Curls

Tilly has had her first proper grooming session and she's home now posing nicely for photos. It seems she wasn't too well behaved for the groomer but she's sleeping off her ordeal and will hopefully forget all about it until next time. We hadn't realised she would be such high maintenance, little madam that she is but we do love her.

While I'm on the subject of hair cuts I can honestly say I am low maintenance. I haven't been to the hairdressers for a trim for seventeen whole months. Yes, it was definitely March last year just before my cancer diagnosis. Admittedly I did lose all my hair while having chemotherapy but now my hair is growing  back very slowly for which I am very grateful and I do love my chemo curls when previously my hair was dead straight.

 So for now Tilly loses her curls but I keep mine :-)

Doggy paddle

The doggy paddling pool is a big hit with Tilly. I put a piece of vet bed in the bottom as suggested by Jayne  "to stop her slipping and protect against claws/punctures".

 

Tilly was already soaked from jumping in the water stream from the hosepipe as I was trying to fill it for her. I threw in a couple of her favourite balls and in she jumped.

 In and out, in and out and a run round the garden was great fun

Jumping on my chair was  fun for Tilly  as well

 Trying to dry her was a  good game

 Wasn't that a waste of time as I can't keep her out of the pool now

Too hot

The heatwave of the past week hasn't ended here yet and we've not had a single drop of rain. My days have consisted of an earlyish walk with Tilly to the local park and trying to keep her off the hot pavements as much as possible. I've spent time in the garden with her with me sitting underneath the parasol above the garden table and chairs. Having heard the neighbour's little girl enjoying herself in the paddling pool I ordered a doggy pool for Tilly and went to collect that yesterday. I'm hoping she will enjoy it as she does love jumping up and getting soaked with the water from the garden hose.

Thinking it would be cooler yesterday I took her to the big park and we were just in time to see the cricketers breaking for refreshments and a couple of them telling me it was too hot for cricket. The circus is in town and thankfully these days it is an animal free circus show.

Tilly is not comfortable in this heat and unfortunately the mobile groomers are fully booked and not taking on new clients. So while I've been trying to book an appointment poor Tilly has had to wait but thankfully she will  have a good trim later this week.

I've not mentioned as well as staying indoors in this extreme heat I've had a toothache for a couple of days and thankfully discovered it was a raspberry seed stuck in my tooth but I did eventually manage to dislodge it much to my relief. I really didn't want to have to visit the dentist as that could potentially delay the six monthly infusion  I need that's been arranged for next month and that's exactly what happened last time.  Lesson learned not to enjoy my own version of Eton Mess made with raspberries, meringue and cream and kidding myself they are good for me as part of my five a day :)

No meal for us today

 

This isn't Tilly but a lookalikey called Belle, she's eighteen months old. I chatted to her owners just as we were leaving the dog-friendly eating place with Tilly, it's a place we used to frequent with our last dog Annie who I have to say was always well behaved and would lie underneath the table while we enjoyed our meal. Oh no not Tilly.

We waited to be seated, gave in our name and phone number as per covid rules. The waiter was very kind and showed us to our seats and asked if we would like a bowl of water and a dog biscuit for Tilly. So while he went to fetch them Tilly decided she would jump onto the bench to sit next to hubby. The waiter returned and asked politely if we could keep her off the furniture at which point Tilly jumped onto the table and I was horrified. Lifting her down she promptly landed in the bowl of water tipping it up and sending water all over the floor. We apologised profusely and told the waiter we weren't able to stay and explained that Tilly was just a pup. A naughty one I might add unlike Belle who was as good as gold.

The best bit of this tale is we had set out today to find the place that's the venue for the puppy training classes in a few weeks time, they can't come soon enough for me. Now I'm worried if anybody should slip in the water all over the floor they have our name and phone number and know where to find us. Oh Tilly!

Wednesday and Thursday

What a change in the weather these last couple of days. We had another errand to do in town on Wednesday and called into the art framing shop for a look round as they sell some nice things and look what I bought, a cockapoo ornament and I just had to have it. I've put it on the window bottom with my little sign in front of it and between the photos of my last two much loved dogs.

