Happy Birthday Beti

Without question, I've loved every single Blanik dog (bred or adopted), but some stars shine just a tiny bit brighter than others. Happy 3rd birthday to the very special Beti at Blanik. (Pinchmill Adira of Blanik)Thank you for being the bright spark, the bundle of happiness and joy that three years ago I so badly needed. 

Zoe was mated to Orin just a few days before we lost Kaiah, my life was totally shattered, and I couldn't see a way forward. Zeeta then lost her singleton pup and I knew two of Zoe's girls were booked. But through the kindness of friends and the breeder, I was blessed to have Beti. As I've said before, I now look at this from a different prospective, I now consider that I've been lucky to have both these extraordinary females in my life, but the grief still remains. I cry more for Kaiah's cruel loss than any other ... I don't think I'll ever forget the pain of her loss. 

But today is Beti's birthday, a day to celebrate this special young lady. Beti, you are amazing; thank you for being you and for continuing to be by my side, my special, sweet, exuberant little friend. 

Penblwydd Hapus Beti Bwt!

The Walk And The Field

Ross, Beti and Meerah on a walk 

Orin and Siska had time in the field

and so did Sammi and Zeus

Siska Season

Due to Orin's behaviour over the last few days I've been keeping an eye on Siska. Of course I was well aware that Meerah had only just finished her season and that that could be confusing the boy, but this evening I checked again - yep the boy is right! 

I messaged Mike to tell him that Siska was in season but that due to circumstances at home at the moment it was not the right time to mate Siska. Mike replied and informed me that Reno was not coming home this early anyway, so really it's worked out better for both of us. I guess it'll be February/March now by the time Siska comes back in season - that will give baby Kez/Ravi plenty of time to grow up! 

Jamie's Day Out

A visit to the "Doggy Doctor" for Jamie today, and then he went to visit Mum. Some widespread arthritis, (joints and spine) but for a "Geriatric overweight cat" (Vet Beth's words, not mine!), he's in pretty good order. Thankfully, the noisy breathing is in his throat, and his chest is clear. He tried to bite Beth a couple of times, and paws and claws came out at times as he felt she was taking liberties! LOL

We discussed loxicom, but at Jamie's age there are risks of long-term use without checking his kidney function. To do that they would need to take blood, and Jamie was not having that. Beth said she could do it under sedation, but she believed that as he's not ill, the risks are too high. She's given me a small bottle of loxicom for him, she said, 'Trying it for a few days wouldn't do any harm, and we could at least see if there were any benefits for him.' 

Anyway, Jamie, who has never been in anyone else's house, was very happy to go and visit Mum, and after a good look around he relaxed and settled on the sofa. Now we are home; Jamie has had his dinner and is now chilling after a very busy day! 

When I Said Short Walks

I was out for about two hours ... that would usually mean 2 walks; today it was three.

Siska watching the bus coming into the village.

Orin watching - er just watching! 

A great wait and a nice pic of Sammi and her Knobhead son. (Yes we love him) 

"You Can't Park There!" How strange, say Ross and Beti - Meerah said "nothing!"

A Little Time

Not long walks for anyone, but happy I got them all off the property. I do worry when we miss more than a couple of days walking, it's really not good to have lots of lazy days then madness. Ok, last week it couldn't be helped; it was just too hot, but this week there is no excuse. There are mental and physical risks from inappropriate exercise, and though I worry more about the oldies who need it to keep their joints mobile, it does apply to all.  

When a dog is relatively quiet for days, their muscles lose tone, their tendons and ligaments tighten, and their cardiovascular fitness drops. Suddenly asking an unconditioned body to do a workout is a recipe for disaster, with risks of paw injuries, muscle strains and sores and, more worryingly Cruciate Ligament tears.  

