A Good Cause

Bit of promotion, here, for a local event that needs your support...

SATURDAY 16th AUGUST

10 am - 4 pm

Fundraising Day

at 6-8 Canongate

in Jedburgh

in aid of

Chernobyl Childrens Lifeline

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tea and cakes (of course)

tombola bric a brac,

a clothing sale, as well as treatments like

reiki, Indian head massage and

neck and shoulder massages

Plus information on CCLL and what's involved in hosting

young children from Chernobyl for a few weeks each summer.

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This summer 14 children from Belarus stayed with Borders families for a month. They all live within the area contaminated by the disaster and a month in the clean air of the Borders boosts their damaged immune systems to a huge extent. Host families participate in events with the children, and ensure they leave with suitcases of clothes and other items to help them once back home. This is the fifth year that volunteers have hosted children - money raised through events such as the one above helps to fund the associated costs.

Phew, what a scorcher!

Tooooo hot to blog. Must go and lie down again......

Party Time!

More adventures for Miss Midge. Her Mum is called Fay and her owners, Jo and Alan, held a BBQ so all the puppies could meet up again. They are nearly six months old already. I'll point out now that although I was invited THEY did not take me. There was a lot of muttering about 'disruptive influence', 'too big for her own boots', 'show-off' and other wounding and hurtful dialogue too painful to repeat here. So there you have it - favouritism.

However, photographs were taken, as you can see. Also you will note from the top pic that Midge really is a midget - she is the littlest of the litter now. That's her and one of her brothers going off to investigate the trampoline. Shortly after, Midge beat a hasty retreat back to the other hounds - bit scary, those boys.

As well as the pups and mum and granny, there were two visiting black lab great aunts. The amazing thing was how fantastically well behaved everybody was - no barking or nipping or bad language from anyone.This statement has been repeated to me ad nauseam, I might add.

The middle pic shows a squirming Midge beside her mother Fay and her grandmother Flora (a full English Setter).Today is a celebration of a completely different kind. This vehicle was acquired by Hugh many months ago and he has been working on it ever since, in his spare time. A Range Rover of mature years and rusty chassis, it was 'bobtailed' by Hugh - that is , the back end was chopped off and refashioned. A demon welder then constructed an external rollcage for it before Hugh set to the seemingly endless patching and welding of the rusty bits, plus many more previously undiscovered problem areas, and other techie stuff. Finally, in the nick of time, it was finished and today he rolled out with Shorty on a trailer, for its first off-road trial. We wait with baited breath to learn how the day has gone....

Rain stopped play

There I was, just getting accustomed to waking up to sunshine and the comforting thought of another day to laze in the garden when lo, the rains came down. Well, alright, heavy drizzle, but still, it has rather taken the edge of my early summer.

Hugh took pity on me and I was sole passenger on the brief car trip he made today (ooops, and then another one to his saviour, the blacksmith with the well-stocked workshop just down the road). So at least I had the joy of the back of the car all to myself, without 'Nipper' Midge at my ankles.

The camera has been out this last month, but largely to photograph fancy new yarns and stuffed animal-thingies for herself's shop so I don't have anything that new and exciting to show you. Hugh's cabin is ready for the maestro but he's been cutting grass and washing cars for a living lately so there's no new masterpieces to show you yet.

H and L were down in Northumberland on Sunday, checking out The Art Tour - they saw work by fifteen different artists and craftspeople (out of many more) and had a jolly time. I fear L may feel the need to rabbit on at length about the experience but she can do that on her own blog, methinks...

Beach Blues

Greetings from sun soaked Chesters. Blimey, we've had a couple of weeks of warm dry weather and I have to say these [still young] bones will soak up any amount of sunshine given the chance. Nothing better after a walk or dinner than to flop down onto toasty warm earth and just r-e-l-a-x..... zzzzzzzzz

Hugh had a birthday this month so we all took off to the seaside. Not one of the brightest or warmest days, it must be said, but this did not deter us. I tried to introduce Midge to the pleasures of deep water but she wimped out whenever a wave approached. We were inevitably made to pose for photographs again even though I was soaking wet and Midge would rather have been sniffing along the high water mark.

