It's been a few days since my last Journal entry, and I've finally found a few minutes to rectify this omission. If I'm honest the lawn really could do with a cut, but I really can't face wandering around the lawn for three hours, so here's what I've been up to.
Saturday, 17 May 2025
The day started with a wander around the Three Miler with the dogs. Whiffler is now sufficiently recovered to be exercised, and he really seemed to enjoy this morning's trot around the lanes.
Having exercised the dogs, 30% and I tidied ourselves, and headed in to The Regal in Evesham for a lunchtime comedy gig performed by Chris McCausland. We were familiar with Chris from his panel show appearances, and his triumph in last year's Strictly Come Dancing, but were not familiar with his stand up material. We both really enjoyed his engaging persona and his take on some of the, quite frankly, ridiculous aspects of modern life. It was a well deserved 8/10 gig.
The only downside to the gig was that 30% spotted the parents of an old school friend of TP, and insisted on making contact via the wonderful medium that is WhatsApp. We hadn't had any contact with this couple for at least twelve years and it was definitely one of those relationships that has been and gone.
30% refused to go along with my suggestion that we steer clear of them, and the end result was a tedious kerbside chat after the show. As we walked away 30% commended how boring "Trish" was, and I was somewhat frustrated to reiterate that my suggestion had been to avoid her like the fucking plague!
The odd scheduling of the comedy gig meant that we were home before four o'clock, and I was able to spend a little more time in the garden. I thinned out my celery seedlings and sowed a crop of Early Nantes carrots in the other half of the large raised bed. I am not convinced that the Autumn King seeds sowed last Tuesday will be viable, so these were sown as a contingency against the first sowing failing.
Sunday, 18 May 2025
I am not very good at keeping in touch with friends, but I had managed (in my half-arsed fashion) to semi-arrange an outing for today.
Over the past couple of months I had exchanged occasional WhatsApp messages with an old Frolleague; Tel,* with the aim of meeting up. Tel had suggested Westonbirt Arboretum as it is roughly midway between our homes.
A picnic at the arboretum seemed like a good idea, and when 30% discovered that it was very dog friendly we leapt at the idea.
We met up with Tel and his good lady; Deb around eleven oclock and had a fabulous day there. The weather was perfect for a walk around the verdant collection. Coffee and ice cream bars were conveniently situated, when refreshments were needed, and we had our picnic in a lovely shaded glade. Whiffler, Hobson and The Rat had a wonderful time too; racing around, playing, and making lots of new friends.
We had had a fabulous day, and I should also mention the lovely Gloucestershire villages and countryside we passed through on our way there. The drive was certainly not a chore.
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* I had worked with Tel for many years at The Neat & Tidy Piano Movers, and we were the inseparable pair of cynical buggers in our team. We keep in touch by text or call pretty regularly, but don't meet up as often as we should.
Monday, 19 May 2025
As mentioned on Friday, 30% has been in touch with Hobson's breeder. A young dog from the same litter as Hobson needs to be re-homed. We have the space, the time and a modicum of experience with Poodles, so Hobson's breeder thinks that this young dog might fit in well with our little Poodle pack.
The back story is that this dog was bought by a young woman who thought that owning a young Standard Poodle would fit in quite nicely with a career working away on cruise ships. The dog was abandoned with her Sister when she worked away for ten months last year, and she is booked for another cruise in a few week's time.
Fortunately she has finally seen sense and offered the dog back to the breeder.
Today saw us head over to the Swansea area to collect the poor boy. At first sight we were a little concerned as he seemed very nervous and his tail was down, almost tucked between his legs. We introduced him to Hobson and one of his breeder's bitches and the dog seemed reasonably friendly, but it was apparent that he had not been properly socialised and was clearly lacking in canine confidence.
It was also apparent that his diet hadn't been particularly good as he is significantly smaller than Hobson and much less well muscled. The boy definitely needs feeding up, an exercise regimen, and the company of some well adjusted dogs.
After a tearful farewell, the young boy was bundled in to the car to sit alongside 30%, and we headed back towards the Midlands.
Now I would have expected the dog to be incredibly stressed. He had just been separated from his owner, and lifted in to a strange vehicle with unfamiliar people and dogs. In fact he settled down almost immediately, lying down and enjoying 30%'s affections all the way home.
It almost seemed that the further we got from Wales, the more relaxed he became.
The introductions to our three have gone as well as we could have hoped. He is understandably apprehensive, but there has been no aggression and, again, he has relaxed and settled down to snooze in the same room as Hobson and Whiffler. He also had a massive dinner.
Let's hope that we all have a quiet night.
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