Bluebells and the beach!!

Amy has been put on stronger medication and as a consequence is feeling much more like her old self again. Her operation wound has now fully healed and so we decided to go to the beach. It was just like old times .... the excitement barely contained... the anxious lookings out of the car windows ..... the exuberance when the road to Mill Bay was recognised ... and then .. the rolling on the sand in sheer joy at being alive and on the BEACH!!!

Then of course there had to be swimming .....

But soon the old lady was tired .... she can only manage about 20 minutes or so now ... so she was told to wait in the car, parked in some lovely cool shade, while Ben and I went off to look at the bluebells. After all, she couldn't manage this walk last year, so I know it's impossible for her now.
She watched us go ...

You can't tell how steep the path is here - but it is VERY steep indeed.

It's worth it when you reach the top .... the bluebells were lovely ... but we were only just in time I think, another week and they'll be over.

But so, so beautiful .. these are the true English bluebells, much more delicate than the cultivated Spanish bluebells, and a much deeper, richer blue.. carpets stretching away up the hill ...

And the view back along the beach where we walked with Amy earlier.....

A truly glorious afternoon. And so nice to be out with Amy again. The vet is very pleased with her, he's talking about the possibility of her being with us for the summer ... that would be wonderful ... keep your fingers crossed for her.

Some stories just have to be told ....

"Hey Mum, look at me! Look! LOOK!!"

"My fur has patterns like yours! Don't I look great? Aren't I handsome!! Look at me Mum! MUM!!"

"The boy's a fool!" thinks Amy

Some stories just have to be told!

And the moral is ... don't let your dog help with the painting.

Amy is doing OK, very lethargic as you can see from the photos, but still enjoying her life albeit at a very slow pace.

Taking a break ...

I won't be here for a little while. This is because just at the moment I can't bring myself to blog about life with newfies. I am expecting very soon to have only one newfie as Amy is very very ill. She won't be with me for very much longer - and yes, that's definite.

She has hemangiosarcoma - a particularly aggressive form of canine cancer with a prognosis of 1 - 2 months. So Ben and I need to come to terms with saying goodbye to her ladyship. I don't know how either of us will manage without her ... Ben in particular has never known life without his "mum." The picture above was taken in his very early days. Even then he had to copy and do exactly as Amy did. We're concentrating on making sure her last few weeks are happy ones and we'll be back later in the year.

See you soon .... and you can still catch me on Bustle and Sew if you're into crafty goodness.....

A weekend away .... and a walk at Blackdown Rings

It takes a very special occasion to lure me back into a big city, but last weekend was Rosie's 21st birthday, so to Bristol I went. The ungrateful canine pair went happily off to their luxury holiday accommodation (not even a casual wave of a paw as they fell over each other in their haste to enter their temporary abode - huh - after all I do for them!) Then, after spending the night in a strangely empty and unhomelike house I boarded the Cross Country train at Totnes. The actual journey is only an hour and a half, and the section of route where the train runs alongside the sea at Dawlish is magical - a treat in itself.

The hustle and bustle at Bristol station is always slightly disconcerting to a country dweller like myself, but over the past few years I've learned to navigate the tunnels and stairs with confidence, soon locating Townie Husband just outside the ticket barriers. Then into a taxi to be whisked off to our hotel at Avonmouth - overlooking the famous suspension bridge.

Clifton village yielded an interesting afternoon's shopping (me) and one or two nice pubs (him)

A florist's shop. Great to take a photo, but the prices of the blooms were, I thought, horrifyingly steep. Still, guess these are city prices....

Then came the sightseeing. A very exotic resident was spotted enjoying the view - spot the golden giraffe below!!

The view was well worth enjoying - it's hard to imagine how 19th century engineers could construct such a bridge without the machinery we have today. And indeed, how Isambard Kingdom Brunel could conceive such a design - after all it was created to take horses and carriages over the Avon Gorge, but today carries many thousands of cars across the gap.

Clifton Bridge and the Avon Gorge

Then yesterday I took the dogs up to Blackdown Rings. It's an Iron Age Hill Fort, on top of which a Norman motte and bailey castle was constructed. The views across the countryside are stupendous, though the hill itself doesn't appear very high from below. It's a great walk as Amy can potter alongside me while Ben can charge around playing at being a Saxon hunting dog (or something similar). And there were no sheep yesterday either which meant I could relax too.

