Afternoon Tea

Following field walks this morning, Beti and Ross had a lovely afternoon out. First a short walk with a paddle in the stream, and then birthday cake and playtime at Carrie's. They enjoyed themselves so much, as did we all.  

Unfortunately, it was my turn to have a fall, my eyesight letting me down again! (I miss judge things) So now the aches and pains that I had before are much worse, ah well as I said about Steve - Nothing broken!

A Lovely Walk

A nice, mostly relaxing walk on the Lon Goed in Chwilog. I think this must be the busiest stretch we've walked of this track. We pasted three dog walkers with 4 dogs and I swear not a lead between them. The first lady had a collie, we moved ours into the bushes for her to get passed, and yeah the girls were barking which was naughty, but she couldn't get the collie passed and had to turn round ... now if she had a lead ..... she asked if we wouldn't mind giving her some time to walk a distance ahead as the dog would be spooked with us behind, in my head I asked again, "where is your lead??" The second lady had no dog and exchanged pleasantries as she walked past. The third lady was running with 2 collies. Again, on leads we moved ours to the side, she had to half carry hers past on their harnesses ... the next walker, a man with a black Lab had full control of his dog and simply walked past .. but again no lead. As well-behaved as it was, "the what if " always comes to mind!

Linda says I have to say that Zeus was very well-behaved, not a word from him. I agree, Meerah was "loud" as is her nature and Sammi, she's always an angel! LOL 👼🙈🙉🙊

Happy F*cking Xmas

Yesterday we had a bit of time of it with dear Zeus. Somehow he got out from the front garden, but not into the field, he got out onto the mountain. On seeing he was missing, I put Sammi into the van and drove down to the village. Frank and Linda got into the car and drove up hill where they found him by Plas Braich. Frank phoned me and I came back up, by then he had legged it down the track and gone left then down towards Fron Ffarm. I can't say I parked the van, I abandoned it in the middle of the road and got Sammi out. I called him and played with her, giving her treats, but he didn't come close enough for me to get hold of him. I walked back towards the van to get my phone hoping that "Photo - Wait" may work, how naive was I! He then bolted past me towards Frank's car, but then took a turn in the opposite direction. Leaving my van in the middle of the road, keys in the ignition, I stated to walk up the track with Sammi. Eventually he decided to follow me, walking at quite a distance behind. Steve was by the wall and Dave (neighbour) was also out. I told them both to blank him and asked them to let me know if he stopped following me. Without looking back I went into the property and then the house. I decided to come out with Meerah, by then he was at the front of the caravan, so I legged it up and closed the top gate. Part one was complete! 

Part two was not going to be fun and I think it took about 40 mins before we managed to contain him, he still had 2 acres of freedom and was not coming in easily. Courtesy of the sheep, the field fencing is now unsafe, and I was so afraid he'd get out again. Unfortunately, Steve fell in the middle of the field, but he told me to concentrate on trying to get "his dog" safe. To be honest I couldn't get near Steve anyway as Meerah though it was hilarious that he was laying on his back in the field! We must have walked miles from one side of the field to the other, trying all the tricks of the trade, but he would not come near me. In the heat Sammi was beginning to flag, and she became my priority, so I bought her and Meerah into the house and went out with fresh legs ... Beti! Zeus ran up to Beti and started to play, but I think he was flagging now too. I took Beti into the yard, he didn't follow, I let her lose in the top field, he stood and watched, and then for some reason he turned tail and went into the caravan garden. I screamed, "Close the fecking gate ... and happy fecking Xmas, he's your problem now!" I put Beti back in the house, but unfortunately my Xmas pressie was rejected and I had to go and get him. He was laying under a tree in the corner of the garden, as I approached him he thought about running, but again I screamed "You fecking wait!" He did, I could have battered him, but what was the point? I marched him home, shoved him in the bedroom and closed the door. 

What is wrong with the dog? Why is he so different to every other GSD I've come across? Why has he no willingness to please anyone but himself? It really is not a normal breed characteristic to not want to be with their "pack." Was this dog made or bred? Nature or nurture? Or maybe a bit of both? I've said it before, if he'd been my first GSD, I would NEVER have had another, it's a bloody good thing I know he is a very rare exception to the rule.

