The Others Out

We heard there were no treats?

Zeus, Sammi, Meerah

Awwww you've refilled your pockets! 

Ross and Beti

Well Done Blanik Bus

 I'm over the moon, if a little shocked, Blanik Bus has passed her MOT. I'd been dreading it, but I do love this van and unless I win the lotto I hope to get a couple more years out of her yet! Whilst the van was in the garage I went for a walk with Orin and Siska, and since they were running 30 mins late it was a longer walk than I expected, but we really did enjoy ourselves. 

Setting off from below Pant Du Vineyard again, I turned off before going over the bridge and followed the footpath along the river. We'd attempted this walk with Ross and Beti last month, but they were both too obsessed with the river and Beti pulled me down the 3ft bank. I've no idea how I came away with no injuries, but I won't be taking Beti and Ross on this section of the walk again. 

Having followed the river as far as I could, I went back up towards Penygroes, I knew there was a kissing gate somewhere, but would I be able to find it? The last time I was here was with Pat Scouse and my dogs, Blade, Nikki & Co, now that is a very long time ago ... probably the late 90ies! Anyway, we found it quite easily and walked towards the football field, turning left to get back onto the footpath. 

Through the next mystery gate, I really wondered where the footpath was. Orin headed right and Siska left, so I decided to go with him. Wrong decision! I ended up back down by the river with nowhere to go. We backtracked and found Siska's track, yes that led to another gate ... OMG I knew where I was .. I knew where I'd come out ... but as I got closer to the gate I could see someone had thrown old pallets in front of it. Nervous of nails/screws etc with my dogs feet I turned round and went back, but when I've got company I will be going again and re-opening the footpath. They have no right to block off these footpaths and now I've found it, I will be walking it! (Anyone fancy coming with me???) 

With plenty of time on my hands, I didn't mind going back the way I came. All I had to do was tell Steve to pick me up in Talysarn, not Penygroes. 

So even more photos on the way back, (They are all on Facebook) I couldn't help myself as it was so beautiful there. I did get into trouble though, I ran out of treats and was unable to pay for the last couple of photos, I'm now in  "treat dept"  and someone was not amused!LOL 

Enemies, Friends And Dogs

 Whilst walking today, some friends from the past came into my thoughts. Jill, I worked wither her for a fair few years at The Ozanam Centre, we both left around the same time, she went to Tesco and I went to Freshfields. Over the years I've looked for her, and asked about her, but she seems to have totally vanished. She used to live in Groeslon, on what was then the main road between Groeslon and Penygroes, she was divorced with grown up kids and a couple of dogs. She was my kitchen assistant on the breakfast shift, I recall she was a lot older than me, so in her 50ies then ... I'd love to know if she's OK, but no one seems to know. Then I thought of Audrey, is it wrong of me to presume that she has died? Her husband died in 2019 ... the house can be found on an online estate agent's list, but no sign of Audrey, I've even checked the deaths on The Daily Post online, nothing, but Alec isn't there either. Audrey was quite a force of nature, always right, even when she was so obviously wrong! LOL (She insisted Krizzie was sable! LOL)

Then the other one broke into my thought, she is uninvited but somehow makes her way there every single day. How crazy that a 57-year-old woman can feel like a school girl, I was scared of taking my mother's car to the garage for her the other day, scared in case we came face to face, thankfully we didn't. I hate confrontation, I hate the way she has made me feel, I wish I could shake her, I wish I could never think about her again. It's not voluntary, like I said I could be doing something as basic as washing up .. and there she is in my head again. Actually it's quite damaging, when I'm at my lowest I even think of her then... as in she'll be pleased that I'm failing! I've always tried to get on with everyone, to know I'm hated is bad enough, but to be hated for something I didn't do, well that is kind of crippling! 

Anyway with a man sitting on a rock on the hill watching me I continued on my walk. My knee has been awful the last two days, so I turned back from the narrow track to find something flatter. Meerah and Sammi were off the lead the whole time, I have to say Meerah is amazing, so well-behaved for one so young, and with a super recall, equal to her granny Kaiah. Of course, Sammi is well-behaved, but somehow that is expected of her now. I feel sorry for Zeus, especially in the lake. He wants to run with Meerah, but there is no way I can let him off the lead, if only we could have a chat eh! Looking at it another way, at least he's there and getting time out with the girls. 

