Anniston 13 & 14 July 2024 - A sporting day

13 July

We got Maiev back from the kennels, she had just been bathed and still had the classic repugnant 'wet-dog' smell.  Her damp fur stuck to your fingers when you stroked her.  She seemed happy enough.

Otherwise, a quiet day to recover from the long drive.

14 July

Well, a sport's watching day, mainly.  With the men's Wimbledon final, Alcaraz beat Jokavitch, the Euros' football final, Spain beat England, and the Americas Soccer final Argentina beat Columbia, it was a day spent largely in front of the TV.

We also went shopping for two Lego sets:

The space shuttle discovery, with the Hubble telescope for Robbie and I.  

A bunch of roses for Madelyn and Jo.

I will take a picture at the start and end of each bag, so that we can estimate the time taken.

Here's how we started:

	At timestamp 20240714_163301 we had the bags out of the big box and on the table, where construction will occur.  There are 17 numbered bags, one unnumbered bag and one bag with the same number as another.  The box is rated 18+.  Here we have the two children and all the bags, nicely sorted into their numerical order.
	At timestamp 20240714_165100, construction has begun.  So far, only the stand for the Hubble telescope has been assembled.  In the background, at the far end of the table, is a Lego heads puzzle that we bought at Lego land. Time taken: 18 minutes.
	At timestamp 20240714_174351, the Hubble telescope construction is complete enough to put on the stand.
	At timestamp 20240714_182201, the Hubble build is complete. Time taken:39 minutes

Total build time for today: 57 minutes

Anniston 7 July 2024 - British GP

In the morning, I watched the British GP.  It did not produce the result I hoped for, but Lewis Hamilton won, creating yet another record - 9 wins at one track. A result I am pleased about, though.

I trimmed Maiev's claws, especially her dew claws, as she was about to go on holiday.  In the afternoon, Karen and I took her to the Kennels, where she will stay until Saturday.  When she saw her lead, she was very excited.  Keen to come with us, and extremely nosey at the kennels, she definitely likes new places.  She was much less happy when Karen left.  We all hope she will have at least an acceptable time there, and look forward to seeing her soon.

Now we must pack, as tomorrow we travel to Florida.

Dogs & Puppies

8 January 2024

I woke up thinking about Nina, a Dalmatian that my sister got for her 11th (I think) birthday.  She was scatty, I think that's the best description.  It was our job to take her for walks in the evening, up to the top of the road and down the hill to the brook at the bottom.  Sometimes we would take her to the recreation ground, a mainly open grassed space with a number of football pitches and a children's play area.  We rarely let her go free (off-lead) there, she always thought that coming back (or not) was some sort of game.  We would let her off in the woods that we backed on to - as long as there was plenty of time.

It was the time she had pups that was the memory I woke up with.  I can't remember how many she had, it may have been ten.  There was a runt in her litter - all the others were a similar size, and we named them all.  The runt was a lot smaller and was called 'Littely' (for obvious reasons).  Us children, in our early teens perhaps, made far too much fuss of this tiny pup.  So, its mother started trying to kill it.  She would sit on it and prevent it from feeding.  Mum changed her name - I don't remember what to, but it was enough to fool the dog into believing that the runt was gone.

We kept one of the pups - a male we called Monty.  He was nominally my dog.  That's a story for another time.

Alabama 2023 - July 8 - Playground

We completed another bag of Lego today, perhaps the smallest bag of the kit, tomorrow we will tackle bags 6 (2 bags), 7 and 8.

In the early evening, we played with Mave and watched the birds flitting between the two dead trees just beyond the fence.  Like all 5-year-old dogs, she has calmed down a lot.  She clearly remembered me, but I'm not so sure if she remembered Jo, last time she saw Jo was a long time ago.

Opposite Robbie's school, there is an accessible play area for children, it is a remarkable place, undoubtedly the best play area I have ever seen.  We visited in the evening, once the heat of the day had gone, today has been wet so not as oppressive as other days.  There are climbing frames, percussion instruments, monkey bars, slides, swings and a whole load more, including a zip wire.  It was there last year, and while there are signs of wear and tear, the accessible zip line is closed, some patches of the rubber floor have lifted, and some are worn, there is no sign of vandalism.  The children had a great time, and so did the adults (well, this one anyway).  There is lots of shaded seating too, but unusually for America, not a huge amount of car parking.

We were speculating on its cost, I guessed at about $1,000,000.  I was way off, the actual cost, a matter of public record, was closer to $4,000,000.

