More Than Just Bath

The Van

Let's start at the beginning – The Blanik Bus. I'm sure I mentioned the smell a couple of weeks ago. Well just a reminder, since about Mid-April after some journeys, and not just long ones, I noticed a smell from the van. I've no idea what I smell, but hot or fumes, maybe? Also, the back of the van is covered in black spots. No one else could smell a thing, but I did persuade Steve to take it to the garage ... Nope, apparently there is nothing wrong with it, and I have to admit, it drives well, and according to the temperature gauge, it's not overheating. Well I've been in it to Tremadog every other day, to Builth, to Malvern, to Stafford and I could still smell it! Yesterday, as ever it went well, but after a 3.30 hr none stop drive we got stopped in traffic light before going onto the M4 and a puff of what I will call, smoke or steam seemed to come over from the bonnet on the passanger side. As the lights changed, I set off and the van seemed fine, because at the time we were driving through thick mist I doubted what I saw. When we arrived at the show everything was fine, and I dismissed my earlier concerns. 

On the drive home we stopped at Buith for a burger, it was baking hot, but the van was fine. Again a normal run for home, but I could still smell it, whatever it is! As I pulled up and stopped in Bryncir to let Jackie out of the van, again there was a puff of steam from exactly the same place as I'd last seen it near the M4. I asked Jackie to come out of the van quickly and smell it. Thank god for that ... she could smell it too! Just to have someone say, yes you are right gave me great satisfaction, but equally concern. I rang Steve and told him to be outside when I got home .. he was, he couldn't smell a thing!!! This time I refused to let him walk away and he opened the bonnet, finally agreeing there was a hot smell and refering to the areas on the bonnet where it looked like the paint had melted (I thought it was dirty). This van has been with me a long time, I love it, and honestly can't afford to replace it, but I do need to have the faith in it to be safe, and as I know it so well, I need to be believed in my concerns and observations.

The Journey 

Well for me it couldn't have started any better and I had the pleasure of seeing, for the first time ever, a badger just above Camel. He was just amazing, and I really wish I could have stopped for a while. In my excitement I was telling Jackie about him, saying we never see badgers or foxes up here, and there was Mr Fox, he crossed the road and just stood there and looked at us. WOW. We drove through areas of bright sunshine and thick mist, the bluebells on that Builth road were just as breathtaking as the purple mountains that were plastered in rhododendron. Of course there were also kites, numerous kites. I love that drive, and even the roundabout from hell doesn't get the better of me these days! We laughed and talked all the way, I was amused but not surprised by Jackie starting on the crisps before 6am. The journey home was just as good as we put the world to rights, laughed and ate junk food. Though we spent as much of the judging time apart as we did together, it's funny how we both noticed the same things on the day, and though we were mostly happy with his judging, some question will remain unanswered. 

The Show

Along with Malvern and Builth, this venue is one of my favourites. I don't know what it is that makes me like it so much, but I do. I like the drive, I like the venue. I like the Leeds and Boston venues, but I don't like the drive! Though this year at Bath, we were at the furthest corner possible – quite a hike with the trolleys! The first panic was realising I must have got it wrong, Sarah wasn't there and wasn't entered, though Arron was handling Beti, there was no handler for Orin. After a bit of juggling about Ann was happy to take him in, she last handled Orin at this show in 2021, WOW! I must admit she did a fantastic job with him, she said, "he knows his job, I just went with him." I honestly haven't seen him look so good in a long time, but I was totally shocked to see him beat Ch Jimmy. (The breed's top winning dog 2 years ago) Getting past his reputation alone is hard. There will have been a lot of negative comments made for the judges decision on the day, but he had the courage in his convictions, and I really appreciate his decision. The negativity is not important, as I've said before; you need to have broad shoulders in this game, and yeah, it is a game we play! I know what I've got, I know his faults and I know his attributes, and I can only thank the people who saw fit to congratulate me on the day. Team Orin... Woohoo! Ann wouldn't take payment, she refused point blank, and said "all I need is for you to be happy that I got your dog to do/go so well." As it should be, but it rarely is. Yeah I was emotional. Beti did well two, second out of three, she looked well and went well, but every dog has it's day, and this day for me belonged to Orin!

The judging on the whole was very good, though I do wish he'd had a better entry. Two people have told me today that they didn't go because "They didn't know his type!" Well I did, he gave Loki a group at an open show and I've also seen him judge the breed once before, On top of that, he's Mal's mate so I was hoping his eye for correct type and correct movement may have influenced him, lol. Nothing to do with my dogs, but there will be one decision on the day that will leave me wondering, just why didn't he see what I saw? 

Videos - Orin And Mattie Pups

I couldn't move to get a better video of Orin as I didn't want him to see me, and Jackie was also handling in the challenge, so I did the best I could.

Whilst Orin was having a lovely day out yesterday, Mattie Rose was having a more stressful time. Huge congratulations on the first "Presaddfed" GSD pups. 3 dogs and 2 bitches.

Bath

Orin was beautifully handled by Ann to win Open and equally well presented by Tony in the challenge. 

Beautiful Beti managed a 2nd in PGB - beating the L/C who beat her at WELKS. I said on the day, that I hoped in full coat that Beti could have taken the class. A different day, a different opinion. Well done Beti. 

The Walk

Mid-morning I left mum snoozing on the chair and took the girls out. Meerah was really full on, she seemed to love bouncing in the long grass. Beti lacked some "Beti Fizz" and I started overthinking, as I do! It's so awful when you constantly put two and two together and come up with five, isn't it. In this period after a season I'm always so scared of pyometra, so in this case this is my five!  

