The Blue and the Dim and the Dark

Winston's tummy problems have meant that during the dark hours I prowl around the gardens with him and the cats in tow.  We often hear assorted owls calling and the barking of a muntjac deer but it is the night skies which have enthralled me.

From deep within the memory banks I found myself remembering a poem by W Yeats.

Heavens' embroidered cloths

Enwrought with golden and silver light

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half light

Some nights have been deepest indigo, others much lighter.  Walking in the dark, with only the animals for company, has been a marvellous way to put the madness of this world into perspective.   

Last night I stumbled out of bed to check up on Winston.  He was quite contentedly sleeping in his crate, but on hearing me he lifted his head and didn't bother to get to his feet to be let out.  I could almost hear him say 'go back to bed, mum.'  

So I did.   I must admit that I felt a slight twinge of regret at not viewing the night sky but I rejoiced in the thought of my bed and some more sleep.

He is such a sane and sensible young pup, given to a little silliness, but generally a Mr Sobersides and very affectionate.

Here he is this morning, I notice he has snaffled a pair of my socks.  He has form for this, he doesn't chew them but he does like to hold them in his mouth. 

As Fussy as a Dog with Two Tails + Bread Oven Progress

 I have had to write this post so many times, I keep drifting off into commentary on my views about the dangerous direction this country is being 'steired' in.  No use airing my thoughts here, so I shall redirect my thoughts to life with Winston.

I hardly dare say that last night was a good night.  Good in the sense that although I got up twice in the night to check to give him the opportunity to go outside, his bedding was clean for the first time in several nights.  The signs are good...

He had an excellent day yesterday, and was beside himself with delight when Tina, our friend and neighbour, the woman who bred him, called in for a visit.  As soon as she parked up and opened her car door to call out a greeting, he was up at the gate with his tail wagging madly as he stood on tip toes prancing along to get a better view.

He was, as my father would have said, "... as fussy as a dog with two tails."  I had forgotten about that expression but it was certainly apt for Winston's delight.  Tina was delighted to see him and was especially pleased that he hadn't forgotten her.

She took this photograph of Winston (me in the background, trying to keep out of camera shot!) so that she could post in to show the owners of the other eight puppies from the litter (Tina kept the tenth puppy for herself).   It shows just how much he has grown despite his tummy troubles.

The cushion he is lying on is actually his old bed.  It is far too small for him now but he still tries to cram himself in there and ignores his larger bed.  One day I will make it disappear but for now we pretend it is just a big cushion.  

At the moment he is taking a special paste, twice a day, and I am feeding him on half his normal food, mixed with some special gastrointestinal puppy food.  So far, so good.

This morning he was obviously feeling great so I walked him down to the railway bridge and then took him into the barley field and down as far as the second field.  He loved it, so did I.  It took me right back to the two decades I have spent doing just that walk with my other dogs - Pip, Toby, Ned, and Toby Too.  It felt right and we both enjoyed it.

We got back home just before 6am and the lane was very quiet, so quiet that I saw something I have never seen before, a live badger.  This one just popped out of the field and crossed into the woodland over the road.  Not sure who was the most surprised, Winston, or me.

I was hoping to take him out for another little session in the field but the weather has turned rather wet, it is teeming with rain, so that won't be happening for a while.

The bread oven is coming together, great progress has been made but there is still a way to go.

Winston is set for a whole other adventure this weekend as my three grandsons who live in London are coming up to see us.  They have a red Labrador of their own, along with a grey French Bulldog...only the boys and their parents are visiting though.  Phew!  Thank goodness for that.

Village Life: Village Show and Puppy Dog Trials

 

The Village Show took place last weekend.    I will admit that I was rather less than enthusiastic about entering compared to previous years, mainly because I have been so tired from the demands of life with the dear and wonderful Winston.  More of him later.

I had planned to enter a Victoria Sponge, nice and simple, what could go wrong?  Nothing, until I made a rubbish job of turning the second half out of the baking tin.  Disaster! It broke into so many pieces that it was impossible to stick it back together.  No time/energy to make another.

Scones, then.

Fruit scones and then a batch of triple chocolate scones, just for fun and because they are unusual.  I was so caught up in following the recipe for the chocolate scones that the fruit scones were left in the oven for far too long.  They looked good, but I thought they would probably be more like rock cakes. 

The chocolate scones looked wonderfully decadent although rather large.  No idea what they tasted like because they contained quite a lot of cocoa powder and that is something which triggers migraines in me.  I drizzled them with a top coating of chocolate and entered them anyway.  Let the judges find out at their taste test.

The sour cream bread loaf was a little better, not quite as puffed up as normal, but it still looked reasonable.

Three entries would have to do for the Baking classes.

Produce classes were out of the question, because we have had a really bad year, everything is either late or just not up to standard.  Fresh garden herbs and garden flower arrangement, then.

As you can see, I am just a cut and squish into the vase type or arranger, no finesse at all!  I don't have the patience to actually 'arrange'.

The flowers got bunged into an old pot and the herbs I simply tied with string to turn them into the requisite bunch.

The herbs, a huge variety from all around the garden, the smell was simply wonderful.

Done!  

A quick trip down to the hall to fill in the entry forms, hand over my money and then I had time to  have a quick yarn with everyone and a sneaky peek at the opposition!  At 11am the hall had to be cleared ready for the judges to do their work.

Just as I was about to return to see how badly I had done, we got the opportunity to have a video call to see our lovely little grandson, William.  No contest.  William wins every time.

Later in the afternoon we had a surprise visitor bearing my vase, some award certificates and a plaque.  To say I was stunned is an understatement.  I won first and second place with the scones, first with the bread loaf, first with the summer arrangement of flowers and a first for the bunch of herbs.  The plaque was for best in show for one of the categories - either the baking or the flowers/herbs section.  I haven't checked.  

Winston has had another bout of ill health.  A very tricky tummy.  No need for details, but it has meant a huge amount of vigilance and cleaning up, despite getting up to let him outside every couple of hours through the night.

I followed all the advice, he would seem to recover, then the problem would come back.  After almost a week of this we decided that another trip to the vet was required - quite tricky to arrange given the state of his digestive tract.   

That was three days ago and, touch wood, things are calming down.  I may even risk only letting him out once tonight...still debating that one.

We still don't know what caused the problems, could be something he ate, some green stuff snatched and gobbled which irritated his tummy, perhaps, or it could just be the hotter weather, or an allergy.  For now, all is almost well and I am thankful.