Adventure is out there!

So Missy got some very exciting news at the end of last week:

She's officially an Explorer for DogFuriendly.com! What does that mean? She gets to share her adventures on a bigger platform and we can spread the word of all the awesome dog friendly places we have been to and think you should go to too. I was really impressed with the selection process that had us fill in an online application form and then, after being shortlisted, write a listing for the site. For once the dogs are being chosen because they will do well in the role, not because of Pedigree. 

So, with that in mind, I'm hoping it will refocus the blog which has become a bit of a place for my meandering thoughts and commentary on life.

This weekend was a flying visit up north to visit the in-laws. I'm not sure if it's a man thing, or if my close proximity to my mother somewhat negates the desire, but sometimes all my hubby wants to do is go back home to his old nest and be pampered a little. I certainly agree it's nice to relax and not be guilt tripped by laundry needing washed or paperwork needing filing, so we happily packed the car and made the journey. 

My in-laws certainly enjoy us visiting and they take being grand-paw-rents seriously having already organised the weekend dog walk intinery. It wasn't just for Missys benefit, Ruby, now 8 months old, is at the terrible twos stage, and will steal shoes and hats out of sheer petulance if she doesn't feel she's getting enough attention. I think they appreciated a bit of a break as we played with the puppy and Missy snuggled with them on the sofa! 

We started our new role as Explorers with a revisit to Crathes Castle. It's a National Trust site and, whilst dogs are not permitted into the buildings, they are more than rewarded with a beautiful woodland walk. The worst of the boggy areas have boardwalks, but it's not the easiest terrain underfoot - which is exactly what Missy likes best! Both she and Ruby tore around, noses to ground, looking for rabbits and mice and thoroughly exhausted themselves. 

For the humans, they have just erected wooden carvings of native animals; we found an otter, a squirrel, a kingfisher and a beautiful heron dotted about the route. 

We finished with hot chocolate and cakes from the cafe which we discovered was dog friendly. We stayed out in the courtyard though, both In-laws didn't feel Ruby could be trusted yet in a nice indoor space. Perhaps next time. 

We celebrated Burns that evening with a truly Scottish dish: fish suppers and mushy peas! Forget haggis, we went for the real deal, at least by 21st Century standards. 

My MIL loves crafts so we managed to fit some time in to get on with that. I haven't quite finished the piece I started, but will hopefully have the embellishments finished soon. I did however get the chance to show her what I had done with an Xmas present she had gotten me:

An art form in progress for sure, but I was pleased with how these turned out - they are a mix of soy and Beeswax, hence the creamy colour. 

Well, I will leave things there for now, Missy is snoring away and those jobs I put aside for the weekend won't wait any longer. No rest for the wicked! 

Compasses ready at Cammo Estate

Missy turned her paw to a new hobby this weekend; orienteering! Despite absolutely no sense of direction, I used to love orienteering as a kid and, over the years of spotting those familiar red and white plaques, I've learned that this was an equal passion of my hubby's when he was a boy. Every time we spotted an abandoned control point, we'd discuss that we should find out the local groups and... that was it.

Earlier this week I spotted an advert on Facebook for an orienteering open day at Cammo Estate and decided to give it a go and see if it lived up to my childhood memories. It was originally to be a solo event but, through the power of "do us a favour", I ended up with Maisie (but no brother), my older sister and BIL, thier dog Wee Ben and eldest nephew (10) accompanying me. I won't beat about the bush, my nephew hates outdoor pursuits and activities. If there isn't a screen involved, he won't partake in it. I've managed to get him into some board games (exploding kittens is a favourite) and, thinking myself clever, got him into Pokemon GO. What's wrong with that? Nothing to do with the game (I've played it daily since it launched) its just that he doesn't actually want to walk and play, he'll stand and catch pokemon and, screen glued to face, shuffle at the slowest pace. Not ideal for dog walking, or being anywhere near traffic! I've digressed. I was worried as he'd already expressed disdain at the thought of the sport, even though I'd tried to dress it up as "treasure hunting".

A quick run through for those unfamiliar to the sport; you get a map with points marked on it and, going 1 through to 20, use the map to find all the points as quickly as possible. It's all modern now, you have little trackers on your finger that you pop into a little reciever which beeps and records the time stamp. In my day it was a literal stamp made from pins that you punctured the sheet with!

Indicating North, I handed my nephew the tracker and map and off we went. The first one is always easy and, as we organised ourselves to find the next point (I was having him do it all by himself and was just guiding things along) I asked where North was. He pointed. True North. It was like the clouds parted and the heavens shined upon us, the first in my genetic family line with an internal compass. He was clearly delighted with this unexpected praise and elation and, recognising he had a natural knack to the sport, was hooked.

No complaints of being tired, he ran as soon as we spotted the next navigation point. No complaining for the phone or making excuses to stop and delay, we made our way round that track in a very respectable time, telling his parents to hurry up. 

Highlights included a fleet of cavalier King Charles in pyjamas (no photos sadly, we were admiring at a dash) and some huge tree plates from some fallen trees which, for reasons unknown bearing in mind his usual vampiric dislike to Sun and outdoors, my nephew finds totally fascinating. 

