In three parts

Part I



On Sunday - on the anniversary of his death - we took a walk for Henry in the sun (which came out in the late afternoon) down at White Nothe and Ringstead. One September day when we had had Henry around 10 months, we walked all the way from Dorchester, where we were then living, to Ringstead beach. This is a bit of a hike and by the time we got there we were determined to have a swim - or a skinny dip as it turned out having not taken our cozzies. It was the first time Henry had the confidence to swim with us in the sea way out of his depth, and we were very taken with the way he used his tail as a rudder. Then we walked all the way back home again. It was a lovely day.

The picture above wasn't taken in the sea. This is a ford on the River Frome that was always a popular stop for him when we would walk out to my mother's place from Dorchester. Rivers he got used to quickly but the sea took a bit longer. Then he was hooked.

It still feels unreal that he isn't here. I still tell him that I love him every night like I have always done. I recall someone thinking it odd that I kept a picture of my dogs in the wallet I used to carry about. Now of course I keep them all on my phone like everyone else. 'I bet you tell them you love them every night too, don't you?' they asked, quite clearly thinking that even I couldn't be that pathetic. So they were a bit taken aback when I said 'Yes, I do'. God knows what they would think about me doing it still a year after he has gone.



My Mum will be along sometime soon I hope to tell us what this is:



I found it at the bottom of White Nothe (see picture below this one). Iain has lugged several largish fossils and interesting stones back from out of the way places for me over the years (bless him) but this one was just going to have to stay put. Shame really as it would have been lovely to have it in the garden. The crystals inside were lovely.



The view of White Nothe route from near the bottom. The path is an exposed zig zag down to the lower cliffs from the very top cliffs. It is quite spectacular.




Part II

Iain updated my computer software last weekend. The result was I suddenly found I couldn't publish my blog entries. Well, I discovered a very convoluted way of doing it but then found I couldn't edit them once they were published. It doesn't matter how many times I re-read a draft, it often isn't until I see it on the screen published that I realise something isn't right or whatever. I get so picky about it that I have to just leave it be in the end or I'd never stop. Nothing OCD ish about me you know :) Anyways, Iain took the Explorer bit back to the old Office and left the rest updated...How he knows these things defeats me. Anyway, the result is that I can write and publish my blogs as you can see from the previous two entries. I can also edit them once they are published.....BUT it seems I can't now write a comment on anyone else's blog....Believe me I have tried... There's a couple I have now tried several times and it doesn't work. I am not going to say who, but all I can say is sorry.

Part III

The rain continues and the garden chairs and table I took almost two years to save for and decide on (more obsessiveness - Iain just lets me get on with it :)) are busy proving they are indeed all weather kit. The one quality that isn't being tested is their UV protection......



But I think they are beautiful colours. This is a pic of a sunlounger in the same colourway. I know some people don't care whether a cushion, curtain, wall, chair etc is one colour or another but I enjoy looking into colours and the way they blend or set each other off. Muted colours and bright colours. Some are quite mesmerising on walls, doors, window frames and in fabrics and I can lose myself in them for several minutes especially when the light around them is changing. My inspiration for the colours we have already used and will be using as we complete the rest of the spaces of (as well as on the front of) this cottage was a Bridgewater pattern - Polka dot. Crazy perhaps, but true. At least I can think about the sun when looking at these stunning strips of vivid summer colour even if I can't sit in the chairs for more than a few minutes in the sun before the heavens open again....

Nellie, Archie, Iain and I walked to the annual fete in our nearest village. We have missed it every year until now. It rained a fair bit but then stopped for all the doggy bits and our walk home. I entered the dogs in every doggy competition we could enter. And got one rossie - Nellie and I got 2nd in 'Best 6 legs' only losing out to a very cute little girl with groovy pink leggings on and a very tall greyhound type beast on the end of the lead :-)

I am quite miffed that Archie did not win best veteran - at 10 he really is in excellent shape. Even most agility people don't think he looks that age and they are largely used to seeing slim, fit looking dogs. Ah well.

I picked our first bunch of sweetpeas from the garden.



The pale white/lilac ones with a light lilac edge to the frill have to be the most scented sweetpeas I have ever grown. Must look for the packet....Gorgeous. Planted a mix of four packets with the highest scent I could get.

The swallows that use our wood store every year have just fledged their second brood of the season. I watched them on their first visit to the world beyond the store this afternoon. They sat on the tiled roof swivelling their heads keeping their parents in view at all times. Hopefully the parents will manage a third brood. The brick store isn't the same without a cacophony of twittering as we go in and out to get things! Watching the parents show off their aerodynamic prowess darting in and out of the store via the hatch we had created in the door makes washing up much more interesting.

We got the call to tell us we can have our caravan back last Friday. It has taken two weeks and the wheel arch 'skirt' still isn't fitted. The part is on order and we have to wait.So I look forward to Lansdown when Nellie and I will be back in the saddle and we can have our little caravan. Although it will be a little undressed as it were :-)

On Friday Iain collects the caravan and takes it back to the store place we use. He notices a funny noise emanating from beneath the van. Later that day I come back from work and we go down to Poole for something. The noise isn't funny at all, it sounds really very serious. We contact the Mercedes specialist garage we bought it from new and have had it serviced at ever since. We are in Poole so it seems like a good idea to leave it there now and take a taxi home because we are that anxious about the noise. But no. Can we bring it down in the morning? So, tomorrow it must be. On Saturday I follow Iain down to Poole in the car. He drives the van slowly. We leave it there. The noise sounds expensive as well as serious. But even we aren't quite ready for the enormity of the bill we will have to pay.

£1,279. And a few pence!

It was the propshaft apparently and it is a very good job we took the van in when we did too, we are told.

On Tuesday we are told it may be a week before the part is in the garage...Panic. What will we do for Lansdown? The car is a Golf hatch - we never expected not to have a bigger vehicle to tow the caravan and even more importantly transport the dogs to shows in. Eek.

Just as we are hatching hotel plans today (Wednesday) we get a call. The part arrived last night, the van is fixed this afternoon.

So at least we will have something to tow the half naked caravan to Lansdown with:-) Iain now doesn't have to cycle 19 miles each way to work each day all the way through into next week.
And I don't have to suffer the indignities of the ipod playlists he has stashed in the car. I mean 'Woa, we're going to Ibiza!'???!!! I knew his musical tastes were highly suspect when I married him but even he couldn't stoop to that on a ipod playlist...could he? Tomorrow I get back to the umpteen albums I have stored on my phone and the Belkin attachment I stick on the bottom that lets me play them through the van radio. Now that is definitely worth singing about.