Rules Of The House

Travelling down to Tremadog today, as usually Beti started to winge as we got to Penmorfa ... we are nearly there and she knows it! "Be quiet Beti!" We ask so much of them don't we, she is mearly excited because she knows where we are. Don't bark, yet it is their voice, don't winge though she's only expressing her exciment. I then started thinking more about the rules of most houses. Don't growl, though it's your only way of telling us your unhappy. Lie down, even though you are not tired, don't scratch, even though you have an itch! Eat your food, even though your not hungry. Don't jump, even though your desperately full of love and want to show it. 

Out walking, don't pull on the lead, even though your natural pace is faster than mine. Don't eat the grass, even though it's good for you. Don't lick and sniff the pee, even though it's your social media. Don't roll in fox poo and don't eat the sheep poo, even though it's in your ancestarol nature to do so. Don't lie in the ditch or run through the mud, even though it's the best fun you can have. Don't chase the cat even though your prey drive is high. Come back to me, even though your busy. 

The list is endless, but just think about it, most of the time, most of them go againt nature and bend over backwards just to please us! 

A Muddy Walk And Show Wins

I arrived in Tremadog at 9.45am this morning to see my mother's curtains closed and the door locked. My stomach churned, of course I hadn't taken my key, obviously, I should have done! Anyway, I rang her and she answered, "Where are you mum?" "Well yes, where am I? Just getting dressed!" She'd been to the loo at around 7am and gone back to bed and woken up at 9.40am. Well does it matter? Not to you or I, but "What will the neighbours think with my curtains being closed at this time?"  Anyway I told her not to rush and I'd walk the girls first! 

From home we used to walk along "lein fach" (Small lane) the mile or so to school in Porthmadog. Just this week, there had been a post on Facebook about the path and the area in the centre called Coed John. (John's Woods) I asked about the path that went behind Pensyflog Farm and came out on lon Penamser in Porthmadog. As children, we were never allowed to walk it as it crossed the railway line and to be honest until recently I'd forgotten about it! So today, for the first time ever, I was going to walk it. The path took me across a couple of fields, they were soggy but with no livestock they were lovely to cross. I saw the white Egret, sadly he was too far for a photo, but I loved seeing him. It was all turning into a very pleasant walk, until I got to the railway line!

So now faced with a stile and no other way to continue I tried my best to get us all over. I struggled with Beti .. but she got there, Meerah was harder, but with some pulling and tugging she got there too, I crossed the railway line, oh great another stile. Again another struggle with Beti, but Meerah decided she was not doing it and started to scream .. well she was now between two stiles and no other options, somehow I managed to heave her over. We all landed in mud, hell it didn't matter I had my wellies on! 

There were two choice, go straight on or left, I went straight on, but it was very disappointing when he hit the busy main road in 2 mins, so we went back onto the other path, now that was better and we walked behind the industrial park in Porthmadog, I knew exactly where I was, but I'd never been there before. The path was lovely, a little muddy but with great fencing either side. The futher we continued, the more litter there was on the path, I was also aware of the time, so we turned back .. OMG those stiles. Again I had the greatest difficult getting the girls over the first, pulling, pushing and almost lifting, one down, one to go. The last stile, I went over, the same scenario getting Beti over, I turned to get Meerah, Oh clever Meerah, front up and over, but back legs stuck! As I tried to help her Beti barked and bounced about .. I could almost hear her laughing, knowing her as I do, she was laughing! Both over, good girls! It was only then I consider the state I was in, I was covered in mud, and I mean covered. My coat was open, so my coat and jumper was covered, and my trousers, OMG, had I ever been this covered in mud in all my adult life? Well yeah at that regional show last February maybe? Even my glasses had spots of mud on them, but my hands were too dirty to even consider trying to clean them! 

When I arrived back at mum's I put the girls straight in the van. Mum was putting her washing out and before she could say anything I said .. "I know I'm covered in mud!" Her face was a picture, but she said "I know where you've been, I told you not to go that way!" Well yes, I guess she did in 1980 something! Thankfully, I had a clean jacket and tracksuit bottoms in the van, and I always take my Skechers with me to change into in the house! I was so pleased .. as even I would have been too embarrassed to go into Aldi looking as I did!!!!!!

I enjoyed the walk. Would I go back? Well, yeah, but I wouldn't cross that railway line again unless I had dogs who knew what to do with a stile.

When we got back one of mum's friends arrived. As mum is part of the Beti fan club, her friend knew all about her. She asked, "So how much money do you win at these shows?" OMG I wish. Putting on my most intellectual voice I explained "that trophies, rosettes and prize cards were among the prizes available, but really it was more about the accolades and the  acknowledgment of our dogs qualities  than the physical awards." To be honest recently we binned bags of rosettes from over the years and there are boxes of broken and old trophies rusting away in the sheds. My prize cards take less spaces, so they are all in a folder. I don't wish to sound ungrateful but I've got to the stage where for instance, a rosette for 4th out of 6 means very little to me ... a respected judge's critique means more!   Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have the trophys and the "special" rosettes, but I think having a photo of my dogs with these wins will give me far more memories to treasure and I really wish I'd thought of doing it years ago! 

