Happy New Year

New Year's Eve and Dad is home in daylight so we get a decent walk, ending up at the Rec where a goodly gathering of Dog Walking humans collect as night falls, to wish each other Happy New Year and compare notes on who had to work when over the Seasonal 'break'. Springers LB and DK are out there and, out of nowhere, Haggis's old chum and 13 and a half year co-puppy Barney-Boy (now still trying to race about but apparently on 'metacam' (?) for his arthritis stiffness.

Meanwhile Dad gets a little flicker of life from Project Erroll as his Boss, in the 2nd last sentence of a 4-sentence chat (the last one was "Happy New Year"!) gives him to beleive that June 29th 2011 might be a significant date. However, no-one in this house is holding their breaths, as this has been so off/on, shambolic and woolly, that we'd equally believe June 2012! You never know, though. perhaps 2011 will see some genuine decisions and actual movement. Watch this space.

Sooooo.... all the best for 2011 everyone and our best wishes to all our readers. Do you realise we have now been going for over 880 posts? No wonder I'm tired.

Happy New Year

Deefs

Tali at 5 months

Out for our early one this morning we come across old friends Truffles (Choc lab) and Storm (Long haired chihuahua) plus their new Bedlington chum Tali - she's been mentioned on the blog back in January, as replacement for the late lamented Gigot. Tali is now 5 months old and a superb dog. She's fast and full of beans , playful and very friendly, trying to make a fuss of everyone in the Rec at once. Tricky when they are 100's of yards apart!

At one stage she makes a bee-line for Springer "LB" (the "L" used to stand for "Little" apparently) who is walked by near neighbours on the Rec, but always on about 20 miles of cord (OK slight exaggeration!). Tali's owners call and whistle, but LB's up for a bit of running around play, and Tali is a case of "none so deaf as those who won't hear".

We all end up together in one big doggie melee. When we eventually head our separate ways, Tali is led off to a good range before being released. She heads straight back for LB and resumes playing. This happens 4 or 5 times before she is eventually led all the way off the Rec.

Respect!
Deefer

Preparations

Christmas is Coming, the Goose is getting fat!

Round here, all is preparations for Christmas. Mum and Dad are organising with Diamond to go tree-buying tomorrow, but I am told that only the lights will go on tomorrow. Mum has always fancied a proper "tree trimming party", and this is the year when she finally gets it. She has bought in a rake of cold meats and other party fare and is having Diamond and Uncle John round for the special event.

Cards are arriving by the dozen each day, and are decking the halls in the appropriate manner (well, at least the book cases and shelves). The proper decs are down from the loft. 99% of prezzies are bought (I've still not seen a yellow frisbee shaped parcel arrive) although one needs collecting from failed-parcel delivery depot in Ashford and Mum and Dad are still sneaking in and out of the house a bit sheepishly.....

Meanwhile, the power cut mystery is, possibly, solved. Owner of spaniel "LB" (the "L" stands for "little") who was also affected by the cuts and has had dealings with French energy company EDF in the past, tells us that he has been chatting up the EDF engineers who were working on the substation. The story goes that one in three houses up this road were cut because one of the out put cables (phases) from the sub station was "faulty".

Now guess, if you can, which cable the entire new housing estate being built behind our house and the 97 - bed "Home for the Bewildered" were connected to as a stop-gap while the building works were being completed. With me so far?

Have a powerful weekend
Deefer

LB and Star

Nice chat this morning on the way back from our walk, to a new kid on the block, 11 week old red and white Springer pup, "L.B." They told me the "L" stands for "Little" but they'd not tell me what the B stood for, so I guess he'll have to stay just "LB". Lovely little fella anyway, and about to start puppy classes.

At the same time we meet up with smoky-grey German (we thought) Shepherd "Star" who we first met as a pup in the Rec in May last year. I say "thought" - there's been some discussion since, and the owner now thinks she may be a Belgian Shepherd. She's very slight, and apparently has been a bit of a problem with her nervousness, which has led to agressiveness with strangers. They have had to call in the dog "behaviourist".

As we stood and chatted, the owner commented that if my Dad had not had we three westies with him, Star would have been pulling away in fright. She is calmed, for some reason, by the fact that the stranger is with dogs. We are ladeeez of mystery

Mum and Dad, with Diamond, had a new experience today, taking a car load of tools and bits from Denis's shed to a car boot sale to sell. They seem to have enjoyed themselves, and came back smelling of Ragworth, and an unknown westie called Mollie who is 10 apparently. They sold loads of junk and returned via the tip to dump the rest. Diamond now has a nice clear shed which can be taken apart, sold to one of Dad's allotment chums, and she can reclaim the "patio" bit where the shed sat, for use in sunning and basking. Megan thoroughly approves. She likes a good bask.

Hope your weekend is going as well as ours

Deefer