Diamond RIP

Diane and Ragwoth

Very sad news today, I am afraid. Good friend to this blog and Liz's best friend 'Diamond' passed away yesterday afternoon after a long battle with cancer. She died peacefully at home in her own bed having just waved off another good friend who had come down to visit, and seen husband John off to walk the family dog, Ragworth. Diane was a lovely, lovely person and we will all miss her terribly. She was a huge part of our lives for the 20 years or so when we lived in Faversham and has remained so now we are in Ireland, she was actually our very first overnight visitor at this 'new' house.

Mazy, 'Diamond' and Liz in Feigh last year. 

Farewell then, Diane. We will never forget you and we are pleased that this place is full of memories and bits and pieces passed between good friends over the years. Sympathies to anyone who knew Diamond (real name, Diane Walsh (formerly 'Riches')) or has come to know a little of her through reading this blog. Our thoughts are also with John, Ragworth and the 'Kent crowd' who were all so supportive and generous right up to the end. Diane was just coming up to her 58th Birthday.

Rest in Peace, Diamond.

Ragworth ASBO Two-Breakfasts

Dad is scammed by a not particularly bright Rags into giving him a 2nd breakfast, failing to admit that Diamond has been down already at 06:30 and fed him the first one. Step forward Ragworth Asbo Two-Breakfasts N.

Mum and Dad are off to a Christmas party night with a gang of one-time work mates. There are about 20 of them and amusingly only about 5 still work at the place, following the redundancy decimation during the Summer, but all those who wanted to have found work elsewhere. They are, anyway, a happy bunch of mates who love to get together to catch up on the gossip and compare notes, all be it most of them are now on Facebook so they are in daily or regular contact anyway.

The 'do' is at the King Charles Hotel in Brompton, Gillingham but down at the function rooms end rather than the posh hotel end so it's a bit of a 'mass catering' meal (adequate but not brilliant). There's a 'cabaret' which is maybe a bit too loud and includes a game of the baffling TV show "Deal or No Deal" (which no-one we speak to can understand and seems to be based on random chance) followed (at 22:30) by a Black Eyed Peas tribute band. They do a good rendition of the one song we've heard of (It's Gonna be a Good Night) and then divert off into a load of what are presumably equally accurate renditions of B.E.P. rap songs. It's a good night. It does what it says on the tin and Mum and Dad plus their good friends Steve and Jean (my "First Mum and Dad") call it a night at about quarter to 11 and head home.

Deefs

Ragworth

Ahhh here he is, the dashing handsome chap; always suave, debonair, groomed, slick, sharp.... never a hair (or chunk of duckweed) out of place. Who couldn't love the silly old sod?

Meanwhile we hear that both those Yorkie pups you saw in an earlier post, still with their Mum when our Mum and Dad went over to visit the Silverwoods in Ireland, are now happily ensconced with their various human families. The first, smaller, smooth coated (ish) one is named Rameses, Steak Lady being mad keen on all things Egyptological, so is having to cope with prior Yorkies Cracker and Rosie (whom we have also featured previously in this blog) plus the new (ish) Siamese Seal-Point "Seti" (another Egyptian deity)).

The larger, hairier beast, named Coco, is now with the Silverwoods and therefore has to contend with the ancient mongrel "Chance" and the lively children (Em-J, J-M, Toddler M and Wobbly-toddler R) plus any other members of the current menagerie (tortoises, hamsters etc). We wonder whether we will meet Coco over on the narrow boat any time soon, but we suspect not this year. He will be very very small still, and the thought of making sure he survives a week on a boat with we mob is almost a nightmare. A girl could turn white overnight.... Dad says, that'd be a change!

The Nerve!

Deefski

My 800th Post!

This is a pic of Haggis anointing the new red oxide paint on Cambria's leeboard. You can see from the splash of wee that he's actually re-claiming it for Westie-dom after it's already been pee'd on by boat yard dog (and chum) "Harry", a big old collie cross who is taller than H so can spray farther and wider. H's legs are only 6 inches and the leeboard is about 9 inches off the ground, so H's effort misses completely and goes underneath.


