 Dasher's Italian Greyhound blog 2016 This is the continued story of Italian Greyhound Dasher started in July 2009 - see old blogs. The latest "happenings" will be put on at the top at frequent intervals, so the story unfolds from the bottom and up! He lives with his nephew Solo. I have videos of Lure Coursing and other doggy things on YouTube under my name: sighthounddotnet Email me or go back at any time to my sighthound.net start page. Happy reading! - Janet (Photo: Italians Solo 2 years and Dasher 6 years January 2016.) |
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Saturday the 7th of January and a new blog started for 2017! Click here Tuesday the 3rd of January 2017 - and still the eighth blog! Saturday the 31st of December Wednesday the 28th of December Solo HATES collars and harness, but above all, he cannot see the point of having a warm coat. Here he is, as he goes every day, cringing to the floor with the hatred of being dressed for a walk. ALL my other dogs figured out straight away, that a warm coat was a MUST when the weather's cold, but Solo wants me to take him out just as he is! Dasher just stares in amazement, waiting for us to go. HE wouldn't dream of going out "undressed"!  Monday the 26th of December Saw the biggest cat ever this morning! The dogs spotted it first, got the smell in the wind, no doubt. They went hysterical. I got the camera out with great difficulty, so only "shaky shots"!! It had an enormous fur coat so when it finally ran, it had difficulty moving.  .
Sunday the 25th of December Friday the 16th of December A cat, which I know well, (a fantastically friendly tom who tries to get petted by everyone who passes, even follows people along quite a way), stood his ground as the dogs approached, whimpering with frustration and pulling like wild horses.  I had time to get the camera out as we approached and take these shots.  He finally decided he had best give way to them! 
Wednesday the 14th of December Sunday the 11th of December Sunday the 5th of December Friday the 3rd of December Saturday the 26th of November  It was Solo's birthday yesterday: Four years old and still going strong! A lot of grey hairs over his head though, but it makes him look even more attractive! Here he is doing his favourite thing: Checking out the kitchen table for leftovers, crumbs etc. 
Tuesday the 22nd of November There were two deer over a hill on the dog walk this morning! I have seen them together before.  Below: Dasher investigates up on the wall of boulder stones. Denmark is full of round boulder stones from the ice age glaciers that rolled them smooth over millions of years down what is now the North Sea, (and forming low-lying Denmark), and farmers during hundreds of years have turned them up when ploughing and tossed them onto what's become a boundary wall between two large fields. Of course, nature with winds, rain, wild seeds etc. have taken over so the stones can rarely be seen. This is the wall I walk beside into the old village, many times a week. A grassy path that has kindly been created for us by the farmer owning this side of the wall.  Below: Spotted racing at the speed of light across the bathroom floor last night! I put it in a glass and tipped it gently outside, but it won't survive unless it makes it into the neighbour's house! So have a thrill looking at it! 
Monday the 21st of November Yesterday, I had the most wonderful day at the Danish Sighthound club’s last and very cosy and Christmassy show of the year in Nyborg, on the island of Fyn. (Photo here shows Ring 1 and very late in the day, so most had gone home.)  A friend offered me a lift as she was passing nearby with her new Whippet puppy of 5 months to be shown in “Puppy Class”, (to please the breeder!), and her two oldest sons of 10 and 8, who were with her for fun and experience but as hubby didn't fancy going, so I took his place in the car!  . Photos above, instead of barking as usual, my two were silent and loved her on sight, greeting her in the driveway!!! Her oldest son was going to show under “Child and Dog”/Junior Handling. When we arrived at the sports hall, we were shocked to see the hall with it’s 3 rings, was packed to the eyebrows, but we managed to squeeze in between a Greyhound and Irish Wolfhound breeder friend of mine and another Greyhound owner.  . Photo above: The boys encouraging baby Fauna to "do her business" before we go in. Right: She greets a Greyhound.  . Beside us was the extremely affectionate Greyhound "Sally". The little girl in light blue who's parents owned Sally, was very keen on Solo, since he was more her size. She finally got my permission to take him for a walk around the hall and he, who has never been properly socialised, knew he was outnumbered and was an angel dog the whole day! (They know too, when they are amongst "their own kind", all mine have always been racists!)  . Below: A brief glimpse in the distance of the little girl walking Solo around. Alle manner of people helped hold his lead for me off and on during the day, when I wanted to photograph. I just told him to "Wait a minute!" and he did! He relaxed in his black travel bag. .  . It so happened, that Sally's kind owner gave Sally a treat, whilst Solo looked on so longingly, yet staying obediently in his bag, that I asked if he could have one too, which the owner very kindly gave him.  . Finally, they start the end of show classes with "Junior Handling", see this video showing the 4 oldest children who worked so hard, concentrated and lovingly, doing a very good job as best they could! The judge was very good too.www.youtube.com/watch?v=cThTOQPWGd0  It was a great day, tho' very long for my friends, who left home at 8 am and were not home until about 8 pm. Friday the 18th of November 2016 Thursday the 17th of November Solo's been after my shoe again! Never chews them, he just wants to make a statement of some sort!!!  Saturday the 12th of November Solo has been drinking Svend's coffee yet again!  . Who me?  The snow on Wednesday.  An enormous footprint!  On the pretty walk this morning. 
