More J-M

I promised to give you some more on the J-M visit, having covered Harrods, Hamleys and Buck House. There's plenty to tell. The London stuff was Tuesday. Wednesday saw us on a variety of 2CV adventures; first to the allotments where J-M fancied a go at digging some spuds and picking blackberries, and we ended up by pulling onions, picking beans and beetroot, and even a small amount of chard. We headed off to "the horse place" to buy wild bird food, and dropped in on some more blackberry bushes near the boatyard, to fill our punnet.

We head for the "Goods Shed" farm shop in Canterbury to buy meat, cheeses, more veg, cup cakes and nice bread for Wednesday's supper with Diamond and John. That evening ends up with a bit of a drama when the hot tap pipework springs a leak under the sink, and we end up having to haul out the fridge freezer and washing machine to try to get at it to repair it. Plenty of dog sniffing opportunities in nooks and crannies which never see the light of day.

On Thursday, Mum takes J-M off to Canterbury for shopping for outfits and make-up, Mum trying to steer J-M away from the all-pervading favourite pinks, towards purple and "teal". We also have to drop Mum's car off at the Fiat dealer for service.

Today's been a bit more of a quiet day for J-M but that's partly because the planned outdoor swimming pool trip got vetoed by the chilly wind and rain. Also, it's Mum's birthday (Happy Birthday to Mum!). There's the car to collect, and the plumber to entertain - that's our mate Bob S, who we've known for ages and who bought one of Megan's pups from the first litter, Little Owen.

All good things must end, though, and we are coming to the end of J-M's stay. Mr Silverwood pitches up tomorrow for a day when we're all together, but armed with tickets for the flights home on Sunday.

Ah well.
Deefs

Farewell to Owen

We are sad to relate the passing away of one of Meg's pups from the first litter, little Owen, who went to Mum and Dad's very good friend Bob-the-Plumber. He was named by their youngest, who was a mad keen Michael Owen fan, because he loved playing footie with the boy.

This was 2 weeks ago but we only just heard, Bob bringing his family down to see the SB Cambria, not knowing that Dad was on the volunteer rota this weekend.

This pic dates from May 99 and is pre-digital. Owen (left here) would have been less than a year old, and came back to spend a weekend with Megan and Haggis when Bob and Co went away for the weekend. He would have been 10 this year, and we know what a happy, loving family life he's had.

We hear that Owen had a perfectly happy and healthy final day, nipping out in the evening to bark at the moon as usual, just before bed time, drink from the pond and generally sniff about (his normal last-thing activities), but then keeled over on his way back into the kitchen, passing away quickly and painlessly of an apparent heart-attack. He had a "lovely funeral" apparently, buried at the top of the garden, and 11 friends were there to see him off.

Our sypathies are with Bob and Lynn and their family at this time. He has left a big hole in their family and they miss him a great deal.

Rest in Peace, Owen. We'll miss you too.

Deefer