On monday we took the dogs out and ended up doing a circuit of the hills around the town...The dogs were knackered, we were too, and we'd done something new...
Slack lining, believe there are some funky videos of this on youtube. Doesn't need much equipment and yet is highly useful for those involved in outdoor sports such as kayaking, climbing, abseiling, etc...A length of webbing (flat stretchy rope stuff) and carabinas (weird closed figure of eights and locking clip versions). The idea is to very tightly stretch and tie a length of webbing between two trees or other imovable objects and then balance on the webbing. No harness, no helpers...sounds easy enough...till you figure out you can't even climb on without falling over...
Watched so many videos of people that can do this amazingly well...also do this over very steep, deep gorges.
After a small amount of success we decided to build a 'death slide' or zip wire between trees. Once again very little needed. Then strapped our intrepid and blase dogs into harnesses and sent them down these very small slides...D- loved it, just sat there on my feet waiting for me to reattach her so she could do it again. S- not so impressed, but he is generally the more adventurous dog so we'll let him off this time...
Many hours later we get back to the house and keel over...
The next day both C- and I were working, C- has far too many 8 am starts...I spent the morning watching bizarre programmes on 4OD...Random shows make life so educational and enlightening...legalising brothels, love across the victorian class divide, huge tumours on peoples' backs. It never ceases to amaze me the tat you can find on TV...love it...
So, now I'm awaiting C- back from his kayaking and then we can sleep...been sleeping a lot recently and yet never get less tired...odd world...
Didn't need to rant really today...sign things are going well...lol
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Sunday 15 November 2009
Daft Diggles...
Demon dog chases his tail...
Every dog needs a blue strawberry to kill...
Out for a long walk...chasing bunny rabbits...
Computer wizard that he is...S-had to check his mail...
Crazy D- ate the bedding in the crate...but she can still make it seem like she's all innocent...
Soggy D- I had to put her in the water, she wasn't best pleased...
Soggy again D- this time she smelled awful...so we bathed her...
On a long walk with our neighbours...Do-, N-, and J-...
This was just an excuse to look at funny photos of my daft diggles...
Ceilidh, Dogs, and rattraps...
The past few days have knackered me out...
When you go to bed and you can hear beasties nibbling at something inside your walls something's got to be wrong, right? Well, C- and I have begun a fight with some very healthy looking wild rattens...they infiltrated the dividing wall between us and the neighbours, they gnaw at all hours of the night and recently they chewed their way through the shed floor to say hello to my not so wild lady rats. So, we put a trap down with tasty pasta goodness in it and lo and behold the next day there is a beautiful agouti shiny coated wild beasty rat in the trap. What the hell are they eating? My rat food is all locked up and rat-proof (not even gnawing on these boxes), they haven't been in the actual house (not a single itty-bitty sign, and no interest from our trained and proven mouser jack russel). To be in that good a condition they must be getting top nosh...
Saying that my ladies get reasonable food (I love them but I'm not loaded) and they're shiny...
Another crazy animal causing problems is my darling black and white ninja collie lurcher S-, he has yet again damaged his leg, this time he has opened up his armpit on a reed. So I have to fight him to the floor and spray wound wash in twice a day and try to keep him less mobile...He really has a talent for damaging his legs; he is not even 2 yet and he has been to the vets to have the tendons in his foot stitched back together, to bandage up a crushed nailbed, and to check on torn pads...Crazy dog doesn't stop, ever...no fear when running around, and he is a mischevious wee thing as well...
The jack russel D- has not damaged any of her legs but then she's much more nervous than him.
We left them alone last night to go to a ceilidh birthday party...two bottles of red wine later, C- and I had met all her family, several neighbours and a fair few friends. Now my feet hurt and I am a bit dehydrated, but I got to dance the Strip the Willow and a few other dances. I could only just remember the moves having last been taught this in high school some 7 years ago...Twas a laugh though. Always is at a ceilidh...
Though the ceilidh arranged for C-'s 21st and my 23rd was better even though we were in Somerset and everybody didn't have a clue...they gave it their best shot and succeeded in making the evening lively and memorable. Ah, how easy would life be to go back down South and not pay huge amounts of rent and actually be able to have animals everywhere. Got to have a menagerie wherever I go and it is difficult to find anywhere that takes animals, they'll take screaming, pooping, gnawing, thumping, running, random sleep patterned kids but not quiet, well-groomed, placid dogs...I don't get it!!
Another rant done...
When you go to bed and you can hear beasties nibbling at something inside your walls something's got to be wrong, right? Well, C- and I have begun a fight with some very healthy looking wild rattens...they infiltrated the dividing wall between us and the neighbours, they gnaw at all hours of the night and recently they chewed their way through the shed floor to say hello to my not so wild lady rats. So, we put a trap down with tasty pasta goodness in it and lo and behold the next day there is a beautiful agouti shiny coated wild beasty rat in the trap. What the hell are they eating? My rat food is all locked up and rat-proof (not even gnawing on these boxes), they haven't been in the actual house (not a single itty-bitty sign, and no interest from our trained and proven mouser jack russel). To be in that good a condition they must be getting top nosh...
