<$BlogRSDURL$>

Saga of a woman old enough to know better who lets her life be governed by the ridiculous hobby of breeding and showing dogs, musing on life, the twenty first century, Cameron and his mini-me, and the occasional sheep.
"IN DOG YEARS, I`M DEAD"

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

ONE SWALLOW DOESN`T MAKE A SUMMER?

Well, it`s certainly hot enough for summer. Indeed the last 7 days are probably all the summer we will get. I made the most of them, and so did the dogs, relaxing in the shade.

And to add to the effect, the swallows are back. Yet again I can`t use the workshop. There is a small broken window, and by now the outbuilding will be full of nests. It`s out of bounds until the young are flying, preparing for Africa.

I have one solitary. I can`t quite work out what`s wrong, but it sits alone on the roof or the aerial, and doesn`t go hoovering midges with the others. I suspect there is a wing problem.....or perhaps it is the one swllow that doesn`t make a summer....

One thing is missing from this hot late spring. It used to be that the cotoneasters , which are in flower, would be covered in bees, and you could hear the gentle hum from yards away.

Not this year. No bees.

I have had problems with bees in the past, but I really like them. And I miss having them around.

I hope it isn`t a symptom of the world decline in bee populations.

We really need our bees.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

BUSY, BUSY..... 

A busy time.

Busy for Angel, who has been at two Championship shows and placed at both. People have begun to comment on "the Angel look". When she goes into the ring, she poses, then turns her head and looks at the competition, with an expression of total contempt.

And as you can see, rather busy for her mother, Solitaire.



Two girls and a boy, very full of milk indeed! Just 5 days old in this video.

Friday, May 18, 2012



"I had a good day!"

Xena
RABBIT RUN

We had a day of constant pouring rain (nothing new there, then), and I rushed around getting all the dogs in when the heavens first opened. We settled to a day of rain drumming on the roof and restless dogs, waiting for me to turn the rain off so that they could go outside.


"I had a good day!"

Xena


I had a look out to see if there was any easing of the rain. I stood at the door watching it hissing down. And I saw movement in the field.

A soaked little figure was making her way up, coat plastered to her, tail high.

Xena had got out, and no doubt had been after rabbits. In she came, grinning, with tail wagging, splashing me with rainwater. "I had a good time!"

Xena is 14 now, and I seriously doubt that she could run down even a lazy rabbit. What she can do is lurk at a rabbit burrow, waiting for her prey. (Although I must admit the effect is a little spoiled by her tendency to break into heavy panting with excitement and anticipation.) At least she can still strike terror into a bunny,and maybe that is satisfaction enough.

I got her in, and dried. The tail kept wagging. "That was a good day!"

Many more good days for Xena, I hope.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

NO SHOW 

All packed up and ready for the midnight bus to another show - and I was taken ill, and couldn`t go.  Angel and Fidget, who had been subjected to the ritual baths and know very well that means an outing, were really puzzled.

Poor Angel, who really loves all the attention that shows bring, is not getting out much this year.  One way and another, it has been a quiet time.....well, quiet for me.   Angel does not do quiet.  Angel has a voice, and likes it to be heard.   She is not alone in this.

Since the great rabbit hunting escape, all the Papillons have lived in a state of even more excitement than usual.   Just as well they didn`t meet the large rather solemn bunny who was on the doorstep when I opened the door this morning:  clearly contemplating ritual suicide by dog.  He legged it, and will never know how close he came to being breakfast for the gang.

The two Chin, on the other hand, are quiet and unadventurous.  Shelby is a student of nature, and would have inspected the rabbit closely.   Ella is only interested in sources of ice cream, cake and chicken, and her experience of manipulating humans would have led her to believe that this furry long-eared object would not be producing any of those any time soon

Here are the gang, having some early morning exercise.


  



Angel, as you see, is very keen to get rid of all traces of that show bath as soon as possible......

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?