Puppies, steaks and stuff

Good day to you all. I know that a few of you do actually read all the words I type for my updates and I’m sure most just look at the pictures and I thank you for both of these things. It is such fun for me to go through my pictures and videos each week and remember what has gone on since the last update; it does take me rather a long time to do these weekly ones though and I cannot wait to be back to doing a shorter daily update. Shorter, I hear you snort; well yes, shorter than these weekly ones have become anyway.

 

Some wild flowers in the garden

This update starts Monday morning; my mornings are pretty much the same now whether it be a working day or a weekend; I am awake when the girls want to go out to the toilet and that is that. This morning was no different and they were up quite early even for them, before my 6am alarm went off.  I had a very pleasant time walking around the garden, while the girls played and had fun, looking at all the flowers which have appeared over the past few weeks. Unfortunately most of the pictures I took came out really badly so rather than the montage I had planned there is only the one picture. One thing that I did note with pleasure is one of the saplings I bought all those weeks ago that I had thought was going to do nothing has actually got some shoots on it finally. I hope it is the cherry tree.

 

Enjoying the sun with my noodles

After this, and feeding them, it was time to head to work as usual and so I left them to their own devices in the kitchen. They seem to have slightly regressed with the amount of wee that I return to however they are very good about number twos and haven’t have any accidents like that for ages. It was a lovely day and at lunch I was able to sit out in the back garden with my noodles and watch the girls play. It is a pleasure to get this time with them and also it is good for me as I have doubled the daily exercise I am getting due to walking home at lunchtime.

It was still just as gorgeous when I got home so rather than spend any time inside we went into the garden and I brought the new sun lounger outside and lay on it while the girls played. And weren't they in a playful mood. The films above show just how amusing they are and it really is a pleasure having them around (even if right now Thelma is being very naughty and keeps coming over to try and jump on the sofa with me when I've told her to go in her bed; naughty little girl). It is the best thing having got these two and they have made the difference for me as without them I reckon I’d really be struggling to cope with being here still.

 

Kisses from Thelma

I had arranged for my mate Bob to come past this evening for some food and to meet the girls and have a good chat and he turned up exactly when he was expected. We had a really lovely evening and he was impressed with the spicy pork pasta I cooked (but then, who ever isn't?!) and the girls who really liked him and were also very obedient for the entire evening. It was lovely to just chat and talk about trains and travelling and I hope that his plans, to come across Europe on his motorbike next year, come to fruition so he can come see us in Bulgaria. My fingers are firmly crossed.

They are largely incredibly obedient, my mum commented on this more than once about their visit to their house, and one of the best things I have been able to do is get them to wait until I let them approach their bowls when it is feeding time. Similarly to when I am doing my own food one thing I really don’t like is them jumping around my feet while I serving their food out. Anyway at first I started with the bed there but recently I’ve taken to not bringing it through and making them stay in the opposite corner and it is working; Louise in particular does edge her way as close as she can without getting shouted at but by and large they stay away until the command is given.

Lunch time was once again a sunny affair sat out in the garden but this time with a quickly put together butty rather than noodles. There was one rather sad occurrence when Thelma managed to catch a bumble bee and was playing with it on the floor before I could stop her. I shooed them away and then managed eventually to get it up onto the bird table so they couldn't get to it (more concerned with it stinging them than anything else) and when I got back that evening it was gone but I don’t know if it recovered or just blew away somewhere.

 

These two really know how to have fun

This week has really been quite a boring one other than a few huge highlights. Work has been very busy and I have been quite tired with it, and of course I've had to keep my energy going for the girls as they don’t care if you are tired they want to play and be outside and run around and jump on your lap and all sorts of things when you just want to curl up and read, or sleep, or read then sleep. Most of my pictures (which I will not subject you to) are of the girls doing on of those things and if ever anyone wants a picture of “two jack russels asleep on a lap” or “two jack russels trying to rip each others faces off” then you know who to call. I have THOUSANDS! I make no apology for this picture which is one of my favourites I have taken so far. I know it is a bit blurry but it captures the two of them perfectly.

 

Lovely wildlife in the back garden

Now that I am outside so much more because of the girls I am getting to see the nature around here a lot and it is varied. Not only are there loads of bees (one fewer now, sadly, but still) and wasps but there are butterflies and moths that seem to like the tiny little pond we have. The birdlife is extensive also and they are starting to get braver when we are outside, hopping down to take what bread I have left them which Thelma or Louise haven’t stolen. They will even do this when those two are quite close and I hope this doesn't end in bloodshed.