The Dog and his boy

With apologies to C.S. Lewis for ripping off his title

 

Brody came to us willingly at the end of May 2010, he was 16 months old. He was born 29 January 2009 and put to sleep on 17 January 2022.

He initially belonged to Andrew, but after he moved out, he became my (and Jo's) dog. I don't think he ever forgot his original owner, he would always rush to greet men of that age.

Brody was the dog I had always wanted as a child.  A true retriever, he was never happier than chasing a ball or a stick and bringing it back.  Letting go of it was harder, but he managed it. He preferred footballs, but tennis balls were a close second. In the early days, he could chase a ball from the ball thrower and take it out of the air when he was half a metre or more clear of the ground, and would run back to me.  Just a year later, still with an amazing ability to catch, he would walk back.

He was the gentlest dog I have ever known (we had four when I was a child).  Despite some quite rough play fights, he never once bit me.  On occasion when a tooth or a claw caught my skin he would stop immediately and look really concerned.  As the grand children arrived, he respected their space and allowed them to climb over him as they wanted.  Only ever knocking them over with his tail.  It was the tail that gave away his mood, so we can be sure he was a very happy dog.

In some situations, he was also the best behaved dog I have ever known.  When we first took him into a large pub with lots of other dogs and human food everywhere, he laid down under the table and went to sleep, ignoring all the barking around him.

Other than food (he's a Labrador) and a ball, he also loved to swim.  On at least three occasions, this caused us some difficulties. On holiday in Swansea, I threw the ball into the sea, and he retrieved it many times, but on the last occasion the tide had turned.  With the wind blowing out to sea and the ball dropping on the wrong side of a wave, I thought I had drowned him.  I stood on the shore screaming for him to return, as he determinedly followed the ball out to sea.  He eventually turned and arrived back exhausted, so much, so he didn't even have the energy to shake for a few minutes.  The other two occasions were because of his love of the water, jumping into a pond with high sides at the bottom of a steep embankment, he had a lovely swim, but could not get out.  I eventually rescued him.  Missing the ball on a tow-path and knocking it into the river, also down a metre or so, I went paddling to try to help him out. Eventually he gave up the ball in favour of the treats on the bank and pulled himself out, but it was a tense 15 minutes.  In later years, the weekly hydro therapy sessions were the high light of his week.

Walks along the beach allowed him to enjoy a ball and a swim.  The first time I let him off lead on a beach and encouraged him to swim, he was unsure, looking back at me as he put a paw in the water, and checking again with each further step.  On one holiday, I taught him to put his head underwater to retrieve the ball.

Walks in the woods meant that he could carry a ridiculously long stick that was impossible to get through gates or even sometimes narrow parts of the path, he would stubbornly hold on, twisting and turning until there was a way through.

In Mill Meadows he was wary of the cows after an incident, this was before the red pol heard was there.  We had been walking through a lightly wooded part when we came across the cows grazing in the heather.  The path was completely blocked. I said to Brody, "go, clear the path".  How he understood I don't know, but he crept forward and nipped a cow on its back leg.  It shot through the undergrowth, and the others followed in a mini stampede.  I was proud of him.  Cows don't forget.  The next year we had a semicircle of cows approaching us one walk, Brody was next to me and soon moved behind me.  We turned around and went back the way we had come.

He also loved snow and frost.  Walks would take longer on cold, frosty or snowy days.  There was so much to sniff at, and so much to roll in.  When the snow was thick enough, we made snow balls and threw them in the air for him to jump up and catch and eat.  Winter was never so enjoyable.

He loved to chase cats and foxes, but wouldn't bother with anything smaller.  There was a ginger cat that teased him at the bottom of our road.  One day, the cat failed to realise that Brody was off the lead. (I was teaching him to walk next to me off-lead, a skill that he almost mastered this year.)  It spotted his imminent approach just in time, and escaped over a fence, but never teased Brody again.

Brody had the title 'Seeker and Destroyer' of tennis balls, often disappearing into a hedge or bramble patch and returning with a ball.  These balls belonged to him, he liked to carry them home after we had played with them, sit with them in the garden and slowly peel off the cover.

He was a friendly dog, especially with humans.  One cold wet night he was not particularly enjoying his walk until a couple coming the other way said "a chocolate lab", this perked him up, so they petted him for a bit and for the rest of the walk his head was up and his tail wagging.  I believe there are at least 3 people who have a dog now, at least partly because Brody was so lovely.  He also made friends with a dog down the road - Mollie, and took her into our house and up to a bedroom.  He loved his place on the sofa, next to me, often with his head on my knees, he also assumed that the car had the same rules and wanted to sit in the passenger seat.