Anyway, back to yesterday, I think the four of us were exhausted, and Steve, who did eventually manage to get to his feet by himself, was battered bruised and sore, but not broken. Frank got the van home for me, and I collapsed in a heap to consider my options. How the hell could I ever trust this dog loose in the garden again? How am I going to work things now? He's fecked it up for everyone, but more so for himself, and of course the most important question, how did he get out? Yesterday evening I went round the outside of the garden and found no holes, no gaps, in some places I even had to go on my hands and knees around the edges but I found nothing from the garden onto the boncan. (I even had bits of garden in my underwear!) From where he was found it did seem that Zeus had got out of the garden at the gable end as he'd got out of the garden and onto the mountain not into our fields. We can only think that he jumped the first fence, maybe after a cat and found that the chain link fencing on the gable end had broken ... and no it's not our chair, ours are still in the garden! Steve and I have done our best to make it safe, but as yet I haven't been brave enough to put him outside there unsupervised. I can only be thankful that there were no sheep in the adjoining fields or on the common land, no walkers and no huge lorry coming down from the quarry ... otherwise the outcome could well have been disastrous!  

That's Better

Cooler, but breezy, far better for this woman and her dogs!

Siska's Coat

Bitches chuck their coat 4 months after their season, Siska came in season in early to mid-March, so here we are almost Mid-July, and with Leeds Champ show in less than 2 weeks, today she has tufts on her back legs. If only predicting the impending season was as easy. If Siska timing is going to be predictable, it will be late October to Mid-November as she always went just over 7.5 months, but of course her last 2 seasons have been out of time, going 6 months then 9 months. So she does seem to have a cycle of 15 months for 2 seasons, I really hope she holds out now till the middle of October ... but I'll be watching Orin from September onwards. 

Have I decided on a stud? No, I still have Wally, Vesco and Benzes in the running. I have had someone in my ear about Wally and his breeding, all very positive, and someone in my ear about the fact that someone else, who has been very kind to me, has lost his lines to Sisco ... reminding me that Vesco had originally come into the country to compliment those lines. Benzes is so far away, but I honestly shouldn't let that deter me if he is the right dog, I'm sure I'd find someone to help me. Of course with time on my hands, something else could catch my eye too. So no decisions made!

James Blunt - Monsters (Live on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky)

A very emotional live performance of the song that I will now always associate with the last few months of my father life. 

In The Garden

"The Lovelies" Siska and Orin - Funny I haven't got another group name now, though Kaiah, Loki and Ross were "The Young Guns." Both names of course having a George Michael connection. He used to call hi fan club members "The Lovelies" or "My Lovelies" on Twitter and at Concerts. Young Guns? Well you must know! 

Beti, Ross and Meerah

Mother and son, Sammi and Zeus. Zeus displaying the classic hairy GSD front, pasterns and feet. 

Memory.

 It's three years today since we lost my father. No one beyond the immediate family seems to remember do they, and seriously why would they? It's our grief, our loss, or pain. I often wonder what he would think of the way my Mum is behaving now? I do think he'd be quite surprised to see her playing us off each other, but thankfully most of us see what's going on. Though I don't think I can forgive her just yet for telling my brother she had no food in the house when that morning I'd been to Aldi and all she'd wanted was a tin of rice pudding! We laugh or cry I guess. As I've said, if I could split myself in two, I would ... but I can't!

Did you sleep last night? I didn't, I was out in the yard in nothing but a T.shirt around 2am, just TOOOO HOT! Poor Zeus was panting away, but he opted to stay in, well those cows could have been about. 

It was lovely in the garden in the evening, I spent a little bit of time with everyone there, only one was badly behaved, well maybe not badly behaved just mischievous, my brown clown was full of it. (Ross) Think it should be a more sensible temperature tomorrow, hopefully I can at least get these guys out somewhere. 

"Beti - Get Out Of That Sun!"

I don't know how many times I've had to call her in today! It's about 30 degrees here and the rest of us are hiding indoors. We have had dogs who love the heat before, Krizzie comes to mind, sunbathing in the Summer and camped in front of the fire in the Winter. Of course, Beti is not shut out and she's making choices, coming and going into the shade as she pleases, but on the hottest day of the year I do wish she'd stay out of the sun.

When the dogs are coming in at night, one of their large sprats is in everyone's bed ready for them. It's part of bedtime training as much as anything else, everyone learns from puppyhood to go straight to their own bed. Recently, I seemed regularly to be forgetting to put Orin's fish in his crate. I was quite confused as to how often I seem to have forgotten ... but then I saw what was happening. Beautiful Beti was coming in, grabbing Orin's fish on her way past and taking it in to her own crate to eat. So little miss has been having 2 fish at bedtime on a regular basis. Clever little cow. 

Talking of cows, Zeus is still refusing to go into the yard at night if they are about. I've no idea why he has such an issue with them, an issue that seems worse in fading lights. No one else here bats an eyelid, but if he won't go out, I know they are about. To be fair, he will go out if one of us goes with him, we even played ball at 10.30pm last night with "her" for company. 

I'm missing my walks, but missing a walk won't kill the dogs, whereas walking in this possess serious health risks to them and me. For those of you who love it, enjoy it! 