Of course Zeus' lead has been photoshopped out of this photo, but it does show that he can go quite a distance. I played a little with the settings on the phone and liked the photos I got on the portrait setting. I love it when people get photos on angles, I tried that too, (Second photo down) funny how mine looks naff!!!

Fun In Cwm Dulyn

 

Owen And Meerah

Meerah is still loving it at club, and her and Owen are doing well together. The video will hopefully show him that he needs to stretch her more and notice her coat on her croup. He moved her beautifully. 

 

Carmel Today

 A lovely walk in Carmel with Ross and Beti this morning. The fields have been cut, but it was very wet, no problem for me in my wellies, and these two were predictably over the moon.  

What Do They See?

I stole this off Louis Donald's page, I found it very interesting, especially as I was told to wear bright yellow with Tali as her sight deteriorated in old age. She had nuclear sclerosis, which was described to me by the ophthalmologist as looking through frosted glass. It caused her very little difficulty, but she did struggle in poorly lit areas. So yellow is really the only colour that doesn't change much between human and dogs sight, just as I was thinking of throwing out my tatty yellow coats! Blue also looks a good colour to wear around dogs, but who would have known Ross' orange kong is yellow to him?

Critiques

There has been a lot of "chat" about critiques recently so here's my opinion, nothing is of greater value to exhibitors than a detailed, balanced, informative critique from a knowledgeable judge, but nothing is more invaluable than pointless waffle, in that case it makes you question the ability of the person writing the critique. 

For a critique to be meaningful requires a format and training, and that exists within the RKC for those who are interested. A critique requires balance, no dog is perfect, no dog is without fault, and every dog has its virtues. I personally think you should start with the head and work your way through the anatomy of the dog, finishing with character (which must be faultless in an adult) and your observations on his movement. 

A critique should be professionally written, choosing terms and phrases that best describe the dog, you are not writing a story or a text to your friend, this is an item that will be published as a representative of your opinion of the animal. If you have the know how to judge, but not to put your findings into the written word, then use charts and seek help ... we are not all academics, there is no shame in asking for help. 

Critiques are important to exhibitors, and verbal critiques when you see what the judge is seeing are educational for all, but these are only accepted at breed events. Written critiques which are published all over the dog scene should be mandatory and should be an informative, impartial, detailed description of the dog shown on the day. In my opinion, judges who fail to submit critiques should be taken to task by the RKC, entries are expensive and we get very little out of it, sometimes only a card ... Again, in my opinion, judges who are repeat offenders of not submitting critiques should be removed from their privileged positions! 

Almost Lamb For Dinner

Well, it was almost a disaster today. The dogs were all exercised this morning, and I came across wool on the barbed wire on the fencing to the track. This we'd had done professionally just a few years ago and it's kept the sheep and cattle out since then ... but not this little shit, she just jumps it! So this afternoon I decided to go out and try and do something about it, assistance was not on offer, but I was determined to try one section on my own. Anyway with my troops in tow I set off to give it a whizz, the next thing Beti and Meerah shot off across the field, "FECKING SHEEEEP!" It went flying over the wall in the bottom corner and my girls came back ... Ross was hiding behind me saying "Omg she's going to shout!" I didn't shout, this is our field, no I don't want this, the last thing I want is for my dogs to chase sheep but the fecking thing shouldn't be in their field and I have asked the farmer for help! Anyway, the girls came back, so how could I shout at them?

I've only done a small section, just from the wall to the corner, we'll have to get wire to do the longest stretch. Steve says the plastic posts will break in the wind, well maybe he can come up with something better, and it definitely needs his strength to tighten the wire ... hell I've tried!!! 

Happy To Wait Now

Siska is now in full bloom, though strangely, still the odd tuft coming out. To get us past the possibility of a Xmas/New Year birth I'm hoping she doesn't come into season till the end of the month now, I certainly hope she'll be at least another two weeks. To be honest, I've seen nothing since that day about a month ago when O took some notice of her wee. Beti and Meerah are both due in season in December, Beti the first week and Mwnci a week or so after her. Doubtful, but not impossible, if Siska is still stalling then no doubt that would bring her in. It's 7 months this week since her last season, but as we know she usually goes an average of 7.5 - 8 months between seasons, though she has also gone 6 months and 9 months.