Misty Dog Walking

Alone time is something of a rare thing in my household. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge the fact that my every waking hour is accompanied by at least one small person. Apart from those few precious hours at work of course…

But last week was a busy one, and to accommodate the many hospital appointments, and the fact that is was half term and the girls didn’t have school to go to. I found myself alone before work one morning, so relived a moment I used to get every day before the children were born, dog walking, on my own, before the ‘real’ day began, I love my favourite route around the uttside of my village, you walk past someones garages to find this…

A newly dug fox hole, just another sign that spring is on her way, and that last years home may not be big enough for this years brood. The Blackthorn hedgerows are holding tight to miniscule buds, and the Ground Elder has begun this years growth already, and tender young shoots are catching on your ankles as you walk past. There are signs everywhere, and it sure is a reassuring thing.

One Happy Walker and…

One Happy (tired and a bit muddy!) Dog.

Who wouldn’t pose for her shot, too many fox trails to sniff….

I’ll be busy with preparations for big birthday celebrations this week, so apologies if I fall silent for a few days, it’s just the hands need to be making, rather than talking about the making, as time is running out! Eek!

Goodbye Sweet Meg

Today the kindest and most sweetest natured dog that I have ever known left behind her family as she went off on her last great adventure. Never was there a more gentle soul than Meg, it was truly a pleasure and privilege to be charged with her care for all these years.

Sweet Dreams dear Meg, we will miss your precious and comic company.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I lost a treasured friend today

The little dog who used to lay

Her gentle head upon my knee

And share her silent thoughts with me.

She’ll come no longer to my call,

Retrieve no more her favourite ball

A voice far greater than my own

Has called her to His golden throne.

And though my eyes are filled with tears,

I thank Him for the happy years

He let her spend down here with me,

And for her love and loyalty.

Start as you mean to go on

:: It’s so refreshing when the creative urge strikes completely unprompted by me, and purely so that they ‘didn’t get too starving for pancakes’ whilst I was cooking them, the Smallest was on a scribblefest, and the Tallest drew out the plans that she had for the day, a positive start to a truly productive day, I’;m amazed at how much concentration was given to this activity considering it was only fuelled on the mornings hot drink. I must remember to have the drawing materials more readily to hand more often. ::

:: And what did the dog think to all this? …::

:: Sorry I couldn’t resist, see you after the weekend. ::

Finished Hat!

:: The Collie and what I hope will be Mr GT’s latest dog walking hat ::

:: No one (human) was willing to sit still long enough for me to take a snap of it on their heads, and it wasn’t a very flattering fit for the dogs! ::

:: The Tallest inspired embroidery is also finished, but I hope to share that with you tomorrow if I can snatch some time and some daylight, today has been taken up with being one of the employed, and whilst the day was a relatively calm one, I don’t think I would have gotten away with it! ::

:: It’s ridiculously late (well it is when you are the mother to two small children!) and I’ve just finished a marathon session in the kitchen to make sure that we have mince pies and tree biscuits aplenty, as I was duly informed upon my arrival home that I would be out delivering wood tomorrow, so fat chance of achieving any of the goals I had set myself (didn’t anyone tell him it’s Christmas in 3 days?!) So whilst I am thinking that I’m going to regret this late one tomorrow – at least I know that I can get the wrapping finished tomorrow and the next day without too many interruptions ::

:: So to finish here’s a gratuitous photograph of the hounds behaving exactly in the manner that I feel like right now……..

time to vegetate me thinks…..goodnight all… ::

The Bionic Dog Returns…

Here’s Poppit doing a rather good job at looking very sorry for herself! She has had to have two titanium screws put into her bones and a nylon artificial ligament stranded between them, on one room confinement and on a lead for toileting needs, she’s one grumpy pup! But as the Vet said the first four weeks rest are essential for healing and scar tissue growth which will ultimately help stop the injury from re-occuring.

Stitches are due out by my own Vet in 7-10 days time, and then she will have a follow up assessment with the Orthopaedic Vet in 5 weeks to assess how good her recovery is…

I’m off to alter one of the Tallest’s old sweaters to cover her rather large bald patch! (it also extends across the other side of her chest) as it’s getting a bit chilly round our way and I don’t know how long it will take to get a good covering of fur!

Poppit the Wonderdog!

So she went to vets yesterday after not bearing any weight on her front leg for two days, so under sedation she was examined and x-rayed and was found to have dislocated her shoulder and ruptured all of the ligaments holding the bone into the joint.

We were given two options reconstructive surgery, involving a prosthesis of some sort, or amputation.

Not much in the way of choices there! It’s practically unheard of and none of the Vets at our practice had ever seen an injury like hers on a dog let alone had any experience of them so a specialist was our only sensible route.

We’ve opted for reconstruction, as the Orthopaedic specialist sounds pretty hopeful that he can do something, the only problem being that it will have been a full two weeks since the injury by the time she goes into surgery, so even now we may end up with a three legged dog.

But I think that it is only fair that we give it a go, she’s at home on strict rest and pain killers…so until Monday…

Poorly Poppit

The Collie took a taste for misadventure this weekend, and during a run on the beach took a tumble and has we think sprained her ankle, having fallen badly when jumping for the ball – she is a bit out of condition and slightly overweight and I think that this little accident has reinforced her need for more exercise. We are going for the sprain option as although she will not entertain putting any weight on it, it is not swollen and she can tolerate in being touched.

She can’t use the dog flap, which is a disaster for her as she can’t keep her vigil for the many comings and goings of next doors cat! We’ll see how she goes if she makes no improvements over the next couple of days we’ll take her off to the vets…boy is she feeling sorry for herself!