Dogs don't just exercise to burn physical calories; they do it for mental stimulation. Going days with minimal activity and scent-work (sniffing) can lead to pent-up energy and anxiety. Then of course there's the weight problem. Consistent daily movement keeps a dog’s metabolism steady. When exercise is erratic, it is much harder to maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight puts even more stress on unconditioned joints when they do go for a run, creating a vicious cycle.  So I believe a better approach is to follow "Consistency Over Intensity" and stick to the "20-Minute Rule." Even a brisk 20-minute walk, or in my case somedays, walking around the fields, keeps joints lubricated, muscles active, and provides crucial mental decompression for the gang. The last thing I want is for too many of  my lazy days now to catch up with them later, well actually much earlier than later and more severely than it would be for a dog with a steady, daily routine. I do worry more if Sammi and Ross miss too many walks, I'll never forget Ken the vet telling me how important it was that Loki continue his daily walks, and Jill Hubbard said with Finlay, walk him as far as you think you should, then a little bit more. Of course, at the end of the day, it does me as much good as it does them, but I'm not obsessive about it, somedays the odd walk has to be missed. Sadly, sometimes life gets in the way of dog walking! 

That Cat

Hi Rhian This cat turned up around 3/4 years ago, i feed it a couple of times a day, can just about get close enough to give a quick rub on the head.. i have tried asking villagers who owns it but no joy.. Ali 

*****

I think it’s a he also ( i call him Hazel cat )! He sleeps in my house some nights/day and around with my cats it seems 24/7, i have 4 and only 1 the bengal is male and they are only now just about tolerating each other 😵‍💫 I am happy to feed/keep a look out.. 

We are just down the road from you..

If an owner comes forward that would be good but if not i am happy to let him be, he seems in good health.. We are were the yellow vw van is parked.. ( we have just sold it actually)

I'm so pleased he has a warm place to live and sleep in the winter, but he's welcome to visit us anytime he likes! 

Morning Guys

 

Ideal Walking Weather

Ross and Sammi

Meerah and Beti

Zeus

Planting Trees

I'd promised to help Steve plant some of our young trees today. Honestly, I just wanted to walk, but after he gave me so much of his  time with the pen, well I had to return the favour, and I did take Beti and Ross with me.

After planting the first tree Steve realised he couldn't get up off the ground, so as I was the "gofer", up I went to get his gardening stool. Paul and Jo were ready to leave, and as Paul is a little scared of the dogs, I had to put them in whilst they made their escape. So yeah, it took me just 5 mins longer to get back down the field. As I headed down, I just couldn't believe what I saw; Steve was trying to pull himself up with the wall. Now any idiot could see that it would not end well ... I guess it could have been worse; I was thankful that only a dozen or so of the stones fell and that nothing fell on him. Yes, I did swear!!!

Ross is not the best to have with you when you are gardening, but I did manage to keep his head out of the blows of the pickaxe, (it's a stoney field) though he did stamp a New Zealand holly. 

It's been odd to have a week-end at home, though Mum did make a sarcastic remark tonight about the fact that she won't be seeing me till Tuesday, but she will see me on Thursday ... and Saturday! Anyway her brother went today and I think I've put my foot in it on the group chat. He reported in that all had gone mostly OK, but that he'd thrown the eggs out from the fridge, they were a few days over their date ...My brother thanked him and said he'd done the same last time he was up. Well, I'm afraid I got in one. Eggs are not sold with a "Use By" date they are sold with "sell by" or "best before"; they are totally different things. I never check dates on eggs here, and I worked for 10 years as a "breakfast chef", and I've never come across a raw egg that's gone off! After feeling a little outnumbered, I reminded them of my qualifications and posted this ..."Eggs typically last for 3 to 5 weeks past the pack date when properly refrigerated. The date printed on the carton is usually a "best before" or "sell by" indicator for freshness, not a hard safety expiration. Anyway, a slightly sharp reply left me feeling I'd overstepped the mark, but to be fair, in this case, Mum is right!

The pups are 5 weeks old today, 3 weeks to go ... Ravi or Kez? Kez or Ravi? I really don't know, but ideas keep popping into my head and I go from 'a bitch would be best for the future' to 'a dog would fit in better.' Bitches can be such arseholes; if they decide, 'I don't like this puppy,' then experience tells me they never will. Poor Kiri was never accepted by the other girls, and though Beti was, I would never be able to mix her with Sammi or Siska now! Anyway as Linda would say "not long now!" LOL