Morning all,

Well just trying to get my bum out of bed. Dad is needing picked up, he's got a large bag of dog food and can't carry it home himself.

Going to chill and play a board game with Davie today I think. It's piddling rain.

Afternoon all,

I'm back from my dog walk which we all enjoyed in the sun (it's now hidden itself again though). I'm sitting looking at some plaster-filler just trying to decided whether I want to start preparing the downstairs loo door and surround before painting it. OH out for the day as is my son so very quiet here now.

Malka - Dear Pereg obviously wakes up during the night and realises you're asleep and would much rather have your attention as she L O V E S you so much It must be so disruptive to have to keep getting out of bed at night for you. Give Pereg a hug from me.

Moyra - What a young Mum you are - lovely for your son and yes keep telling him that he's catching up I still give my boys advice about various things and do they listen .... not often but they do often say to me .... you were right. I hope his back settles and yes lifting heavy tiles is not ideal when you have back problems.

Chris - I hope you have a lovely walk this morning and that Gary was OK when you dropped in to see him. Poor lad, it really isn't fair is it? Hopefully your Mum will be in less discomfort now the meds reaction has settled.

Lore - Do be careful of your back if your having to lug huge sack of dog food around - we don't need any more casualties here Enjoy your chill day with Davie.

I'm off to the garden centre as I think that will be far more enjoyable than painting.

Garden Centre vs Painting ... no contest!

Missed my plan call in to get a big trailing petunia for a wall hanging urn I need to fill because my road trip to the furthest eastern bit was so bluddy horrendous due to the road works around me here making it take as long to get to the Port Roundabout to get on the highway (about 3km) as it did to go the rest of the way (about 70km)

Found myself driving past where I live on a parallel road a couple of times!

Anyway I picked up the works of art I wanted for the rented flats (the ones the lads are in) and a soapstone carving for mine. And headed home keeping to the highway all the way to the airport instead of hitting town again so missed the garden centre.

Bella was her usual totally 'unsettled' self for the entire journey - 2 hrs there and 1 hr back and did not give in and sit down until we were quarter of the way home. Little lunatic.

Well been to pick up Dad, dog food and do shopping. Had an illuminating conversation with him in which he found out how bad things got with Mum when he was on nightshift. I found out what had happened with her, we came to the conclusion that it all started when she and Dad decided not to have more kids, we think she secretly wanted more. Given that she came from a large family that made a sort of sense.

This afternoon, lunch, then either monopoly with Davie if he wants to, or assignment...or hoovering, not sure which

Afternoon all. Thank you for the well wishes for mum and the continuing Dogsey vibes for Gorden for Wednesday.

We opted for a wander round a garden centre a coffee and a sticky bun I will visit mum on Monday as planned and see if her neighbour wants to come with me. She usually hops in a taxi to visit mum at the home if Gill isn't able to visit but Basildon is a bit far and none of us would want her attempting to get the bus she is an elderly lady too and not in the best of health.

Having a cuppa and if it hasn't started raining Gorden is going to mow the front grass and I will go out when he is finished with the shears and the broom.

Had a letter today from Dillons insurance company they have reviewed the claim form from the vet re: the castration and decided they will not pay out. The other op for the lump they have paid.

Heavy rain which started last night, and it is sort of a light drizzle now today.
Need A Rant....
Took Mabs and Keshi out into the woods for a walk, and of course I had to take a piccie of MY bluebells didn't I, so will put them up later on.
Came home, I had noticed there was no footie match on the field so took a couple of squeaky balls with me when I took Cariad and Lona out. No sooner had I got on the field, but girlies were on a line thank goodness because it was weekend, and this woman walks on the field with an offlead dog, which started running towards mine, barking, I shouted to her call your dog back, it ignored her and kept coming, mine were up on their hind legs (which makes them taller than me ) barking, dog (looked like a wheaten terrier type) kept coming and barking. I was saying Leave It to the girls and trying to walk off with them, I had them on short leads by then with the lines coming along behind me in the mud, got through the fence into the bushes, flaming dog keeps following, girls were being quite good and not having a go, they were hanging back obviously, I kept walking and came out by the garage, stopped to sort the lines out, and it was only still following me, stood a few yards away no sign of the owner, so I had to keep going till I got on the main road, by that time it had gone. So girlies never got a play on the field, just a very quick walk, most of it being dragged along by me because of the blasted dog.
If that had been one of mine I would have had everyone on my back, I keep mine away from other dogs as much as I can, and every week there is at least one incident with another dog causing me problems
Yard and kennels have had a really good clean to work my temper off!!!!!!!! It all smells lovely out there.
Oh Lynn I thought the insurance told you they would pay because the vet said it was a medical necessity to castrate Dillon because of his behaviour. That's a really big blow, is there any appeal at all, or maybe a letter from your vet??? I know you weren't expecting it from the insurance at first either!!!
Glad you managed such an enlightening conversation with your father, Lore. I really hope that the hospital manage to get to the bottom of it all and help her back into normal life.
Malka sorry you got yet another disturbed night, it is like having a baby isn't it, up every couple of hours, you get to the stage where you are more Zombie than anything. I hope you manage a decent nights sleep pretty soon. Is there anyway you can make sure Pereg 'goes' when she goes out last thing, as she should really be able to hold it by now, trouble is it gets to be a normal routine for them, I have been there myself with the puppies as we all know, and it just gets to the stage where it is more or less every hour, and you aren't able to back peddle at all.

It is not her fault - I mean I have seen her do both a p&p just before we go to bed and she will still wake needing another pee during the night. It is connected to her medication as some [not all, but I have heard of quite a few] dogs on Pb have a heightened feeling of pressure on their bladder and then they just gotta go. It seems to happen when she shifts in her sleep, partially wakes up and then she feels the pressure.

The real nuisance for me is that I had the ensuite built so that I did not have to go all through the bungalow to the loo when I needed to pee during the night [old age ] as the original loo is right at this end and my bedroom the far end, but I would rather she wakes me so that I can let her out rather than just do it, and at least while she is out I can use the loo this end.

Such a shame your walk with Cariad and Lona was spoiled again - why on earth do people let dogs off-lead when they have no recall? Total numpties.

Oh Sorry Pereg, I forgot about the medication side of things ((((xxx)))
If that dog hadn't have kept following me I would have been able to take girlies somewhere else, but because it followed me I had to take them home, and I believe if I hadn't kept shouting at it to go away and shooing it, it would have followed me home. I am really annoyed they never got even a walk out today

Oh gawd June what an annoying walk.

The insurance didn't say they would definately pay out for the castration but they did advise us to tell the vet to submit it. I thought as it had been so long they had paid. Obviously they have scrutinised it very well and decided it wasn't needed on medical grounds. Oh well worth a try.

Last night when I was in the kitchen doing tea there was a woman on the field with her dog looking at the house.
Today her the dog and OH are back noseying and Gorden walked round the front to put the extension lead through the kitchen window to mow the grass and he said they were walking up the path near the house.
Thing is we are in a dilemma now if Gorden has secured the job he has the 2nd interview for on Wednesday it changes our plans as to where we move. We still want too but won't be able to go mortgage free and are finding it difficult to find what we would like in our price range. We want a smaller mortgage or there is no point in moving.

I thought that when you said which areas the jobs they were interviewing for covered. I think you'll have to wait and see really, even if someone views your house on Monday and says they want it, there will be a big time lapse between them signing up for it etc.
Shame the insurance wouldn't stump up though isn't it, like you said, worth a try