Beyond Adolescence - part 2

[SpanielsGalore]

No point banning coffee, as it didn't work last time. 🙄
Haven't had any cake updates from a while. @VanGoSunflowers Have you stopped baking already? You still had 8 cakes to go to make it economical.

@Bupster

“..manages to steal all the covers”

How dare you accuse lovely Bill of stealing! Our lovely Bill would never do such a thing.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks I can only speak for spaniels, but mine have all been very vocal when they've fallen out. They sound like they are killing each other, but there's only been blood drawn once. That was by my reactive dog over dropped food.
I was told it was the quiet ones you have to watch, as they mean business.

Looks like I am destined not to buy a new bed. The app keeps crashing when I try to pay. 😞 Which also means N is going to run out of food. 🤦‍♀️ Fortunately I don't think she'll mind eating her sisters' food for a few days.

I did win on premium bonds but it'll just about pay for the next food order for the dogs and nothing more!

Mine don't squabble at all. Little pup is a wimp who gets scared if the big one has zoomies. Big one will just whine at me if the little one is in a space she wants.

Or sometimes she's sneaky, like the other day when she went and looked out the window and growled, which got the little one up and then big pup jumped into the spot she vacated 😂

Big one has had a couple of scraps with other dogs (she's never been the instigator) and the noise is horrendous but it is all noise, not a mark left.

@SpanielsGalore sounds like you'll have no choice but to get fish and chips. Terrible.

Mine are horribly vocal as well. I say mine. Clem is vocal. Interesting about it being the quiet ones as Clem is definitely the quietest. Possibly that's why she's quiet...she's plotting.

@tizwozliz congrats on your win!

Ohhh you have a whiner as well. I much prefer the whining as an indicator of annoyance than the grumbling. Although it definitely beats Satan's pokey claw of doom (she literally jabs her paw against you until you do her bidding).

Fingers crossed that one day you, me or @CoubousAndTourmaIet win big 😀

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks New book will hopefully be about the 1930s – readers of my last book will recognise some of the protagonists!

Catching up variously...

I don’t bother intervening over deer poo or horse poo as I consider it a bit of extra fibre. When I was a child we always used to say that you could eat horse poo and it wouldn’t do you much harm, though I wouldn’t choose it on a menu. Pupsy picked me a beautiful (revolting) rotting pigeon the other night which she then expected me to carry. Have no issue whatever with carrying a freshly shot bird but I can’t say I’m a fan of mangled, half-eaten specimens, which she is particularly adept at finding for me.

Pupsy has three beds in the kitchen alone, one upstairs, three sofas, many rugs, an armchair, my bed and my lap. For one dog. She rotates through them all as well as the stone floors.

We were walking in the Peaks earlier this week when a random cocker came up to us, sniffed pupsy and then mounted her which, unsurprisingly, she took serious exception to and defended herself loudly and crossly. She was totally in the right though it sounded horrible. The other dog’s owner thanked me as we passed which I think must have been in recognition of my lack of reaction as so often people make it worse when, as far as I can see, it’s better to just leave them to it if it is clearly just shouting and not actual aggression.

And now I want chip shop chips. Had bison spag bol tonight which was 10/10, if I do say so myself.

I won £100 on PB's, so I'm happy with that. My holding is creeping up bit by bit.

Yes. P is a digger. She's ripped two settees and made several holes in the dining room carpet.

@brushingboots chip shop chip sandwich?

Pupsy sounds delightful, although I do knot what you mean. Shot bird? Fine. Half-rotted carcass. No thanks. And agree on the deer poo - my vet always says it's the doggy equivalent of Activia, but it's the fights it starts that require intervention😩

@CoubousAndTourmaIet congrats on your win! Not quite the amount you wanted for that move, but a win is a win!

My food delivery man failed to turn up last night - rang and said the road was too icy for him to come up (even though I did check online and Ocado claim their vans have winter tyres) and could I please drive or walk down? To which I said, no. It's one thing to drive up/down icy roads when you can see what's there, but quite another in the pitch black when you don't have winter tyres. And the walk up the road is about 200 meters and it was a full weeks shopping!

I'm rather unamused as we now have no milk as we only bought essentials on the way back and I am unable to have a coffee.😭And I got no sleep as I knew I would be waking up to a world without coffee

That's not a great start to the day @TheHungryHungryLandsharks How annoying! I couldn't start the day without my morning mug of tea 😩

I have no idea what happens if they can't deliver. Do they reschedule or will you have to go to the supermarket?

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I spoke to Ocado last night and they said they could offer a re-delivery for tonight, and I did have to laugh as it's going to be even colder tonight so if they couldn't get up last night...how will they get up tonight!?

I'll go out a bit later once the roads are a bit softer (it got down to -3 overnight). DH has offered to go with me...so I have the joy of his screaming to look forward to whenever I go over some ice 😂

Hmm. Sounds unlikely they'll get up. Hope you do manage to get out...

It's currently -5 here but clear and sunny. Brie refused breakfast in favour of lying outside. She is loving this weather even if nobody else is.

It's -3° here this morning, but it's been dry so it's actually quite nice - the roads aren't slippery, I don't have to worry about himself pulling me over. He loves it; the frost must do something wonderful to the scent. @brushingboots you might know - is there anywhere I can find out more about what weather and wind do to scent? That sounds like just the kind of rabbit hole my ADHD mind can fall down and it will actually be useful knowledge.

For Christmas my bestie got me a pair of fleece-lined waterproof trousers and they are AMAZING. As it's dry I can put them on with a pair of ancient knockoff Uggs and a couple of pairs of socks, and I'm completely warm and toasty even at -3°. Though I have to say my nose was starting to protest after an hour and a half of watching Bill sniff for squirrels in the cemetery this morning. But he breaks it up by finding excellent sticks and wiggling round me in delight to show them off until I get dizzy, so I can't bring myself to make us go home.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharksThat's annoying. I hope you manage to get to the shops and back again.

