No Excuses

Wow, nearly March and hardly posted anything this month. Must be winter blues, well, that and the fact that YET AGAIN, I was abandoned at the kennels (seven nights in one year now, not that I'm keeping tabs or anything). H and L headed off into the Perthshire countryside for socialising purposes. To be fair the wee van was loaded up on Saturday morning with artworks and other people's belongings as well as their own essential travelling kit of a few ordinary clothes and vast quantities of boots and jackets so as to be ready for any variety of Scottish weather.

They delivered artwork on the way north and a painted parrot on the way south and returned a borrowed book while at the hotel but managed to come home with five litres of stuff for vehicle gearboxes, a bottle of malt whisky, a secondhand bread machine and twelve old German clothes pegs and some gingham ribbon. I wonder if they are safe out on their own...

The main purpose of the trip was to attend the AGM of the Scottish Off Road Club, of which the lad is a committee member. This involved a mini meeting, a proper AGM type meeting and then several hours thereafter, in the company of many other like minded souls and NOT A FEW DOGS in the bar.. so why was I not there? Hmmmm?

In attendance were a Labrador called Mel who is the same age as me, a West Highland Terrier called Roddy, another chap of mixed blood called Archie and my arch nemesis Lucy. I WAS MISSED. People demanded to know where I was. I could have had long and meaningful conversations with the hotel owner's two Bernese Mountain Dogs as well as the rest of the gang and perhaps scored for some extras from the hotel kitchen. But oh no, my beloved owners had to go without me.

They will pay.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch it is all work and precious little play. Hugh is trying to summon up the muse as two more openings for his work have presented themselves in the last week or so, and Lindsay is fussing over her new website plus making stuff for another outlet while studiously avoiding some financial paperwork. She has one month left of salaried employment before the family plunges into poverty so there's a lot of concern in the air.

No new pics because they forgot to take the camera with them at the weekend. Must try harder.

Grey Winter Sunday

The day needs cheering up so I thought I'd give you a new action shot of me, an arty image of the forest up the road from here in the low wintery sunshine and finally this delicious old advert from the Robert Opie Collection. I would have shown you one of Hugh's pictures but it was framed up and out the door before herself had time to capture an image for posterity.

Although there's been lots of snowy weather around the country, we have hardly had any here - sadly for Hugh and me as we could have had mad snowball games. Lindsay and I managed to find a wee bit of slushy snow for a walk this morning but we're back to rainy skies now.

In the creativity department there's painting going on (well, there HAS to be, really), rebuilding a trailer to go with the little grey Fergie tractor, muffin making (trust me, some of the flavour combinations have been 'different'), crocheting, small scale felting and lots of swearing at the computer as herself battles on with her grand website project - hope it doesn't all end in tears...

Winter Drawers On

Hello Folks! We've had all sorts of weather here recently but right now we are having it mild and springlike, and the days are stretching out a bit. Hugh's been attacking a bit of garden with a rotovator and adding compost as there are plans to move some fruit bushes from A to B - blackcurrants, a red and a white currant and gooseberries too. He's also been doing some maintenance work for an elderly couple a few miles away. Lindsay approves because he comes back laden with interiors magazines that the lady of the house is finished with.

There was a Wool Gathering last weekend (more here) which had to survive without Hugh's presence as he was doing vital Land Rover off-road things in Perthshire with the Wee Cherub and Baby Face. Like a good boy, though, he left a great pan of broccolli and stilton soup for them to enjoy in his absence.

Tomorrow he is off to recover some unsold work from a Borders gallery and Monday he and L will be heading up to Fife to hang a new selection in the coffee shop in Dalgety Bay. I suspect I will be relegated to the kitchen.

By the way, I have been tagged to spill the WEIRD beans. But, I ask you, what would a model of perfection such as I know about it? Hmmm? So I thought it would be a wizard wheeze to tell tales on L and H instead... (pity help Hugh when Baby Face and the Wee Cherub read this)

1-If Hugh cannot remember the name of something he substitutes the name 'Henry'. So we live with nonsense like - I can't find the tea henry, have you seen it?

2 - He invariably calls his long suffering wife 'son'. As in - I can't find the tea henry, son, have you seen it? L has lived with this for so long that she takes no offence and indeed has been overheard to call herself 'son' when she's talking aloud to herself.