A car ride to a new place was an adventure. Whenever we parked in a car park he didn't recognise, he had a special howl that meant 'let me out, let me out'.   Once we stopped in a queue for a small ferry, which Brody thought was a car park.  His howl was enough to get the attention of surrounding drivers.

On holidays, he went with us everywhere, we usually visited a heritage railway at some point.  Trains were not his favourite things, after one whistled as it went past him. He was scared of trains, lorries and buses passing close to him for many years after that.  Even so, I'm sure he would have preferred to be with us than left behind. It didn't stop him being happy to ride in them with us, sat at our feet those journeys must have been uncomfortable for him.  At one station, on a hot summer's day, we visited a model railway and were impressed at the sound effects.  It took a while to realise that the sound was really Brody panting.  

Summer was not his favourite time because he didn't enjoy hot days.  One walk over the cliffs was abandoned as he flatly refused to go any further.  We were on the top of a cliff on the coastal path when he laid down under a gorse bush, panting heavily and refusing to drink, he had had enough.  We coaxed him to the next bay and caught a bus back to the holiday house.

After being brushed with the undercoat removing brush or being bathed, he would have a 'mad moment', crisscrossing the garden in a weird gallop with wide eyes and twisting and turning in all directions.  Once in the winter, he was bathed in the bath. He laid on his back, allowing me to run the shower over his chest and neck.  Such a trusting dog. He still needed his 'mad moment' in the garden to recover.

When we went to America, he stayed with Heather, who ran a dog boarding service.  He loved it there and on his second visit was so excited when he realised where he was.

There were some types of dog he was not keen on - greyhounds in particular brought out the worst, and boxers were for chasing.  He was wary of dogs that were small enough to go under him.

He had problems with his back legs from an early age, first his left, which he would occasionally hold up, and after a game with a friend jumping over ditches, his right.  When we saw the x-rays, it was obvious that his hip was almost non-existent.  The vet told us that he hid is pain very well.  After our summer holiday in 2017, he had an operation to remove the top of his right femur, so the bones would no longer grind.  The long recovery included hydrotherapy, which initially brought him back to a good level of fitness, and continued every week for the rest of his life.

The last couple of years have been difficult for him, with increasing health issues and loss of control of his rear end. Nevertheless, he remained mainly a happy dog and still enjoyed a slow walk.  He was always ashamed of himself when he pooed on the floor overnight, poor thing.

There is a 10-minute video showing pictures and video clips of him from 2010 to 2022 here: https://youtu.be/BUcatDDN6gQ

Booton, 10 July 2021 - Brody's swim

We decided to go for a walk along the River Wensum, which flows through Fakenham.  There is a guide book of walks in the house which is quite old.  We found the car park at Bridge Street without any problem, but then the instructions just didn't work.  There is a path leaving the car park which could be construed as a right turn, so we followed it.  We came to the river, but which side to follow.  There were no way markings from the street.  Some investigation eventually led to the way marked path.  Thankfully, the course of the river changes more slowly than towns develop, and we enjoyed our stroll along the river bank.  There are places where the bank is clear, and the water is easy to access.  Brody had already found a ball, so at one of these points I threw it in the water, and he had a quick swim.  The days are long past now where he would happily swim up river, so it was a quick circle and 'help me out' at the river bank.  There are some places where the river is overgrown and covered with fallen willows, at one of these points we came across some swans.  Here they are struggling through the detritus.

 

Eventually we came to the disused railway arches where the path turns, and we headed up a slight hill (this is Norfolk, remember).  Then we lost the path altogether as we found ourselves walking through a new housing estate, so we followed the road out of the estate and onto the main road back into Fakenham.

In the car park there is a fish and chip shop called 'Mr Chips'.  We ordered our lunch, two portions of plaice and chips and two cups of tea, which by this time we were in need of.  We sat in an undercover area outside the shop.  The portions were huge, so we did not finish all the chips.  As the rain was now starting, it was time to say "Goodbye, Mr Chips" and head back to Booton.

A little way along the road, a yellow light appeared on the dashboard, indicating that there is an exhaust problem.  We should take the car to a garage.  That scuppered plans for tomorrow, which are revised to 'stay in the cabin'.  Oh well, these things happen.  Yes, they do, but they should not to a car that is barely three years old and has less than 12000 miles logged.

 

Booton, 9 July 2021 - Brody's unexpected stroll.

 A better night was followed by a more normal breakfast.  Today was about the weather, with rain predicted from 2pm to 8pm.