Daimond, John and Northern family friend of Diamond, Joan descend upon us this afternoon for a bit of roast pork lunch. They bring Rags down so that Dad can give him a bit of tidy up round his bits with scissors, and make his "aft" end a bit more fragrant. Rags is happy to oblige but counteracts any attempt to make him clean by diving into the fish pond.

This is very normal for Rags and he loves to emerge looking thoroughly disreputable, his beard and Denis Healey eyebrows turned into sodden rats tails, and his fur liberally speckled with green duckweed. Only a Mother could love him.

I don't, of course and spend the whole visit glaring at him balefully from as near as I can get to Dad's lap, growling when he gets too close, and yapping at him single piercing yaps if he forgets. It makes for a lovely, bucolic, peaceful, tranquil rural scene.

Taxi for Ragworth!
Deefski

Denis

It's the anniversary of the passing away of our old chum Denis, "Dad" of Ragworth, so Mum takes herself off to Mass to pay her respects and "cover for" Diamond, who is still in hospital. Dad is on call this weekend, so he has to work the Saturday and his life is ruled by the mobile phone and text messages.

With a certain inevitability, Friday night sees a 3 lorry pile up on the M25 close by the firm's Waltham Point site, so it's never going to be an easy one as the operation makes adjustments and rescues itself from the chaos.

In the middle of all this we get a buzz-cut. Yes, readers, all those lovely flowing locks of the previous posting are gone, and I am a felty-bodied, narrow faced animal which looks more like a lamb than a westie. Cooler though - and this is the final Autumn cut. We are now allowed to grow ever more shaggy and warmer through the Winter, round to out April cut.

Dad is doing his stint on the Sailing Barge (SB) Cambria today, so more photo's of that soon. Either side of that we get the new format double walk. In the morning a gentle one to the rec with Meggie, where we get very wet froma surprise shower of rain. Then when Dad's back from Cambria, Haggis and I get a good circuit through town and past Cambria, round the creek bank and back here.

Very satisfying
Rest in Peace, Den
Deefer

New Kids - watch out Ragworth

It's a warm Spring day, and Dad can walk us, for the first time, in his shirt-sleeves. We head for the Rec, where it seems that everyone is out and about, and there are a few new faces.

Little tiny "Sue", all-black Patterdale Terrier pup at only 11 weeks and enjoying only her 4th walk out in the big wide world. Her owner is cool with this and has her off the lead, where she tears about in that semi-co-ordinated way tiny pups have. She's no bigger than one of Dad's feet, and feet are a theme with her. She chases over to any new passer by and launches an attack on their shoe-laces, flopping over as she grabs them till she's lying on her back on the person's feet to cries of "Ahhh- isn't she cuuuuuute!" etc.

I chase her about at one stage, but it's easy to catch her up and the smallest nudge sends her cart-wheeling, tripping over her own feet, so Dad tells me to be less rough. This, he says, is another baby Ragworth, who will grow up remembering your bullying, and come back to get you, with her mate Rags, and then there will be two of them!

Also out there is an 8 month old very glossy black and tan terrier (doberman colours, terrier size and shape) called Sonny, out romping with her much oklder companion, black terrier Lucy. Sonny's good fun for a while, too. Patch is there too.

We're done in by the time we head back for the main path, and there we come across Mum coming home from work.

Deefer

Mademoiselle

For Dad an "old Citroen" flavoured day. One of their project team who have been doing up the old 1961 twinning-gift 2CV (Mademoiselle d'Armentieres) wants out - he wants Dad and the other 2 to buy out his share. They decide to meet to talk about how to achieve this. They decide to meet at the lock up where the car is kept, and take her for a spin; maybe to "one of our houses??".

Mum offers to cook home-made soup for them, and suddenly they have an event. They are joined by Andy's new Hungarian love interest, ZsuZsa (that's easy for you to say!) plus then Cliff and Shelley from the Hoppers, with their brother and sister collies, whom we know very well from the camping, Ben and Nellie.

Dad drives his normal 2CV over to the lock up, and then gets to drive Mmlle back here in convoy with Andy's 2CV van, to proudly park her on our drive while she gets photo'd and admired by the neighbours. The humans come in to do soup, while we dogs play and get to know each other again. Dad the gets to drive the 2CV van back to the lock-up so that Ian can get a turn in Mmlle. Finally he drives his own car home. 3 different old citroens in one day. He is dead chuffed.

