Just a quick post…

Just had an order for my book from a writer lady I met last year – recommended by a mutual friend.  All these years I’ve known Helen and she talked about Leigh and now we find we met last year when I arranged for Leigh to give a talk at a Scribblers meeting – fate. 

A light covering of frosty snow this morning but the sun is out and it’s melting. 

Holly has been clean in the mornings for over a week now, have had no poos for must be nearly 2 months but she was still using the pee pad but now she seems to know what to do.

But this morning she had torn up the pee pad, no, it’s not symbolic, it’s just playing.  When I came in here I found the brown sheepskin that Small sleeps on, on the bed, on the floor with lots of bits of brown sheepskin pulled off where Holly had tugged at it. 

She likes to have a different toy to play with.  And, anything she can take out of the bathroom, goes outside if the door is open.  So my flannels end up under the trees if I forget to put them up high. 

I can’t say Holly is 100% house trained yet because if she is nervous because people are here or the door is not open then she still does the occasional puddle. 

She now has the confidence to go out in the dark in the evening.  Rescue dogs are often frightened of being shut out, so we always leave the door open and the lights on. 

It was bitterly cold yesterday when I took her out, we’ll go out early afternoon, the scooter should be all right in the snow.

Where has the week gone?

The days have gone by so quickly.  It’s been busy.  It was good to get back to Cardigan on Tuesday for my oxygen therapy, I can’t pretend I’m revitalised because I’ve been  busy with visitors, so I’m tired now.

Jennifer (my friend from schooldays) and Eric came on Thurs afternoon with Jake their Irish Collie.  He’s much bigger than Holly and although his parents were pure I think he’s got Golden Retriever in him.  Luckily he’s been castrated as she’s on heat and at the stage of standing for a man. 

We laughed at them as Jake didn’t seem to know which was the ‘business’ end.  It would not be funny for her to have pups  so I am determined to get her speyed in the spring.  Holly seemed to take to J and E and it did her good to meet another dog who didn’t frighten her. 

We’re having quite reasonable weather, cool but bright so I hope it’s like this for my book  party on the 7th and as my brothers and sister in law will be here as well.  mark and Vivi don’t know if he can get time off yet.

Royal icing

The back lawn, apart from a few tracks looks like a Christmas cake covered in Royal icing. 

We think the tracks are from a hare, there is such a distance between them.  Small and Holly have their own path under the  wall of the house , 18″ for them to run along.  Thank goodness it is thawing fast.  There is still a thick mist that is clearing slowly and the sun is trying to come through.  There is a huge dollop of snow slowly sliding down my windscreen.  John is going up the field to check on the tack sheep. 

The damp air makes it chilly.  It’ll be really good when I can go out again.

We are …

probably the same as everywhere else, snow but sunny today.

John is clearing the drive to try and get out.  He has quite a shopping list if 1. he can get to the main road and 2. the shops have anything left. 

Mark and Vivi are booked to go to Boston, America today.  She is on a work trip with her boss and Mark has paid his air fare and can have a look around whilst they are in their meetings.  There is light snow forecast for their  area for the next four days so they might go and not be able to get home if Heathrow closes. 

I havn’t be out for narly 2 weeks, Hollyis asking for walks but as she is on heat it is just as well she is not going far.  She loves the snow but also loves coming in to the warm.

Snow again…

It used to be rain again but there’s an awful lot of the white stuff out there.  Nothing is moving except tractors.  A neighbour has brought over an 08 bale of silage, it’s good stuff though.  Even with a 4 wheel drive tractor he slipped and slid up the hill, at least the tack sheep have that. 

John has brought his ewes down to the barn, it’ll make it easier for feeding them.  Having to carry buckets of water fom the house.

The bath outlet pipe froze last night and the water was still in the bath this morning but the temp must have gone up a notch as it disappeared an hour ago. 

Well. it sure is not fun for anyone.  Except the children who won’t be  able to get to school.   John says he’ll go into town on the quad if he has to, which I think he will. 

There’ll be no post.  Gina from the oxygen centre rang yesterday to see if I was going today. There’s even less chance today.  I really want to go next week though.  John’ll have to take me.

I ought to get down to some letters and emails but I don’t feel brilliant, have a bit of a cold. 

We’ve got plenty of food in the feezer, we had duck breast last night, I made an orange and port sauce that turned out to be delicious.

Update

We have snow here, 2 – 3 ” of it, melting in the sun but such a nuisance.  I thought the weather was going to be good for the party tomorrow but now, not everyone will be able to come.

For those who can walk or drive it will still be on, I’ll just keep open house .  Holly and Small love the snow, Small was out in the moonlight last night, jumping and frisking around in the snow – what it is to be young and carefree!

Taking it easy today..

Got a bit overtired last night so am just catching up on jobs.  Have done a lot of cooking so we’re eating left overs.

Altho the lane is clear of ice along here, down by the bridge it  was still sheet ice with rain on top yesterday, even the scooter which has been excellent in the snow, could have slid a little if I wasn” such a brilliant driver.

Sunshine, windy, showery here, supposed to be -1 tonight.

Just hope and pray that the weather is good for my brothers coming on Sat and the party on Sun.

Plans

are changed.  I got it a bit wrong last night. Mark,  Paul and Jules have taken the Sierra and are driving down to Gibraltar and then over to Morocco to join others from Plymouth/Banjul to a drive round the Atlas mountains.

They are going to ship the clinic lory from Tilbury to Freetown in February and then fly out to to Freetown  and put the enine in the other lorry and anything else that needs doing and Vivi will go out there for a week as well.  So a compromise that hopefully suits all. 

V Cold here but now snow yet.  Waiting for John who has gone shopping .  I need to take Holly out. I don’t like coming up the lane when the sun is v low, it’s dangerous, so bright, drivers can’t see you.

The trip to Africa is on…

I’ve just been on Twitter and seen that Eurotunnel  is booked for 9.00 am tomorow morning, Friday and they are going to Morocco, so presumably are going to ship the clinic lorry from there.  I truly hope they are not going to try and drive down to Sierra Leone. 

I’ve been out to lunch today and then went to Matalans.  I even bought Mark and Vivi a special ’son and daughter in law’ Christmas card as I thought they would be there, well Vivi will have it when she gets back.  Perhaps all the Christmas plans are changed, we shall be flexible and see what happens. 

I just hope they all come back safely and well.

Southwell’s

I’ve put up the title as the photo.  I want to put some info on but I think I need Vivi to help me.