Afterwards we parted ways and I heard later from my mother (who they visited next) that it was all he would talk about. Hopefully his parents will encourage him and make it a hobby, I'll certainly be letting them know if I spot another one! 

I'm going to leave it on a high, with a comment to say to tune in next week as Missy has some exciting news to share! 

A Sleepy Start to the Year

It's that part of January. Everyone is back at work (or, for those who didn't take all the holidays, it's the first full week back), it's still cold, it's still dark all the time and it's just miserable. Yep. The January blues are in full swing across the nation and in my household that basically means everyone is just exhausted.

A combination of just really bad weather and illness saw plans of a girls trip to Perth cancelled (although my locally based friend still came round for lunch and we had a good gossip about life), so it was a quiet weekend for the most part. With the dog walk really being more of a paddle and swim, Missy hasn't been interested in going out and neither have I!

And yes, I do stalk Missy and take hundreds of photos of her sleeping!

Its not been completely unproductive, holidays and future adventures are being planned during the dark evenings whilst the wind howls and the rain lashes down on the central belt. Hubby and I have been like something from a 40s novel; we've whiled away the evenings playing board games and working on jigsaws whilst listening to audio books and dramas. Its really been a week to recharge the batteries and get prepped for the year ahead.

When not playing the housewife, I've had a good week to push on with projects, mostly stash busting, but as most are gifts I cant share them just yet! But I will share these Potter themed tote bags:

Just a short post this week, after our recharge we should be back to regular programming in the near future!

Bringing in the Bells

Firstly, Happy New Year. It is not only a new year, but a new decade. Merely by virtue of being alive I have now seen two millennia, two centuries and now five different decades - not bad for 32! 

In my house, New Year is the time of friendship and we didn't buck the trend. In what's become a tradition, we had a friend come stay with us on the 30th, and then we went to another friends (parents of our honorary neice and nephew) house for the bells. Missy was definitely ready for a party and we all played with hot wheels, then pass the parcel and then had dinner before moving onto more grown up games as the kids went to bed. Hubby had picked up the crystal maze board game and, with his best Richard Ayoade impression, was desperate to be games master. So as with years past, and hopefully those to come, the bells arrived to laughter, friendly rivalry and good food. What more could I ask from the year ahead? 

New Years Day presented the usual problems, what was open, where could we go that two young kids would enjoy and we can either bring Missy or won't have her left long. The Camera Obscura and World of Illusions stepped up to the plate for us and ticked all those boxes. Most importantly, open. Indoors, warm and dry and good for kids? Absolutely. And the best part, much to the delight of the little ones, dog friendly. 

We arrived for 11 and Missy was immediately fawned over by the staff. There was a lady in the queue who wasn't keen (read visibly rigid in terror) of dogs, and that was  absolutely fine and we offered to move Missy as far from her as possible. The Obscura runs a comfort policy, so Missy ran the risk of being removed to a different part of the building if she upset the lady too much, but she was as keen for us to have a nice time as her and her family to have one. It's always nice to come across someone who is reasonable about their phobia, too often the hubby and I have been screamed at for the mere presence of Missy, calm and relaxed and under control, at somewhere she is perfectly entitled to be at, so I always get a bit panicky about these things. 

Almost as soon as our hands were stamped and the first glimpse of wonder had been seen in the distance, the fire alarm went off. Sheer outrage and disappointment dissolved to delight once a fire engine showed up and my neice and nephew waved eagerly at the firemen - oh, to be five again when life's problems were so swiftly fixed. Thankfully the false alarm was quickly resolved and we got to skip the barmy of the newly forming queue and dashed straight up to the very top to see the Camera Obscura itself. 

Missy has visited in the past, so I won't go into too much detail except to say that the staff were just as friendly to us all, and that we had an absolutely fantastic day. Their hop in and out policy meant we could leave for lunch and then come back in when it got a little quieter again. Its the first time our friends have done an actual "attraction" with Missy, and they were all very impressed at her as she calmly mooched about and paid absolutely no attention to the crowds (except her admirers, of course, dogs aren't that common a sight at the Obscura, so I found myself promoting the policy a few times!) 

And that was the day. The 2nd was spent recovering from two back to back busy days and then I started the process of putting the house back together again as hubby was back in work. I have had a break from the tidying to get on with some sewing:

The one feedback from my attempt at a low waste Christmas? The presents could be seen. Solution? Gift bags with zippers, just in time for my eldest neices (15!) birthday. She was very pleased with her gifts and loved that her feedback had been taken on board. I suspect the bag will end up storing craft materials or something, so very pleased.

We also managed a games night with them, at 15 and 10, my eldest niece and nephew are now old enough to actually learn and play (nicely) proper games. Well, that's if you consider exploding kittens and throwing a burrito at one another as real games. 

(Side note, I'm not very good at exploding kittens, but I am the champion at throw throw burrito!) 

Here's hoping the year continues with good laughter!