 

A brief moment of relaxation

I spend time outside when it is raining and horrible of course though, like Louise, I try to stay under cover if possible. This week has been quite changeable but with that there have been a few days which have been glorious and I have been able to stretch out on the sun lounger and soak up the rays while watching and laughing at the girls. They aren't always chasing around like lunatics out there as you can see from this picture. They both lay there like that for a good minute or two before they were off and up bouncing around once more.

 

Sun worshipers

They really do love the sun, though. In the evenings the sun swings round and sets over the houses opposite and it shines through the front window to splash onto the carpet in an ever diminishing patch of light. When this happens they both go and find it and position themselves carefully to be fully bathed in sunlight. They have also repeated the manoeuvre in the kitchen while I am washing up in the morning, standing close together very still so they are in a little sliver of sunlight which gets through the kitchen window onto the floor.

Finally for now is this video of them in the garden (again) bouncing around in the rockery. For ages they didn't go near it; they would run past it and look at it but not step in but then one day Louise went for it and bounced around and Thelma saw this and got involved and now every time we go out they are all over it. Unfortunately they have also taken to pooing in there which makes my collection duties a bit more challenging sadly.

 

Happy birthday party

And so, via loads and loads of pictures of the girls which I am skipping, it was Thursday. Now Wednesday had been a very special day for my mate Lee who had turned 30 and Thursday was his birthday party at his house. I legged it home from work to sort the girls out, let them run around lots and feed them, as I was not planning on coming back until the morning. About 6.30 I entered the rush hour and it wasn't actually too bad as I arrived about 7 to find everyone already there and started on champagne, wine, beer and whatever else was on the table.

 

This is the best Pork I have EVER tasted!

The evening revolved around Lee’s Big Green Egg, an amazing BBQ / Smoker / Hot plate / Griddle thing which weighs about a ton (or so he claims when he is trying to move it) and is really rather awesome. Lee had been up since 6am with this device cooking a 4kg chunk of pork to be pulled for our starter. When I arrived at 7pm it was not ready and it still wasn't ready by 8. At just before 9pm we finally got fed up with waiting for the temperature to reach the required number and the meat was extracted, rested and then sliced up. This pork was the best I have ever eaten anywhere ever in my life. It was just so amazing and I wanted to eat it all except I knew that coming up after this was the highlight of the evening; the steaks.

 

Flame grilling the steaks

There is, on YouTube somewhere, a video lasting nearly 8 minutes of myself and Lee attempting to light the new charcoal which he had emptied into the burner. It would not light, mainly because of the heat of the coals underneath which was consuming all the oxygen, however eventually and after much fun we did get it lit and when I went out next to check on the state of the steaks it was flaming really high. I am not linking to any videos from the night because of drunkenness and swearing as this is a family blog however if one wants to one can find them on my channel.

 

Steaks, and one being eaten like a man

The steaks were epic. I cannot say how good they were! Cooked to perfection, totally virgin with nothing added to try and improve on the already perfect taste of expensively reared, slaughter, hung and cooked ribeye steaks. The fat was still there but soft to melt in your mouth and the charring on the outside gave way quickly to lovely raw melting buttery interiors. As you can see some of the party couldn't even wait to cut it up and in the end I joined him picking it up and munching away.

 

I'm not old fashioned, but these were lovely

After the food the party developed into sitting around listening to random music (I put on Shaggy, Oh Carolina, at one point. Yes. I am that cool),  chatting, laughing and drinking. As I was driving in the morning I was being careful but I had to have some of these lovely Old Fashioned which Lee created for us all. I was not the first to head to bed but about 1.30 I knew that I would need to go so I could be up in time to beat the traffic and get back to see what damage the girls had caused on their first night alone. I had brought bedding and a fold out mattress and slept really well until I woke at my usual time, about 6am, to find that Lee and Ryan were still awake and Rob wanted to steal the room I had been in so he could continue trying to sleep.

The drive home was really easy as I was before any traffic and I was also feeling good having had just enough sleep. With a sense of trepidation I decided to video my entrance into the house but they had actually been really rather good, with only one other section of wall chewed at a bit and that only some wallpaper off. They were super happy to see me, of course, and after I tidied up I played with them for a bit before their breakfast and then mine.

 

Working outside is the future

Friday began as one of the lovely days I mentioned earlier and rather than get annoyed at the girls wanting to go outside all the time and distracting me from my work I took my chair outside, dragged some power through the door, and settled myself to work outside for the morning. It actually worked really well as I was able to be undisturbed by toilet demands however I didn't go back out after lunch as the sun was straining my eyes trying to see the screen.

