Decorating, bald house and toilet training

I have FINALLY finished painting the kitchen, utility room, toilet and stairs.. 4 full days in all.. Bloody connecting open stairs means you just have to keep going.. GRRR anyway its all done and at last I have been able to put out the new curtains, table runner and seat pads that I made.
The fabric is a source of disharmony in the house but she who makes them gets to choose the fabric me thinks.. and I think it looks jolly.

chickens and ducks :-)

I have also been out doing the Autumn pruning... in between hideous driving Welsh rain.. and the house is bald.. I have found the windows again.. Mr W was pleased as he said we have been living in a hobbit hole all summer.. so I have given it a jolly good hair cut so that next year I can train the growing stuff more.Spent hald a day hanging on the front of the house and 4 car loads of compost later.. Done; 

a lot of composting to take away 

and more

bald house

oooo look windows :-)

And of course there is the Freddie update.. GRRR.. this week I am really trying to hammer home the toilet training.. and it's not too bad but there is still work to do.. Freddie likes to be outside but mainly so that he can pull Winnies fur and be dragged about the meadow.. concentrating on 'wee wee's' is not high on his agenda. I must be honest i forgot how hard this was but every day we inch further forward. 

A tired Freddie after a run around the meadow.. and a bark at some cows (more training needed right there)

I brought in some logs and he was very interested.. 

At this stage one fell on his nose.. 

But not to be deterred

On he went.. I now have splinters of wood everywhere. 

Then it was on to help mammy do some sewing.. He did have hold of  something as it went through the sewing machine so he had to be given this off cut to play with. 

Freddie update

Well day one of Freddie passed by with some small triumphs .. we woke up at 6:00 to a hellish nightmare of 'puppy accidents' everywhere except where we had placed puppy pads.. so I refreshed my brain on puppy toilet training and 2 out of 3 of the day time performances happened outside.. WHOOOP!

It is good that I live where there is no-one nearby because I celebrated a puppy poo in the meadow much like Andy Murray celebrated his Wimbledon win.

Speaking of Win's .. our Winnie is slowly getting used to Freddie.. she is clearly not in love with him but think she is mildly amused in an 'I have an irritating brother' kind of way.

They both had a fabulous run around the meadow yesterday.. Freddie was mainly hanging off her cheeks but she handled it quite well.

Its raining like nobodys business here this week.. the waterfalls are have flowing water on them and the ground is like a bog so no gardening possible.. I am not fair weather but when you start sinking in the garden you know its time to come in.. bit frustrating as lots to do but not to worry it will stop raining in April  :-)

Anyway .. I know you are only interested in the pup not my to do list and so here he is..

this used to be a tiny stream.. it was up to the top of  Freddie's legs 

A proper waterfall..

1st major trip outside

Big sis keeping an eye 

I am so wet 'cause Mam made me have a wee and I took ages.. but I DID IT!!!!

Exhausting.

'halfway up the stairs is the stair where I sit'

Its not my bone but she has gone outside so I will just have a little go

On a non Freddie related note.. check out the BIG EGG.. Bigger than an egg.. Bigger than a kiwi .. poor chicken.. ouch  :-)

Heerrreeee's Freddie ....

Oh my well here he is our new boy.. completely untrained.. completely skippy and completely lovely.

Winnie is being very big sister about the entire scenario believing him to be a complete pain and trying anything to annoy him.. rounding him up, lying on his bed and not letting him on hers, chewing his tail and showing her gnashers.. but give them a few days

It's been a year..

Well its a year today that we moved into our fabulous house and what a year it has been.. one of the best of my life for sure. There have been a million lessons learnt, a million smiles and laughs and a few hundred tears. So many highlights, too many to mention and so few down times (the biggest of course being my lovely boy leaving me).

We have enjoyed time with most of our friends and family at the new pad, I have an improved fitness beyond my wildest dreams, I have a huge sense of happiness, security and well-being and I have never loved Mr W more (but don't tell him.. we have to keep 'em on their toes).

Mr W forgot it had been a year and I was away so i left him a little anniversary card and smugly smiled at my head for dates.. names no chance but dates stick. I am just on my journey home from a fabulous ' we are all turning 40' weekend with my two lovely, oldest (not in age) friends.. where we have been chilling out, watching DVD's, eating too much, having spa treatments and making pottery. I am excited to get home because when I land our new friend Freddie will be there.