Perry At Bedtime

It was hard to pick the best bedtime photo last night, so I may as well share all three of Perry watching his world. 

30 Years Here

This morning I lay in bed thinking, well it was too hot to sleep. 30 years on and I still get excited about this beautiful palace that I'm lucky to call home. Last night there was a full moon and I stayed out waiting to see it. I had hoped to see it come over the Nantlle Ridge again as I had done the previous night, but with animals going in and out I missed it. It was lovely to be outside 10.30 - 11pm. The bats were busy, flying just over my head and the cats seemed to be having a social get-together before going their separate ways. Apart from the odd cow it was pretty silent out there and I honestly felt really blessed.

Back to this morning, the dogs had all been fed and been out and as Steve snored I sat on my bed with a cuppa looking through Facebook and reading "instructions" from my brother of what to say when I take my Mum to the doctors, I guess suggestions is a better word! LOL Mum has now got the Attendance Allowance, so will be able to pay someone to go in once a week to help with cleaning and shopping. This is not means tested so no poking noses into what she has and hasn't got, but at just over £70 a week it will be a huge benefit to her and to us knowing she can pay a third person to help out. We've already sorted out someone to go in for the cleaning/shopping and found a window cleaner for her ... so that's a start.

I'm still sat on the bed thinking, 30 years in this cottage, more than half of my life. Every Blanik litter born here and every dog I've ever owned has lived part of their life here. I moved in with Blade, Pepsi, Nikki, Don's dogs Sultan, Captain and Robbie, and my cats Lux and Jasmine and Don's cat Boots. (Oh and Don of course)  Happy times they were not ... but I fell in love with my home on the hill. 

In 1996 the "A" litter were born, Seffe and Dexi were mine and Rocky came back at 6 months old. By then Don, taking Robbie with him had gone, I'd taken Boots to my place of work, (to live with the boss of the Ozanam Centre) Captain had been re-homed and Sultan moved into the house. I remember meeting Carrie and Glyn in the July at The North Wales Show, and Frank and Linda in the September of the same year. Carrie had her precious puppy GSD Yanto, and Frank and Linda took Rocky into their homes and hearts. Friendships that began back then, and we are all still close 30 years later, well 29 years LOL.

Yes still sitting on my bed, yes Steve still snoring, I think of Blade and Lux, I think of meeting Steve in 1997 and his reluctance to come in past 4 GSD at the gate and how within months he adored them and how he's been my backbone, my everything. 

So today I'm getting my head together, positive thoughts Rhian. Let's try and look to the future, let's be grateful for what we have and plan ahead for Blanik. Crossing everything for our "N" litter and another Orin baby in due course. 

https://talistails.blogspot.com/2015/06/pen-y-cae.html    -  click on the link and have a read ... 

Morning Run

Sammi And Friends

Too hot for walks today, and only getting hotter over the next few days. Anyway, a couple of morning circuits around the fields for everyone. 

Sammi's Siblings.

With the owner's permission, I thought I'd share these videos of Sammi's siblings. Long Coat Stella (little Ivy) on the beach, and Cal (Noel) in the woods. Both seem to have slowed down more than Sammi, but they are obviously still loving life. 

2 x 2 At Carmel

Beti and Ross in the top two photos and Orin and Siska in the bottom two photos. Apart from the gorse,  an ideal place to park and a lovely cross-country walk to the stream, ideal for the dogs, but having the wrong clothes on did mean I was so hot that I felt sick by the end of the second walk. The cloud that had been covering the sun parted and I really didn't need my tracksuit bottoms and over-shirt ...   

There was a lot of Himalayan balsam everywhere, but as pretty as it is I know it's very invasive, I did also see Japanese knotweed, but there seems to be a lot less of that now.

Meerah had been up to no good whilst I was out, it seems that as soon as I turn my back she's up to mischief. Last night whilst I was in the shower she took the bag of the new mini blaster outside and shredded it. She's so good when I'm around, but she is taking the piss when Steve's on duty!!!

Blow Dry

 

Meerah is starting to accept the blaster, though she doesn't love it like granny Sammi. It is good for getting out dead hair and dust, but not ideal for taking to shows. Well, look what I found, or I should say, what Bethan found and told me about ... 

Well OK the air is cold, but it's powerful and just what I need to finish the grooming job at a show, especially when someone's not in full coat. I'll need to remember to charge it now before a show, but it also does plug in to the cigarette lighter - very handy!

Siska's Curl

Just thought you'd like to see it ... lol 

We Three And Me

A lovely walk with the team of three today. Beautiful and quite on the Lon Goed, though we did take a slight detour into some over grown land. Not sure we were suppose to be there, on the other hand, it wasn't fenced off, so live stock couldn't, well shouldn't be there. I think tomorrow I'll come back but walk towards Afonwen and not towards Bryncir as I did today. I'm trying to think of places to walk where I can leave two in the van, where they will be safe and cool, and where they won't see anything to set them off barking. I do have a few ideas!