We decided to do a walk of 2 miles from the Marriott's Way Circular Route Guide.  It's one of only 2 walks that are short enough for Brody.  The instructions were limited and the 'map' poor.  There is no longer a car park at the post code given - if there ever was!  We wandered along the Marriott Way not even sure of the direction we should be travelling in.  We met a lady who suggested a walk, which turned out to be the first walk in the guide.  It went past the Bure Valley Railway.  It was a nice walk, we had seen the train in the station and later heard the train, but could not see it - was it under the houses?

Bure Valley Train in the station.

At about 2 miles it was long enough for Brody, so we drove to The Bell in Cawston for some lunch.  So far the day has been warm and sunny, but not too hot for walking. We sat in the garden, waiting for our food, enjoying the surroundings and watching the threatening clouds. Just before the food arrived the rain started, we moved to an undercover table with a view of the courtyard, but it was at least properly dry.

Lunch was good, but perhaps a little slow arriving at just over 30 minutes.  We hadn't ordered anything really complicated. We finished and returned to the cabin to watch the Wimbledon Gentlemen's semi-final. The rain fell down.

After the second semi-final was complete we took Brody down the path that leads to Cawston, for about 3/4 mile.  I think he would have gone further, but he struggled badly on the way back.

Booton, 8 July 2021 - Brody's train is delayed.

Still a disturbed night, and also a very late one after a conversation with our hosts as they returned from watching England beat Denmark - they had clearly had a good time.  So we started earlier than yesterday, but still a little late and had our second cooked breakfast of the week.  All the eggs are now gone, but there is still plenty of honey left.

We decided to go to the Wells and Walshingham Light Railway (WWLR) - they have a special timetable for COVID restrictions, running trains on the hour every hour from 10am to 4pm.  It's not too far, the traffic was light, so we arrived in plenty of time for the noon train.  We watched it come into the station, we watched the previous passengers leave, and the train go round the loop ready for it's return to the other end of the line - almost.

Enrtance view WWLR

Brody in the train

Jo in the train

The engine

The hastily constructed loop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was time to leave, the train moved backwards a few feet, and then seemed to struggle to go forward.  The guard walked from his position at the rear to speak to the driver.  Eventually we got moving, starting by moving backward a few feet.  We moved slowly forward but not for long.  The train stopped again. The guard walked from his position at the rear to speak to the driver. Eventually the train got moving again.  By now we had passed the steepest upward part of the track outbound (1 in 74).  The brakes were sticking, and an engineer was called.  It was quite a long wait, but once he arrived he fixed the problem quite quickly.  I had asked him as he passed "Have you fixed it?"

"Yep" he smiled in the way that only an engineer fixing a simple problem can. "After 27 years I should know how".

Water had been distributed during the wait, the three of us shared a bottle.

Then we were underway again - you know how that goes now.  We got to the turnaround point - a newly constructed loop a little outside the normal terminus constructed, so the train can operate in COVID conditions.  The engine went 'round' the loop and was hooked back up to the train.  "Then there was trouble" (a quote from Thomas the Tank Engine).  The brakes were stuck again.  The driver and guard called the engineer again.  There was a much longer wait this time, eventually he arrived, fixed the problem and gave the driver as short lesson in how to get the train started.  "Have him shot when you get back" he said to me as our carriage passed him.  Now operating at an appropriate speed the engine was generating enough pressure to keep the brakes off.

This is a classic case of engineer (tech support in my world) vs driver (user in my world).  The engineer has a different understanding of what the engine can do and is not constrained by the drivers understanding of his operating processes and procedures.

Now we got back in one go, and travelled a little faster than we did on the way out.  The 1 in 69 incline posed no problem for the engine. 

Like a lot of the other passengers, we then drove to Wells, and out along the 1-mile road to the beach café.  Wells was absolutely heaving - people everywhere.  The beach café car park was almost full, all the outside tables were in use.  We ordered some food, and waited for the gluten-free roll they made specially.  We found a stone to sit on.  As we were settling down, someone who was leaving offered us their table.  I noticed others giving up their table for a young family too.  People here are very friendly.

Then we put the pushchair to good use and walked on the Norfolk Coastal Path for about 3/4 hour.  On the drive home it rained for a while, and was still raining when we arrived.

After a short break and a few minutes frustration ('no signal') we went to the Kings Arms in Reepham, fortunately they had a table left, so we were in.  The service was good, and the main courses especially, were very nice.  The sweet was good too, but not as good as the mains.  Everyone was very impressed with our well-behaved dog.  Not at the end though, as we were leaving he had one of his 'little accidents'.  It's not his fault, he has a medical condition which limits his ability to control himself. We cleaned up and left in a hurry, because more was to come - but outside is OK.