The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again (Official Lyric Video)

With the humour that's intended, this is now Meerah's song. She is the most "barky" dog here, and she's always up to no good, so quite by accident I told Steve .. "Bigmouth Strikes Again,"  and then I couldn't get the song out of my head. So yeah ... now she has a theme tune too! 

Tremadog - Porthmadog

A walk I'll never forget with Beti and Meerah. 

First Season Post

Just as an advanced warning for the prudes amongst us, over the next few weeks there will be a lot of talk of fannies, bloods, and matings. These bits of information are things I may need for future reference. It's the world I live in with these dogs, nothing to hide away from, it's the nature of the beast, so to speak!

So, we begin and for my notes ... there has been very little blood yesterday and today, and she's not swollen yet. I'll check her daily now for progress, and of course I'll take Orin's advice. I won't ring the vet to make an appointment till mid-week, it's likely it'll be for the 15th or the 17th, depending on what she does over the next few days. 

Beautiful Lon Goed

Ross and Beti

 

Orin and Siska

Confession

I've just cancelled my knee/leg appointment ... but I have made another for the 5th of December. I just foresaw that it could all be too much in one week. I have to drive to the Saturday the 22nd appointment as it's late in the day, but if needs be the others he could do alone, though obviously I'd prefer to go with him. So if it looks like Siska will need mating on the 22nd, I can now go on the 21st and the 23rd. Only the date of the 22nd is now impossible to do, and we can work around that.

Now I need to decide if I do an Alan Carr and twists the facts ...or just be brave and confess to my nearest and dearest!!!!

Sky And Siska

Good news all round today, Sky is pregnant and Siska has come in season. 

Martin took Sky to the vets for a scan, unless it's for a medical abnormality, my opinion on that is well documented. Anyway, they suggest a small litter, maybe 2. Of course, that is very possible, but considering they suggested 3, and she had 9 last time, well we'll wait and see. (and it cost £111)  

I recommended they take Sky to Suzanne, or someone else who specialises in fertility, if they need a more accurate figure. It does matter, with a large litter she will need extra feeding, with a small litter, she won't. Overfeeding a bitch carrying a small litter can result in the puppies being too big for a normal birth ... trust me, I've done it! 

Siska has started bleeding this morning, so day 1, but of course I've no idea what she plans to do. When mated to Lucca she didn't ovulate till day 16, but when I took her to Vesco for the mating that never was, she had ovulated on day 12. I think I'll blood test her on Saturday the 15th, so that will be day 10, early I know, but I do prefer to know where they are at in good time! Of course I'm excited, but I'm also worried with 4 appointments to keep between the 15th and the 22nd of the month. 

I apologise for this photo, well no I don't, Siska often entertains us by sitting like this. 

Dinas Dinlle

Most people go to Dinas Dinlle for the beach or the Airport and cafe, but I've never really been drawn to either of the first two, hence I've missed out on these lovely walks by the river. After a pre Xmas get together with friends last Xmas I walked part of this walk with Meerah and Beti, but as Meerah was far too young to go far I missed out on the best bits. I had done a maps search and seen it's prospects, I fully intended to go back, but until I saw videos of Kasey there last week, well to be honest I'd forgotten about it. 

With someone with 5 or 6 dogs already on the path that was next to the down flowing river I walked the track back towards the road, and then went back. I thought the woman would be gone, or at least on her way back, but she was obviously allowing the dogs to run free and was still on the path, so we went up river instead. Wow it was lovely, but at the first gate I told Beti and Meerah that they had to go back as Sammi and Zeus were waiting with bated breath in the van. 

As I got back towards the van the woman was putting her dogs in her car, great timing as I then had it all to myself. I decided not to follow the river towards the sea, that could be another walk for another day .. I went back up river to see what was beyond the gate. It was just beautiful, overgrown in places, and pretty boggy off the track, but I loved it, we loved it, Zeus and Sammi were so happy. But all good things have to come to an end and I found myself unable to go further as streams formed a Y shape .. hell I could see a bridge up ahead .. but I had no idea how to get to it, and being alone, I was cautious. We definitely will be coming back, very soon. Thanks Ian for the reminder about these walks. 

I'd been curious what I could see through a gateway by where I'd parked, so I went for a look. OMG, I'd seen a wonderful array of wildlife today, geese, heron, etc, and now to see these little guys - well they made my day!

This was a beautiful, but very smelly male! 

Early Indications ...

Yesterday, Orin cocked his leg in the kitchen. Yeah, shocking ... first time ever and I hope the last! This morning I let Orin and Siska out first thing, and he went straight after her bottom! In the fields he followed her everywhere and when she finally pee'd he spent a long time reading the letter. Beti and Ross were next out, they went straight to the place where she'd pee'd ... Siska is not in season ... but now I'm hopefully she soon will be.