We are just closing up, getting washing in and dog bowls out, and Dad standing by the back door, when there is a whoosh over our heads and the k-chishhh of something heavy hitting the foliage of the bay tree, 4 or 5 feet away. Every body jumps, and the sparrows in the tree start cheeping loudly in protest at the disturbance, just when they were getting comfortably roosted up for the night. At first we all think it's a squirrel leaping from the Albertine on the back of the house, but there's another k-chish and curving back out of the tree comes our old mate the female sparrowhawk with a small bird in her talons - maybe a sparrow? Fresh warm supper, anyway.

Which reminds me. We are off to Diamond's tonight for a bite with Ragworth.

Deefer

Ragworth's Adventures in London

With Diamond in Greece (Poros) at present with John, Ragworth is being dog-sat by Diamond's little brother "Tot". I say "little" - he is bigger than Dad, but once a "Tot" always a tot in their family. They are from up North, so everyone is "Our Gavin" and "Our Mam" - even Denis's "little brother" who is 70+ is still known as "Our Kid"

Anyway, "Our Ragworth" is currently in the safe hands of Tot and , because Tot works in that London, Rags is currently up in the smoke. He is being walked in Battersea Park and, when he managed to find the only muddy puddle in Battersea fell foul of Tot who "Knows about terriers" and found himself bathed and then brushed out and stripped as you would a Show-Dog for good measure. Rags is reported to have enjoyed the experience and feels very much the man-about-town now.

Our own adventures have been more pedestrian - a nice gentle one to the Rec tonight where the mowers had just been through, so we had a great time chasing about kicking up the mowings and rolling over and over attacking each other in sprays of grassy bits. We met black collie (him of the white hind toes) Ben, and new kid on the block, softest cutest dog you'd ever want to meet, 4 month old Husky pup "Kaya" with his pale blue eyes and the softest downiest coat you'd ever touch.

Go Kaya - go Rags-about-Town

Deefs

Ragworth (Asbo)

Here he is - my Hero, Rags. Allegedly a pedigree Lakeland/ Patterdale terrier, he is a fine (cough) handsome chap (splutter); suave, debonair, well groomed, not a hair out of place etc . OK in this one his chops are stylishly peppered with duckweed from his latest splosh about in the top pond. When he leapt out and headed for the terrace on which all the humans were dozing in the afternoon sun, there were cries of "Don't shake near me!" and "Arghhhh! Geddaway you filthy beast!" , and I'm sure I heard Dad yell "Don't let him in the house!" Gotta love him

Today is our town's Classic Car and Motorbike Show so our walk had to go up through town so Dad could see all the shiny veteran transport. Returning via the park I had a nice romp about with a smoky-grey Alsatian pup called Star (4 months)

And Dad tells me he's been up the allotment and finished off "his Autumn digging". Not behind or anything, are you dad?

Have a good Sunday
Deefs

Shouldn't laugh but....

Descended on this afternoon by Diamond, John, Den and Asbo (also known as Ragworth / Rags), all the humans tucking into a roast lamb meal (Yay! Bones for us when the guests have gone!). Rags used to bully me a bit (although 'tis said I was a screaming drama queen and wailed even if he didn't actually touch me), so it was funny to hear tonight of him coming unstuck when out being walked by Den.

Apparently he had spotted a big ol' ginger Tom cat near a car, and when the cat crept under the car, Rags lunged under too, to the full length of his lead. The cat struck back! Rags emerged backwards from under the car, screaming like a drama queen ( :-)) ), with the ginger Tom on top of him gripping on and biting into his spine. Den had to separate the two animals and retreat, with Rags looking anxiously over his shoulder till the cat was well out of range. They crossed the road, and the cat crossed too, ending up sitting on the pavement coolly washing himself.

Also, I hear that Asbo, as a pup, was terrified of the decorated wheelie-bins. Plain green ones were OK, but some people like to customise their wheelie bin with stick-on transfers of clematis plants, or clown faces. Rags gave these a very wide berth.

The bigger they are.....

Deefs

ps - No more of the r*t. Dad blocked up the holes with some square section weld-mesh, and the varmint has not, so far, been back. Megan is watching out for developments. meanwhile we had a squirrel in the Albertine on the back of the house, as an alternative entertainment today