More Signs of Spring

Now that the local Daffodil Show is well and truly over, the daffs all decide it's now OK to flower. These rather nice collection of Tete-a-Tete are in one of the big pots which were originally a birthday present from Mum to Dad. They are too big for Mum to lift but she used her womenly wiles and the 2CV (and a handy bloke with strong arms) to bring them home from the garden centre when Dad was out of the way.

Since then they have contained a variety of ill-fated plants, a Japanese maple which died, and a philadelphus which fared little better. Now they are full of daffs while they decide what to do with them. The other pics (if we can get them to show - this website seems tyo be having a hissy-fit and will not show them, so we have no idea whther they uploaded successfully or not.

Dad has survived another weekend on call and we've had plenty of good walks. Mr H, says Dad, is definitely starting to slow down now, the old fella, and an hour and a half of fairly gentle is enough for him. I am, of course, fit as a flea at 3 years old, so there is talk of maybe replacing Meggie with a fit, young third dog to give me a run for my money and let Haggis have a gentle retirement, like they did for Meggie. Maybe not a pup. Maybe not even (gasp) a Westie.

We'll see. Now we want to try publishing this and see what the website makes of it.

Deefski

Good Weekend

We'll call that a good weekend, then. It's been a long time coming but Spring seems to be finally here, Daffs and Irises are starting to do their stuff, all be it rather late for the local Hort Soc's Spring Show. Never mind, on that one - there are always plenty of ladies willing to enter the flower arranging classes or cook the cakes for the baking classes (and Jackie next door happy to pass "us" a cake (and, thankfully a roasted lamb bone or two) which she has over.

Dad gets a chance to catch up on the SB Cambria, and you can see from these pics that not only is the decking progressing well but also in the below decks pic of the back end, you can see the side planking slowly climbing up the sides. Look either side of the red-painted vertical pole (which is a deck support pillar under the little rear (="mizzen") mast. The light shining in between the frames there is now only getting in for the top 3-4 feet.

The on-deck pic is taken from the starboard bow, basically standing just to the right of the stem-post, looking aft.

And there's a new "Smudge" in the house. We already know one, companion of Westie "Barney", a mainly white, long bodied JR cross with wirey hair and floppy ears that glow ever brighter red as he heats up chasing the tennis balls that are his number 1 passion. Well, tiny pup Smudge is aslo a white wispy haired JR with brown smudges, but he's only 12 weeks old and still all floppy and soft in his movements, and given to falling over his feet when tapped by a westie's nose. His companion is a red Staffie of whom we cannot recall the name, though we were told.

Deefski

1630 Club

Now that all the dog walkers are squoze into the gap between end-of-work and it-gets-dark, our 16:30 pm unofficial dog club has started to re-form. Anyone who's anyone goes, and we all look out for each other. First we are spotted from afar by eagle-eyed Luca the Lurcher, who steams across the Rec towards us, and we straight way commence our game of Luca nicks my dirty, saliva soaked tennis ball, and I nick his bright pink sponge-ball.

Together we wander across the Rec diagonally, soon spotting solid Jack Russell Patch out with his Mum. We are soon joined by black collie cross Ben, a shaggy brown lab called Archie and old chum who we've not seen for what seems like a year, slim, nippy JR bitch Bindy. Finally tonight we come across a lady Dad doesn't quite recognise, out with a choc-brown pointer and a tiny JR. The lady turns out to be Daughter-in-Law of the Angel B - she recognises Dad and introduces herself.

Nice pack - good socialising and plenty of running around. That's what I call a dog walk!

Deefski

St Trinians

Here's Haggis getting uncomfortably close to the newly dressed sails of Sailing Barge Repertor. These guys dress the sails each year in a noxious mixture of (in this case) red and yellow ochre, melted parrafin wax, lanolin, vegetable oil, and white spirit. The mixes are usually secret to the sail maker, and can also include horse urine which is, we are told, sterile and a natural bleach. This set are about to get dog urine, which probably works just as well.