We had made the best of the day.

 

Booton, 7 July 2021 - Brody's Paddle

More 'wufs' in the early hours meant another disturbed night. This time, being very tired, I went back to sleep sometime after 7:30.  I woke a little before 10.  This morning we had a cooked breakfast to use some of the free-range eggs supplied by our hosts.  They have dark yellow yolks and a very good stronger than usual flavour.

We decided to visit a beach - Heacham South, a dog friendly beach on the North Norfolk coast.  It's about an hour's drive through some lovely English countryside. Some very narrow roads too, but nobody is in a hurry, so passing is relatively straight forward.  The car park is pay and display - cash or app.  Fortunately, we have cash.  Then over the dune to see the sea. Except, there is only mud as far as the eye can see.  We have just passed low tide, there are channels a few centimetres deep where the water is barely trickling in.  Walking out the mud gets softer and softer, now almost ankle deep, we turn and make for shore.  Brody is loving it, his excitement was obvious from the moment we opened the car.  He even chased a ball for a short while. Every time he turned, he sat down because his back legs were caught in the mud, but it didn't seem to bother him.

Back on the stony edge between the dunes and the mud we turn back to the car park.  We have a cup of tea at the café, and wash the mud off my legs and Brody's legs and tail.  

Then off to Sheringham, another hour's drive, for some fish and chips.  Arriving in the car park, where the pay and display is card or coin, we find the card reader is not working so again use coins, but the supply is running low now.  Sheringham is a disappointment - a very high promenade, with very little along it, so we end up in town at a fish and chip shop opposite this:

We sat outside, watching the people go by and Brody dribbling.  Further down the road we bought ice cream, and then headed home, but not before I had topped up the £1 coin supply.

Listening to Wimbeldon on the radio on the way home and watching the TV when we arrived as Federer lost his match. It was perhaps the last time he will come to Wimbledon. Then having a snack and tuning into ITV for ENG v DEN.  2-1 it ended, so there is another game to watch on Sunday.

Booton, 6 July 2021 - Brody's Ride

The day started around 4:40 with "Wuf".  With Brody's conditions the way they are we no longer ignore these calls, so he was allowed into the garden. Unfortunately for us this simply convinced him it was breakfast time.  Every time we came close to dozing off again there was another "wuf", quieter than the first but enough to wake someone who is not in a deep sleep.  I allowed him to sleep by my bed, but that didn't work either, he was awake and wanted breakfast, so the nagging did not stop.

When we finally gave in it was only about 20 minutes before the normal time, I really hope this hasn't started a trend.

Then the challenge of the first morning away began - find things the right size to measure out breakfast and bowls the right size to cook the porridge in.  That done, and eaten, it was time to investigate the shower.  The bathroom, like the rest of the cabin, is very modern and a little minimalist.  There is no soap dish in the shower, in fact there is almost no space for anything in the bathroom, but the room is not small, just underdeveloped.

All ready for the day, but unwilling to get soaked in the pouring rain, we relaxed for a while.

When a break in the weather appeared we drove into Reepham for supplies, and brought fruit in the local shop - served in paper bags.  We also drove the half mile out of town to the Co-op for things we couldn't get in town, returned home, because the rain had started again.

When the rain stopped we drove to The Crown (near the Co-op) for lunch.  The food was very good, and the service very friendly.  Brody sat by the table and ignored the other dogs, just as he always has, bringing praise from the staff.

Lunch over we set off down the Marriotts Way heritage trail. It was once part of the Easter Union Railway, as this plaque show.

By now Brody was struggling badly, so I returned to the car for the pushchair.  Below he has yet to contemplate getting in.  To say he was reluctant would be an understatement, but with the help of some dog food, he climbed in and settled for a while.  He does not like being trapped in it and tried to get out a number of times. Once I closed the front flap (open in the picture) and opened the top flap he was a lot happier.

We called in to the Panther brewery shop to pic up some local brew for tomorrow evening and later in the holiday.  

The returned home to relax in front of the tennis.  Jo had bought some Norfolk Paddle cheese, which was great with crackers and salad for tea.

Then for a short walk to settle Brody for the night.  Jo stopped him walking in the stream, so instead he flopped in the mud a little further on and needed a wash.

Back home in time for the second half of ITA vs SPN.

The Longest Summer Holiday Ever? 5:Holiday Time (Take 2) - Get away - 4 nights on the IoW

Monday 10 August 2020

The travel was relatively uneventful, just a few slowdowns on the M25. We arrived at the port with an hour to spare and had to find somewhere to park and explore for a bit. 

