He's Pretending

I wonder if kittens get adhd? Luther just never sleeps during the day. All my previous kittens have slept for about 17 hours a day .. this one never stops! For mental and physical development kittens are suppose to sleeps a lot — about 20 hours a day reducing to about 16 hours in adulthood. During the waking hours  kittens will go nonstop.  I think Luther has got it the wrong way round!!!!

I've lived with and cared for a lot of cats and kittens, they love to sleep, but I honestly have only ever seen him asleep 2 or 3 times, when I walk into a room he jumps into action. He loves to snuggle into me on the sofa and I will often fall asleep, Steve says Luther relaxes but just watches everything and doesn't sleep. Last night he did fall asleep on the sofa but when I went to take a photo ... his little eyes popped open so not a deep sleep then! 

Perry has always slept a lot more, still does. The other cats also seem to be asleep here for most of the day, but of course they come and go during the night. Luther I would presume does sleep from 11pm till close on 8am when the Kaiah alarm goes off, but that is still only about half of what he should be sleeping. The weather is absolutely vile this morning so Luther and Perry are treating the furniture like a race track, all the other cats are of course asleep!

Out Before The Storm

Jezi photoboming Nico

DO NOT LAUGH! 

Some Scottish git pushed me onto my arse into a gorse bush. With the weather being so warm and close I only had thin jeans and a T.shirt on, bloody hell it hurt and it's still stings. As there were sheep close by I'd put Jezi on the lead and was just going through a narrow bit when Nico came hell for leather, there was no room to go round me so he went through me, as only Nico would! I knew it was going to hurt before I landed!!!

Nico and Jezi not sticking to the tracks!

Part one of walk two with Sammi, Ziva and Asha

When the vet said a short steady walk I guess Asha wasn't listening! 

Part two of walk two and Asha is now home. Steve said she had a small short lived stop which eased with a fish treat.

Yes I get it you want to go that way!

Kaiah, Loki and Ross - we got back as the first drops of rain fell. 

Who Is Blanik Hippy?

At the show last Friday I was asked that exact question ... "Who is Blanik Hippy?"
Well It's been a LONG LONG time since she did this ... This is my Veteran bitch - This is Blanik Hippy (Ziva) .. Daughter of Blanik Georgette (Asha) and Tirgram Robbi .. Mother of Blanik Ivana (Sammi). Ziva will be 8 in 2 weeks time and hasn't been in the show ring for over 5 years. What a waste, but she hates showing so what can I do? 

Asha's Consultation

Her heart is good and on examination the vet couldn't feel anything sinister but she did have a wheeze on her lungs. She has been given antibiotics and we have to moderate her exercise for about a week. (that will be popular ... NOT!) So no walk today but we've all had 10 mins in the field ... too hot now to go further anyway. Hopefully Asha has nothing more serious than a chest infection and we can get back to normal within a few days ... and maybe I can sleep instead of worrying tonight! 

Interesting how the camera has slightly blurred out Jezi a little as she's further back, it always blur's out the background.

Asha Is Not Well Again

Asha is ill again, she seemed fine at 9pm last night but by bed time she was obviously struggling to get about. She didn't want her bedtime goodies and so I took her temperature, it had rocketed up to 40.7 (105).
This morning her temperature is 39.8 (103) so it's on it's way down, she's eaten her breakfast but is obviously quite listless. Hopefully as it comes down further she will regain her spark. I have made an appointment to see the vet for late morning. It's only 10 days since this last happened so something is going on and I at least need to talk to the vet and have her examined. Where we go from there is something that concerns me, at her age I don't want her messed about with. Worse case scenario if it is something sinister it will be quality of life all the way. It's so hard when they get old ...

Luther At The Back Door

Mr Luther relaxing, but not asleep. I've never known a kitten sleep so little. He's a busy mischievous little chap. This morning he made his way round from the front of the cottage to the back, I wish he hadn't but there you go!  Of course as soon as he's done it once he'll keep doing it, I guess it'll be a shock when he realises there's so many dogs there! He's still not keen on them but being so cocky he'll get use to them I'm sure. I can't imagine for one minute that he'll be like Perry and stay out of the living room .. maybe he'll even encourage Perry to follow him into the living room in time. They are currently pretty inseparable really so there is a chance ...