Wednesday the 9th of November Italian Greyhound owner Brian Kaagaard has kindly sent med some super photos he took from LC on Sunday the 30th October and Saturday the 16th. Solo in red jacket and Athena in white.  Whippet owner Jette, whom we've known for years at the racetrack, very kindly started Solo, so I could film. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nNzsQLElfE  And from Saturday the 16th of October: Look at the horses staring and wondering!!!!  Nearly there!  No video the 16th as there was fine rain most of the time.  At the kill! 
Thank you Brian! My eldest son was in Northern Italy a couple of weeks ago and spotted these two Italian Greyhounds in a women's fashion shop window. They are flat and sewn with a grey textured material. Monday the 7th of November Had the family to lunch yesterday and here are 3 pictures. Running a 5 star restaurant doesn't leave much time for photographing!  . The dog's night cage is always a hit. Everyone's squeezed in there at some time or other! Then Solo and Dasher crawl all over everyone looking for somewhere to sit - so nice to have a dog's bottom shoved up in your face!  Youngest Grandchild is fascinated! Sunday the 6th of November Saturday the 5th of November Sunday the 30th of October Wednesday the 26th of October  I was amazed on the dog walk this morning, so see that a very large field opposite the school, (otherwise sown with ankel high corn!), has suddenly been dug up in very precise rows as far as the eye can see. I spotted a man working in one of the trenches and went over to him. I said I just HAD to know what’s going on! He told me it is an archaeological excavation. (The burial mound seen behind is from the bronze age.) Then they will make some roads and sell plots off so it will become a new housing estate! We will get a lot of new neighbours – in the course of time! Manday the 24th of October A miniature acer by the front door, turns bright red at this time of year!  Thursday the 20th of October Hands up those who can remember the nearly a ton of earth delivered in our driveway? All gone now!  Autumn in our little village today:  Our raspberries are still slaving away, unaware of winter just around the corner! 
I am SO sick to death of the many dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs. We live in a lovely and well cared for area, so it is disgusting to see it ruined. Especially as the local people cut the grass in a neat path leading to the school, so the school children do not have to walk beside the road, but can take this pretty short cut, yet even here, the children and other walkers are not respected by many dog owners.  . In protest, I put the Danish flag down to mark out where the messes are and help the children notice and run around them. Plus it is the only way I know of protesting. Then the owners cannot walk past the next day and pretend they cannot see anything from the day before. See how many there are! It's like this almost the whole way to school! 
