Puppy Love

Well, my resolution of a weekly Monday blog went by the wayside this week due to this little time waster! It is like having a new baby except he can run around. He is so tiny it's easy to lose him under the furniture! His night time whining is becoming less but we are bleary eyed....it reminds me why we have children when we are young. He has already learnt his name and is being very good with house training so far and has even learnt to sit by copying Toby. Toby is not quite sure what he is yet but is being fairly tolerant....hopefully they will be the best of friends one of these days. The cats are showing their disapproval by retiring upstairs, they feel that old ladies shouldn't be subjected to such baby bounciness. Everybody else just loves him of course.

So...meet Milo, the Italian greyhound or 'Iggy' as they are affectionately known.

Trying to Blog

I really used to enjoy writing my blog and interacting with other bloggers and readers, but it seems that I have ended up hardly doing anything at all. This morning I was thinking about it and was wondering if I could get back into it again. I have come up with a plan (a cunning plan perhaps?). I think the most enjoyable part of reading blogs is looking at the photos that are posted of houses, gardens, pets, vintage

 finds and outings etc so I wondered if I should try and do a weekly post of the photos reflecting what I have done the previous week? I wrote some posts like that in the past and it encourages me to take photos too.

So, if anyone is actually reading this after all this time, do you think? 

Shall I start one now as it is Monday morning...a good time to reflect on the past week and perhaps think about what is happening this week....

Last Monday Mr C and I had breakfast at The Canteen in Nailsworth.

I am working on a new flower bed and look who moved in!

I bought a new waffle maker so had to try it out for breakfast.

The Boy earned his keep by mowing two acres of buttercups that had exploded like invading zombies while we were away on holiday.

My garden roses are looking so pretty.

Our big exciting news is that we are getting a new puppy. We went to visit him again on Saturday, he is 6 weeks old now and Mr C is in love! 

There was manic puppy love for 10 minutes and then he promptly fell asleep upside down. He is a little Italian Greyhound and he comes home in two weeks time so brace yourself for lots of puppy pics.

We bought the puppy a little igloo bed and look who managed to squeeze himself in! 

Finally, this week I am looking forward to the next V&H Vintage Jumble Sale in Box where there will be vintage bargains galore. 

November

Time does fly and I've just realised how long it has been since I last wrote a post. I don't even know if anyone is still reading my blog after all this time! My time seems to be taken up mainly with hunting out vintage treasures, keeping my unit at Gloucester Antique Centre stocked, organising the V&H Fairs with Michele and looking after animals. The garden has been tidied up for winter, the chickens are moulting so we don't have any eggs, I have made chutney for Christmas with the last of my tomatoes and my neighbours excess apples.

 I thought I'd share some photos to highlight what has been going on in my life instead of writing reams of text for you to read as there is a bit of catching up to do!

I surprised myself by winning a cup at the village show for my flower arrangement (a vintage cup of course!).

Dylan had a bath...yes, that is newsworthy!

I bought a new car - another Mini (my third so far!)

The Boy started university in Wales ....when did he grow up??

We held our V&H Textile & Fashion Fair in October.

We have had a wonderful feature about the Christmas Fair in the December issue of Homes & Antiques Magazine - out now!

The Girl & I made some new cushions for the winter.

 

We had a fun family trip to Gifford Circus in Bath.

Toby hurt his paw....don't worry, he is fine now!

The Girl & Balli have had lots of fun.

And Dylan got new pyjamas!

SAD DAYS AT THE COTTAGE

Last week was a very sad one as we had a fox invasion. We have had hens for going on 10 years & have never lost one to a fox, they have lived out their natural lives. Last week we had a fox break in to the hen house by pushing up the floor & pulling the hens out. We didn't have the run on but never imagined that this would happen when they were locked in at night.
Sadly, one of the hens was Tinkerbell, one of our first hens who we had had for 9 years who was a real pet.

Just one hen escaped the massacre - Fluffy Feet, pictured below.

 

We immediately added the run so that Mr Fox couldn't get under the house & temporarily moved the hen house up near the house & made a pen with electrified poultry netting.

Poor Fluffy Feet looked very depressed & just sat inside the house forlornly.

I decided that she needed some new friends to cheer her up, so Bluebell & Jessie have arrived to keep her company. They are young hens & have settled in very quickly, learning how to go up the ladder to bed in no time.

 On the second day that they were here one of them laid an egg so I'm looking forward to having lovely fresh eggs again. Fluffy isn't laying yet after winter but she is about 5 years years old now so won't lay as often as the younger girls.

