyday and in so many ways :) Thank you so much Darling for bringing me to believe again!! xoxo

You can see more of Jen's wonderful creative work (and maybe even buy some acrylic on Cardboard just like this) by going to her site here. :) VBS

Ta Daaaaaaaa :) :)

VBS :) Well .... it has been quite a while since I posted an update; mainly because I wanted to give Jordy a chance to heal so the new photos wouldn't be more of the same. His healing is coming along really well :) :) His fur still hasn't grown all the way back, but already it is covering the scar really well :)

And Jordy seems to be doing much better than he was before the operation ... he's much more smoochie (is that possible) and is eating more and is now staying much closer to the house during the day. He even now has a routine where he sleeps with me every night :) :)

We would both like to thank you all so much for following his progress and also for taking the time to look, comment and donate you time, love and money :) :) Remember that I will be donating ALL the profits from the sales of my work at Red Bubble towards the cost of the operation until that is paid in full ... and will continue to put the works sold and total made in the Jordy Fund :) :)

Getting Ready

View looking over the top of the Dump Pocket to the control Panel for the Rock Breaker. The Dump Trucks dump to the right of this photo.


So the very first thing that we had to do was to clear all the rubble out of the bottom of the Dump Pocket and get ready to lift the Spider and Mantle free of the Crusher. Usually (in the photo above) the Pocket would be full of Earth and rocks from the Dump Trucks and that Rock Breaker is used to break up the larger boulders. Just out of shot at the bottom is where the crusher sits level with the bottom of the Pocket. The controls for the Rock Breaker are where the right most guy is standing. Not a great job to have, with all the dust and noise!!!


The Photo above shows the hole that goes down inside the crusher (in the middle of the Dump Pocket). Usually the barriers and yellow safety cages wouldn't be there and there would be a Spider sitting on top of the huge lifting lug at the top of the Mantle. This photo was taken looking from the Rock Breaker Controls. The spider (see below) has already been removed and we are now in the process of hooking up the Gantry Crane to lift the 80 or so Tonne of Mantle out. The Crusher extends down into the next level underground and will need to be core drilled around it's base to be removed. It's in three parts and has concave wear plates covering the inside of it. The whole lot needs to come out.

This is the Spider which sits on top of the Mantle to protect the lifting lug and help disperse the Earth and boulders evenly into the crusher.

My Time at Tom Price

Map showing location of Tom Price in WA.

During August of 2006, I spent 35 days in the Iron Ore Mine at Tom Price in the North of WA. I worked as a Trade Assistant up the top of the Mine in the Pit. What our job entailed, was changing out the old rock crusher for a reconditioned one from Japan. The original Primary Crusher had been in place since 1967 or so and it took the full 35 days to remove the old one and replace it with the new one. The Crusher is a mechanism which has a rotating Mantle within a shell, when the Dump Trucks dump their rock into the pit, it falls through the crusher, thus getting crushed. The heaviest part of the Crusher was 80 tonne from memory, that was the Mantle.

This is a rough diagram of the different levels and what things are called so as I post photos it can be used as reference :) :) The rock was dumped in the Dump pocket, crushed thru the crusher and then the conveyors at the bottom took it out for further processing.

The Dump Pocket. This is the very top of the Crusher where the Dump Trucks back into and dump the raw rocks.

Awwwww :) :) Here is a Collab between the Wonderfully Tallented (and very beautiful VBS) TBO (Jen) and myself. :) :) She so loved the photo of mine called Summit, she wanted to do the collab. Who was I to disagree? :) :) Thanks Jen, you did such a beautiful job :) :) VBS I LOVE IT!!!!.

Here is what Jen says in Red Bubble about the Vector she added :) :)

My fav photo by for such a long time, was Honey Tracks, but more recently was overtaken by an absolutely gorgeous shot called Summit

Such a little complex world, almost alien, really captured something in me, more than usual with a photo from Craig. So I thought I would place a bit of myself in there, in a little world where the (TBO) Geishas live. If you’ve seen the movie, The Cell, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

The Geisha plays a Biwa ~ 琵琶. A Biwa is a Japanese short necked fretted lute, which is played with a

The Biwa is the chosen instrument of Benten (Benziaten), Goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in Japanese Buddhism. (thanks wiki) I have illustrated Benten before, and plan to post my Goddesses again soon.

She is holding a plectrum used for the Biwa, which is known to up to 25+ cm wide. According to popular belief, this was due to its popularity among samurai – the plectrum having to double as a weapon, although its size and construction influences the sound of the instrument as the curved body is often struck percussively with the plectrum during play. (yay wiki again!)

Blogged Again :)

It's always interesting seeing where abouts my photography gets blogged and why. I was doing a bit of a search tonight and stumbled upon one of my photos blogged on the above site. :) :) What amazed me the most with this was the name of the blog *the dummy corporation blogging contemporary art in ohio and around the world*. And also the fact that they choose to use my Photo In Your House out of ALL the photos in Red Bubble!! WOW!! :) :) :)

What It's Like (Original)

This is the Original (off the camera) shot of "What It's Like" that I modded and posted on Red Bubble. You can see the Spider Webs much more clearer in this and can also see a cocoon like web in the background that I removed for the modded version. I was also going to remove the other insect that seems to be hanging onto the leaf, but left it there as it seemed to add a little depth to the overall photo. You can see the modded version of this here. :)

Wedgetail Eagle, Western Australia

Awwww I went out for a nice long photoshoot last weekend and had a feeling I would find my Eagles again :) :) It has been such a long time since I have seen this gorgeous couple. It was so nice to see them still together hunting. :) Such beautiful creatures :)