The flags, each on a wooden "toothpick" meant for birthday cakes, rot down at about the same rate as the poos!!!  Tuesday the 18th of October A wonderful day's coursing last Sunday! Cold, windy and fine rain off and on, but we still enjoyed ourselves to the full! I was lucky to get a lift from a Whippet friend, who had room for both dogs! Dasher's first LC this year! He ran with "Tesla" but lost sight of the hare halfway and ran back to me. She found the hare and ran on very well. Photo below of Tesla left and Dasher right about to start.  Second time she ran was against Solo, they were well matched and ran a perfect course. I couldn't film it due to the rain. This was the last run to earn her a racing license! She is declared professional now! So her owners were well pleased.  The only photo of Solo as he sped off after the hare and ran off the screen!  . Dasher was just a little nervous of the huge Wolfhounds! I was completely fascinated by these two SOOO different dogs! (Carlo is a VERY little Italian!)  The only video from the day - due to the almost constant fine rain... where new beginner Terry Whippet of only 9 months, does a perfect run - click on picture: 
Wednesday the 12th of October Tuesday the 20th of September Tuesday the 13th of September Monday the 12th of September I took Dasher to Tivoli yesterday as it was their once yearly "open for all dogs" day! I was in the Danish Kennel Club Parade around the gardens, where the dogs are grouped 1-10 after the FCI rules, sighthounds being the last: 10! I was shocked to see how few sighthounds came this year, but apparently there were several other arrangements that people had chosen - and Tivoli is very expensive. Below Dasher relaxing in his travel bag on my lap on the bus to the station.  But there were hundreds of lovely dogs in all shapes and sizes below "our" Greyhounds and only one Whippet.  Three "Broholmers" a Danish breed and Dasher insists on sniffing the furthest away dog, who is sitting. They don't seem to even know he's there!!!  Below: Our lovely Greyhounds - my friend takes them all on the train with her to Tivoli - I would just love to see the other passenger's eyes popping out when she gets on at her station! (They travel at the price of a child - but must not use a seat.)  One rests his head on the other! They nearly fall asleep with boredom.  Below, carefully greeting a baby Italian Greyhound.  Below, this Greyhound wants to play with the Whippet.  But she puts him in his place with a woof! 
Friday the 9th of September Solo checking for ripe plums. They both eat MANY every day. 
Monday the 5th of September Wednesday the 31st of August The corn has now been shaved down to the ground, bailed and carried away! The field is still a happy "golden" colour, I am not looking forward to seeing all the bare brown earth...photo from 2 days ago.  I told the dogs I couldn't take them on their morning walk and at the same time they could see I had "the wrong jacket" on, so they understood immediately, came out of waiting for me in the mud room, and sat on the spare bed in the sun! They understand SO much...  Tuesday the 30th of August Dasher had his stitches taken out yesterday - and I got the result from the tests, and it was as the vet. had thought/hoped, a possible "one off" so there's no reason to think he will have this again.  Above a bit sore-looking straight after the stitch removal and below this morning looking very healthy in the morning sun!  Sunday the 28th of August Grandchildren popped in for a quick lunch. The dogs are so patient and trusting with them.  Louis is actually sitting in the bed with them in right picture!  .
Thursday the 25th of August Dasher is being so good to ignore his bristly stitches, that he is permanently out of his itchy "protection costume"!  Below: More pink clouds - they are so pretty each evening.  Below: From the kitchen garden! 
Wednesday the 24th of August Monday the 22th of August Saturday the 20th of August News bulletin: Dasher is doing just FINE! He doesn’t seem to notice a thing, not his stitches nor his odd, uncomfortable get-up of racing jacket and a sleeve. He’s happy and fresh like always. I give a bit of painkiller every morn. Of course, in a week, the stitches will start to itch, so I will keep the outfit on for a while yet. Not much exercise today just to be safe. No worries – well not yet anyway! As you can see, I cut the foot bit off.  Below, they are both asleep here!  Friday the 19th of August About 16 days ago, I saw Dasher had a tiny pink bare spot on his right front leg. I thought he had "stabbed" himself on a plant etc. running in the garden. After about 10 days, I noticed it was slowly swelling up and forming a lump and got an appointment to take him to the vet. He was there at 9 am this morning and the vet is taking it very seriously and is this very moment operating to remove it and will do tests. I am very worried.  . The latest: I collected Dasher at 13.45 today and the vet has done a brilliant job.  He has taken an larger, elipse formed, area of skin, not just the actual growth and if it's what he thinks (and hopes he’s right), we will hear no more! So I have high hopes!  The stitches come out in 10 days and then I can hear the results of the sample sent for testing - someone drove it to the main post office to be sure it got off in time! Our post is very slow these days. I quickly sewed a sleeve from one of Svend's shirts, so Dasher cannot bite at the stitches, (much more humane that the torturous "Elizabethan collar":  .  Eating a windfall plum after dinner as his dessert!!! I have painkillers to give him once a day. Thursday the 18th of August Friday the 12th of August Friday the 5th of August Saturday the 23rd of July A wonderful (but very hot) day's Lure coursing today!  Here are some photos taken by Lars Johansen of Solo racing around!   Below: Just a speck in a giant field!  Below, he kills the "hare" over and over!!  Solo travelling in the foot well of my friend's car - it's very hot.  Below: Her dogs, Karla and Camino are behind us:  Walking the dogs after we arrive. Solo loves them and they are very friendly, sweet dogs - I love them too!  Karla wants a good sniff - again!  A teeny weeny video from the day will come soon. But it was too hot to leave the dogs in the car, and SO difficult photographing with hysterical Solo jerking at the lead! Thursday the 21st of July Sunbathing - only there's a cloud come along!  Below: True to form, Solo's taken a shoe again! Right: It's so hot he's flopped out of the bed!  .
