LITTLE BIRD MOVED IN!

I went into the lounge and saw we had an extra guest!....friendly little fellow, I picked him up like he was a pet and let him fly free outside, he has been back since, quite strange, we leave the door open when we are here, just in case he needs a cuppa! Maybe its a tweet for him...sorry that was bad!

TIME TO GO HOME

After 3 days John was able to pick them up and take them home, as soon as we got the phone call we ran around the garden like maniacs trying to find the toys they buried and tried to make them respectable, they ran and played and were quite zapped by the time John arrived. Lucky gave them a good wash to go home with. I am not sure if they will always remember each other, but they certainly do still at present.

TIRED OUT

After a few days with our lot the pups soon wore themselves out and slep for a few hours in the afternoon, it was weird having them back, newspapers donned the floor and kitchen re-pup proofed, and we wasted time...alot of time....playing with them...Pete doesnt love them much does he???? and he said he would be glad to see them go...some one is telling porkies!!!

BEDTIME READING

It was only a few moments before the pups realised that Shadow was extremely cuddly and her bed was so much nicer than their own in their eyes, (case of grass is greener!). Shadow cuddled them and they slept together for the 3 days. Shadow was itching to get in their smaller bed, and finally managed it while they weren't looking and found a toy dummy in the covers. She looked quite ridiculous really with this blue squeaky dummy in a bed at least 4 sizes too small, but she achieved what she had been planning for the first 24 hours....They are like kids...honestly ...how come I get the nutty ones...dont go there!

THE PUPPIES RETURN!

When I answered the phone, little did I know what I was in for! John....Bramble and Ellies dad had to go into hospital for a few days and wondered if I could look after the pups....So said yes and then thought after!!!...They remembered their mum and Shadow almost instantly, after getting over the loud bark when they arrived. It was quite an eventful 3 days, quite something to have them return. They are soooo cute and you cant help but love them, but in 3 days they ate 4 of my new bushes, got custody of all the toys and things they shouldnt.... and got their feet well and truly under the table by the end of the first hour. They burried their toys, goodness knows what John would think when he picked them up. They had the most wonderful time and Shadow missed them when they went.Whilst they were here, we were trying to pack for Stevens European Championships, the computer system completely crashed and spent 4 days rectifying it, needless to say we are soooo behind on the drawings, we wired cable to cottage 5 and 6 who now have WIFI, it was mayhem actually.

DRY LAND TRAINING TOO!

Some of the lesson was dry land training, Laura's took the form of practicing to jump up correctly and learn all the techniques....Mums dry land training took the form of a very large hot chocolate with marshmallows in the extreme academy bistro!!!! I am not sure who had it right.....but I can safely say I did neither!

SURFS UP!

Laura had a one to one surf lesson for her birthday with an International surfer at Watergate Bay. Two hours to learn all the basics....and she did really well, by the end of the lesson she was standing up surfing...must take after me for balance eh!!!! She is a trained pool lifeguard but hasn't really done surfing before....belly boarding and body surfing oh and canoeing but the surf is not as  strong on this coast so didn't really get the chance much...But now shes up and running or surfing I should say. I took loads and loads of pictures, you cant really see the extent of the surf and how high it was here, but it was really big and even I got soaked trying to get some shots......OH and I dropped my mobile in the sea, so that's kind of dead at present!

THE FIGHT STILL GOES ON

I wouldn't like to be Sally Strawberry, the pups have gone and still the fight continues for custody of the strawberry....what on earth is so special about it!

TIRED

A busy start on the beach has worn Shadow  out and she is waiting for her bread and butter sandwich...she loves them and waits in the kitchen till she gets one. She is getting bigger I think...its difficult to tell when you see her every day....She finally got her bread and butter and tried to fit into Luckys bed...much to Luckys dismay!