The grounds of Portsmouth Cathedral provided the only crumb of comfort for Brody, who watered a small part of the grass - it needed it.
The ferry has a pet friendly zone, and because we are inside masks are required. There weren't that many people about anyway.
Passing the Spinaker Tower as we left Portsmouth.
We arrived with plenty of time to spare, so we visited Shanklin Chine. The chine entrance ticket gives a weekly access so you can return for another visit, we didn't, because there wasn't time. The chine is all nicely socially distanced, with restrictions on exits, good markings and plenty of space. Somewhere walking up the chine Brody did a poo, we think, while no one was looking. Luckily I had the full dog survival kit ready to hand.
Thomas wasn't sure about the stocks, so Granddad had to be the subject for the demonstration.

On arrival there is no booking in, you just go to the caravan and, if there is a green sign on the door, you occupy it. The caravans are distributed to give each one a little space, here we are walking from the car park down the steep hill to the caravan. TV reception down here is very poor, we are in a steep dip BBC1 & 2 - OK.  ITV patchy, chan4 and 5 non-existant, our ariel points in a different direction to all the surrounding ones, because if it pointed the same way there would be no reception at all. Caravan issues: Lights in the bedroom not working, one of three lights in kitchen blew.  Nothing really major. We visited the on site pub in the evening - 'a dive', was one of the (more accurate) ways of describing it. Social distancing being practices by the guests was not too good, and while some rules were in place, some tables were too close together, and walk ways not separated properly.  We did at least manage to get an outside table.

Tuesday 11 August 2020

 We visited Blackgang Chine.  It's more a theme park than a chine.  The day was very hot so I spent most of the visit in the shade with Brody.  We did walk around one area with him, and he enjoyed the dinosaurs, as you can hear in the video.

In the evening we returned to Shanklin, and headed to the Steamer Inn for dinner.  We arrived early, about 5 o'clock, and were glad we did as the queue soon built up.  The food was very good, the service was excellent and we had a lovely time - all sufficiently distanced and all outside.

Wednesday 12 August 2020

Today, we visited the IoW Steam Railway.  It was even better than normal, instead of being packed in to a third class compartment, we had one to ourselves and could spread out.  I have never been to a steam railway that I didn't enjoy - they are such good day's out.  We didn't spend as long there as I would have liked, and I won't paste too many pictures.

Some of the refurbishment work in progress:

Our Engine:

Brody and Thomas enjoying the ride:

Then we were planning to go to "The Garlic Farm" for lunch, but couldn't get in, we tried the Fox & Hounds, but they too were fully booked.  We ended up, quite late, in the Pencil Cottage Tea rooms, in Shanklin.That had the advantage of being able to buy Brody a Dog ice cream, which he needed and really enjoyed on aanother hot day.

We came back to the caravan for tea and enjoyed sitting outside for the evening.

Thursday 13 August 2020

In the morning we went to the beach.  We dropped Liz, Ray and Thomas off at the sea front.  Jo and I drove on to Yaverland beach with Brody, it is dog friendly and he loved it.  We met various dogs on the beach, some who stole the poor boy's ball - he made his point in the water with one of them and the thief dropped it and swam away.  After playing with Brody for quite a while we made our way back to the car park, and enjoyed a cup of tea from the cafe while we waited for the others.

Thomas & Liz & Ray, walked from the town centre to our spot at a cafe on the front.  Thomas had a fall and reopened his knee wound. Liz had a migrane.At that point we needed some rest, so we returned to the caravan for lunch.

In the afternoon we visited the Model Village at Godsill - very good social distancing has been set up here too, except the family that pushed past us and then family in front of us too.  There's always one!

The Godsill Giant

 

Godsill Church, which we visited for real later. 

The model village, in the model village.

Is it the BFG, or Gulliver at Lilliput?

It's quite a climb to the church, we went up the steps and down the path, mainly to protect Brody as much as possible.  In the evening we had Fish and Chips takeaway from Chubby's in Shanklin.

Friday 14 August 2020

We packed up and departed comfortably before the 10 am deadline, leaving the key where we found it.  With a while to go before the ferry, we managed a visit to "The Garlic shop", and then onto The Sloop for a drink.  Lunch was eaten in the queue for boarding. The travel was again uneventful until we reached junction 4 on the M25, before reaching junction 3 we arrived at the back of a 1 hour 20 minute traffic jam - which mostly seemed to be caused by attempts to manage the traffic flow. Once released into the tunnel by the traffic lights the run through and the roads out the other side were very clear.