Tuesday the 19th of July I caught the little Oystercatcher family resting up on a roof on the dog walk today. The adults train their two youngsters by flying around the whole neighbourhood screaming loudly !  Monday the 18th of July Solo spotted the cat! He was tense and ready for instant action. Dasher never saw it, but could smell something. Solo looked at Dasher to see if he was going to go beserk, saw he was relaxed, so he calmed down and I got them past without a sound! 
Friday the 15th of July A blaze of colour from one of my hortensias:  Below: Solo eating cherries for dessert! (Breakfast and lunch too!!! The stones pass though ok - so far.)  Below, the corn is even riper now!  Below: You can see 10 kilometres to the sea at the end of this path!  Below: A sunflower grows in the middle of my compost holder - with potatoes all around, so pretty. 
Saturday the 9th of July Sunday the 3rd of July Dasher got stung by a wasp yesterday evening. I heard him whimper and saw both dogs looked at the ground where a wasp was crawling around - which I immediately squashed! He suffered a lot of pain all evening as his leg swelled up, so we gave him lots of sympathy.  I put some insect-bite cream on twice, but of course he licked it off again. Luckily he is fine again today.  Solo uses telepathy to tell me where he wants his dog bed to be placed - so he can sunbathe! I obey immediately!  Satisfied dogs after their walk.  The corn is ripening fast! Compare with photo below! Monday the 26th of June  Went to a lovely day's Lure coursing yesterday! Below: Solo sitting on a chair inside the red tent!  . Below: Greeting Whippets Hugo and Ludvig, whom he's very fond of - then pushing on further to see what my friend has in her bag!!! Anything edible will do!  . Below: Solo starts together with Athena.  See the little Lure coursing video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEno46UciXo Tuesday the 21st of June After dinner there's a tradition for going out in the garden and having a dessert of wild strawberries!  .
Sunday the 19th of June Family to lunch and games in the garden where Solo got teased! He fetches a tennis ball, but is very possessive!  . Below: Of course the cage has to be tried out - again!  .  Friday the 17th of June Can this really be comfortable? They are outside sunning themselves - only the suns's gone in!  Picked in one day: (Very small due to the drought here for months.)  Sunday the 12th of June Part of the wonderful walk across the fields into the old village.  Wednesday the 8th of June A short video from a very long hot and wonderful Lure coursing day, Saturday the 4th of June! www.youtube.com/watch?v=brT7igg6Ap8 Tuesday the 7th of June I went to Lure coursing with Solo on Saturday. Should have taken Dasher, but he's had a a mystery limp on right front leg, is OK now, but I am being careful!  Greeting Athena, his running partner for the day - and friendly with two sweet Whippets, Ludvig and Hugo.  .  They're off!  A cute baby Whipppet who had NO idea what it was all about - but will soon be a wild bunny killer when he finds out!  Waiting for the bus home at the bus station - note fag ends! He sits like an angel in his travel bag, is no trouble at all.  Above: Right! Who runs and barks at the neighbour first? Friday the 3rd of June Wednesday the 25th of May Last Sunday, thanks to my brother carrying a dog on bus and train, (I can only manage one under arm and on lap) we visited my son and daughter-in-law and had a wonderful lunch. Below, on way to the bus.  Below: The two of them relaxing on the train! One on each lap in a travel bag.  On their new trampolin!!!! Of course my son had to tease them! Solo quickly discovered that the outside perimeter was ok, but Dasher was paralised!!!  Below: Solo chilling out with our Grandson.  Earlier, we were in Tivoli, here are two shots:  Looking up a tree - and some tulips in the sun.  The other day, Bella visited (being cared for by our son), and we knew she would chew the ball, but no dog has ever liked it and I've had it for years! Now it will never squeak again! 
