Eve Eve

Things are settling down here now into a new, Megan-less routine. We think we've told everyone who needs telling the sad news, except for a lot of the dog-walkers we would normally meet on the Rec, Short evenings and bad weather mean we've not seen the likes of Barney and Smudge's Mum, Ben's Mum or Maxie's or Finzi's Dads, so we'll have to catch up with them in due course unless the Jungle Drums get them first.

It's Christmas "Eve-Eve" and everyone's exhausted. All humans go crazy-busy at this time of year, and only now do they start to wind down towards the Holiday. Dad has, unusually, the luxury of a 4 day break which is, also inevitably, getting filled up with events. We may even visit Diamond and Rags - it'll be the first time we've met Rags since Diamond's been in and out of Hospital (and Rags has been "on his holidays").

Dad and his 2CV mates had their Christmas meal last night, and came back smelling of paté, venison/chestnut/ale pie and Christmas pud with ice cream. Very well fed and soon snoring away - only problem with being designated driver, he was on the alcohol free Becks, and had to forego a guest beer called "Christmas Fairy" which 2CV-Doctor Lew was raving about.

Good long, fast paced walks nowadays - one compensation for the passing of the Megster.

Nearly there
Deefski

Just a couple more

Just a couple more (well, 3 then) pics of Meggie, and then I think we'll move on. Dad has got this cute (and very youthful) face now as his screen background image. The grass one is out on her beloved Rec, strolling about in an aimless looking manner. She probably had an aim - she just wasn't letting on, and had us all beleiving that her aim was to sniff every blade of grass on the Rec, and be admired by all the young male dogs she could find. We used to call her the Dowager Duchess of Kent. If she could've had one of those old "dance cards" she would have done. You can see why Mum called her "Pretty Girl" all the time, and very rarely Megan or Meggie.

Lovely

Look after yourselves

Deefski

Some more nice Meggie shots

A few nice Meggie pics, just because Mum is transferring loads of pics from one PC to another and we came across them. They date from 2005 (no, we haven't had that much snow in these parts yet this year).

Enjoy what's left of the weekend

Deefski

A Big Thank You

A big thank you to all of you who have posted kind and sympathetic comments about Maggie back to this blog. I gather we've even been "facebook'd" from Oz (Hello, Cousins!) although we don't go anywhere near Facebook if we can help it! Thanks, too, Em-J. We'll miss her too.

Dad is amazed by Haggis and myself and how we're coping. Haggis seems to miss her quite a bit, and you often see him trot over to the bed where she'd normally be, and then stop short, seeming to realise that she's not there. I guess it still smells of her there. The two of us were also sniffing round the edges of the grave mound this afternoon before our walk, so that the snow there is now gently dinted up to the rim of the mound with little dog foot prints.

Dad was mildly concerned we'd start digging (Dad! How could you?)

Meanwhile, have you looked at the "site-meter" at the top of this blog lately. We are getting up towards 5000 visits!

Deefer

...and we shall have snow

The South East of Endland is whacked by North winds and some proper snow. It only takes about half an inch to knock out most of our road system, so this 4-5 inches had all the area around Bluebell Hill (the A229) and Detling Hill (the A249) closed and/or paralysed. Huge queues quickly built up and journey times ballooned. Dad set off at the normal 05:00 but came back at 07:00 saying that both the hills were closed - he'd been 2 hours doing the 20 or so miles there and 20 back.

No matter, that gave us a chance to share breakfast with Mum and Dad, and they even went across to the Panini shop for bacon rolls. Later, Dad tried again using the Ashford Road (A251) and Charing Hill to get "down", and this time got to work at midday, a good 7 hours late!

All safely home now though, fire going in the grate, red wine to celebrate the Friday at what Dad's work call DEFCON 4. They are never sure whether the "defcons" run up or down (is 1 bad or is 5 bad? Should have paid more attention to the film "war games").

We are all missing Meggie of course - the click click of her toenails on the laminate, not having to carry her down the garden first thing and last thing to make sure she did her business, her stiff-legged waking up from cold on the bed to come and greet a returning human. Still, she's resting now, down in the orchard, The snow drops are just starting to poke through down there, although there's now a dusting of snow.

Have a good weekend

Deefer

Farewell to Meggie

Today we are sorry to bring you the sad news of the passing away of Megan. Uncomfortable and off her food for a few days now, Mum and Dad, fearing the worst, made an appointment at the vet's. The short version of the story is that her suffering was a result of acute kidney failure, so that the tough decision had to be made, and she was put to sleep tonight.

Dad was pleased that it was himself there and also pleased that the vet on duty was old friend and vet to Megan from the moment Mum and Dad brought her home as an 8 week old pup, John F. That was 13 years ago.

For those of you who have never been there it was a very dignified and gentle exit. She was up on the bench with Dad cradling her head and a vet nurse steadying her body. John shaved a small area of leg, readied the syringe, then drew back a small curl of blood, and pushed in the pink liquid. Megan never flinched or changed her expression at all, just carried on looking at Dad. In no more than 10 seconds, almost before the last of the syringe-full went in, she relaxed into Dad's and the nurse's hands.

Dad left the room to settle the bill, while the nurse out back wrapped Megan in a blanket, and then rather than bring her through the waiting room, walked round the side and met Dad outside. Dad carried the small bundle back to car and brought her home to Mum. We were allowed to sniff the bundle, but this was then laid to rest quickly in the orchard still in its blanket.

Mum and Dad hope that all their animals are granted such good, full and happy life and then as dignified and painless an end. You can't really do more for a friend and pet than that. Goodbye then the Megster - we will miss you a lot. I'm sure that all your many friends and admirers will wish you rest in peace.

Farewell

Deefer

Here to serve

Winter's suddenly seriously here, with proper frosts and North Winds. This unfortunately coincides with Mum's car's heater deciding to stop working, so her car is frozen inside as well as out today and she's scrabbling around (getting nice and warm) trying to defrost the car, and then trying to get into the 2CV. She did, though, find time to take this rather good pic of a rose in the back garden.

Dad gets in stores of coal and logs. We already have a stock of old newspapers, and a good supply of old house-structure wood for kindling after the Panini brothers had done their stuff.

Dad feels like he's "here to serve" today, racing between various sites for work and then at lunchtime it's works Christmas Dinner in the canteen, and the Managers traditionally serve the colleagues at these do's. So Dad and his fellow Managers get a taste of "waitering" dressed in obligatory silly hats, setting out festive settings and scurrying between tables and food-prep areas with trays of food, plates, glasses of (soft) drinks while three sittings of guys and gals get processed through between about half 11 and 2pm. He takes his hat off to anyone who has done this for a living.

Tonight, more "servitude", representing the views of the allotments tennants as the local Town Council starts to negotiate taking back control of allotment running from the wider Borough Council. We await with interest what that will bring.

Deefski