When we've had a lot of rain the ditches fill with clear, cold peaty water which the dogs love to splash around in .....

"Last one in's a sissy!" says Ben

"Not me!" says Amy (spot the bow wave!)

"Come on Mum, it's lovely!"

But I didn't. Guess that makes me the sissy then!

January brings the snow .....

January brings the snow..... makes your feet and fingers glow.
Makes those newfies feel so good ... walking in our frosty wood.

Ben and ..

Amy (this one's rather good, I think) She looks very wise (which she isn't!!)

"Are there wolves in these woods Mum?" "No, only big black bear-dogs!"

Soo pretty - and so unusual for us to get snow here in South Devon.

Our House

Found this poem when browsing - describes perfectly the situation here at Coombe Leigh.

The Month After Christmas...

'Twas the month after Christmas,
and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store
(less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
"Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
~Author Unknown

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R!

Start Point with Newfs

I could have blogged about the bonfire last night .. our fireworks here in Chillington are famous - and justifiably so, we feel. Amy used to adore fireworks, she'd gaze upwards in wonder and her eyes would sparkle with reflected stars. But now she doesn't see so well, and fireworks have lost their magic for her. So I decided to give her a treat she can still enjoy and this morning took both dogs down to Start Point.

This is a great walk for them both as Ben can bound up and down the cliffs pretending to be a mountain lion, while Amy paces sedately at my side. We were the only people there which was great ... and the dogs couldn't wait to go through the gate.

Before WW2 the narrow road down to the lighthouse didn't exist - it was constructed by US forces to drive their jeeps up and down to the point.

Now it's a great newfie track!

Very moody and atmospheric - the lighthouse just peeping out from behind the jagged rocks. Last night its beam made a dramatic backdrop to our display as it strobed across the sky behind the fireworks field.

Looking back towards Start Bay - a wonderful panorama. I tried to put three photos together, but it didn't really work very well. Just look at the colour of the water!

Ben always knew he was a superstar!! He definitely made the most of this photo opportunity!

Then he tried to continue along the coastal path. But I had to say NO as Amy simply can't manage this walk any more. Another time, Ben.

Ben is making sure Amy's OK. They do love each other!

Then home again. Maybe later we'll go and examine the bonfire and see if it's still smouldering.

The year has turned ...

... and autumn has definitely arrived. Each day is a little shorter, the lights go on a little earlier and the back door is closed before the evening chill enters the house. The atmosphere in the village has changed too with the departure of the summer visitors. Everywhere is less crowded and people have more time to stop and chat again. The schools have gone back and other autumn activities have commenced - lunch club has started and I've joined a choir based in Kingsbridge.

The newfies love the cooler weather and the freedom to return to their favourite haunts without worrying about the reactions of those who are unfamiliar with my two furry friends ... no more squeals of fright or anxious crossings of the road ... it's such a shame that people often react like that even when the newfs are on their leads. Amy in particular is such a sociable old lady and loves nothing more than to collapse at someone's feet in the hope of having her tummy tickled. Luckily most local people know her well and are more than happy to oblige!

No more buttercups ....

Today we went on one of our usual walks taking in the woods above the village. We were joined for part of the way by Belinda and her terrier doing the school run(!) but they soon outpaced us as Amy does not walk very fast and I was stopping to take photos....

Autumn berries

Apples for scrumping!

An autumn view ...

and a happy Amy (loves having her photo taken)


Still some blackberries to be had (yum!)

Then we turned at the top of the woods and headed down the path towards home.


Ben is worn out - and Amy wants her tea!!

Frogmore Regatta

Today was the Frogmore Regatta. The sun shone and it was wonderful! There were icecreams, swingboats, lots of people falling in the water - and a dog show!

I had hoped to be able to report that one of the Newfies at least had won a rosette, but sadly this was not to be. Our classes - for most handsome dog and prettiest bitch were right at the end of the show - which was moving veerrrrry slowly. It started at 1 pm and by 1.45 only the first class, for waggiest tail, had been judged.

Now this was great in one way as it meant we had more time to meet friends, lick icecreams (and small children), lose money on the tombola etc etc, but in another way it was very bad as the heavily-coated Newfs just became hotter and hotter and more and more uncomfortable and, in Ben's case, worse and worse behaved. So we came away again. Never mind - there's always next year!