Sunday the 15th of May Tuesday the 10th of May Sunday the 8th of May  Look closely - how can this be a comfortable way to lie in a dog bed???  . Solo stole my "go anywhere doggy walk boot", my slipper and a biro - is this a hint???  I nearly had a heart attack yesterday afternoon! Dead tired after a long active day painting the house outside and cleaning, I thought I should turn my attention to the dogs – and Solo was missing! Ran around calling all over and finally see he has slid under the garden fence wire. Panic! Here's where he got out - temporarily blocked! Had had scraped the earth and torn at the hedge - probably after a bird or the neighbour's cat!  I run round calling and blowing the soundless whistle he knows to come to. Realise I have only slippers on and no leash or collar, I sprint back. Round the side of the house again where there is a grassy lane and a younger woman comes out of a garden. She has seen him! She knew he was ours as she had seen me on dog walks. She had gone in to fetch some dog treats, but of course she didn’t know his name so she could not call him. I rush with her round to the back of the garden he was in and out he comes, eats her treats whilst I pop his collar and lead on. Phew, I dread to think what could have happened to him had he crossed a nearby main road...  Solo jumps up to greet two of our guests!  Horses in our local field enjoying the early morning sunshine. Pigeon problems! They want to eat the sunflower seeds I put out for my Blue tits. First, it tooks lots of practice for them to withstand the huge swinging motion to and fro it does when they land, as they are very heavy birds - so I hung it even lower, to create even greater swinging to and fro, to put them off. But oh no, they found out how to tackle this gymnastic feat too! Wednesday the 4th of May Dasher is 7 years old today - how time flies!  Our country busses give a very good service, freighting anything from wheelchairs, large prams, pushchairs, luggage and even bicycles! Here today a young woman with a puppy mastiff breed called Cane Corso - and he was just so well-behaved tho' protested quietly with a groan as he was really most uncomfortable and as the bus turned corners, he slid across the floor! Not a breed that interests me, but he really was a charmer!  Below: Our Japanese cherry is SOOO pretty right now! Right: Guess who's taken my shoe!  .
Monday the 2nd of May The mustard and rape seed is starting to flower. Will soon be quite a blinding yellow in the sun.  Sunday the 1st. of May 2016 Another wonderful lure coursing day! Just two easy bus rides away and a kilometre walk. Solo is an angel, sitting obediently in his bag waiting for busses or on my lap. Here is a Whippet friend Maibritt starting him so I could film.  Waiting to start.  Per gives the hands up signal "ready to start" and Solo is impatient and can't wait as the hare begins to run!  The tap on the back signal to start and Solo is already a blurr in the picture! He lost sight of the hare in the long grass and dips in the ground, but didn't give up, he searched for it, quickly found it and ran on perfectly. This happens often to Italians as they are that much lower to the ground and the Hare Master has a job keeping the hare near enough to keep an eye on, but not so near as the dog can grab it! A fine art that easily goes wrong!  Here he is thoroughly shaking the plastic strips to make sure they are quite dead - several times over!! After a short walk to calm his muscles down, he ate his lunch, walked again, then I had permission to put him in a cage in the van of an Afghan hound owner! Here he sat good as gold, whilst I could chat with the others and also lend a hand. Lure coursing is quite hard and tiring work for the many kind volunteers.  .  Warming his feet on Dasher afterwards! It's dreadful the way Italians have to sit ON TOP of other dogs. It annoyed my Whippets as well. Dasher often gets sick of it, (it must be painful with bones and nails digging in...) and he tries to growl, but Solo doesn't care, he even sits on top of his head!!! Tuesday the 26th of April Friday the 15th of April I was amused on the dog walk this morning to see the two horses I pass every day, enjoying lying down in the weak sun - and after I put the camera away, (of course!) the pied one started rolling to and fro on it's back!  