3 - Lindsay is not the most delicate of creatures and probably walks into more items of furniture than your average labrador, not to mention the frequency with which she suffers burns from the stove, the oven, the gas ring, the iron etc

4 - If Lindsay was to win a trolley dash she would want it to be in a stationery shop - she can spend longer hours and more money on paper goods and unnecessary pads and notebooks and cards and pens than anyone else this dog knows, and is ALWAYS seduced by packaging.

5 - Hugh's musical taste is stuck in the 1970s and 80s and he is still in love with Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and the like.

6 - Perhaps Lindsay's taste is scarier - she likes everything from Tom Waits to Welsh Male Voice Choirs

7 - Oh, alright then, my favourite food is bananas - just don't tell all the other hounds or my street cred will be blown.

Winter Woes

Just a quiet little post from me today. Fed up with the weather and the mud. Hugh took me out yesterday and I could hardly stay on any of my feet due to slithering about in so much gloop in the fields. I'm resting up this evening, though, in preparation for dinner guests tomorrow night. Obviously I shall need lots of energy in order to pester them and ensure I am fussed over for long periods. Hmm, maybe short periods, actually, or I may find myself shut out of the living room. Oh well, another time.

Herself has been taking photographs for her shop so there are NO new ones of me to post. Here's a wee pic of Hugh with his beloved little Grey Fergie tractor and a bale of straw that we purchased so the hens could have somewhere dry to perch their weary bottoms.

Brave New Year

Happy 2007 - may it be a peaceful and rewarding year for everyone

Right, well, that's got the good cheer out of the way... to business!

And that business is BONES!

No?

Heard it all before?

OK, what about the fact that Lindsay's mother, my best friend next door, organised for me to give her a dog treat recipe book, together with a set of bone shaped cookie cutters . Subtle enough hint, do you think? The recipes are all full of good stuff, no junk, and I cannot wait for her to start experimenting. The only fly in the ointment is that she has been full of misery and snuffles and aches and pains all week so cooking is not on her agenda.

Before she succumbed, we had some good walks over Christmas, with great sniffs due to the heavy frosts. There was also the attraction of helping people unwrap presents and destroying any cardboard boxes that came my way.

There has been precious little creative work done here of late although we did deliver a painting of Hugh's on Christmas Eve. Himself is now back up in his garret with brushes and acrylics and herself is fed up being feeble and wants to get on with her next ptoject too.

I'll keep you posted on developments.

In the Bleak Mid Winter

Rain, wind, rain, wind, big wind, power cut, dark, dark, dark, more rain. Early starts for Hugh mean Lindsay walks me in the rainy dark in the mornings before she goes to work. If I am lucky Hugh takes me out again in the rainy afternoon before it is dark again. It's all a bit tedious and I am not overly impressed with December so far.

Mind you, the decorations are up and cards are strung about and there have been mincemeat goings on in the kitchen today so the festive spirit is creeping in. I've seen some gift wrapped boxes but none looks like a new bed for me which, given the sad state of my beanbag, with flattened beany bits which leak out if you shake too enthusiastically, is a pretty poor show.

I AM FAMOUS! Well, nearly. I have a whole page in the new winter edition of 'Border Life' magazine. I was asked twenty questions and I gave full and forthright answers. They have shown a fairly attractive profile shot of me in the snow and all in all I think I come out of it rather well. I did mention himself and herself a few times to ensure an easier life chez moi.

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Season's Greetings! Festive Good Wishes! Love from ASH

Wild and Woolly

Busy old life - Open Days have been and gone - and I was only allowed to see the select few visitors who don't mind being bounced at. Otherwise I was next door with Lindsay's Mum, throwing a tantrum because all the fun was happening without me! Bah humbug.

However, H and L had a fine time talking to friends and new visitors, and selling goodies to them. Prints and originals both sold as did Lindsay's big collage in black and white that you can see on the wall in one of the photos. Jam and chutney and other edibles left by the basketful - thankfully, otherwise we might have drowned in the stuff. Hugh's fresh baked bread was a hit and now he wants to open a bakery!

After the weekend they abandoned me yet again to take pictures to a gallery an hour from here - I would have been more than happy to squeeze into the wee van with all those big fragile canvas panels and framed pictures but it was not to be. I don't think Lindsay has got over me removing one of her wee teddy bears from the 'shop' and nibbling its handspun jumper off, ever so delicately, as I lay in front of the stove one evening...

