Autumn Jobs

Why is it that once the shows are over you never have all the time that you think you were going have! Partly i guess its down to lazy weekend mornings but mostly i think we just have so many jobs to catch up on, ones that we put off all summer. Last week with the help of Little Red Tractor (Dylan's favourite) Leslie has been catching up on 3 years hedge trimming!






Its a huge job and not really a one man job either but he's getting there, The one behind the dogs is not done yet although he did cut a path so people could get through to the agility field easier.

The other job we did last weekend was take the Dog Walk in strip it back and completly repaint and resand it. Sadly no photo's but it looks great and we had a good time doing it, Dylan especially because he got to play on Little Red Tractor all day. The A-frame is next on our list and of course the van cages that Leslie is trying to get done before Newton Heath next Saturday.

Halloween and bonfires

First i have to confess I'm a big kid and i LOVE Halloween, so Dylan and the minded children spent a week getting the pumpkins carved. I always get really excited and buy way TOO MANY pumpkins and then end up doing them for hours. So this year i was well behaved, i took 4 children to Slindon and we took Emmy, Fizz and Dot for a walk in the woods. After our walk we went to visit the pumpkin man. He wasn't there when we went because he's quite old now but his display was still good, this year he did a dinosaur and a pterodactyl, sadly i didn't have my camera. Here's a picture from a couple of years ago when he used 22 different types of pumpkins in his display.

I was good and we only bought 4 Pumpkins, i wanted to buy some green ones because they looked scary but the children were adamant they had to be the traditional orange ones. I let Dylan carve his pumpkin one evening when the minded children had gone because they like take over and do things for him. So instead he had the help of the dogs, especially Emmy who thought the pumpkin was YUMMY!





Don't worry he didn't actually eat any!!!

Here's a couple of the finished ones




Anyway after the minded children had been round trick or treating i took the sweets out to my group and i have to say they are all big kids too and everyone had a ball but there wasn't much training going on!!!

We were then on to the firework season, I'm really glad none of my dogs are bothered but i feel for those who have dogs that are affected by fireworks because they go on for so long not just celebrating the 5th of November.
Osborne refrigerators has a yearly firework party these days and most of the staff come and bring friends, we have sausage in a bun and a huge fire. Leslie spends ages getting the fire built and sorting out the fireworks because he likes everything to go smoothly, he hates gaps in the display. This year was no different and he did a good job and everyone enjoyed themselves we even had some unexpected visitors.

Yes someone called the firebrigade! We;re not sure who it was but they were quite happy with everything and they didn't even want a sausage in a bun! Here's Leslie's fire, we are a long way away from it and it burns down quickly.


I always have reservations about this party as i know that dog people should be against fireworks but the kids and BIG kids have a good time and it's nice to see people from the factory and chat to friends. Dylan really enjoyed himself and like last year he went to sleep half way through!

A shameless Plea!

The minded children and I have registered with Tesco's to collect their sports for schools vouchers and they are doing a great job, but obviously we are competing against the playschools and schools for them so if anyone has any spare that we can make use of PLEASE let me know and i will send you an SAE!!!! You need 1000's to get the big stuff but a few hundred would get us some new footballs and a new net for our goal posts.

Supadog Finals

Back in March this year before i realised what a year Tig was going to have he came 2nd in the Supadog heat and qualified for the final. Eventually the 14th October came round and Tig was going fantastic, I have to say i hadn't done anything with him and we spent the week before in Scotland but it worked to his advantage i think because he was seriously flying.

Sadly for Tig i let him down in the final and caused him to run by Jump 16 (GRRR!) but as you will see by Lisa's wonderful filming he was going great and i couldn't have asked for any more from him.



So we ended up winning both the warm up jumping and agility classes, I should know that is unlucky! As usual the wonderful Linda Croxford and her team provided GREAT crystal and rosettes AND more food for Charlie, which is great as she had just come to the end of the 3 bags Tig won in June!

Thanks

Thanks Karen for the lovely banner at the top!

One of those camera moments

Having read about Johanna's Soda jumping into the sink i think Emmy took a leaf from her book.
We got home from Downlands and she was very pleased to see us, it was a shame she couldn't come but lack of cage space and lack of excersize at the venue ment it was better for her to stay at home with Charlie.
Anyway she was hairing round the place like a hooligan and all of a sudden she ran in through the back door and landed right on the kitchen table. I wish i had a picture! Couldn't help but laugh as i wiped the muddy paw prints off!

Souvenirs

Now its always nice to get a little something to remember a holiday by so i guess its about time i introduced Corriedhu Emmy.



I first contacted Laura about a month before my holiday but i never expected Emmy to still be there when we went up, infact there were other people interested but it must have been fate because she was still there and needed a home and some people to call hers. Emmy has a GEORGOUS temperment and a really good attitude towards life and most of all she LOVES a cuddle.

Lucky for us that she wouldn't work sheep else Laura would have wanted to keep her but she certainly will do agility and she loves her food and toy and she's begining to play tug loads now i will have to take some video cause i know it will make Laura cringe! Sheepdogs just are not ment to do that, but she loves it.



For now Emmy is just settling in and finding her feet, she is for Dan (Leslie's Son)and he's been playing lots of games with her this week. The serious stuff will start later, there is no hurry as this pair are lucky to start in Grade 1 so they can learn the ropes together. Although i think Dylan's trying to steal her, here's his first shot at training caught on camera (rare for me i know!)



Emmy is genetically 'NORMAL' and carries dilute so maybe one day i'll get a blue tri bitch after all.