BEACH WALKING

Not so much walking as splashing like a whale in Shadows case! Every morning from school (it has to be then or you have to pay to go onto the beach...cheek of it eh!) anyway Shadow loves the beach now, she reminds me of the film Big foot and the Henderson's. Shadow kind of has fun but hasn't got complete control of where her limbs land!! She tries her best to keep up with Lucky and Gem but really she doesn't stand a chance, mind you she did try to rescue Gem from the deeper waters....well I prefer to use the word save but Gem may have thought different! You can see their smiles on their faces in this shot and in the other you can see Shadows determined face for speed!!

BONES

Shadow isn't a very good eater yet, she doesn't eat much at all for a big dog. But we keep persevering with it. She is on a nature diet plus tripe and chicken carcasses...but all she wants to eat is the chicken carcass and I am sure that's not all she needs. Oh well she seems happy enough. Shes got a great big bone here and she loves it, trouble is the puppies kept wanting to steal it from her! It keeps her occupied for hours....not sure if its the bone she enjoys or keeping the pups away from it!

LOST

I haven't up dated the rest of the animals for ages, so much happens here, I have fallen behind I am afraid...I just haven't got time to have a cup of tea lately let alone write this blog. Purl Design is busy, which is good, as we need the money!...We have had to take a trainee on....watch this space on that one....and looking for another architect....but you just cant be sure of what the market is doing, its very uncertain...one minute we have work, the next could be a different story....We have got so much to finish here too and we are off away on Saturday for a week to watch Steven in the European Golf Championships...but can help thinking of the work before we get there............cleaning, lists, outdoor stuff, tile bathroom and organise tiler/plumber etc...sort out all feeds for animals....I don't know where to start...in fact I might stop right there and have a bath to think about how on earth I am going to make this week!!!

WORN OUT

After a walk around for feed time, Shadow is worn right out, she isnt built for speed, but for beauty!!!Her and Lucky have been fighting over that ruddy strawberry all day, and do you know if I had two of them, i bet neither would want it! Kids eh

SNAKE IN THE GRASS

This snake caused a lot of commotion this week, Jeff lifted back the sheeting to find loads of slow worms and this 2 foot or so snake...thought it was an adder initially but its a grass snake I think....I hope it stays here for a while...I love them...Pete isn't quite as keen!!!! (its got its tongue out in one of the pictures!)

WILLOW KNOWS HER NAME

Clever little Willow, now knows her name and comes bounding towards you when you call her, so she will be ready to roll when Steph ad Gareth pick her up....She is quite a character and the only one left now to be collected as soon as her owners return from the Isles of Scilly, she will be off...

PLAY HARD AND LOVE HARD

The strawberry fiasco still goes on, but the puppies cant help loving shadow, they give her grief, pulling her hair and swinging on her tail. Playing chase me and just winding things up really, then they get tired and shadow just cuddles them to sleep. They wash each other, its quite lovely to watch. Shadow is quite big but so gently....clumsy...but gentle. I don't know how I didn't get a Leonberger before..they are so perfect.

FLOWERS AFTER PUPPIES!

After the puppies wrecked my garden and chewed every plant going, here are two survivors, quite beautiful plants...even though there are only 2 left!!! Lets hope they remain.

LAURA LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.

All t he puppies were out with Laura whilst she stopped for lunch, good as gold they were, playing away happy and chewing the odd bone or two and a munch on Shadows ear always goes down well!!...Then they broke for glory and ran towards the gate, it was as if they planned the whole thing, they found the paddock gate and figured a way to get out before Laura could catch them, you can see them planning their way out in one of the photos...and their return!!...I think they knew exactly what they were doing, they had Laura on the run for a while, as soon as one got caught the other would make a dash for it. Mind you they didn't know what to do once they got out....they were like naughty little kids!

ROUND TWO!

The fight for the strawberry reached new peaks this week, when the chase went on and on and on. I think Shadow won, although she did have a pile of puppies on her head at one stage trying to release the strawberry from the jaws of doom!