The first pansies! Two plants that have survived the winter.  I have always read everything I can get hold of when I have a pet and so of course I own many books on Canaries and other cage birds. I had read that a little bird called a “Grey Singing Finch”, could be crossed with a Canary – but that the the young would be sterile, as with horse and donkey cross. So I put my Grey Singing Finch in a large voliere in our lounge with a yellow Canary female and let nature do the rest! Some time in mid-April 1996, 4 eggs hatched out, which I called Wonder 1 – 4. One male and three females. All basically grey like Dad, but with a some yellow feathers as well. Later, they came outside in my large outdoors voliere attached to my old drawing office, which they also had free use of through an open window. Two females died after only about 6-7 years, but the remaining two were a devoted pair who had their own private chirps of conversation and clearly a good friendship going - and she never laid eggs!. Three years ago, the female died of old age at 17. This is the oldest any of my canaries has ever been. Thier hearts seem to just stop. She had been poorly for a few days. But “Wonder 1” is still living on, singing loudly in our lounge, not even going blind as my 17-year olds mostly have done! So happy 20th birthday to Wonder 1!  Saturday the 9th of April 2016 Sitting enjoying a spot of sun, waiting for me to say the magic word! (Walkies!!!)  Momma Blackbird waits impatiently for me to put bird food in the cycle basket, and passes the time by watching out for worms in the grass just a yard away!  .
Wednesday the 6th of April Saturday the 29th of March Crocus wall to wall - nearly blinding in the sun!  Spot the dog! Dasher alseep in the kitchen.  Tuesday the 29th of March  Went to the year’s first Lure Coursing yesterday! Up at 5.30, left home at 8.20 (you need good time when a dog is with!) took the bus to Slagelse Station. The Intercity train comes in a few minutes later - and Solo is on his first public transport trip! He was very amazed at everything, all eyes and ears, (and looking often at my face to see how I was taking it all!) but stayed nicely in his black leather bag, which meant he travelled free. He longingly eyed the comfy seat beside me and showed me he thought that would be far more fitting a seat for an Italian Greyhound!!!  . (Above: Reclining nonchalantly on the train table!) At Høje Tåstrup Station, I got a lift from from a kind Whippet friend the last 3/4 hour’s drive. We arrived just before 11.am! (I travelled from west to east on our Danish island.) No good photos - SO difficult with Solo in tow. The run was a good 800 metres! Solo raced around like crazy in fine style. The little 8 year old Italian he was paired with, stopped halfway.  . Is there something interesting under there? We had a WONDERFUL day, although the newly bought coursing machine, that is very smart with it’s remote control allowing the Hare Master to stand where ever he or she wants in order to see well, instead of as before where they had to stand holding the handlebars, did give trouble at first. (As all newly bought electronic equipment loves to tease us!) Dropped off again at the station, I got the 18.13 Intercity train to Slagelse and the bus stood there waiting for me, so I was home about 19.30!!! Saturday the 26th of March Thursday the 18th of March I have many encounters with cats on the dog walks but little chance to take photos with two mad killer dogs wrenching at their flexi-leads! BUT, this morning I suddenly spotted a pretty tortoiseshell cat hiding behind a tree with just it’s bum sticking out! I stop and reach for the camera with both leads firmly in a death grip in the other hand. I took the shot so quickly, it is out of focus. The cat realised the game was up when I stopped walking and it sprinted away, then circled us and stood staring as it could see both dogs were safely on leads! Cats do get their blood pressure up - and mine!  Below: Where did it go????  Below: Cats love to stand and gloat!  .