Saying that my ladies get reasonable food (I love them but I'm not loaded) and they're shiny...
Another crazy animal causing problems is my darling black and white ninja collie lurcher S-, he has yet again damaged his leg, this time he has opened up his armpit on a reed. So I have to fight him to the floor and spray wound wash in twice a day and try to keep him less mobile...He really has a talent for damaging his legs; he is not even 2 yet and he has been to the vets to have the tendons in his foot stitched back together, to bandage up a crushed nailbed, and to check on torn pads...Crazy dog doesn't stop, ever...no fear when running around, and he is a mischevious wee thing as well...
The jack russel D- has not damaged any of her legs but then she's much more nervous than him.
We left them alone last night to go to a ceilidh birthday party...two bottles of red wine later, C- and I had met all her family, several neighbours and a fair few friends. Now my feet hurt and I am a bit dehydrated, but I got to dance the Strip the Willow and a few other dances. I could only just remember the moves having last been taught this in high school some 7 years ago...Twas a laugh though. Always is at a ceilidh...
Though the ceilidh arranged for C-'s 21st and my 23rd was better even though we were in Somerset and everybody didn't have a clue...they gave it their best shot and succeeded in making the evening lively and memorable. Ah, how easy would life be to go back down South and not pay huge amounts of rent and actually be able to have animals everywhere. Got to have a menagerie wherever I go and it is difficult to find anywhere that takes animals, they'll take screaming, pooping, gnawing, thumping, running, random sleep patterned kids but not quiet, well-groomed, placid dogs...I don't get it!!
Another rant done...
Thursday 12 November 2009
Hello again
Just sitting at home with the fire roaring beside me, the dogs curled up neatly infront of it, delicious aromas of pasta and sauce wafting from the kitchen...Wasn't like this a month ago; couldn't relax for a minute, crazy landlady could turn up at any time and weedle her way into ruining yet another day.
My partner and I had only been in that house a total of three months and the stress was such that I had moderate depression and only ate chocolate, and C- was not sleeping and was losing weight he didn't have. We loved the idea of moving out of town, nice and quiet, perfect for our pets...but we didn't bargain on this. In the first week she turned up almost every day, shuffling things from the loft and under the stairs. We had moved into a house stuffed full of her random belongings. The stuff was supposed to be gone when we moved in but 'not a chance' we thought. So we gave her a week. Still not even a dent. So we tried another week. She came less that week; maybe four times...
We had her turning up with her minions at 8.30am and using the washing machine as though it was still her house...Cheek! Then a few days later when asked politely for 24 hours notice of her visits she went off on one and said it was 'her house and she could turn up whenever she liked, it's my right as a landlady to come in whenever, we agreed this before you moved in...' Lies...lies...
She just kept on turning up, we had to get a solicitor to write a letter so she wouldn't enter the property when we weren't there. She did this on several occasions...
So, three months later, after a nasty battle of the solicitors we moved out and filed complaints against her...through the police, the council and the CAB. The police are looking into harassment, the council want to fine her for not being a registered landlord (several thousand pounds), and the CAB seemed ready to lynch her.
Now we have a smaller garden, fewer rooms and strange neighbours, but at least the house is ours; we can have a bath without wondering if the car that just went past is the landlady come to torment us...
Moral of this story; beware of strange old ladies, trust no one, and always back up everything you do, have, say, or think with paper evidence through a highly expensive solicitor...
At least it's over...
Ranting complete...
My partner and I had only been in that house a total of three months and the stress was such that I had moderate depression and only ate chocolate, and C- was not sleeping and was losing weight he didn't have. We loved the idea of moving out of town, nice and quiet, perfect for our pets...but we didn't bargain on this. In the first week she turned up almost every day, shuffling things from the loft and under the stairs. We had moved into a house stuffed full of her random belongings. The stuff was supposed to be gone when we moved in but 'not a chance' we thought. So we gave her a week. Still not even a dent. So we tried another week. She came less that week; maybe four times...
We had her turning up with her minions at 8.30am and using the washing machine as though it was still her house...Cheek! Then a few days later when asked politely for 24 hours notice of her visits she went off on one and said it was 'her house and she could turn up whenever she liked, it's my right as a landlady to come in whenever, we agreed this before you moved in...' Lies...lies...
She just kept on turning up, we had to get a solicitor to write a letter so she wouldn't enter the property when we weren't there. She did this on several occasions...
So, three months later, after a nasty battle of the solicitors we moved out and filed complaints against her...through the police, the council and the CAB. The police are looking into harassment, the council want to fine her for not being a registered landlord (several thousand pounds), and the CAB seemed ready to lynch her.
Now we have a smaller garden, fewer rooms and strange neighbours, but at least the house is ours; we can have a bath without wondering if the car that just went past is the landlady come to torment us...
Moral of this story; beware of strange old ladies, trust no one, and always back up everything you do, have, say, or think with paper evidence through a highly expensive solicitor...
At least it's over...
Ranting complete...
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