A lesson he didnt know he was having!

Today Rafi and I were invited to the Dog barn to walk in their large fenced in walks, by my friend Nic.
When we arrived Nic was already there and as we were slightly early we waited in our cars until the person before us had finished their time slot. We drove in and parked on the tarmac then just shut the gate and opened the crates, both dogs jumped out and began sniffing all the interesting smells that were in the pen.
Nic and I had some work to do so we sat on the bench and did ten minutes of catch up on TRiM cases we were covering. All the time Rafi and Corky were sniffing and playing with a tennis ball, when we were ready we walked round the pens letting  the dogs play or just sniff. Every now and then I called Rafi back to me for a treat making him sit. ( RECALL) the rest of the time he was playing with tennis balls and sniffing all the new smells in close proximity to Corky. (SOCIALISING) When our session had ended we put the dogs in the back of our cars and went our separate ways, Corky gave one little grumble to put Raffi in his place, and there was one lip lift which was acknowledged by Rafi and he stopped bouncing at Corky.
Really good play date for him and  great for me to be able to see just how good he is off lead and recall.
Good teacher good student.

Saying goodbye to a friend

We came home from Glastonbury early as I wanted to attend the celebration of the life of Ann.
Ann, a loving wife, a devoted mother and grandmother.
Ann, my friend.
I will send the last words you said to me Ann, back to you.... You are in my Heart Ann. ❤❤❤

Yin and Yan .....or little pink flowers!

Today didn't start well, I got up at the usual time let Rafi out, and went and did the horse everything was fine all were behaving themselves but everywhere I looked, little pink flowers seemed to have popped up overnight. This is nothing to get worked up about, but, in April I lost my beautiful Skye dog, shortly after this we went away for ten days, when we got home the place in the garden where the skye dog liked to be the most was marked by a clump of little pink flowers! Add to this the fact that while we were away my husband bought me a bracelet which had a charm on it depicting the very same little pink flower. For them to suddenly appear everywhere reminds me how much I miss her and what an incredible companion she was.
This afternoon I took Rafi out for a rather long walk, longer than he usually has, I lost track of the distance we had walked. He doesn't seem to be any worse for it and I almost let him off his lead he was so good. A sudden panic that he might choose that moment to run off made me change my mind. His excellent behaviour had brightened my mood a little too.

You can follow Rafi on Instagram

rafi9lives

BAYLEAF NEVILLE

This post is one I knew I would have to write but never wanted to!
Today, One of the Shire horses from the museum had to cross the rainbow bridge (Sorry I can't bring myself to write it any other way!)
He was 27 years old, he worked hard all his life but had a naughty / cheeky side which I adored. This boy was a big part of museum life, he was known by generations of museum visitors who would ask where he was if we were working a different horse.
Popular hard working and handsome.
Your work is done Big Boy, sleep well. XXX

Second in Advent

First in Advent

December already, in more ways than one!

December already! It's just started to be cold! I hope it kills off the darn midge's which make Mouse itch so badly! Her sweet itch has been bad again this year to the extent that she is still on 6 antihistamine a day.
I woke this morning to the news of yet another of my friends passing away! Very shocking, she was younger than me! We were both pregnant at the same time 25 years ago, I remember walking into town with her and going for coffee, we then got our baby bumps out to see who's was the biggest! When our babies were born her's three weeks older was half the size of mine! The last time we met up was to ride together, it was frosty and slippery under foot, she rode one of my horses whilst I rode the other, even then the talk went back to when our first born's were babies. Sleep well lovely lady, you can rest now.

FRIENDS

At school I had one or two friends. I wasn't part of the in crowd and never got chosen first for sports teams. That didn't bother me then and still doesn't today.
Now I' m well beyond school days I am still not part of the in crowd. I don't have dozens of friends, but what I do have are a few really good friends who I trust and confide in and a great number of aquaintances who I like and have a laugh with.
Anybody who thinks that I can be used to get to my friends can think again. Today I have had one such thing happen. I am not about to be used by anyone to get one of my friends to do something they do not wish to do. Who do they think they are? Also to have the nerve to thank me for being a friend to this person as if its some kind of favour or chore is also laughable. I knew my friend long before you did and have no intention of being manipulated for your purpose.
That is all.

Wasp!

My house is very quiet! Too quiet!
The Northern Bird and the Northern Chic have left on their journey home! I took Blossom home this evening too as I have work tomorrow.
My Husband, although he was supposed to be on a night shift and has been given the night off, is studying and he is always quiet anyway.
Tomorrow I will be back at work. The holiday is over............................................................................
............But next year Blossom and I will be going North!!! Something to look forward to.
In the mean time I have 13 shifts left with my present job before going back to the ambulance service, another thing to look forward to!
Oh and the wasp? Well I got stung today, then found out all my epipens were out of date!