The weather here is grim - lashing rain and wind and lots of flooded fields (and garden). I've been out for a run and a paddle this morning and am now debating whether to stay in the kitchen where Hugh is making soup or in the living room beside the stove. Kitchen first, I think.

Madhouse Doghouse

At last, dear readers, I bring you an update from the sticks. The internet connection and I have not been seeing eye to eye for some time now and I fear the problems are not over yet. However, Blogger has graciously allowed me to post these pics to give you a little taster of what's been going on.

What do you think of Hugh's lovely duck? Sorry the image is dark - he's actually quite a bright white, and 70cm x 50cm and will be gracing the walls next weekend.

The first Wool Gathering, run by Lindsay, ably assisted by Cairi and catered for by Hugh, was a success. Twelve happy textilers gathered to spend a merry day dyeing yarns, learning about hand spinning, mastering knitting techniques and comparing creations. They repaired to The Workhouse for a fine homemade bread and soup and cheese type lunch so I got to meet them all too. The pic is some of the dyeing experiments steaming in front of the open fire in the Village Hall!

Lindsay's wee handspun and knit wristwarmer gloves are next down - destined for Christmas presents.

I have been forced to take refuge by the fire or in the path of any wayward ray of sunshine which manages to percolate through the grimy living room window. It's a lonely time of year for a dog because there's less interesting outsidey stuff going on and the arty types keep disappearing off to their respective garrets to create masterpieces for the impending OPEN WEEKEND (on 25th and 26th November)

Actually, to be fair, there's been a lot of kitchen activity too, since Lindsay likes to use a mountain of sugar and spice to create edible goodies to tempt next weekend's visitors. In fact, I think I hear the rattle of a saucepan. Must dash...

Risen from the Ashes

Hmmm, in the nick of time, I have been re-instated. She's still messed up her new blog but that's not my problem...

Disaster!

Her smartypants ladyship has only gone and updated me to Beta Blogger without so much as a by-your-leave and managed to lose my profile and overlay her new blog profile - Tart with a Heart.

She'd better get it sorted out v soon or heads will roll. If I disappear in a billow of blue smoke you know it was NOT MY FAULT!!!

Ravenous Hound

H and L had a late night. Clocks changed this morning. Result? I had to scratch a claw down the door to get them up to feed me breakfast. I was weak with hunger but made a speedy recovery and demanded back outside so that I could get on with a rather tasty bone I was bribed with yesterday.

The social whirl that is life in Chesters meant that this weekend's sleep patterns have been severely interrupted.. and worse, my space was invaded by another labrador OVERNIGHT!
A friend had been working not far from here and asked if he could stay overnight Friday ... but he didn't get here till 2.30 am Saturday! And he brought Lucy, my nemesis, his black labrador. And she got to sleep in the same room as him. And she played with my toys and had two biscuits from my personal supply. Bah humbug!

Yesterday started well with a walk in the woods but went steadily downhill as I was confined to barracks for a large part of the day. Admittedly the stove was on and I did eventually get the bone outside too. They were too preoccupied with the Harvest Supper at the village hall. Lindsay was barmaid for the evening and Hugh did some waiting on tables. The band were apparently pretty fine too. But it was another late night and the oldies cannot take the pace, hence my late breakfast.

Today the first fifteen of the table chickens are off to meet their maker, courtesy of a friendly gamekeeper who lives down the road. I think I will probably be banned from taking any active part, but perhaps I'll get a scrap of cooked chicken later in the week. These birdies are mostly already promised to people but a few have been reserved for H & L so they can find out if the expensive diet of mixed corn has been worth it.

The other pic today is Lindsay's yarns , now washed. She has been knitting dinky little wrist warmer gloves so they'll no doubt get displayed here soon.

Happy Picture

Yup, finally got the latest groovy picture photographed, and here it is in all its glory - It's about four and a half feet high so it packs a punch in our living room at present!

The weekend whizzed by in a flurry of garden duties and moving hens to pastures new. I did score for a few forest walks too so it has been a better than average few days.

And, it is rumoured that we are going out this afternoon, first to deliver pictures and then to my friend Jack's folks for dinner....where I will finally get to meet new four legged friends too - Eddie and Sam. At last, proper company!

