Yeah I remember times like that, I think thats why its hit me so hard

Certainly in my lifetime in fact its a little close to home for me too. Biological mother.

Yes Lynn, and I have been there myself, in fact the very child that robbed me of thousands of pounds, I went through hell to keep him, I wish I hadn't

Yes June, there's lots on TV these days which is in my view decidely dodgy. Another of my pet moans is the way folk look on TV and film people as being some kind of Gods. Countryfile itself is not whiter than white after sacking one of the presenters who they thought was too old of course the BBC never admitted to that. As you know I'm an old sceptic so I'm waiting for more scientific evidence on the dog poo thing 'tho I will say that I don't take Casey & Rianna in the field when there are sheep in there, even on a lead I don't go in. Casey doesn't poo in there either only because he's normally 'done it' on the track up to the sub station (and before we get to the field.)

Edit:-
Went that way today, was wonderful, didn't see any humans, no other dogs, all the sheep were miles away, even the swans who sometimes show on the river had gone.

Harvey - The disease June is on about is Toxoplasmosis. Known as contagious abortion in sheep and cattle. My source - apart from accumulated bits after keeping livestock - is The Veterinary Book for Sheep Farmers by David C. Henderson.MRCVS. The blame lies more with farm and feral cats for spreading same - though it can be passed on by dogs through contact with livestock. Women who are pregnant should be particularly careful when cleaning cat litter trays or handling cat faeces. As it causes abortion of the foetus in humans.
Henderson says that once one has been exposed to the infection then an immunity is built up and around 50% of adults in the UK are immune as a result of previous contact.

Harvey - further to your last post "Countryfile" drives me to distraction. It treats the countryside like a big theme park and the likes of that Adam Henson - words fail me. The man is an absolute fop. No knowledge worth passing on and all his "farm work" is done for him by his employees. Apart, that is, from when there is a camera about. He is the spoilt, over indulged son of a rich man who went into farming and treats it like some kind of hobby.
Some neighbours of my in-laws hosted him and the programme some time ago in mid-wales and they found him absolutely unbearable.

Thanks for that LG I would think Mr. Henderson is about a good a reference as one can get. As I mentioned I don't go in the field when there are sheep in there, not even with Casey on a lead. It would be interesting to see how he reacts to sheep but I don't intend to do any experimenting. He'd probably be OK if they all stood still but if one of them bolted he'd probably chase it thinking it was another Newfie with an overgrown coat

I think Countryfile has been so dummed down now it is a farce.I tend to watch it for the weather forecast when I come to think about it, at one time it used to be pretty interesting, its still a farming community here, not as much as it was, but 10 minutes walk away there are several livestock farms with poultry, cattle and sheep, horses are now a big part of life around here and virtually every farm offers stabling and grazing.

Bit like me with that antipodean muppet we mentioned yesterday. I only watch because it's on exactly when I'm doing the dogs diners in the kitchen and as usual the choice of TV programmes is pretty dire anyway

Going to log off now or I'll be asleep at the keyboard, never a good thing 'cos one never knows what I might type, might even give away something personal

Good night to you all.

Harvey - The Mem studied at Kirkley Hall Agricultural College in Northumberland and went to a couple of Henderson's lectures as part of her course. She says he is very, very good and has an excellent way of getting the info across. His Sheep Farming book is a mighty tome, which is in our library. If you read it from cover to cover before you went out and got your sheep. You'd never get any! lol ! There is so much can go wrong with the blessed things that I for one am surprised they aren't extinct!