Wet Walks

The great thing about this weather is knowing you are highly unlikely to see anyone else about. Yeah we got a soaking .. but honestly who cares? It's nothing that towels and a change of clothes can't fix is it!

Sammi In The Ring

Sadly there was only 4 photos - I don't know why it happens to poor Sammi, we never seem to end up with any special ones of her and I know how she looked and went on the day. 

Try again next time eh!

Quandary

I'm still on pins waiting for photos of Sammi from yesterday, I'll be devastated if there isn't anything of her on a really special day for us. That win yesterday puts her in third place in the highest achievements of Blanik bitches, with Aria still in pride of place with 2 CC and Nikki in second place with a RCC. Kaiah had been in third place but mummy has just knocked her down a peg or two!
Yesterday I was chatting with a couple of very special people about them having a Kaiah pup in future, but I was unprepared for the reply ... they said they preferred Sammi and asked if I would consider having a litter from her and allowing them to have pick of bitches. (Possibly remaining in joint names) Well I knew they preferred Sammi, that is no insult and they have never hidden the fact, but even though Sammi only had three puppies I had not really given much thought to breeding from her  again. I didn't say no, I didn't say yes, so much to think about.
Currently I feel I will be going ahead with mating Kaiah to Zalu in September but I am not out ruling  mating Sammi next year as their are advantages to having another litter from her. She is due in season in December and if all goes to plan Kaiah will have babies then so I would not consider mating her at that time .. but maybe 6 months later? If Kaiah missed though I would want to take her back to Zalu in 6 months and I would not have the stud fee to pay to take Sammi to another male in December ... Would I?
If Kaiah had a litter I would want to keep a female, my ideal would be a sable s/c .. but I would hopefully keep potentially the best one regardless of colour or coat. It would also be wonderful to know that the best one from another litter would be out there in the show ring flying the "Blanik" flag and in a wonderful home! I would of course have no difficulty letting a bitch of their choice go to my friends, but would I ever be able to sell a Sammi litter without keeping one? Now that of course "is" a question!
I think a further chat with my friends and some soul searching is now very necessary.

Leeds Ch. Show

With Kaiah and Ross chucking their coats and the escalating costs of Champ show entries I decided to only enter Sammi and Loki and Leeds. I was disappointed to not be taking Kaiah as the judge had loved her as a minor puppy, but maybe her day will come again?
With the weather being so warm I kind of gathered Loki would not put in a great performance, but to be fair the boy did OK. The photo shows his huge length of stride .. if only he put more effort into it!  He was considered for 2nd but she left him in 3rd place out of 4. I have to be honest and say that maybe it was the right position for him on the day.
With Sarah double book I was taking young Kasey into the ring for Ian and we got a credible 2nd. Kasey went very well for me and I was really chuffed when I was later approached by well respected breeder and Ch. Show judge who told me that Kasey would have been his winner!
Sammi was entered in Open Bitch, the top class of bitches, she was in with the Champions and multiple CC winners. I kind of expected to be last. Not meaning to be detrimental to my lovely Sammi or to Sarah but I'd looked at the class on paper and was kind of prepared for it. To my delight Sammi put in the performance of her life and was pulled out second and stayed there. I was so so proud of her, so emotional I cried. Sammi is special, after Louis there was a huge hole in my heart and she was the one who found her way in to fill the void.  I love all my dogs ... but some of them just get to me just a little bit more!
I knew by being second in open that Sammi had won her Stud Book number, hell I know the rules and qualifications .. but I still couldn't help but check when I got home! "A Stud Book number is achieved when either a dog wins a Stud Book qualifying award at a Championship show or a dog obtains a Junior Warrant. It also qualifies a dog for Crufts for life. "German Shepherds are in BAND C which means they can qualify by being "1ST/2ND IN OPEN CLASS OR 1ST IN LIMIT CLASS." That's why last year I was proud of her 3x2nds in limit, but also disappointed not to win and get the stud book number. Open is a hard class, the hardest ...this has to be her top achievement, the first bitch here to get her stud book number since Nikki. Yeah she did me so proud!
I have no photos of Sammi from yesterday yet, but a new friend took quite a lot so here's hoping I'll have plenty to share later. Also I have a lot to think about as I've had a proposition made to me about Sammi ... quite a quandary really, a proposition that needs a lot of thought ...