 

Waterproof shelter, and the puppies take their relaxation time

I did get to put my delivery driver note on the door again on Friday. I had heard the postman pushing something through the letter box and rushed out to make sure it wasn't the Fedex guy as I had already had to re-arrange this delivery once. The postman was a friendly chap and when the girls dashed out to say hello as well he wasn't bothered and gave them a stroke. Anyway I was sat in the back still when the delivery did arrive and here it is put up and not looking right but I’ll work it out I’m sure. This is for Islay and for the journey across Europe in case of bad weather; it is so I can sit in it to eat, cook and also can get changed easier. It was on sale and was the cheapest I could find that claimed to be “storm proof” but it is actually a fishing shelter. We shall see. It’s pretty huge when it is folded down.

 

My special whisky glass packed for the festival

And so we get to Saturday. Despite being exhausted on Friday I had actually sat up til quite late playing my computer game and then, when I did finally go to bed, I actually lay in there reading ofr a bit so when I was woken by very insistent puppies at 6am I was not best pleased at all. There was nothing for it, though, but to make the best of it and get a start on the day. I had a lot planned for today as the return is suddenly imminent and the Whisky festival, well I’ll be there this time next week!

 

Mr Pig goes to hospital

After piling up all the stuff I need to take to the Whisky Festival I got my sewing kit out and (having threaded the needle this time in less than a minute – a new record) managed to patch him up again. I wasn't going to try to reattach the lost ear but I did get the hole sealed and managed as well to incorporate the loose thread from where the ear had been attached. Of course, within minutes of me giving it back to them, the toy was back in hard use and they were paying particular attention, it seemed, to the newly sewed up gash. I do not hold out much hope for the longevity of this fix but they are very happy to have him back.

 

Sniffing the air for bacon

With this success I put my breakfast on and was most amused when, from dead asleep, Thelma lifted her head up and sniffed the air for the scent of bacon. Of course I didn't let them have any (they had eaten a good breakfast already that morning) as it was way too nice and I was hungry.

 

Packing materials nice and tidy

The main task for the day was to tidy up as I was getting stressed with the messy pile of packing materials in the corner of the front room, and the fact that you could no longer move at all in the back room, other than to the back door. It really didn't take me long to get everything done which was great and now I know where all my packing materials are, have stacked the boxes more tidily (and put some of the more delicate things into the wooden trunk which is now full) and I have even thrown some things away that I don’t want any more which is MOST unlike me. On top of this I had done a full load of washing and hung it out to dry in the sun. And all this before 10am.

 

Thelma thinks she is a parrot

With these chores out of the way I settled myself to working; I am making up a day over this weekend (and have done another half day on Sunday) to make up for the Friday I am taking off next week. I had a really good time of it yesterday and actually did everything I planned for the weekend already so Sunday is just bonus achievement. I took a long lunch in the sun, however, over lunch which involved me laying on my front and watching the girls at play. Thelma was super cute and kept coming over and resting her paws and chin on my arm where it lay stretched out next to me. I got the camera, came back, and she repeated the manoeuvre. Awesome puppies, these! Louise was not to be left out and she ended up sat on my back again, like she had on my birthday, relaxing in the sun.

 

Mr Pig not quite with his wound reopened

It was good that I took the time in the sun then as it clouded over fast and then rained quite hard for the afternoon so I got a fair amount more work done then as well which probably accounts for the success of the day. About mid afternoon I checked out the state of Mr Pig and was most surprised to see that, despite some pulls and a bit of loose thread, it looks like my repairs were holding out. You can see that Thelma wasn't happy with him being removed from her play time at all.

And so I headed to bed early, about 8.30, as I was so shattered and slept through without interruption from either of the girls until just before 6 when they very definitely decided it was time to be awake and refused to be put back to bed after going out for their toilet. Today so far has entirely revolved around them and the laptop and so I have no pictures to show you. I uploaded the videos from the party, did some work, played with them a lot (it is cold outside today; really cold, so I’ve not enjoyed being out as much) and sat waiting for the delivery from Amazon for the last few bits for the trip next week to arrive so then I can go get milk from the shop. I will almost certainly  not update this again now so I’ll just sign off; I’m not sure when I’ll next be updating this as I go to Scotland on Thursday next week.

 

These boxes are for the whisky

Well my delivery arrived and I did go to the shop but when I got back the girls got in some serious trouble as they had again chewed at the wall. With me only being out ten minutes or so this is just not good enough. They knew they were in trouble because I called them to me and pointed at the damage and they both turned and ran to their bed and sat with their backs to me. They are so intelligent but so naughty too. I bought myself some burgers for my dinner this evening as I once again couldn't face the thought of the pub but what I did do was put the boxes I have bought for the whisky festival purchases into the back of Thomas and secure them. They look well and if I buy more whisky than fits in these two boxes I will be in trouble with A.

Chips are in, work completed, puppies snoring like trains in their bed and the front room once again messy post-delivery and I’m considering putting a film on this evening which is most unlike me. We shall see.