I walk the dogs every morning (& evening). Sometimes it feels the same as the previous day, often we meet the same people each morning. Sometimes something happens that’s different. Wilson found a falling autumn leaf this morning, in a rather unorthodox manner. A different aspect to my morning walk.
Category: Dogs
Allotment Update & Swimming With Dogs
I’ve been a little slack posting here, so by way of a couple of videos, here’s an update on some of what I’ve been up to. I hope to have some news on the job front soon, and will cover that separately when I do.
We took the dogs to Emsworth for a swim yesterday. Only really the first time that Ruby has properly been swimming. The video is fairly low quality as I didn’t want to take my expensive camera out over the water with me, so I was using an older one, that I was less worried about dropping, but the quality isn’t as good.
Our garden seems to have become quite popular with a certain juvenile magpie, he’s taken a shine to one of the fatball feeders (rain or shine) and his acrobatics trying to get to the fastballs is quite entertaining. He’s fascinating to watch, particularly recently as he’s been trying to work out if he can dislodge the feeder from the tree branch to forgo his acrobatics (he hasn’t succeeded yet).
Surprise Buzzard & Sparrowhawk
My morning dog walks are tending to be a little longer at the moment as there is no train to catch to work (at least for now). The chance to take a little longer and walk a little further is good for my mental health if nothing else. When I get back I tend to sit down and look through the job alerts that have come through, earmarking any that I am going to submit an application for, and if there is nothing else to do (the last two days, I’ve been preparing a proposal for a client), get on with the applications.
This morning, just as we were heading for home, I heard a bird of prey calling. When I turned and looked up I saw first one and then a second buzzard circling. As I continued to watch a Sparrowhawk appeared.
I wonder whether she was hoping for some smaller birds to be spooked by the buzzards and then be able to swoop in for a meal.
Quite pleased with the camera phone photos above, cropped in google photos.
Deer, Oh Deer
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about not seeing deer on my way to work in the mornings. I’ve been on “leave” the last couple of weeks, my official last day in my current job is tomorrow, which has obviously given me more time to take longer morning walks with the dogs.
This morning we were on our way around the fort when I heard something crashing through the bottom of “the moat”. Being Summer the vegetation is now green and lush, and it is difficult to see any distance, but I did glimpse the bouncing white tails of two Roe Deer. I’ve seen deer here before, but not that often as there are just too many people about. We’d obviously spooked them, and they weren’t hanging around, but it’s good to know that I still might see deer in the mornings.
Teaching Ruby To Swim
To Emsworth, to walk on the shore. Threw balls into the harbour as the tide was in and started to teach Ruby how to swim. She hasn’t quite gotten it yet but I think she will. There’s a lot of splashing and she hasn’t worked out how to use her tail as a rudder, but she will. Back to the car with two very wet, but very happy dogs.
Brought in all the towels from the car when we got home, and left the car windows open for a bit to air out the damp dog smell.
A fun afternoon.
(Regretting not getting any photos of Ruby actually swimming!)
Ruby’s Home
I picked Ruby up from the vet this morning. She’s much improved and with some TLC over the next few days should be back to normal soon.
Ruby Update
Unfortunately I’ve had to take Ruby back to the vet this morning.
She’s had a barrage of tests during the day and is spending the night at the surgery, hopefully I’ll be collecting her in the morning. Diagnosis is still the same (haemorrhagic gastroenteritis) and hopefully she’ll respond better to this second round of treatment.
Will update when I know more.
One of Those Days…
Being woken at 2am to the sound of a dog vomiting, is never likely to signal a good start to the day, and things didn’t improve from there. By 4pm I found myself fighting the traffic on the way to the vets with Ruby; ultimate diagnosis, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, treatment; 3 x jabs, plus antibiotic tablets and kaolin paste.
The good news is she seems to be perking up, but not back to normal yet, although she did bring a chew toy up on to our bed this evening. We need to see what tomorrow brings, but hopefully a return to food for her and not more sickness and diarrhoea.
It’s also one year to the day that we bought Ruby home for the first time as a puppy.
Thoughts On Summers Past
In just under four weeks, I’ll have had my last day in my current job, two weeks after that is my last contractual day. I’ve obviously been thinking a lot about what happens next. My plan (barring a job offer) is to take a few weeks off, while starting job hunting.
In some ways this reminds me of summers of my childhood, with 6 week holiday breaks. I have memories of spending time on boating lakes, at the beach, in the woods; in the garden. Playing by myself, with friends and with the dog(s). When I was older I would head off for long morning walks with the dog, trying to get out and back before it got too hot and the insects started biting. I remember one summer, I would have been 9 or 10, when each morning before I got up, I would read a chapter of “The Hobbitt”.
These are good memories, although I suspect a little enhanced by the passage of time. I don’t expect this summer will be much in comparison. There will undoubtedly be dog walks and books to read, but an element of my focus needs to be on finding my next job. I appreciate that the job market is quieter over the summer, but I’ll still be looking. Maybe I’ll find something different or something the same to what I do now, really now my options are open.
Away & Home
I’ve been in Brussels most of last week. In all likelihood it will probably be the last trip away before my redundancy kicks in. My last day in the office is now only four weeks away, and then the job hunting will begin in earnest!
With the long summer evenings, and the time difference, I had plenty of time to explore the area where I was staying. There was a park nearby, which made for a pleasant evening stroll after dinner. Leopold Park is associated with the educational institutes that are located nearby.
I got back home late on Friday afternoon and I have to say it’s good to be home and to be back to walking the dogs, the allotment, and just to be home.
Electronic Scrapbook 