Arcturus Rex: the new Covid in India

I’d love to know who gets the jammy dodger task of coming up with names for pandemic strains or for example evil tornados, cyclones or storms. Then there are undercover police ops that carry bizarre monikers. What fun a wordsmith might have finding the perfect name to fit the bill. To be honest, I always find the chosen sobriquets rather prosaic. Maybe governments and police agencies think less is more but surely they could put in a bit more effort? What we need is something thrilling and memorable to frighten us into a state of terror, not having us giggle over the cornflakes in the morning.

Police operations

Yewtree, Pin, Bagel, Blossom and Crevice don’t quite cut the mustard for me. You can just imagine a copper sitting down for breakfast in the police canteen and shouting to his boss through a spray of egg bagel crumbs, ‘Oi, guv, wadabout Operation Bagel?’ Or picture a detective strolling with his Missus through an orchard of apple trees and having a eureka moment. Yesss! Operation Apple Blossom or maybe just Blossom?

And what about choosing girls’ names for hurricanes, how sexist is that? We’ve had evil Hurricane Katrina, Storm Gloria and Cyclone Gabrielle. What about Hurricane Harry, Cyclone Clive and Storm Steve? I think we need to rewrite the rules. I’m up for the job. I’ll wait for the disaster invites to flood in.

Missing Meghan

We should be indebted to Meghan Markle for choosing not to attend the coronation of King Charles on 6, May. The popular press has been in a high state of agitation as to whether the couple would attend the ceremony or not. Visions of thousands of disaffected royalists lining the route and shrieking waaaaaagh - in reference to the South Park cartoon parody – as the Sussexes rode by, could have proven painfully awkward. I think it is a good call that Prince Harry has decided to attend his father’s coronation. It would have been so hurtful if he had chosen to snub the event. Naturally, his presence will create a sense of unease among some of the ranks but let’s hope the day will be all about King Charles and not about Harry and Meghan. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that this was their intention; that after dominating the world stage for many months, they both magnanimously agreed that it was Charles’s turn to hug the limelight. We must, after all, be charitable.

A modern-day hero

I had a pretty miserable Easter. I won’t call it a break. My beloved Siamese, Molly Mitten, became very ill all of a sudden and was violently sick and listless. Luckily, this occurred just before the holiday period kicked in, so I managed to take her to my wonderful vet, Tomeu, of Clínica Veterinaria Amics Sóller. He was quite baffled as her digestion system was working well and she had no fever. He gave her an anti-inflammatory injection and asked me to monitor her behaviour. Tomeu was of the opinion that she might have been bitten by a wee beastie insect on our land.

The holiday weekend came and Molly was still very sick and poorly and not eating or drinking. I dared to contact Tomeu on the Sunday and although at a lunch, he selflessly offered to open the surgery to attend to her needs. I suggested finding a clinic in Palma, but he kindly called and told me to bring her over, suggesting an analysis of her blood. He discovered a bad infection and so began my princess on a course of appropriate treatment. Within a few hours back home, Molly had perked up and had begun to nibble at food and drink water. Even still, Tomeu insisted she return on the Bank Holiday Monday for further injections. I arrived to find other concerned pet owners also crowding Tomeu’s surgery. The staff members were able to enjoy their Easter break, but Tomeu stoically attended to his regular customers whose beloved pets relied on his expertise and care.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, but Tomeu is one of my leading Soller stars. Once, in the pouring rain and with a bad back he walked to our finca during his lunch break just to relieve my old arthritic rescue duck of pain with antibiotic injections and no, he wouldn’t charge me. This thoughtful vet genuinely loves all animals and feels their pain. He celebrates with his clients when their fur babies recover and feels deep sorrow when the inevitable end is nigh. A vet for our times and a modern day, unsung hero. We need a new set of local awards: for those in the community who quietly and diligently put the needs of others before themselves, expecting nothing in return, and that includes tending to our furry and feathery family members.