A major highlight of the year happened just yesterday - Lindsay received all the way from South Africa this painting by this talented lady . L has been scheming to acquire one of Arty Farty's artworks for quite a while and when she spotted this one on her blog she knew that was it. Fortunately when it arrived and was unrolled (it's about 1m x 1.5m!) Hugh immediately said how much he liked it too. This means its allowed to grace the living room wall, as soon as he's made a frame to stretch it over. Posh, eh?

Tres tasteful

Et voila, the cabin exterior is painted and the floor has been varnished. The curtains are made but not hung yet as H & L need to find a cheap and cheerful way of insulating the roof. Then, maybe, the arty stuff can get moved in and Hugh can splash paint on those walls instead of his current garret.
Fat lambs everywhere which means no running across empty fields for Midge and me. It's either walks along the road on a lead (bah, humbug) or trips to one bit of forest or another. Even that's getting complicated as tonnes and tonnes of trees are being felled and shipped south these days.
Hugh's all pleased as he's got work with the beloved little grey Fergie tractor this week, at a friend's house down the road. Just as well he's finished painting for his new exhibition which opens at the Cairns Gallery in Peebles in a couple of weeks' time.

Artistic Development ll

This morning was a touch frosty but then the sun shone and we were off to the forest. L was in snap happy mode so Midge and I were coerced into posing for her.
We are a good advert for 'no-nonsense well-priced complete dog meal ' says she.
Hmm, give us an egg now and then you'll REALLY see a shiny coat, says me.

And here we have proof that three polite Polish cabin kit builders can drive up from London, build a cabin in a matter of six hours, turn round and drive all the way back again for a very reasonable price and two cups of coffee each. Now H & L need to get on and paint it before the unseasonable sleet takes its toll on the raw wood. In the mere blink of an eye it will be magically transformed with Cuprinol Shades 'Wild Thyme' to a subtle 'you don't really notice I'm here, do you' sort of effect....

Artistic development

There's been a birthday - not mine, sadly, but it was an opportunity for me to teach Midge how to shred discarded wrapping paper into tiny pieces ready for the compost heap. It all goes well till you get sellotape in your teeth - oh and coloured tissue paper is pretty fine because if you chew it and spit it out you can stain all sorts of surfaces with it...
Last week Hugh had the inestimable assistance of his pal Jim and his mini-digger to clear the site for his fancy new 'shed'. Jim and the digger levelled it and laid hardcore and they both pegged out the area for the concrete to go down. The snow didn't really help. On April 1st (hmmmm) the concrete was delivered and Hugh and Lindsay spread it with the help of neighbour Brian and his little (vintage) dump truck. As I write this the concrete is continuing to harden off and should be fine for the arrival of the fancy big wooden shed next week. Hugh will use it to paint in and will graciously allow herself to use it too.
Today is a wee bit tortuous for canines. We had too many cockerels so two of them were dispatched earlier in the week. They are now being cooked up in various forms and the aromas are killing me... If I am lucky there will be some scraps heading into my dinner bowl tonight. (By the way, lest you think H & L are any good at this sort of thing, this time Joe did the dirty deed with the two birds and Lorraine cleaned them for us - it's great to have friends)

Yeah, well, you might have been right...

Ok, Ok, I admit having Midge about is not ALL bad, after all. I try the karate kicks, the sneaky stealing of her toys when she isn't looking, the occasional nip on the back of the neck, but she's a game wee lassie and just keep coming back for more. If she stops nicking my bed at every opportunity we may develop into friends.
She's eleven weeks old now and has had her jabs so in another week she can go beyond the garden gate and meet other dogs and perhaps stop using the flower beds with quite such regularity... Ha, just waits till she discovers the ignominity of being on a lead..... (teehee!)

[Editor's Note: For those of you not accustomed to dogs, the management seeks to reassure you that no puppies were damaged in the course of these pics and that this is normal playing behaviour, honest]

Jumbled Up

The Great Annual Southdean Jumble Sale is Imminent!

