I'm back from the vets. Rucksack has a slightly raised temperature but his tummy was soft (which is good). In view of the fact that he had the horrible Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis a month ago and Flash had had two lots of abs, they have put Rucksack on a 5 day course. He was also given an anti-sickness and an antibiotic injection to get him started. He's feeling very miserable and has put himself to bed now and Flash has curled up with him. Flash was hysterical when Rucksack came back as he was so pleased to see him The vet did say that the HG they both had really does take it out of them and it can take a couple a couple of months to be back to normal. Rucksack I am sure ate something disgusting at the beginning of the week so insides just aren't able to cope at the moment with more 'rubbish'.

Lynn - Hopefully the proposed planning applications won't effect you buying but you are wise to get it all checked out. Nothing is ever straight forward is it.

Nippy - Enjoy your day with family and the little'n.

Taffsmum - You'll be busy cooking all those berries today. Those recipe's Lynn linked you to look lovely. I assume you'll be cooking a pud ............ or maybe the booze

Mini - I don't blame you staying put for the weekend as you have that big concert nearby. I think the site will be somewhat muddy today after all the rain we've had.

Hi to Moyra, Harvey, L.S., Eileen, Lore and Chris and thanks to everyone for their best wishes for Rucksack.

Joedee - My last little dogs who I had for 15 years only twice in all that time had to visit a vet and that was due to a grass seed incident and ingestion of a Dentastix which disagreed with her, other than annual boosters. My current two little horrors are healthy, they just scavenge debris when out walking .... drives me mad

I've got shoot out now and get a 60th birthday present for tonight before my brother arrives but he's currently stuck in traffic on the M25.

I hope everyone has a lovely day and I'll pop in later.

Still looking for pictures Lynne got sidetracked by planning applications.
Awww poor Rucksack jenny gentle (((hugs))) ffor him and you.

We decided to look on the council planning applications website ourselves. No 9 was submitted in 2010 and so we reckon that has been done one application was for a front porch and we are sure we have seen one on the cottage. The rear we think would only be allowed to be a single story and is more than likely done and dusted.
No 5 we cannot find any submitted plans on the website so will get the solicitor to investigate further for us from Tuesday when we can speak to him.

Found them they look like between a blackberry and a rasberry.

They taste between a blackberry & grapefruit. Delicious.

Dry here at present, although quite overcast, still very warm and all windows and top door at the back open - with a step ladder propped up against it to prevent any incursions by a VERY wet and muddy Keshi. If you want you can borrow the step ladder TM to pick mulberries, although you will look a one taking Taff a walk with a stepladder tucked under your arm
Took Mabs and Keshi up into the woods, passed by the back of Jackie and Andy's and this bloke came running up to me and was all over Keshi, then he reminded me he had seen me a month or so ago when he was clearing his parents-in-law garden (the ones where the dogs run up and down and do my head in-but kept my mouth shut on that on )
Apparently he has moved in a couple of doors down from J&A's house. He more or less killed himself coming across the main road to find out what my dogs were!!! Said he'd been watching me training - OMG and how well they were doing.
Walk through the woods went well, then we were alongside the river where there is a very steep banking down to it, Keshi goes flying down with Mabs following, and I could see Keshi teetering on the edge, water running very fast and looks deep then she just leapt in and my blood ran cold, wasn't as deep as I thought thank goodness, she took absolutely no notice of me whatsoever of course, and Mabs was busy going frantic with her for running off, so she took no notice either. So decided to remove myself to give them a shock, which it did, I'm behind a tree, they come hurtling past me in panic, saw me and doubled back. Got a lead on Mabs, although she had a line on as well anyway. Keshi is totally wringing wet through, ran past me and threw herself into a deep puddle and lay there, so she is now wet AND dirty Called her to me and she did come to me and I put her lead on. Was walking past the pub and everyone was laughing at the state of Keshi, who was prancing about and showing off.
Then I took Cariad and Lona for a look at the blackberries near the river, a lot of them are ripe, but there are also a lot of green ones, had a nice walk round and then back home, where I've cleaned up and given them all a going over with the rake to get rid of the seeds that are clinging everywhere. At the moment I can walk onto the land where Merc Man is building his houses, some of the trees there are really ancient and I'm quite upset to think they will be taken down. Its a lovely little spot, I know further on there are derelict garages, but that particular part is secluded and full of birds and stuff growing wild. I am just hoping that this part isn't included in the sale but I have a feeling it is
Lynn it isn't the end of the world if someone is building a bit of an extension, and if the plans were submitted some time ago the work may have been done. Depends on the size of the extension of course and if it will affect your light, but you do have that bonus of the river frontage and mooring which people pay fortunes for, and that has fallen into your lap. It isn't like a housing estate at all. The house a few doors down from me has been totally gutted and they have put a dormer on etc. and really very little disruption to the rest of the row. Not sure whats going on there at the moment to be honest, they seem to have stopped work, scaffolding is still up, but not seen any workmen for a few months. I would have thought they would have got a move on to finish it during the summer months and then it will more than likely be rented out.
So much of an improvement to what it was. Whoever owned it was renting it out to scum basically, there were gangs of kids always in and out and I shudder to think what the inside was like, I saw what went in the skip and I felt itchy!!! Then the tenants would be evicted and the whole cycle would begin again, whilst if he had kept the property decent he would have got decent tenants.
I am touching wood here Jenny, but it is rare for any of mine to see a vet unless it is for some sort of run of the mill stuff or health tests. I have had Cariad and Lona insured since I got them at 9 weeks, and never used the insurance once. Mabs is insured, not got Keshi insured, she will have to wait until I have some surplus money coming in
Wonder what is up with Rucksack, like the vet says it could be something lingering from that awful time you had with them. Trouble with AB's is they kill off the good bacteria in the gut, have you tried live yogurt to help boost his gut's good guys.
Youngest son is at Leeds Festival this weekend, not sure if he is checking wristbands or not, I should imagine he will be doing, he didn't say so, but he was leaving on Wednesday and won't be home till this coming Wednesday.
Well I suppose I better crack on, kitchen floor looks like a ploughed field for a start