The picture is from Calvin and Hobbs, one of my favourite cartoons.

Four words!

One of my friends posted on facebook that she had to find four words to describe herself!
If I had to find four words to describe myself, would anyone else use the same four words to describe me? Would my friends use the same words?
Is it in the context of how we know each other that makes us think of people in a certain way, or do we see things in people that we wish we had in ourselves?
Why do some people appeal to us and others not?
Why do we choose the friends we have and why do we sometimes dislike people as soon as we meet them?
If you know me, what four words would you use to describe me?

Imminent

Changes are imminent...

Flying Cats

Sometimes, living so far away from my best friends is worse than others, today is one of them. I know one of my very best friends is hurting and there is nothing I can do. To be honest even if I lived closer I probably couldn't help, then again, I do make a good cup of tea!
I am thinking of you, even though there is nothing I can do xxx
(As for the flying cats..... whatever!)

What have you learnt today?

I learnt a few things this week, and most of them the hard way!
1) There is no such thing as a free lunch!

2) Some people just aren't who they make out they are!

3) In times of crisis, true friends and genuine people will be there for you!

4) A bottle of wine and good company makes you feel so much better!

Hide the poo!

Today I had to move Mouse from where she has been, and sadly I no longer have Big Bird! :-(
I took her the two miles or so to her new field and settled her in, once I knew she was happy I got everything else sorted out. Then went home to prepare the dinner and do some laundry, muck out the hamster, go shopping, you know, the usual Saturday afternoon stuff! Then I went back up to do the evening check on Mouse, well The grass is up to her belly and its not exactly a small paddock tomorrow when I come to muck out I could very well be playing hunt the poo, I guess I will just have to troll round and round the field until I get a barrow full, then once she has eaten it down I can find the stragglers! I made her a small feed and gave her the once over then left her to do what ever it is horses do when they are left alone at night!

Happy Fathers day

 Its extremely sad when you don't have to buy a fathers day card!
It doesn't stop me thinking back to all the memories,
Ballroom dancing standing on my dads feet
Being chased around the garden by my Dad with the garden hose!! Shutting ourselves in the porch for Dad to shove the hose through the letter box.
Drawing on huge sheets of paper.
Going to work with Dad and swimming in the pool.
Running through the splinter
Dad's jokes.
Shloity Shloity Shloity.
Hearing Dad whistling whilst working in the garden.
I miss you so much Dad. I will never stop missing or
loving you. x

Nothing lasts for ever! or Life is a roller-coaster

I have just wandered through the pages of my blog and realised I have been writing this for over five and a half years, there have been a few large gaps but its still going. Its quite odd looking back through some of the posts, things that have happened and family who have passed away. Nothing lasts for ever!
I often wonder if anybody actually reads my blog, I don't care if they don't but it would be nice to think someone does occasionally!
So much has happened in this time, good and bad, funny and sad, ups and downs.
The above picture
is a small snippet.

The wait!

Walking on the beach with my Mum and our two lovely Border Collies... the best thing to do after a stressful day.

 Apologies for the short posts.

16/06/62 - 04/07/04

This will mean something to someone. It means something to me!

NCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI

I am beginning to think I have an addiction, not to smoking drink or drugs or even chocolate. My addiction seems to be with American crime scene TV programmes!

I'm Ba-ack!

 When the weather is wet, and I can't do anything outside, I tend to stew, my mind wanders and I remember things which have happened or people who have passed on! Why do I do this? Does everyone do it?
On the 13th of this month it was Mouses birthday, Happy Birthday Mouse! When I got her she was 9 months old, this year she was six, I didn't get to see her on her first Birthday because I was away from home with my Mum staying with my Aunt,  my uncle was ill and in fact he passed away on Mouses Birthday, with his family around him.
Then I hear two tones and think of some of the jobs I did when I was in the ambulance service; oh I nearly forgot, I got an award, so did the team I was working with, Team of the Year award for a job we went to last autumn. Nice to have our work recognised by the service, and a nice certificate for my portfolio; I miss working with my old crew mate! I don't think I really fit in where I work now! I'm glad I still get to meet up and have a coffee with him now and again.
Well enough of this moping around, in 9 days time the Northern Bird will be winging her way south for a long weekend and I can't wait!
I definitely need a crazy weekend!