Fleas and other things

The fleas are still unwanted house guests here. Zeki has flea allergy dermatitis and it just takes one flea to cause a reaction for him. He’s covered in splotches and has lost a significant amount of fur. He wakes me through the night with incessant scratching. I’ve been bathing him twice weekly, vacuuming every second day, have used three lots of Frontline on both dogs in the past month and a half, have gone through a pack of Capstar tablets and tried various homeopathic products. I’ve just about exhausted every avenue. What I thought I’d try next is to have the carpets professionally steam-cleaned and I’ll take Zeki to the vet. They were never this bad even in Brisbane.

We put an offer on a house over the weekend and are still waiting to hear back. The vendor has disappeared overseas and the agents are struggling to contact him. The house is up for auction so the process is this: if he accepts our offer then they bring the auction date forward to give other potential buyers a chance to improve on our offer. We can also increase our offer if we choose. Once he learns of our offer, it is valid for two business days. Fingers crossed.

Auckland is starting to grow on me. I’m enjoying the scenery of hills, forests, harbour, beach, boats and in particular views of Rangitoto. I am drawn to it. It’s the biggest volcano in Auckland and the most recent to erupt. It’s enormous and is the defining feature of the city for me. Sometimes it seems so close that I can see vegetation growing on the sides. I am both thrilled by it and terrified of it. It’s a constant reminder of the magma chamber beneath the city yet it’s a beautiful sight.