Afternoon everyone,

Sounds like you had fun with the girls TW.

Jenny G, I hope Rucksack's tummy recovers and he is back to normal soon.

I have been to Invergordon and bought a couple of books to help me with the Higher English. Went to see Mum but we decided it was too wet to cut the grass. The forecast is dry over the next few days so we will go up through the week.

Mum wanted her chicken put in the oven, she couldn't manage so I did that. I'm going back later to take it back out again for her. She won't be able to do it. Then I'm taking Rosie for a walk.

June your walk with Keshi and Mabs certainly didn't sound too relaxing for any of you. Lol at people laughing at the state of Keshi. That chap sounds a little spooky but on the other hand he may have just been genuinely interested/fascinated in the dogs. Rucksack is insured but the bills have never been high enough to bother claiming.
He's still fast asleep and apart from when my brother arrived he hasn't bothered moving.

Still raining here and no let-up all day.

No he is interested in the dogs, the first time when he came over the main road dodging the cars I was a bit amazed, but he was asking all about them. This time he came over and opened his arms out to Keshi and she went straight to him and gave him a wash, Mabs stayed with me because she is very wary of strangers, then when they have ignored her for a bit and Keshi is getting all the attention she will go to them eventually.
People who have never seen one or even heard of them are always stopping me, so I am used to it nowadays, I got Tawney in the early 1990's and the attention hasn't stopped really. Everyone local is used to them and they are part of the scenery. Bear in mind I have the only 4 in Bolton, and until the girls had puppies the next nearest one was in Blackpool!!!! There are now 3 in Greater Manchester, 2 in Oldham and a few more a bit further away.
Someone once told me they were looking all over for where I lived and he stopped a bloke and said where does the lady with the dogs that look like wolves live, and he was given precise directions

Just a quick hi to you all, I wanted to post cos I'm so sorry to hear about Rucksack again Jenny, but glad you've been to the vet What on earth is going on

The small van which I thought would be a nightmare with 4 people and 2 big dogs, was almost as clean as I had left it for them, I cannot believe how she did that They had left me a beautiful big bouquet on the table with a lovely "thankyou" card, saying how much they enjoyed their stay, and thanking me for my little added extras and how they couldn't wait to book again for next year but in the larger van. I've just had to e-mail her and tell her one of her weeks has now been booked in the other one What can yer do though?! I can't buy another one lol!

The larger van was a bit of a nightmare and although 4 of them, and no dogs, they just didn't bother to clean, but then I did tell her over the phone not to bother so it serves me right I s'pose.

Anyway, I had to pop back cos they couldn't find my keysafe so I had to come home first to ring her to ask where they left the keys (in reception), so back I went. I decided to call into the big van cos I had run out of bleach and I felt embarrassed about tea stains in the sink which nothing else would shift, but when I got there, they were already in, so I knocked on the door. 2 beautiful little girls answered the door, like little angels they were, long blond hair and all skinny (as you are at about 8 years old lol!), and they told me mummy was asleep cos she was tired with all that driving. So I stopped them from waking her up, and asked them how they liked their little house for their holiday and they both beamed with smiles and told me it was awesome, I liked that They had a staffie in a big cage in the lounge, and they seemed happy enough with their colouring books, so I said goodbye and told them to lock themseles in again like they had been, bless their hearts, they're gonna have a ball up there, when mummy wakes up of course

I hadn't stopped for 7 hours since I got up, so had a bit of lunch and now I'm ready to zonk into that chair and nod off, that's me done for another week!

Good luck with Rucksack Jenny, I do hope the meds will sort him out. You do seem to be going through the nightmare I had with Zena though, and yet for the past 18 months I haven't seen a vet until this split claw, and I hope you might be the same one day soon, it's so ongoing for you and such a big worry.xxxx

TW That's a bit spookey, Ok I guess if you do not mind people knowing where you and the girls live.

Jenny g, why is it that vet bills always come that tiny bit short of the amount you have to put up before claiming insurance anyway? leastways that is what I have found. I have to find the first £80 so my bills have been £86 or there abouts which isn't worth claiming and pushing the insurance up for the following year.