Spinning Frenzy

It's not all jam round here, you know! The spinning wheel was dusted off (literally) and placed in front of the stove on a chilly Monday and Lindsay got on with some work to build up yarn stocks again. She's been making other stuff up in her garret but I cannot get up the ladder to see what it is. There has been some raucous singing along echoing down from there, though, so maybe it's as well I stayed on the ground floor.
Hugh has been persevering with drains, poor lad, but has also produced a lovely landscape which deserves a blog entry of its own (in other words, it ain't been photographed yet).

Monkey & Sofia

Now you may not have appreciated that a chocolate labrador would have an interest in knitting but today I have to tell you creative types out there about a new design book that is NOT going to be in all the shops - much better than that, you have to go sniff it out for yourself.

Maureen and Phil have produced this wee treat which you can see here
Lindsay, who is a privileged soul, has just received a copy hot off the press.

While I am at it I had better tell you about Wool Gatherings. Lindsay and her friend Cairi (a girl never without needles and yarn) are running a series of days for textile minded folks here in sunny Chesters. They'll have mini workshops, tasters in spinning and dyeing, yarn and fabric swap shops, help and advice on as many different textiley crafts as you can think of, a chance to share information and swap techniques and ideas, and coffee and homemade cake plus Hugh's wonderful soups at lunchtimes. The first one is on 5th November....

Jamming again

The bountiful fruit harvest is still being converted by the jam and chutney queen. These dinky little crab apples smelled delicious - herself was taking photographs of them artfully spilled over a lovely patchwork textile when I thought a spot of quality control was called for.

The jam pan is full of plums and elderberries and I am fairly sure I saw a port bottle being tipped over the top later on in the cooking.

Yesterday was summer sunny and hot - here's the early morning sun through the willow hedge and the little russet apple tree. The grass got cut later

Today is autumn rain and clammy - no pictures as the job for the day involved drains... 'nuff said. I stayed indoors for that bit.

Butter Paws

Been trying to get my paws on these pics for days...I mean I KNOW how much you've all been dying to see them...

Anyway, Sunday dawned misty and chilly but I had the pleasure of rushing around the makeshift campsite in the half light, leaping at unsuspecting souls as they staggered from tents, and giving them a big smacker on the lips. Not my most popular move but worth the reprimand.

Back to the caravan for a quick breakfast before the action started. Off road vehicles of all shapes, sizes, colours, and ages rolled up to sign on for their big day. Drivers paid up their money, signed to say what good responsible souls they were, had a briefing from the Big Cheese and then headed off to explore the forests. Out there already were club members who were acting as marshals for the day, posted at different areas of the forest to guide and advise the participants...and in a few cases to tow them out when they got stuck!

Himself was Clerk of the Course so after everyone had signed in for the day, we set off into the forests ourselves, to make sure that all was well. It was grand fun, sitting in the middle seat of the Land Rover as we drove through the wonderful Borders landscape and climbed high up on to the moors. I discovered that wherever a few souls are gathered for an hour or two or three, they carelessly leave unguarded sandwiches and snacks as they stop to talk with one another.

We stopped often so I was out and about (on a lead, sadly), doing what any good sniffer dog does and lo, I stumbled over crusts and apple cores and at one point a full spilled packet of hula hoops. Never tried the things before but managed to get several mouthfuls down before I was rumbled.

It was a tiring day so I was not too upset when Lindsay whisked me home to my bed. I was oddly thirsty through the evening ..must have been the fresh air.

Heaven is not a caravan

Hello! So much to tell from last week's events
Well, it all got a bit tense and stressful (that word's there just for my friend Ross who tries to be firm with me -SIT DOWN, ASH! - but eventually gives in and lets me jump up anyway - he leads a VERY stressful life just by being Ross, really) anyway, the tempers were a bit frayed by the middle of last week as Hugh's great project built up to maximum velocity. He's been organising this great big (big for round these parts) off-road driving day called Wheels in the Woods in the forests north of here and had lots of worries about the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Off Road Club , the participants who were paying good money to do the event and, well, everything else under the sun that he could worry about, really.

He disappeared up to the venue on Friday morning complete with a borrowed caravan, a sleeping bag, lots of outdoor clothes and a substantial supply of bacon and coffee. Lindsay and I set off on Saturday afternoon to meet up with him and the other Club members who had been working away all day and I was introduced to the delights of caravanning. Hmmm.