And so, another nice long weekend draws to a close and Dad is in deep shock that he'll actually have to work a 5-day week. It's not on, he says! The humans console themselves with a showing of the new St Trinians film (well, not that new now, but you know what I mean). Gotta love a School Song that includes the lines "We are the Best, so Screw the Rest", and proclaims the School as "Defenders of Anarchy". Dad says his school song had "What's the tie that makes you one? Brothers all, The Name? ..... Sons of William Parker!" which does not convey quite the same ethos.

Deefer.

Are you down there, Henry?

If they bury you in this town,

be sure they dig you deep.

Cos the rabbits and the dogs will try

to interupt your sleep.

We're often in the graveyard

and we don't hang around

There's bunnies running everywhere

that should be underground.

We chase them fast as we both can

me and Haggis,my big bruvver

but under some ol' marble slab's

where they will find safe cover.

That's where the chase will have to end

we stand frustrated there

Head nose and ears are in the hole

and tails in the air

Our favourite grave is Henry Miles

Died 1923

There's two holes under that one

One for Haggis, one for me.

So Henry, sir, you lived so old,

now sleeping like a log,

unless you wake and wonder why

you're yelled at by a dog

Sleep on, old timer, pay no mind,

protect your rabbit's nest

Ignore the westies hunting 6 foot

up from your last rest.

Deefski-the-Bard

Old Glory

We dogs are firmly convinced that Dad is entering the official ranks of "old gits" when he buys a copy of the steam traction engine magazine "Old Glory". Wannabee Fred Dibnah? He claims that it is only because this month's edition has a five page article on the SB Cambria restoration, but I'm not entirely sure I believe that.

Never mind - fair play to the old boy, another day off using up 2009 hols, so good news for us and we get a good walk in the dry but bitter wind. We park at the Three Mariners pub in Oare (a good pub if you're passing this way) http://www.thethreemarinersoare.co.uk/ and then walk down the lane to Harty Ferry. Here we head east along the sea wall then back along the Oare Creek path to the car. It's a chance to see the Hollow Shore and the Shipwright's Arms (another good pub!) from across the creek (main picture) and for Dad to hunt down some more old dead barges.

The Old Glory mission is really just a distraction while waiting for the garage to MOT Mum's car "Timbuktu" (don't ask) - it passes the test no problem but the whole show is running late, so we have time to kill and time to wander into Smith's. Not us actually, obviously - Dad.

Dad also gets a chance to mow for the first time up at the allotments, and finally gets fed up with the mower being pathetically under-powered and "hunting" really badly, so that gets taken to local mower-doctor for repair and service, plus a new blade. The allotments are getting treated to a new hard-surface path where the grass (and more often mud) public footpath goes through, and the contractor is also rolling some spare road-scalpings into the carpark. We shall be so posh we will have to charge for parking!

Hope tomorrow's as good

Deefski

Millicent Maud

Well lookee here!

What do we find when we are walking around our own local boat yard, but this young lady more used to the canals and waterways of Sowerby Bridge, where we do our own narrow-boating. Yes, I appreciate that there are nearer canals, but heh!

Just now I cannot for the moment imagine what brings her to our town.... some kind of refit or repair for which we are uniquely skilled? Or possibly the owner is a resident of these parts and he/she chose to bring the boat "home" for repair, rather than keep making the journey to the lady's normal moorings. Anyway, Millicent Maud, it's nice to see you and you give us that little excited tingle of holidays to come this Summer.

Meanwhile in bitter winds, we are getting some nice walks in, and meeting some of our good friends - Luca the Lurcher with his games of "tennis" behind the Bowls Pavilion (and Luca's Mum is getting me quite good at catching the bounces too!), Ben, Skiboo, Patch, Smudge and Barney, Bailey the Setter. We are back into those medium length days where everyone walks their dogs in daylight, so gets squeezed into the gap between about half three and half five. Soon the clocks will change and the squeeze will be less, and the walkers more spread out.

For us, meanwhile, another short week work for Dad, and a nice long weekend, using up his 2009 holidays, so some good explorations. Meanwhile Diamond is back in hospital for the moment - her own choice, it suits her for now. Look after yourself, Di.

Deefski