I'm nearly out of milk, so will need to venture out today too. I could just walk to the local Spar shop though. They allow dogs inside, so I could take K with me.

Currently 0° here. There is a covering of snow on the ground and the hill at the back of my house looks decidedly dicey. We've already had hail again.

A year ago today, N arrived into foster care. After a few weeks, it was decided her health issues meant she wasn't suitable for adoption. After a year of good medical care, physiotherapy and exercise tailored to her abilities, hopefully you can see a difference in her.

She looks like a completely different dog @SpanielsGalore !
You're doing a wonderful job with her ❤

Take care if you do venture out. It sounds like a day for the Yaktrax.

@Bupster I don't know if it's anything to do with scent but mine get rather...fruity when it's very cold and they run around like maniacs.

I bet Bill was very proud of his sticks. Does he bring them home?

@CoubousAndTourmaIet we'll get out! Thankfully I can still dog walk without needing to drive or walk down the road. I hope Brie gets a few more days of this lovely cold weather. It must be so lovely for her

@SpanielsGalore Ohhh N looks like a new dog and she looks so much more full of life in the second photo ❤

Wish me luck. I am going to brave the road as my need for coffee has surpassed my worry about ice.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks I have a phobia about icy roads as well , and am checking the weather forecast several times a day at the moment.

Hope you also get compensation for non-delivery of your food. I got £25 once from Ocado.

So, what happens when you let your dog chose the route? You end up doing a two hour walk! She made it obvious she didn't want to do any of the usual loops so I gave her free rein to choose where to go. She was giddy with joy.

Dozens of dogs everywhere! There was a cocker cracking the ice, a springer in the water, almost every dog was a gundog or terrier breed today.
It was dry and lovely, if a bit slippy in a few places.

So busy though, a real challenge for socially anxious me and for Brie, but she was an angel. Anyone would think she was well trained 😂
Got a few comments about her being serene and clean and one "bloody hell, he's a big bugger int' he?" They laughed when we said she's a girl 🙄

Snowing now and for Brie that's the icing on the cake. She's so happy today 🤗

I typed out a reply earlier about the weather but now it’s vanished. It is very dry here and my car wasn’t even slightly iced over this morning which is great.

@Bupster I’m afraid I don’t know anything official beyond what I’ve observed myself which is that smells are best at dawn and dusk and post defrost. I’m sure there is plenty to know about wind too but the extent of my experience is limited to ‘which way is it blowing?’ when I’m doing hunting drills as that is important to know.

Bloody cold here but I went to the big M&S, mainly for a change of scenery, and then came home and hoovered and that warmed me up for about an hour. Now reading the papers, freezing, and trying to get ahead for tomorrow. The last few days have been so nice for getting work done with hardly anyone else working but tomorrow they’re all going to go back to work and my inboxes are all going to be a horror show again.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet That sounds extremely nice! I did the opposite this morning and pre-supposed that a small cocker was a bitch, before I saw his bits and realised otherwise.

Aw that sounds lovely @CoubousAndTourmaIet I bet Brie is very happy!

Sorry to those with trouble because of the weather. It’s absolutely freezing here but very dry and gloriously sunny so no ice at all thankfully. I’m keeping an eye on the weather too.

We’ve only been doing short walks as V’s leg gets really affected by the cold. I remember there was discussion here before about Equafleece - do you think they are worth the cost? I think he might benefit from one but also he will probably HATE wearing it.

Also would highly recommend the Primark fleece lined leggings in the cold. They are excellent and under a tenner (I think maybe £7?). I am very impressed for the price

Sorry, I shouldn't be gloating, when some of you are dealing with dogs that are affected by the cold...😳 but then we'll be the ones struggling in June/July, I suppose...

Nooooo don’t be silly, this is Brie’s time to shine!!

@Bupster I can concurr that scents are heightened at dusk and during a frost. Wind whips them up as high as kites. No idea about dawn, because we are not mad enough to be up that early. 😴

@YorkshireFelix I keep meaning to measure two of mine for the Equafleeces with legs. I'm sure it will help them. Every human I know with problem joints says the cold and damp really affects them and they need to keep warm. But I am awful at getting round to doing stuff.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I don't think you are gloating. Saying Brie has enjoyed a lovely cold walk is sharing your day with internet friends. 🥰
If you said 'ha ha my dog can go out while your arthritic, dodgy limbed cripples can't', then that would be both mean and gloating. 😢 😝 😂

I am going to attempt to walk to the Spar with K. What's the betting it will hail en route and they'll have sold out of milk?

God, no @SpanielsGalore , I really feel for any of you whose dogs are nursing injuries or ongoing problems. I've had my share of ailing dogs over time, I know how hard it is.

I'd imagine you'll be right about the Spar selling out of milk, our local shop will be just the same.

Typically, the snow has already stopped here.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Goldies and PMDs are really quite alike. Mine haven't come in all day - back door is wide open for if they want to come in, but they've been outside solidly (minus breakfast and lunch) since about 7am. Tried to get them in when DH and I went to the shops but they refused! And mine are definitely happier in the ice and cold than the snow and always have been.

So glad you had a lovely walk and that Brie was so happy ❤

@Silverbirchleaf not a peep about compensation, sadly!

I did manage to get everything I needed, and then some, whilst I was out. It's due to sleet/snow again Tuesday - Thursday so we currently have about a months worth of fruit and milk in the fridge. I can forgo anything else, but if I don't get enough fruit I feel awful and am usually sick. And I refuse to go without coffee. And I only skidded three times and mounted two curbs. DH spent the whole drive with his eyes closed 😒