baking success!

A few days ago I asked for advice how to fix the texture of my yeast plait, and got many helpful comments. I took the advice, got the more expensive bread flour higher in gluten, only softened not melted the butter, and kneaded a good deal longer, and it worked! The texture of the one I just baked is like it's supposed to turn out.

GRPP (gratuitous rat picture post)

It's been several months since my last rat picture post (memorials don't count), so I thought I'd post some recent ones.
( a couple of cute rat pictures, all from June )

As you can see, Leo (the darker one) is still tenaciously holding on, eating, coming outside and scuffling with his brother (though I never manage to get that on camera), all despite his labored breathing, even though the vet made ominous predictions for his future over three months ago. He's not getting better, but aside from the one setback late May that he beat back, he's not been getting worse either. Considering rats' short lifespan overall that has to be like holding out for a decade or something for a human.

On the less happy side, when I decided to go for these twice weekly injections as palliative measure to help his breathing and boost his immune system, I did not expect that I'd have to keep up with twice weekly vet visits for over three months. And he'd been getting antibiotics all through March before that. Not that I'm not happy that he's beaten all expectations, and so far continues to do so, but it is taxing to keep this up and pay for it. And I don't really dare to stop with the injections, because while I don't know that he wouldn't have made it so far without them, he did make it with this chemical cocktail he's getting.