The Longest Summer Holiday Ever? 4:Holiday Time (Take 2) - Day 1 - Monday 3 August

We should have gone to Belgium in May, but lockdown was at it height, so we cancelled our trip. It would have been an international family gathering.  Even though it never happened, we still miss it!

So, instead, we have some time at home and some days out.  It's been a long time since we took a walk along the sea wall at Burnham-on-Crouch.  Now Brody is not able to walk far we have to leave him behind, so are less keen, I suppose.  We arrived in Burnham and parked in the Riverside car park, from there we walked up on to the sea wall and towards the town. Liz and Thomas were with us, so the first stop is the ice cream parlour.  Burnham is still coming out of lockdown, there is not as much open as I remember.  Ice cream though is always on sale and there were a couple of choices, we went for the one without a queue.  The guy selling them went and washed his hands before he served us, and was suitably masked.

Ice cream purchased, our walk along the sea wall, past pubs (some closed), the boatyards with their impossible looking cranes, and any number of impressive boats (yachts?) was as pleasant as ever.  Finally, past the town, out into the country, and as always looking to Foulness Island. At one point a huge plume of smoke appeared, we watched as it drifted and disperse, but there was never a sound.

By now I knew that my phone was not going to make it (19% on the battery), if I took a lot of pictures.  So I've had to steal one from Liz.  It was a warm, pleasant day, not too hot, the estuary was calm.

Some people prefer to ride, we did about 4 miles, so it's understandable

The view back towards the town, this was the last shot I took to preserve the charge.

Guard dogs, playing it cool, but really keeping a very sharp eye on all the passers-by.

On the way back we stopped for some food, by now it's after 5pm, the town is almost deserted, with just a few teenagers out on their skate boards.  We bought fish and chips from the same places as we had ice cream earlier.  The food was very nice.

Then back home with a very tired toddler.

Amble Day 6 - Remorseless Rain

I was awake about 6:30 and could hear Brody walking about, so got dressed and took him out.  I had 'waterproof' walking trousers and my dog walking coat - used in the depths of winter.  The wind went straight through it, and so did much of the rain.  I was out for about 11 minutes and was soaked.

Again about 11:20, for about 12 minutes, in an already wet coat, I braved the elements with Brody - dogs have to go out, and he doesn't really like it any more than I do.  Again I came back soaked, even my coat lining was damp.

We drove to the Old Ash Dene pub in Ashington.  It was not old.  It was on a trading estate, with piped music, none of which either of us was familiar with, and served pub chain food.  OK, but not great.  Something to fill a hole and a break from the rain.  When we got back I took Brody to the grass, and around the pier, as the rain had just about stopped, but we still weren't out long, the wind was strong, and it was about 10 degrees.  I really should have bought gloves!

I have a recorded total of just 1.86 miles walking for the whole day, but there is another dog walk to do, so I will get wet again.  The forecast has this going on until about 4pm tomorrow.

Amble Day 1 - Cloudy with no chance of anything but rain.

Getting up later than expected the whole day would be shifted into the evening, but sometimes these things are unavoidable.  I walked Brody, just a quick round the top field as the gypsies are on the middle field and their horses are grazing.  Brody likes to bark at horses, so we have to keep well clear.  Then back to the house, to pack the car.  Brody was very concerned as he always is, he follows my every move and generally gets in the way, so he gets shut in the lounge.  When he came outside and saw his bed set up in the car for a long trip, his tail went mad for a minute.

We set off at 9:35, with an ETA of 15:05, so with 2 half hour stops that would be 16:05.  A12 - M25 - M11 - A14 - A1, all not too bad.  The traffic was slow, mainly because of the rain - which was almost constant, but at the first stop (for lunch) when we parked behind one of the many disused cafés alongside the A1, we were only a few minutes behind the ETA.  About 11am, we found out later, there was a six vehicle accident on the northbound A1 just our side of Doncaster, but by the time we found out we were already in the 30-mile tail back.  Progress was slow and after a second stop we arrived around 18:05 some 2 hours later than planned.  At one point we were diverted off the A1 and while still in the queue on the slip road were diverted back on to the A1.  As a result, we lost about 6 car 'slots', but at least it kept me clear of the crazy coach driver who seemed intent on not letting me pass.