Tremadog And Bath Ch. Show

Another morning in Tremadog, it went ok, really. I don't mind the fetch me, get me and carry at all, knowing I've done what I can to help this morning leaves me feeling a little satisfied. I made her lunch before getting ready to leave, but that is where there was a little tension. "Can't you stay for lunch?" Well no, I need to spend some time with my husband too. "I'm going to be on my own now for the rest of the day, you see lots of people and get lots of your dog friends visiting." Actually, no, we don't. We NEVER get visitors; Ian is the only person who ever comes here, and due to current circumstances I haven't seen him for weeks. 

Tomorrow is Bath Ch show, no chance of a wobble and considering turning back tomorrow as I'm picking Jackie up in Bryncir. It'll be great to share some time with her and put the GSD world to rights, as I hardly see her either. Well, we do see each other ringside and in passing at club, but we don't get chance to talk. I think it was September last year when we last shared travelling to a show. It's funny how people walk different paths isn't it, but when we do get together, nothing has changed. 

As I was leaving Mum's I saw Edwina and Cath and both were going to call on mum this afternoon. Edwina had already phoned her this morning. Her phone is certainly "hotter" than mine, the only people I regularly talk to on the phone are Jane, Linda and Katrina. I really appreciated their regular check-ins and I do worry that I'm boring them with my ranting and moaning, hell sometimes I bore myself! Still, honestly, it is nice to just get the "You OK?" messages. Mostly to be honest I'm not, but they always manage to cheer me up! 

Aled is on Tremadog duty tomorrow, until we can get carers in, we have a rota ... and I'm not back on shift till Tuesday!!! 

Walking And Stressing

My dogs are keeping me sane, but life right now is so stressful. My Mum has had another morphine overdose, simply because the patches have been increased to 1 x 20ies, when they were previously 2 x 10es  - so basically she put on two 20ies and ended up as high as a kite. But the current doctor is now reducing all her pain relief because "the guidelines for prescribing gabapentin and strong opioids like morphine patches for chronic non-cancer pain have shifted significantly. Recent evidence suggests there is often limited benefit for long-term pain while the risks of side effects, dependence, and overdose, especially when combined, are quite high. Most guidelines now emphasize multimodal approaches, including physical therapy, psychological support, and non-opioid medications, reserving these stronger drugs for specific cases under careful specialist monitoring." She has been told the way forward is physio, physio and more physio ... but bare in mind that so far she's done nothing, I don't consider there will be much success.

A Social worker should have turned up at 11am today - she didn't. Long stressful story short, she rang at 2pm and apologised because she "Forgot!" Forgot? Fecking hell, it would have come over better had she lied and said she'd been delayed or called to a meeting! All very odd in my opinion. 

My walk are generally really good for de-stressing and clearing my head, but after the calls and messages today, I came home with a banging headache and burst into tears as soon as I saw Steve. I'm trying my best, but I just can't be pulled into two halves! 

I watched Orin on the walk today; God, he's handsome. I know his faults, and as always, I'm happy with constructive criticism of Orin, the show dog, but my mate Orin fills my eyes with his beauty and my heart with love. 

Where we shouldn't be, but we didn't care!

Making Meerah stand in a hole, as without her coat her legs look even longer and I'm careful which photos I share of her on Facebook. After Shonagh's comments recently, I try not to put pics on that show off her supermodel legs too much! LOL. 

Thinking Ahead

With a few days of hot weather forecast for next week, I'm trying to think of places we can go for short walks. A woodland, preferably with a stream, would be best for them and me. 

This short section of the Lon Goed would be great, a sheltered place to park and leave two dogs, a canopy of trees to a stream and back again would be lovely.

Gyrn Coch - again for the same reasons, ideal.

Dorothea, no river or stream, and no "cool place" to park but a lovely canopy of thick woodland. 

Coed Elernion in Trefor, not a great parking place, so just two or three dogs on one walk, but woodland and a lovely stream to play in. 

Of course there is the nursery in Tremadog, but I don't think I'd take them that far in the heat. 

The Same Walk

I rarely do exactly the same walk three times, but with cattle on the alternate route, that's what I did today. I parked at the bottom of the donkey field, walked the footpath to the top, zigzagged on the common and then went back down the track behind the slate mound, finishing with a short road walk back to the van. Happy dogs, with a satisfaction for me that everyone had 45 - 50 mins out.

My lovelies – Orin and Siska

The loonies Ross and Beti 

We never did find a suitable word for this group of three. 

Sammi, Zeus and Meerah

Meerah starting to look pretty rough as her coat is falling out, and I'm sure she's brewing for her season as the boys are definitely starting to pick up on something, and I can't think it's Siska! 

Handling

I'm feeling a little let down, but really I shouldn't be surprised, I'm quite the nobody and have never had the strength of character to push myself forward. With Sarah prefering to take another female in limit than Beti I had to make other plans and I really thought I had it sorted! I'd gone though a list of shows and I honestly thought it was all agreed, but last night I was told that the handler I'd lined up for her could only take her in at Bath, that left me with numerous shows entered, and no handler. Again, this handler has preferd to take in another female at these shows ....  it's left me confused and emoional. Is it me or Beti or both of us that's not good enough for them? I'd love to say feck it, but I can't do it without them! 

Plans Changed

The plans in my head for the day had to change again. I was meeting Nicola in Treborth for tea and cake, but she got there early due to the phone shop being closed in Bangor. Lucky really, I had hoped to walk in Parc Menai, but this morning Steve decided he was coming with me, he wanted to go to Stermart. Great! LOL Oh hell, I didn't mind, as it's nice to do things together, but I missed out on my walks. Anyway, we had lunch out and the guys had fun in the fields!