Friday the 18th of March 2016  This morning it was misty and the entire local school was apparently holding a healthy "run around the area" day. There were children as far as the eye could see and they kept on coming as they were "released" from the school "a class at a time"! Wonderful to see such concentrated energy. The dogs got attention, of course. Many were on skates and some were on tiny scooters that are popular here.  . I was MOST admiring (and laughing!) at these three girls sharing a scooter! Well done!  Yesterday was sunny and the deer were there again near the hide! They stood staring for such a long time, I could get the camera out - but then they saw the dogs! I wear a bright red raincoat and ditto hat, so I think they could see that I wasn't a hunter in camouflage clothing out to kill them! Saturday the 12th of March After frost degrees last night, the temperature rose this morning creating a frosty mist, which drifted in and stuck icicles on one side of every plant!  .  Thursday the 10th of March On the dog walk over the fields this morning, I saw some deer. I managed to take some photos before they shot off at the speed of light! This was the best one.(The frame is a hide for bird watchers!)  Wednesday the 9th of March Had family to lunch on Sunday. Here is the 6 year old tradition where son Gregor carries Dasher around so his nose is a few centimetres from all our food. Dasher licks his lips over all the delicious food he ISN'T having any of! Later, checking in any customers needing help whilst Dasher wants to be petted!  . On the dog walk across the fields walk today, I could see that the local hares have realised spring is here and been fighting as there were a few tots of hare hair lying around!  Below, taken in a rush so out of focus, but Dasher is actually sitting under Solos's stomach if you look closely!  Tuesday the 1st of March Dasher and Solo have one of their funny "kill each other" wrestling games, almost in silence apart from very heavy breathing. Unfort. all shots are blurred as they are SO fast! How they avoid harming each other, I'll never know, but there's not even a tiny squeak of pain!  .  .  .
Saturday the 27th of February Sønday the 21st of February Friday the 5th of February Found a giant spider in the kitchen last night! Too big to kill so I put it outside in some flower pots. Will die though as it's an "indoors" spider. They thrive in our homes. Have a good shudder!  Thursday the 4th of February My snowdrops are nearly open and spring is on the way - I hope!  Not for the squeamish! Poor Solo lost his dewclaw nail today! I saw him sniffing at something on the floor and thought it was a house spider he'd killed...  ...but the whole nail had fallen off! He had injured it a year or so ago, it was dingling, split in half, so I had to clip it off. It grew back deformed and fell off after some months - then this new one looked strong and normal - but no, it just detached itself today! Oh well, one less nail to cut!  |
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Saturday the 30th of January Thursday the 28th of January Tuesday the 26th of January At last the snow's gone and spring is on the way!  Sunday the 24th of January After days of minus temps. and yesterday snowing all day, we are finally on "thaw". All the damp is giving a very thick mist.  Below: "Errr, why are we out here? This is a big mistake!""  The moon at five pm two evenings ago. A very pretty, pale golden colour.  Thursday the 21st of January Did you say I had to go outside? Not me!  A beautiful morning, minus 3-4 degrees with some swirling mist in the sun!  Below, the new children's playground in the mist.  When I got home, there's Momma Blackbird balancing on a clump of snow on the post and sunbathing! She doesn't mind posing for the camera as she is full of a fresh apple and she knows it's me who puts it there every morning!  Wednesday the 20th of January Another weather picture, a view I have taken many times before.  -and a wonderful sunset between the neighbour's house and garage. 
Sunday the 17th of January Friday the 15th of January I did a big dust and vacuum the house today and somehow Solo slipped into our bathroom and stolen the toilet paper. He's been prevented for months, so he must have been overjoyed!  . Above right, this rose is still hanging on!!! Wednesday the 13th of January Woke up to a thick blanket of snow this morning!  . Left Wednesday - right: Friday!  They almost never clear our road but the company of 115 homeowners on the other side, always get their pavement cleared! (Which they of course pay for.) So the road looks shocking and was surely was a nightmare for our neighbours, who had to drive off to work in the dark early this morning,  Crossing the road is a challenge when you are an Italian!   . Momma Blackbird looking suitably fat! And the robin, who is very shy, so I have difficulty photographing him, he looks straight at me - all taken though my office window. Saturday the 9th of January 2016 Freday the 8th of January 2016 The absolute last rose of (last) summer? Still hanging on after days of icy winds and now a thick blanket of snow! Sorry it's out of focus, but still pretty.  Wednesday the 6th of January Total lack of action here due to a bad bought of influenza since I last wrote! Even Solo hasn't done anything specially naughty - shame! As soon as I have something worth showing, I will start a new page for 2016 - Happy New Year to you all! Watch this space! |
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