Giant Dark Horsefly

Steve called out to me "Come and see the size of this and bring your camera!"  I chuckled but said nothing. Bloody hell that's a big one! Neither of us had any idea what he was so I took these photos with my phone and posted them on Facebook to see if anyone could identify him. Many suggestions came in, Hornet, Horsefly, warble fly etc .. but checking out the photos and information on google none were the size of this chap. Another suggestion was a "Giant Dark Horsefly, " I'd never heard of such a thing but googled it .. and bloody hell there he was .. A "Tabanus sudeticus Dark giant horsefly, Dark behemothic horsefly."  "With a body length of approx 25 mm (about an inch)  he/she is the biggest European fly. The dark giant horsefly flies in July and August and commonly feeds on the blood of cattle and ponies but it will bite man as many have found to their cost!" Thanks Steve .. "Get a close up photo of his head" he said! 

Today the fly was again the topic of conversation with my father .. he had thought it was a "gadfly." I'd never hear of that either, so he sat with his book and me with my google looking for information. So it seems a Gadfly is not a specific breed/variety of fly, it is a name for a fly that bites livestock, especially a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly. More interestingly a Gadfly is also a person who annoys or criticizes others in order to provoke them into action. Love it and I will use it if I can remember it, my word I know a few Gadflys!!!!!

Jamie's Not Well

Yesterday we spent the day worrying about our very precious Jamie. We had not seen him since 11.30pm the day before. Now I'm not saying that he wasn't in most of the night, that I wouldn't know but for Jamie not to be around practically all day is truly out of character. Those who visit know that he always appears when anyone is around, if we are in the garden he's there, in the yard he's there and of course he spends most of his day asleep on the chair. I'm use to Choo, Junior and Isla going AWOL for up to 24 hrs but not Jamie or Perry they are always around.
Jamie had not eaten since Tuesday morning, that in itself a worry, but not as much as the fact that he wasn't around. Often I find they don't eat in hot weather, well most of them, no one has told Perry, he eats whatever the situation! Steve and I called and called for Jamie yesterday and Steve even went around the fields to look. The problem is if a cat does not want to be found then you are not going to find them and though normally Jamie comes when called there was no sign of him.
About 6pm yesterday I went out searching again. I saw movement in the fields next to the cottage .. it was Choo and Perry playing in the reeds ... but then I saw him. Jamie .. Jamie I kept calling and slowly he plodded over. It was very obvious that he was not well, but he made his way onto the wall and I grabbed him and took him indoors.

Strangely the other cats kept away from him all evening and when we got up to go to bed he stayed on the chair. He didn't want anything to eat and obviously I didn't want to disturb him incase he went out. I got him a hot water bottle and left him where he was.
This morning are special friend is much better, he has stolen some dog food as I prepared it and eaten more than half of his own breakfast. He's back now asleep on the chair with his buddy Junior .. I'll leave him be ....
This cat is so special, if you can have a dog in a life time then surely you can have a cat .. there is no doubts this cat would be mine. He is one in a million ...
Photos of my assistants as I try and prepare the dog food this morning!

George Michael - Careless Whisper (25 Live Tour) [Live from Earls Court ...

Fantastic - Proud to say I was there!

Zalu Strikes Again

A long coat getting a CC? OMG no it must never happen say the old timers in the breed. Well it has, last April Zalu was the first male L.C to get a CC .. and now just to make sure we are aware that they are here to stay Zalu has now gained his second RCC.  With the breed standard changed to include 2 coat varieties any honest judge has to judge them on an even keel. 

Of course there is a lot of controversy, of course it's hard for a lot of people to accept .. myself included to be honest, but we have to move with the times, If you judge by the amended standard then these dogs have as much right to top honors as any S.C .. and why would you put a lesser quality S.C up over a L.C simply on coat? 

Of course I still question the effectiveness of the coat in all weathers in a working dog.  