Sharpen your elbows in preparation for Saturday,

and sustain your strength on the day with

hot soup and sausage rolls, coffee and shortbread.

Saturday 8th March 11 am - 2pm at

Southdean Village Hall, Chesters

This great picture of the tawny owl who came down the chimney in the hall was captured by Martyn Harrison.

Pup, paintings, perseverance

Don't know where the last few weeks have gone, though I do distinctly remember spending a few days at the kennels. No complaint there - they are always pleased to see me and my room has central heating to make my nights comfortable. H and L were up in Dunkeld and then Edinburgh, the first to do with off road driving (except this was an AGM so it was in a hotel and apparently included beer and whisky), the second to do with having a break in the city. They walked on hard pavements a lot and had to keep stopping for coffee apparently, though they clocked up three exhibitions. I think L has probably waxed lyrical about them over at Tart's Tales.

Meanwhile, back at Planet Chesters, work has not yet started on renovating the cottage because the Building Warrant application has not been approved yet. Without that H&L cannot show plans to tradesmen and without them they cannot get the big bits of work done. Harrumph!

Hugh's most recent painting (that he is happy with...) is this one of the village from 'down the field' where he and I walk and I chase hares occasionally.

And you'll see, Lady Midge is now in residence. She has been here for four days, though it seems like forty four to me. Have you any idea how many meals she has had in that time? She is small, black and shiny. She bounces about and tries to get me to play but I am holding out. She wees A LOT, but mainly outside, though I notice no-one tells her off about walking over the flower beds. I think they have been taken in by the fact that she still looks cute. I walked into the living room on day two and she was sound asleep on MY cushion in front of the stove. I restrained myself to a sigh and pointedly left the room.

Let's Get it Over With

Here is more photographic evidence of the done deed. It may be Valentine's Day but the arty ones' idea of romance is to go and look at puppies. This is Midge. I ain't met her yet but she's coming to live with us in a fortnight. That's it really. Life is complete. No peace, no bed to call my own, incontinence (hers, not mine), stolen toys, fewer meals, less space in the Land Rover. Ach, I'm going off to my bed while I still can. Goodnight!

Suspicions....

I am amassing evidence...

I was not there but I sure sniffed his clothes when he came home....

(PS - May I just slip in here a very big thank you to

Wimsey for his kind offer with regard to puppy making

- see previous post comments -

a true gentleman!)

Here I am!

Helllllloooooooo! Lady Ash of Chesters has finally got back online. Now I can update you with happenings chez moi. We'll start with Christmas as it was a very fine day for this dog.

Leisurely breakfast on a frosty morning followed by a drive down to Kielder Reservoir. The place was deserted and quite eerie - very still and misty, yachts at anchor, hardly any birdlife on the water though a few little birds in the trees as we walked. I didn't venture in for a swim or even a paddle - a bit nippy for that - but we had a fine outing, culminating in a flask of coffee and flapjacks in the car before we headed home. There we set to with present opening. I had considerately wrapped some bottles of beer for Hugh and even more considerately helped him open the package again, and indeed any other parcels he seemed to be struggling with in the course of the afternoon. H and L then succumbed to a fancy dinner cooked in the Rayburn, including the best roast potatoes herself has ever done (as in this is the second time she has ever cooked them and they were better than the first...). I believe I may have scored for a little left over meat in the course of the evening.

So that was Christmas. The festive tone continued for several days so I had extra interesting walks instead of the same old sniffs around here.

There is a wee fly in the ointment, however.

On Christmas Eve the vet phoned with the results of my hip test thingy. Lo, I have the potential for dodgy hips and am advised not to have pups! Imagine! Me! Miss Fit and Healthy - pah! So there we have it - my amazing bouncing genes are not to be passed on to another generation. No pretenders to the throne of Lady Ash. Or is that really true? I happen to know that H & L bumped into friends in Hawick whose dog had pups on New Year's Day. Can you see where this is going? I, too, have strong suspicions and will report back so soon as I know what's afoot.