Ffarm Yard

I don't remember this lovely little bridge at all, but doing the circuit in those days it would have been behind me and I doubt I'd have been as interested in my surroundings as I am now! 

The last time I walked this way was probably with Blade and Pepsi. I was looking for somewhere reasonably flat and clean to walk before going to Mum's. When I lived in Tremadog, we called this walk "Rownd Ffarm Yard." (Easily worked out I'm sure.) To do the circuit, you can start or finish going through the nursery, but today I parked at the entrance of the single track road, walked to the railway line and back again. It was a lovely change and I'm sure it won't take me 30 years to go back again!!

Not As We Hoped

There is some sadness here today, this weekend we should have been whelping a litter. Siska is absolutely fine, her hormones seem to have settled, and she's eating normally now. She's still happy to be a couch potato, but was full of fun on her walks. So yeah, just me that's feeling it! 

Beti is just Beti, after the first few weeks of reduced appetite my little explosion of happiness is back to her normal happy self. I really hope she comes in season in four months and manages to bring the other one in with her!

I've Been Playing

I'm really happy with how this has come out of Beti. 

I'll try someone else now I think. 

Bridgeview Jara

Just thought I'd share this photo of Mattie, I can't help but get a little excited. 

Trying To Escape The Wind

Ok so it was sunny, but that wind was powerful and cold. I was going to do one of the Carmel routes but it was still really windy there so I headed further down for Dinas, anyway on route I changed my mind and decided to walk Lon Eifion from Groeslon towards Penygroes. It was still really windy down there, so I went mooching into the woodland on the side of the track and into the "nature field." We were out about the same times as normal but more exploring than marching. Definitely a good place to good in this kid of weather.

Walking On Dog Food Day

Thankfully, mother nature decided to give us a break after a few very rough days. On such a beautiful day, I took the camera with me to get some photos on zoom. The top photo of Ross and Beti is taken without any zoom, so this is where I stood to take it, and the second photo is taken with some zoom from exactly the same spot. I love the quality and clarity. 

With Orin and Siska I found the track I used to follow to go up Cilgwyn Mountain, but the fence is not there. The more I think about it, the more something rings a bell that it was taken down years ago and yeah I knew about it .. but hell I forgot. 

I did have a bit of a meltdown as my sight in the Winter sun was really poor. I continually feel there is something in front of my right eye and I just can't distinguish the shadows from the mud and the dips in the ground. My right eye was also running and a lot of the times my surroundings were blurred. Hell I should be grateful for what I've got, but I guess sometimes we are all allowed to feel sorry for ourselves. Steve is waiting for cataract surgery on one eye and laser treatment on the other, but at least with that he can be "fixed" ... I just have to live with this, and sometimes I feel it is affecting my quality of life! 

Anyway, we didn't go far up the track, that was not my plan for today, but looking back the view towards home was phenomenal. 

After doing two walks Steve and I went to Wynnstay to pick up the 30 bags of food. 24 bags in the van and 6 in the car. I got the last lot of 30 in August, 18 Gold at £15.50 each and 12 Titanium at £20 each. They had gone up and I wish I'd looked back as that was bang on, but my memory didn't serve me well and I ordered 20 gold and 10 titanium at £16.50 and £20.50. Ah well if I have to buy a couple of Titanium at the normal price later on then so be it! Roughly it costs me £24 a week to feed the guys - mind you when you add all the other stuff then it must be nearer £30 a week, and we won't mention Beti's meds! Though of course we'd be financially richer without dogs, our hearts and homes would be empty. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't go out shopping etc .. hell I don't have to explain myself to anyone do I! 

Whilst standing in the car park waiting for the food to be loaded I was totally shocked to see an older man walking an older Spaniel through the car park off the lead. A young man was driving a large truck, slowly through the car park and the dog crossed in front of him. I screamed and he stopped. Had he run over the dog in that large vehicle, even at that speed, I can't imagine the dog would have survived, but it would not have been the driver's fault.  I just can't get over the stupidity of some people, yes he called the dogs name, but he took no notice, where the hell was his lead?