Cooler Walks On Home Ground

Wham! - Bad Boys (Official Music Video)

Something to make me smile .... dear dear George

Cats In The Shade

Perry and Luther 

Miss Posh Cats

So It Got Very Hot

Thankfully an early morning alarm got me out and about with the dogs before the heat arrived. This morning it was quite Ok to walk but with the temp being about 30 degrees now it's far too hot to walk dogs, and far too hot for me. I have to say I was a bit annoyed by the heat lovers on Facebook telling us to get out and enjoy it. It'll soon be Winter they say .. well at least in Winter I can get a coat on and get the dogs out safely! Seriously if only it were that simple, for some of us this weather is beyond unpleasant, but it's not personal choice. I would love to sit out and enjoy it but sadly some of us are not made that way .. I burn, I get blisters and spots, and to be honest I can only compare trying to do anything in it to feeling constantly menopausal .. I honestly do feel physically sick if I have to do anything. That is the way it is, I'm not telling people not to get out and enjoy it, but I wish they had the respect for others to realise this weather is not good for everyone .. or their dogs! 

Phone Photos In The Niwl

More About Yesterday

Yesterday after my fiasco with Asha I was still a little shaken when I was walking up towards the van and Steve messaged .. "Are You OK?" Now he was lucky I looked I tend to ignore my phone on walks but I'd just used it to take photos of caterpillars .. it's close up photos are better than the camera. Anyway I wondered why the message .. surely he wasn't reading my thoughts after Asha's disappearance? LOL So I rang him, we'll you've been a long time he said ... Oh bloody hell it takes 20 mins to get there and I had decided to give everyone a 30 - 40 min walk so with 2 lots with me of course I was going to be a long time .. well It's nice he cares!  I arrived at 9.45am and his message came in at 10.45am  when I was about 15 mins away from the van - so in fairness he was being a little previous really!
I continued up but something made me look behind me and a young lad was jogging with a Lurcher and getting quite close to us. I had no time to get my leads on so called the girls over and grabbed them by the collars. He continued very quickly and the dog was loose, so I called out .. "Please get hold of your dog!"
Now I've seen this guy before and I know his dog is nervous and tends to do the side stepping nervous barking, so I was wary. I thought he had hold of it but then realised he had no collar or lead and though he tried to restraint it by the neck it again barked and lunged forward before side stepping and running off. Again my heart was in my mouth as I clung on for dear life. Thank god these girls wear collars. I have no doubt in my mind that otherwise it would have been a disaster and though they are pretty well behaved I don't think they would have ignored the threat. Even cool calm Asha was a little worked up. Why no collar or lead? My god what is wrong with people? Just irresponsible dog ownership. To start off with he's breaking the law but worse still is the "what if's" isn't it? He's only a teenager and maybe he doesn't consider the dangers as we would? If he only had a slip lead in his pocket or round his neck .. or just a collar on the dog to grab in emergencies ... Shocking really that his parents don't consider the dangers of allowing both out with no collar or lead for the dog!

Today I had hoped to go back to find another path into the woods. There seems to be another path up from the old school house. But a tatty old school house it is no more, it's now a lovely B&B. I went onto google maps and drove my cursor up and down the road in the area and sadly there seems to be no sensible parking place on the single track road .. but a trip over and driving the van instead of the cursor could give me a better idea.
To get there I take the A487 towards Porthmadog and go off at Pant Glas to Bwlch Derwin. Taking the left at the T. junction then the first right to the woods. From the main 487 it takes 5 minutes to the woods. Yesterday we followed the path to the T.Junction and went left to the end .. the path I knew though I do also love the path through the middle of the trees. On the way back curiosity got the better of us and instead of turning right back we went straight just a short way.. a path I now know would bring me out by the old school house.  I must go, I need to see everything I can of the beauty of North Wales. Even if Steve just drops me off and goes to the garden centre .. I need to walk that path .. and any other I can find! People are stunned that with all this open countryside that I have here that I still go to other places . My word in this life we need to see as much as we can, Snowdonia and all it's glory is stunning!

Beautiful At Bwlch Derwin

 Jezi and Nico 

 Ziva, Asha, Sammi

Ross, Loki, Kaiah

I was coming down the path when I heard a loud splash .. followed by a lot of sounds of movement in water .. I ran up there .. Asha ... Asha ... where the bloody hell was Asha? There was no sign of her, the panic was ridiculous, how deep was it .. OMG where was Asha ? Well, she was pottering around in that pipe somewhere whilst I thought she had drowned or something! Little bitch gave me such a scare!!!