 

 

Before heading home we called at the harbour for a quick cup of  coffee before walking Tilly but I could see the dark clouds rolling in and as sure as eggs are eggs it started to rain.

 

 

 

Anyway yesterday seemed a much nicer day to take Tilly and explore the route of the public footpath and see where it leads us. I'd not long left home and I saw the mobile dog groomer on our estate and luckily enough the lady of the house whose dogs were being groomed had a nice long chat with me. It seems the groomer is very popular and I intend to give her a phone call soon and hopefully use her services. 

 

So down the footpath we went and passed a field with some more horses.

then under a railway bridge

then alongside the river I spotted some sheep, yes they were actual spotted sheep :)

it was lovely to see all these lambs alongside the fence taking shelter underneath the trees

and now I knew  exactly where I was as there is the blue bridge. You may recognise it from the television advert featuring dinosaurs

 

I've never seen any real dinosaurs myself but walking back home along the main road I came across yet another post box topper, this one featuring dinosaurs :)

and let's hope we're roaring on Sunday when England win the football final  :)

No pups

We went into town yesterday and looking for a place to park we went down a side street. Yes, it really is busy again in the town centre and it's good to see businesses welcoming customers back after so many months of lockdowns. Anyway I don't know if this is a new business or not but I have never heard of the like before, mating assistance, really?

           

Click on photo to enlarge

It's reminded me that one sister-in-law has asked me twice now if we will be letting Tilly have a litter of pups and the answer is an emphatic no. I couldn't cope with pups and I wouldn't be able to let them go not at any price. I'm still looking forward to taking Tilly to puppy life skills classes and it was good to read on the registration form that bitches in season or dogs that are unwell should not attend but owners are encouraged to attend anyway. I've been thinking it'd be just my luck for Tilly to be in season. Once Tilly has had her first season she'll be off to the vets to be spayed, there'll be no pups here thank you very much.

Do we need our coats?

 

I have to share this photo of Tilly as she looks rather forlorn waiting for me to put my shoes on to go for our walk.. There was every chance we could get caught in the rain as there was a weather warning in place with heavy rain forecast from late morning and throughout the afternoon. It was so warm and muggy but I didn't need my coat and Tilly didn't need her new coat on as we were only going to see the horse. I must admit I get a tad upset as horse seems to wear that coat or is it a blanket whatever the weather and I could see how dirty the water is in that bath :(

In the distance I could see there were two white horses in the field at the end of the lane so we took a stroll to take a few photos.

As you can see the lane has a locked gate across it which leads to a private property but as I was taking my photos a couple walked past me, said a cheery good morning and went through a kissing gate which I didn't know was there.  I watched as they walked along another path and I would have followed but it had just started to spit with rain and I could leave that walk for another day.

Trying to hurry us along to get home before the rain came down heavier which is not easy with plenty of good sniffs along the way for Tilly I spotted another public footpath.

  

We didn't get too wet before arriving home but the promised rain did come with a vengeance in the afternoon. So now Tilly and I can go exploring another day when there's no likelihood of rain.

Decisions, decisions

I had an appointment with the optician yesterday and I have chosen a new pair of glasses. The assistant actually chose them for me as with covid restrictions in place any pair that's tried on can't be replaced on the display stand and have to be placed inside a box on the counter. It's not a great photo as they are definitely not as bright as the colour in the photo suggests. You can just see the assistant wearing her gloves and customers have to wear a mask at all times and have to go in the shop by themselves, hubby would usually advise me we on what suits my face. Anyway this new pair of glasses are roughly the same shape and size as what I'm wearing now.

I have been wearing my current glasses for the last five years and would have had an eye test sooner but I have been attending the eye clinic at the hospital during that time. My consultant wrote a letter to the optician so I could have an eye test and I have been given a copy of that letter so I know what the problem with my right eye is but not the cause. I had a decision to make as to whether to have surgery or not. I am on the waiting list but have decided not to go ahead with it and I can manage with sight in one eye. I have seen two consultants and the one who put me on the list wasn't aware of the extent of the problem. I have time to change my mind about the surgery before my next appointment which will be another video consultation. I just feel like I've been through enough this last year or so what with one thing and another. At least having the eye problem meant I was sent for a brain scan and it's good to know I have a brain in good working order :-)