Following losing my boy we decided that as a nod to him, rather than getting a pedigree pup we would get another dogs trust pup.. the last one worked out to be 15 years of utter joy so little Freddie has big shoes to fill.

In other news.. I got a job.. I am now the administrator (part time) at a fabulous farm project which offers free holidays to families who have a child with a disability.. they have piglets .. and lovely people.. Perfect - I have been on a training day so far and really enjoyed it .. now I just need my official start date and we are off  :-)

Lolly returned from the vet and so he is now in the house in a place where he is not obvious to anyone but me.. I have chatted non stop to him as I did when he was alive so potentially another sign of madness right there. I miss him dreadfully but all good things must come to an end and I now have to keep and treasure the memories.

I have FINALLY got my finger out to start my RHS garden qualification.. I have been sat on the train doing plant identification sheets.. which is hugely dull beneficial to my education  :-)

And last but not least the big garden put to bed has started.. I have pruned and better pruned, raked, snipped and chopped and that,s only half of one patch.. LOTS TO DO.

Anyway I will get back to identifying plants and sign off by saying.. for those of you who have visited and made us smile, those of you who have supported us with house sitting, those of you who looked interested whilst I talked about gardens, dogs, ducks, eggs, chickens and oils spills, those of you who let me keep working for the best charity in Leeds and those of you who continue to love us and count us as one of yours even thought we are far away from (my) homeland .. THANK YOU!!!

Visit soon... lets make year 2 as fabulous as year 1..

Much love

xxxx

The lovely Lolly Dog

I am beyond sad to write that yesterday McCaully lost his short but bravely fought battle to Lymphoma. 

Following a dreadful night of when my lovely boy lost his ability to stand, was clearly in pain and incredible frustration I had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye. 

He was greatly loved by so many, was truly a part of the whole family and so we are all feeling it but I knew for him it was time to go. He left the earth as he lived upon it with huge dignity, grace and peace. He will be greatly missed and loved forever. 

Sleep tight my beautiful brilliant friend and comfort blanket! I loved every minute of our 15 years.

McCaully Dog

Well we have been back to the vet today and its not good news.. it looks like my best dog friend has cancer.. he has had a little biopsy today, his lymph nodes are swollen so its looking likely but we find out for sure in 5 days.
I think I knew it anyway but even so its awful to hear it.. he has been and still is the very best dog a girl could wish for, loyal, funny, knows when you are sad, gives ace cuddles and over the last 15 of his 16 years we have had the best time of times and the worst of times together.
So the plan is pain relief and antibiotics.. I am not going to put him through chemotherapy he is too old and I am told it can be rough so its lots of love, cuddles, fabulous food and as many treats as I can give and he will take.
As I am a huge dog lover I have had a lot of doggie pressies over the years and scanning one of the books I have I found this.. something to keep in mind.. meanwhile my best dog friend is alive and kicking and tomorrow we will be gardening together as normal.. me running up and down with the mower and him guarding the flask of tea in the sunshine.

The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow frail and weak,

And pain should keep me from my sleep,

Then will you do what must be done,

For this, the last battle, can't be won.

You will be sad I understand,

But don't let grief then stay your hand,

For on this day, more than the rest,

Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,

You wouldn't want me to suffer so.

When the time comes, please, let me go.

Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,

Only, stay with me till the end

And hold me firm and speak to me,

Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree,

It is a kindness you do to me.

Although my tail its last has waved,

From pain and suffering I have been saved.

Don't grieve that it must be you,

Who has to decide this thing to do;

We've been so close,we two, these years,

Don't let your heart hold any tears.

A bat and more from Peaches and Herb

Today we have been to meet with Mr W's big son and the lovely Em.. we went to the Ludlow food festival.. Yum! Son and Em are key to the growth of Mr W's record collection (remember the Dancette) and they brought him about 100 records today.. Mr W is sat beside me polishing them (which is interesting as he does no other cleaning). Anyway putting that to one side and the fact that he is singing each of the records to me (that could be tiresome by 100) what is really cool after saying that Sophie and Blueberry are should have the theme tune of 'reunited' by Peaches and Herb.. look at what we got.. LOVE IT.. I am off to play it to them tomorrow..

Syncronicity right there.. 

So we had a lovely day.. I think at one point I was drunk but that's fun.. and then when we got home our lounge was mega warm so Mr W opened a window and this little chap fell down.. little Mr Bat.. nice :-)