Unloading the van was hard going. 30 x 15kg is knackering, even with the help of "Willy Wheels!" I had to laugh at my Mum who suggested I ask a dog walker or something to come and give me a hand. I did do it in 2 shifts, but I wish we had a bath here now, I'm sure it would help the old bones! LOL I'm not going to Ring Craft tonight, I'm just shattered and with another hospital appointment tomorrow (For Steve) I think a night on the sofa is the best plan of action. I did take both classes at the last session  so I don't feel guilty about missing this one. To be honest at the moment I am seriously considering my future within the club, maybe it's time to stand aside and let fresh, new blood take the reins.  

Some Dogs

Sometimes a dog comes into your life and changes things, either for the better or worse. Whatever it may be, we have to learn to cope, adapt, and manage. Rehoming in some cases is simply irresponsible and that is why Zeus is still here, rehoming him would have made our life so much easier but as he is my responsibility, keeping him safe is paramount.

I guess I've been lucky over the years, there have been very few that have pushed the buttons too far. We all laugh now about Tali and her "Feck off" attitude, but in all honesty, she was never that difficult. I just wasn't used to a dog who did things in her time and not mine. She was a trustworthy girl with a lovely character, she was very confident in her own skin and just not needy. 

I think the most difficult female I've ever had was Jezi. There were times when I would have paid someone to take her away. She didn't particularly like people beyond her family, though to be fair she showed aloofness and not aggression, She was a nasty piece of work when it came to other dogs, particularly bitches. You may recall her absolute hatred of her sister Danni, who was Steve's pride and joy. Both sisters were never meant to stay, but Danni, who was a darling, had to be rehomed as Jezi could well have been a liability in the wrong hands. I tried to show her, her colour was not her fortune, but she was nicely constructed with nice movement, but her unpredicable character outside the ring made it impossible to relax in her company.  Of course, I didn't breed from her either! Managing Jezi wasn't easy, she couldn't be doubled up with any of the other bitches, but then a lovely, lovely dog called Nico joined the Blanik clan and his influence made her a better person and gave her the company she needed. Nico was beautiful dog, a kind soul with an ideal character. 

Well I guess since we are talking about the difficult ones you know where I'm going next. "The Beautiful One" is easily the most difficult, unpredictable male I've ever owned. We manage him, we cope with him, and yeah we love him, but there is no doubt he can be a fecking knob. I think a huge part of the problem is that he's so bright, ridiculously clever, but as I've said numerous times, he has no interest in pleasing anyone but himself. Our ups and downs with him have been well documented and there is no doubt that spending more time with his mother has really improved managing him day to day, but I worry, she's not getting old, she may not know it but Sammi is old. What the hell will I do when the inevitable happens, or she becomes too old to be his buddy as well as his mother? I have tried him with Meerah, on a walk, it's great, but not in the house. He's too OTT with her and, as yet she's not been brave enough to tell him to bog off! 

A lot of the dogs simply become part of the family, all special in their own right, they are generally easy ones, loveable and wonderful, but they don't necessarily stand out from the crowd like some of the others.(for the wrong or right reasons) I guess Siska and Meerah currently fit that category. They don't tend to give me any hassle, I adore them and they are family ... and then there are the ones who shine so brightly, not necessarily the big show winners, but the big personalities, the ones who push themselves to the forefront. Going back to the beginning, of course Blade, then Seffe, Louis, Mikey, Nico, Sammi, Kaiah, Orin and Beti. Coincidently, Nico was Sammi dad, and then you have her, both her kids and her granddaughter. 