Facebook Copy And Paste

 As you know, I love social media, well Facebook. It is what we make of it. There are numerous breed pages, some run by numpties and some really educational pages run by experienced breed people. There is a wonderful George Michael community ... to be honest if you have the intelligence to work through useless information then you can find out most things you need on there, from medical help (The brain injuries survivors group was/is amazing) to dog shows to cat videos. Steve loves the gardening and Everton page. Anyway, I mostly use my page for my dogs, I keep albums of photos from walks and shows, far more than I could ever post on my blog and I only post what I know/hope is safe. We must be aware there is no such thing as a "Private Message", screenshots are so easy to spread around, only write what you don't mind the world knowing, even Welsh messages can be Google translated and shared. It is never my intension to put anything on my page to offend/hurt anyone, and I'm quick to apologise if I'm wrong, but it is my page and if I'm comfortable with what I write, then it is my right to share my thoughts and words. 

Anyway I've digressed, one thing I don't tend to do is join the games, or the copy and paste to your page brigade .. but sometimes, well, sometimes even I have too. This post was just too nice not to share!  

THE DREAM THAT MANY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND: 

My dogs are a personal dream. One day, when I'm very old and can't walk anymore, that will be in my heart, the trophy of my memories. Every time I'm with my dogs, I'm alive, I'm happy, I just think how great they are. I stopped explaining myself to those who don’t understand and I learned to communicate with others who share the same mindset. I meet great people that I now call friends from all over the world thanks to my dogs. I've spent money I didn't have and gave up a lot of things but all these things aren't even worth a special moment with my dogs. They are not just a pet or something I own, they are the lost part of my soul and my spirit, they are a part of me. And when someone says it's just a dog... I’m shaking my head and laughing. A dog..... Only the person who loves him understands. Wish my friends and all their dogs good karma.. And the adventure continues. 

Not Forgetting

A run in the field for Meerah, Sammi, and Zeus. Let's hope I can get the three of these out somewhere tomorrow, if this forecast heatwave does come, then there will be no decent walk again! 

Double Walks

I had a brain wave, (be nice!) I'll double up on walks, 2 x 2 is easy. There was not a word between Orin and Ross in the van, but of course that was not the case with the girls who swore at each other a fair few times!!!! I decided to park in the middle of nowhere and do the circuit around Dinas, twice. Parking was easy and I opted to take Beti and Ross first, as I thought that way it would be quieter all round, but the best laid plans eh! 

Beti knew that was the way, but sorry kid, not today! We turned round and went back towards the van. Being it was a single track road I decide to just do some roadwork, but no sooner had I set off than I saw another footpath sign. So over the stile we went, and I could see a kissing gate in the distance. I went through the gate and managed to work my way around the fallen tree and on to the bridge, but that was as far as we got, from then on the track was completely overgrown - We'll come back in late Autumn! 

Unlike Ross and Beti, Orin and Siska had never been here, the photo shows the absolute delight on Orin's face. A new place, and no lead. Unlike Siska, who doesn't care about the lead, Orin loves his freedom. Of course we had to turn back again, but then we walked down the single track lane passed the Telynau horse stud. 

I still hate these bloody flexi leads, but as I've said before there is a time and a place for them, and this was the ideal situation to use them. A nice quiet road, but always the risk of the odd car! I guess Siska only got Orin and I tangled a couple of times!!!!!

Walking back to the van ... under the Caernarfon - Pwllheli road.

Three Counties Critique

 Funny how all these critiques come at once! The judge told my handler on the day that the curl in the coat on Siska's croup is what lost Siska the class - to me, it's a slight wave, but there you go. With only hair-splitting them, and the class winner getting the CC, I still don't understand why she didn't call Siska in to at least challenge for the reserve. Ah well!!

2nd STANLEY, Blanik Liszka, 5 year old female, shown in full coat and good turnout. She is correct infront and behind, good feet, ear set and strong pasterns. She moved gracefully around the ring holding her topline on the go. For me she is a tad deep, but she is a maturer female, so we would expect to see this. The slight curl over the croup is what deterred my eye and position this female 2nd on the day.

Bath May 2024

 OMG, Look what I've just found ... it wasn't published till January of this year, by then I'd stopped looking for it! 

1ST Pinchmill Adira of Blanik (Mrs R Stanley) - 9 mth old, lovely young bitch, lovely head, good skull, just needs to widen a touch which I am sure she will do with age, well set ears, nice eye shape and expression, good width on front, which carried through her body, holding a good top line, good tail set, nice rear with good turn of stifle, moved well, pleased to award Best Puppy.