Guardian of the bowls

I went over to my friends in Galway for a couple of days. Michael is doing really well with his cancer treatment. One problem has responded so well to radiation and chemo treatment that he's regarded as a bit of a miracle man in the hospital, and even though a recent scan showed a couple of 'spots' that concern his medical team, they're confident that they've caught these early and that radiation should sort them out quickly.

Even more encouraging, though, is that his general medical signs are so good that they've designated him an ideal candidate for trials with the new cancer wonder drug. Rather than have to wait five years for it to become generally available, Michael will begin treatment with Nivolumab in two weeks or so. Very high success rates have already been reported, so things are looking up for my pal.

He and David have done wonders with the little house they bought online for their return from Budapest, and have received wonderful support from neighbours and charitable organisations alike. They've recently finished a complete replacement of their plumbing and electrical installations, and have done great things with the half-acre plot their cottage is on. Next up, once Michael's treatment is out of the way, is the installation of new floors and some other essential interior work.

They've also been adopted by a darling white cat which is becoming increasingly tame, and it's her feeding bowls which are been watched over by this rather strange Sacred Heart statue out at the side of the house. As the photo shows, we had rather nice weather on my first day with the lads. Being so close to Midsummer, there was light in the sky up until after 11:00 pm, with stars making a great display because their location is so low on light pollution.