July in Ireland

Unfortunately there are some similarities to July 2020. Bars and Restaurants are operating only if they can provide outside dining and drinking facilities. Sounds easy but if you consider that the Irish Summer is tempremental at best and at worst just wet, this is not an easy task for those in the catering industry.

Weddings and Funerals are still being limited to small numbers. Weddings have just been allowed to double in size which means 50 guests can attend. Socialising is limited by most of us to walking, talking, meeting in small groups and all outdoors because most of us are still not convinced by the experts words telling us that the new mutations of the virus will not be as severe.

To the group of animals (four legged) under my care and who are currently training me in search work, this means absolutely nothing. Once they are fed, worked and get to swim and play life is good. And I think we should take a leaf out of their book. Live for the moment, enjoy what we have.

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Update on the garden

Having 4 dogs pottering around the garden does create a challenge in itself. For various reasons, the main ones being:

 

Odd things grow in Irish Gardens

 

Ellie, loves to dig, and hide tennis balls. We believe she does this as a – in case of accidents policy. (In other words some kid accidentally enter the garden and they do not have a tennis or football with them.) She buries them in the ground in odd places, hides them in the hawthorne hedge and even carefully places them in the branches of a thick shrub at the far corner of the garden.

All-focus

Doug; loves to ramble and eat. He will eat, nasturtiums, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, courgette and any fruit. He is currently eyeing up the apple tree.

Brook – energetic greyhound will lie down on any part of the garden or just anywhere.

 

Bell will eat her way through any tall shrub or plant just to create a short cut.

So all in all I think we are doing ok.

This is the new wildflower area of the garden, seeds and weeds flourish as do ocassional children who decide to be a gardener for a while.

How about you guys and ladies and your gardening exploits during the past few months, any success stories?

Gardening friends

People who don’t garden think it is tiresome, a never-ending job. A little like exterior housework I suppose.

However, I find it therapeutic and I am never alone.

We have a new visitor but he is a pretty young and scrawny looking Robin, we will have to feed him up.

A Trip to Venice

From the moment we landed, we began to relax. The city is a vibrant but relaxing place to visit.

The hotel was great, the staff even better than great, helpful, polite and always on hand to offer advice.

We managed to squeeze in, a trip to a glass factory, the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery, a ghost tour of the city, two walking tours, a boat trip through the city and many lazy meals in the huge variety of restaurants.

The icing on the cake was the weather, as we came from cold and dull to brilliant blue skies and warmth of 20 degrees.

Summer is over but Bob has found…a new love

Yes, Summer is definitely over, no more raspberries or blackcurrants to pick. The blackberries are rare to find these days but don’t worry he (Bob)  has moved on to bigger and greater things…

dav

dav

dav

Apples!

I am hoping gravity takes over and one (a small one) hits him on the head because they are very nice apples and we would like to have a taste of one or two.

 

Bob’s Diary: Thank you

Thank you everyone for the great tips. I have been brought for walks, just short ones thankfully, but it is great to get out and about.

However, you do meet the strangest things, when you drop into friends.

This guy we call Snoopy.

dav

It is just as well he has a few brothers or she would bring him home.

They like Maria’s shoes

And Ellie, after a few swimming lessons, thinks every pond needs a collie swimming in it.

3rd June 2016

While she prefers the shade,

dav

 

I love the hot Irish Summer, it is great for these old bones.

 

Garden Delights

All of my hard work is starting to pay off, as the garden is becoming more colorful with each brief burst of sunshine another plant wakens.

Oops sorry, she was doing her best to get in every shot, so…..

I put her in, Bob, well he was, sleeping. He will catch up with you next time.

Dear Father Time,

Can I slow Time?

We didn’t know Bob when he was a pup but I imagine him as a cool super pup like this guy,

Full of life and fun.

He came into our lives when he was 2 and a bit.

A bundle of trouble as every follower knows. He ate everything in his way, pipes in drains, remote control unit for the electric gate, the tube covering the wires for the gate itself, shoes, boxes, flower pots the list is endless.

He wasn’t always so laid back, he would almost jump into my arms if a gate rattled as we passed it. He didn’t like big dogs, and still views them suspiciously. He always loved people, big and small. We are a constant source of amusement to him.

However, lately we are becoming aware of his age. Walks take longer, stopping to pee is more frequent, a slight limp is evident on some days, as arthritis creeps in. His meals are prepared with care, adding fish oils, no need to worry about fruit and veg as he loves both and snacks on carrots, steals strawberries, raspberries and blackberries straight from the plants. He has learnt that if he rubs off the apple tree some apples will land at his feet and they are sampled as well.

He ambles after me and will sit watching me as I garden, do housework or write but after five minutes his snoring fills the quiet space between us.

Take today for instance, I suggested a walk and was subjected to the following looks. I took them to mean,

Am I hearing you correctly?

Is she for real?

 

If I pretend I am tired then all will be well.

He is 12 years of age and I want to stop his aging. Has anyone any helpful tips regarding arthritis etc with older dogs?

As usual all answers will be gratefully received.

 

Summer Delights – Tricks of the trade in Strawberry-napping.

You should always look right

and left

Up

and down

then when no one is watching –

magic –  the strawberry is mine.

And she thinks I simply stroll around the garden!

I do know things!

Unpredictable Irish Days

Summer has arrived and with it a sense of delight as the garden responds in a rainbow of colours.

The hot days mean my best buddy Bob potters rather than walks about

and is quick to retreat to his or in this case her kennel at the mention of food or ice-cream.

My other canine buddy has learnt that the water is not always cold which means her swimming in the river sessions are more silent. (Ellie tends to grumble as she swims).