Beti came here when I was in a very vulnerable place. The losses of 2022 had been absolutely devastating, but to go on then and lose Kaiah in 2023 almost took me over the edge. Beti helped heal the wounds, she distracted me from the sadness that was engulfing me, maybe that's why I've bonded so much with her. There is no doubt she's a star, bursting with energy and fun, but full of love and affection for me and her human friends. Like her father and grandmother, for me Beti always shines brightly, maybe my vulnerable state in 2023 made our bond deeper, or maybe it's just who she is that fills my heart. On saying that though, not everyone in this house is as impressed with her bubbly nature and exuberance as I am. I think we'll leave it there!

Nothing Happens In Fron

This morning, Sammi and Zeus waited in the van that I had parked by the top of Pen Yr Orsedd quarry. I walked Beti and Meerah cross-country to the Cwm and then headed off towards Castell, with the plan to circle right back through the fields to swap dogs. To get through the main gate before heading down for Castell I put both girls on the retractable leads. Closing the gate I got a sharp tug from Beti's lead .. I called her back, but she didn't come. She'd got the lead caught in the wall, and the more she pulled to get to me the tighter it got! I struggled and struggled to release it, but it was not budging, I consider I may have to cut my losses and leave it there, or call Steve. Then I heard a noise and I looked down the track (In the photo) to see two police cars and a police van coming towards me. Shit, I tied Meerah to the fence and pulled Beti into the edge. As one of the officers came out of her car to open the gate I called out "Can you help me?"  Bless her she came over and between us, we managed to get the lead free. I thanked her, and she left, but there were 6 of them in three vehicles ... what the hell had been going on at Castell??? (I did hear a couple of years ago that the owner had a "trespassers will be stabbed, " on the gate and that there was trouble with people walking the path. Needles to say I never go that far.) 

The second walk was pretty uneventfully really - but despite the wind we did have a lovely time!

With Steve needing to pick up his prescription I walked Orin and Siska down from the village, past the donkey field and he picked me up at the top of Carmel by the bus stop. The only disappointment was that there was not a single donkey in sight!

I hate having 7 dogs, poor Ross was today's billy no mates!

Traitors And Torsion

 I just want to thank Ian, Katrina and Jane for convincing me to watch "Celebrity Traitors"  recently. Having found it gripping I decided to give this recent series a go, surely it couldn't be as good? Well I can honestly say it's one of the best think I've watched. I don't do Strictly, Big Brother or it's like ... but I love I'm a Celebrity ... but Traitors, well it's in a class of its own, grippingly brilliant! 

On a more serious note, a friend's dog recently had a Torsion/GDV (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus) luckily he survived and is doing well. I was lucky, Blade survived, twice, many are not lucky. Anyway I've got a bee in my bonnet about it, people are still calling it "Bloat,"  Torsion and bloat are different and knowing that could be a lifesaver for your dog. Bloat (gastric dilatation) is the swelling of a dog's stomach with gas or food, while torsion/GDV (gastric dilatation-volvulus) is a life-threatening, emergency condition where the bloated stomach twists, cutting off blood supply and trapping gas. Bloat is serious, but GDV is a rapidly fatal, surgical emergency that requires immediate intervention. Bloat can and often does lead to torsion, but being aware of the difference is paramount! 

Symptoms of torsion can not be missed, it's obviously to the owner that something is wrong and Veterinary intervention is required, as GDV can be fatal within a couple of hours. "Symptoms including a visibly swollen/hard abdomen, non-productive retching, excessive drooling, extreme restlessness, and collapse. Other signs include rapid, shallow breathing, pale gums, and a fast heart rate."

Loki had many episodes of bloat, but luckily for us it never progressed to torsion, so his stomach filled with gas, but it did not twist. If he "bloated" we never left him alone and on one occasion I stayed up for hours with him to make sure he was safe overnight. Whilst he was unsettled and distressed, he was not drooling on trying to vomit. He would take a biscuit and we allowed him small drinks. Eventually things settled. All I will say is, I may have been unlucky to observe torsion in Blade and Storm (Who died of complications after surgery) but I was lucky to understand the difference when it came to Loki. If you ever have any doubts then get help, instantly! 

Lovely Walks In Dinas

Beti and Ross

Orin and Siska