We are in a terraced house in Amble, about 4 minutes walk from the sea, although at this point on the coast there is no beach, only rocks and a big sea wall. It was not to the sea we went after the owners had come to visit and collect their fee, but to the fish and chip shop.  Our usual approach is to take the fish and chips to the coast and taunt the gulls, but it is too cold for that, so we headed back to the house

Last walk of the day at 22:00, it's down to the coast to see the sea, and let Brody add his contribution.  It is cold enough for a winter coat, and wet enough too.  However, even with heavy cloud, there is still enough light to easily see the paths.  Soon we return to the house to continue building the list of things we forgot to bring.

The house is very nice, this is the lounge, with some of our junk already installed!

Brody's Recovery

Four weeks of hydrotherapy are starting to have an effect.  On the days he goes, he is definitely more active.  He is also keen to get there and now understands where we are going.  So much so that he jumped into the car this morning - that's the first time since the operation.  He has tried jumping out before and has landed in an ungainly fashion and probably hurt himself.  Today's session was significant because I noticed that his rear feet are almost in line with his front feet when he walks, in the past his rear feet have always made a track that is well inside the track of his front feet.  The video shows just how smooth the right leg has now become - of course there is still a long way to go before he has sufficient muscle, but progress is being made.

Brody's Recovery

Today was the first day of Hydrotherapy, and also the first day of his new drug / supplement regime.  As we expected, Brody thoroughly enjoyed himself in the hydrotherapy treadmill.  We were warned that he would probably be tired, but as usual the swim woke him up, and he was walking about all afternoon and trying to get me to play ball.  It wasn't until the last 'walk' of the day that we found out just how hard it had been for him.  His leg is distinctly wobbly, so I brought him back before he had a chance to wander anywhere.

Staycation - Gardens and Cars

After dropping Brody off at the vets, we drove to Colchester to visit the Beth Chatto gardens. 

The main garden is the water garden, where there are not only plants, but all sorts of wild life.  Above is undoubtedly my best picture of the day.  The gardens are well-kept, we saw a small army of ladies working hard on one of the beds, and pleasing to the eye.  It is also very peaceful before most of the visitors arrive.  Unfortunately, it is also quite small for a garden, and I can't help but feel they could make better use of the space and open more of it.  The Beth Chatto gardens is really a large garden centre with the gardens attached, like a lot of large garden centres it has a huge café, so we had a cup of tea and planned where we would go for lunch.  If the gardens had been bigger, we would have lunched there.
We decided to visit the Wooden Fender, just a few miles away down a twisty Essex country road.  We sat in the garden and had a lovely meal - the food and the service was excellent.  Then we drove back towards Billericay, not knowing quite when we should pick up Brody.  We stopped at the Mini car sales place in Chelmsford, to look at a convertible mini - 4 seats, but only 4 people if the passengers in the rear seats don't have legs below the knees!  Still, it looks like a very nice car and would suit us and Brody, but we would have to find a way of strapping him in.
Back in Billericay, we visited the Ford garage to look at bigger cars - S-max etc.  Then there was an hour or so to wait to retrieve the retriever.
The poor dog is not at all comfortable after his knee clean, even this morning he is clearly in a lot of pain.  We have to go back to the vet tomorrow to see how he is doing, and are hoping to start hydrotherapy later this week.

Brody's Recovery

Today we dropped Brody at the vet to have his knees cleaned out.  The process is completed by flushing out the joint using hyperdermics to introduce and remove saline.  The platelets that have been separated from his own blood are injected to hopefully help with some healing of the knees.  The left is not too bad.  The right was very bad.  He is not a happy dog tonight, he does not know whether to stand, sit or lie down, and found it difficult to settle for the first 3 hours after arriving home.  We have also confirmed that the vet has the 'paper work' for the hydrotherapy, and we are hoping that they will respond quickly, so we can get that started this week. His next appointment is on Wednesday.

Brody's Recovery

At the vets yesterday Brody was given the all-clear, so hydrotherapy can start - hopefully mid-week.  The vet asked if he could do the procedure to improve his knees, so we have booked him in for that early next week.

Brody is becoming very active, which is a good thing, but apparently the 20 minute walks are a bit too long for the vets liking, and quite a bit too short for Brody.  The picture was taken by a friend, it captures his intense stare when he's expecting a treat really well.

Brody's Recovery

At the first checkup at the vet's today, Brody had his 'bandage' removed.  The vet was pleased with his progress.  He is already starting to put a little weight on the leg and when we walk slowly on grass it almost looks as though he is walking normally.
This morning, he wanted to go for a walk, so I took him towards Sun Corner.  We got up to the back of the church car park, and he decided he had had enough.  We have been advised to restrict his exercise, I believe that will be increasingly difficult.  The drugs routine continues - he is almost used to it, I wonder how he will react when the various courses are finished?