We live near a free range egg farm & one of the fields has been cleared of chickens - I think that the fox must have been feasting there but is now looking further afield as my neighbour has lost half a dozen hens too. We are going to have to keep them penned in with the electrified fencing to keep the murderer out. In the meantime Toby is on fox watch!

Happy Birthday Lucy

This cute little "Millennium Baby" is 11 years old today. Who knew when we brought her home that she would be such a wonderful dog - my doggy soul mate.


She truly is the best dog I have ever had & I am honoured that I have the pleasure of sharing her life & having her unconditional love & hope to share it for years to come.


Lucy likes:
Carrying things - toys, slippers, socks, blankets, bones....
Chasing balls & bringing them back
Her bedtime Bonio
Riding in the car
Mud, snow, water, puddles, rain, sunshine...in fact any weather!
Other dogs, horses, cats
Cheese & strawberries
Lying in front of the fire or Aga or by my feet
Her basket
Toby

Lucy dislikes:
People putting things in our letterbox
Vacuum cleaners

"My little dog-- a heartbeat at my feet." -Edith Wharton

The Cat In The Pot - Caption Competition

This little scene really amused me - both Dylan & Dolly (the stable dog) were fascinated by the cat sitting in the plant pot....any suggestions for a caption?
Best caption will win a little prize!
Dylan is very fond of small creatures, whether they be dogs, cats, chickens or little children.


Here he is in working mode last Sunday with Tamzin doing a bit of jumping.

All Sorts

I have had rather a busy week or so with one thing & another but I thought it was time I posted a catch up post so you know that I am still around.

The first adventure of the week was another dramatic Chicken Rescue (an idea for a new TV programme perhaps?).
Toby (aka Son of Satan or SoS to his friends) was barking like a crazy dog at the bottom of the garden so I went out to see what all the fuss was about. Yes, you've guessed it, yet another chicken in the pond trying to be a duck. Our house is like Chicken Run in reverse as they try to get in rather than out.

Anyway, I was wondering how I was going to fish her out as she was on the other side of the pond where all the lovely brambles & nettles live when she very calmly SWAM over to me! Who knew that chickens could actually swim?
So, I picked her up & she was a sorry sight - soaking wet, shivering & covered in pond weed.
I wrapped her up in an old sheet to dry her off.


After giving her a rub & a bit of a cuddle we put her into a box with a thick layer of shavings in the bottom & parked her next to a heater for a few hours. We kept her in the house overnight & by the morning she was looking decidedly fluffed up & perky.


We think she was a refugee from the farm who had been living rough since they took the flock away & as I didn't want her being nabbed by a fox or dog I popped her into our chicken pen, much to the consternation of the other ladies. In the evening when it was time for bed she was nowhere to be seen so I thought she had decided to leave us but the next morning she reappeared & has been here ever since - it only took her 2 days to decide to go into the hen house at night.

We have called her Amelia Pond as she is a redhead, was in the pond & disappeared & reappeared (probably in her chicken Tardis). Also, we had been watching Dr Who....

So, here she is - about half the size of our other hens but I bet she'll catch up quick!


Of course the cats couldn't care less....



I popped over to the Gloucester Antiques Centre on Saturday to drop off some new stock including some vintage toys.


I was pleased to see some of my stock (the glassware & scooter) in the outdoor picnic themed window display.


Sunday morning saw all the carpeting being removed from the stairs in preparation for a new carpet - I was surprised to see rather nice wooden stairs & floorboards underneath & contemplated painting them instead, but the "clip, clip, clip" of dog & cat claws & "thump, thump, leap, clunk" of big teenage boy feet is rather annoying so we are sticking with carpet.





Finally, I thought it was time to add some new stock to my online shop which I haven't updated for a while. Items include this unusual Jack Russell ribbon plate...

....cute Pixie cake decoration....

......lovely vintage china terrier.....

.....Rosebud doll.....
(sorry, I'm sold)

.... cat string holder & more.

Of course Michele & I are working on the next V&H Fashion & Textile Fair to be held on the 4th June which necessitated a "breakfast meeting" on Monday - just an excuse to eat bacon rolls & drink lattes really! :-)

PS...just wanted to say sorry to all those that posted a comment that hasn't appeared - it seems Blogger was having issues & lots of the comments have just vanished & I can't retrieve them. Some people's blog posts have also been deleted. This happened on Wednesday & Thursday but they seem to have it sorted out now.