Fortunately I was sustained by an early dinner before they pushed off and left me in the dark in the caravan and all I could hear was a party going on without me. However, when they re-appeared to crawl into sleeping bags for the night I did not seek petty revenge by howling, scrabbling or trying to get up onto the bench/bed thing even though it was infinitely softer than the floor. To tell you the truth I was a little weary myself having spent some of the evening harassing a black labrador called Lucy and being restrained from tipping a twelve week old spaniel called Mack upside down. Ho hum.

I still have still not got to the event itself, have I? I'll post about it tomorrow with some of Ross's classy photographs so you can see what it was all about.

Show Time

The annual village show took place last weekend - we borrowed a posh new tent for the teas and beers, there was funfair stuff and a plant stall, a book stall, a couple of craft work stalls all the 'guess the such and such and win it' things, children's races and vintage machinery - all this and it was still the 'littlest show on earth'! The sun shone, then it rained, then it dried up - basically we had a little bit of everything. Four Italian motorcyclists dropped in - and I dread to think what tales they are taking home.of the strange customs of rural Scotland.

Here's the dolly that herself made - it was won by a little girl who guessed her birthday correctly (4th August - same as yours waggily). The sweeties in the jar was won by one of the biggest kids there - our friend Ross who took lots of photographs on the day while his wife Jane sold her plants.

For example, here's Jane learning to drive Hugh's little grey Fergie tractor, under 'instruction' from himself, at the end of show. Nice backdrop, eh?

The final photo is a perfect one by Ross. This is Fergus's pram - he is latest addition to the village but was off taking some air at this point so not really an abandoned baby.

Although I missed the early part of the show as I was on house guarding duty, Hugh came to retrieve me so that I could do a lap of honour and meet my adoring public. Lindsay's crowning moment was beating her mother in the fruitcake class, although they were both outclassed by Fergus's mum, Linda.

Since then H & L have been to a parish barbecue, looked in on a coffee afternoon at the village hall, sneaked out for an Indian meal in the excellent restaurant in Jedburgh, and been to a much bigger show south of the border today. At least on this last one they took me too. They have also both been working, I hasten to add.

Hugh has been moving and raising fences at Thirlestane Castle where they hold big important horse trials (well, important if you are a horse or a horsey type - I don't care for the things myself, too flighty and scary kickers). Lindsay has been at work and been busy with the jam pan. She seems to have some sort of recurrent (redcurrant?!) addiction which runs for a few months from mid summer onwards. This weekend's efforts have been a rowan berry and apple jelly and a gooseberry jam - she tells me the rowan jelly is a stunning colour and Hugh thought it would make a good colour for brake lights - Hell, humans, what are they on?

Don't look now...but

This is going to be the blog entry where I master links to my e-pals

So, let's begin with the lovely Coco, at Muddy Red Shoes - where Sarah paints a mini masterpiece EVERY DAY as well as living a blooming lively life in Brittany. Coco is my chocolate labrador blog younger (but probably more sensible) sister!

Over in the US of A there's Jack who is an exotic Labrador - Rottweiler cross and lives with the talented TLC, illustrator extraordinare.

And today Chigger and Woody at Blogdogs introduced themselves. Woody likes my coloury text so I feel justified in making this a particularly virulent mixture.

There, now, I didn't do too badly.

Craftwork

Birthday was quieter than a girl might have hoped for but I didn't make a fuss or anything as childish as that... well, not that day. Thank you, folks, for the kind wishes.

Plenty going on hereabouts. Herself has made a rag doll for Guess the Dolly's Birthday for the great Southdean Show which is only just over a week away. She's already filled a jar very artfully with sweeties to rot small teeth and only she and I know how many are in there. Wonder who will guess right and make a dentist very happy.

Hugh was doing vital off-road work last weekend with his fellow Caberston Brothers - an 'in' joke among these tough macho 4 x 4 boys who had to dig themselves out of a minor 'incident' deep in a Borders forest - but all in the line of research, you understand. Meanwhile Lindsay was busy with the microwave, dyeing (and tie-dyeing) rainbows of yarn for her Easy Peasy Knitting kits.

Monday was a good family day, even though I was abandoned for part of it while they did unaccompanied walking. Hmmm, not a habit they should adopt. If you walk ten minutes up the hill from our house you get to look back at this view - we're pretty lucky folks to live round these parts.

More important recce work for Hugh and the boys coming up on Sunday while I think Lindsay will be being creative with a jam pan full of fruit and vinegary things, making some chutney to enter into one of the classes at the show. I'll ride shotgun for that one, looking out for escapees from the chopping board.