Festival Fever

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But not, like, an actual fever, or new cough or any such plague related thoughts. 

At last, the moment we were all waiting for, Missys most important date in the doggy year: Dogfest North.

So, back in times of early unlock, when the thought of normality will still far from grasp, Dog Furiendly asked for volunteers for all the Dogfests. Deprived of any semblance of freedom, I immediately volunteered for both days of Dogfest North and retrospectively checked if people would be available to see that week.

The day of Dogfest had arrived. I'd done it. Survived a week with the In laws (no hardship really, I'm quite lucky on that front!), managed to avoid concussion on the flumes (I may have belly flopped and smacked my face off one when excitedly racing the hubby, but all good, and no black eye!), Missy was devoid of injury and her arthritis was nowhere to be seen. We were ready. 

A group chat had been put together for us Explorers and, being told that my job today was to get content and enjoy it, I was almost vibrating with excitement (or possibly with the lack of sleep from excitement and copious amounts of tea). Missy had her game face on and we strutted through those big gates like we owned the place. 

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Until I basically fell onto every dog visible for hugs and kisses. It took an hour for hubby to gently stear me to the Dog Furiendly stand as I excitedly ran off to grab another freebie, or cuddle another dog, or take Missys picture. She was on form - I've previously mentioned that she's never forced to do anything she doesn't want to, and that includes photos. You can tell when she's excited for the training (which is how she sees photos), and when she's too tired for it.

Saying that, we did make sure she got plenty of time to rest!

After the trek to the stall, I was signed into Dog Furiendlys Instagram and told to get photos and videos and share the excitement. Which would have been easy had the 4G not died a slow and horrible death owing to all ththe people sharing photos on thier Instagrams! Still, challenge accepted.

We did the Big Dog Walk (the 2km route, Missy had a long day ahead of her), and went round pimping Dog Furiendly to anyone who asked about the tshirt I had on, and made lots of conversations with the stall holders and other dog owners. 

There was really too much going on to see everything, which isn't a bad thing, really. Ironically the Manchester Police Dogs was the only thing I'd bookmarked as a must do, and it was cancelled after they were called put on a job. Best excuse really, perhaps next year! 

Knowing that we were being joined with family for day 2 we didn't do the fun dog shows or have a try events. At 8, Missy needs to be made to pace herself, she hasn't quite figured out yet that she's getting old. We did however enter her in for Scruffts Golden Oldie.

For those not in the know, Scruffts is the only category in Crufts that allows mongrels to compete (outside of dance/agility etc). In order to get into the shortlist for Crufts, you have to win one of the many heats going on through the year. I didn't expect to do well, seeing as Missy is often mistaken as a younger dog, so we just entered for funzies. 

So I was legitimately shocked at this:

Second! With her own legitimate kennel club ribbon!

Its getting framed, the print is already in the post.

So that wrapped up day 1. And we were all beat. Early nights all round (after Missy got a big well deserved treat, of course). 

Day 2 started with an Explorer meet up. It was nice to finally meet some of the crew who I've been collaborating with over the last 2 years (I became an Explorer just before lockdown hit).

My sister and her family joined us, as did the in laws. I wasn't sure how Ruby would be, but I was mistaken in my concern, it being my FIL who was most overwhelmed at the experience. 

This time we did DogFest as a more normal event - there was tombolas (my neice and nephew are clearly lucky charms, they walked away with teddies and t shirts and all sorts of things!). We also tried Loveliest Lady (a dalmatian was "spot on" and won, but I got to meet Michaela Strachan (Missy tried to sway her with cuddles, but alas, it was to no avail) so was pleased with that. My inner 10 year old was in absolute joy. 

Most of the "have a go" things are too high impact for Missy these days - whilst she could have easily managed the hay bale race, I'm wanting to preserve her knees as best I can. Still, my neice took Missy round the obedience ring (we had a great deal, she gave Missy the treats and I said the commands) and Missy even walked onead for her beautifully around the last part of the ring. Missy is still learning new tricks, adapting to the neices and nephews whims as they grow.

We did try for Scruffts again (prettiest bitch) but didn't place. I was still on cloud nine from our previous success, so honestly didn't mind. A German shepherd cross won, which I had to agree was a beautiful dog, so I didn't mind. 

After that, everyone was absolutely knackered. Between the shock of the crowds, the unexpectedly nice weather, the good company and being on feet all day, we said our final goodbyes and went separate ways. I would have liked to have seen more of my neice and nephew, but between our action packed week, my adopted into family and school, there really wasn't time. Hopefully I'll see them again before the year is out!

Would I Dogfest again? Absolutely! 

But I need to recover from this one first! 

A Big Manchester Holiday

This post will be in 2 parts - for Dogfest, the post will be up later this week, in the meantime, here's our action packed trip to Manchester! 

So, the plan had always been a week trip down south to make a holiday of Dogfest. As explorers, we received complimentary tickets to go and figured a trip visiting relatives was long overdue whilst at the same time having our own base to still go and do our own thing. 

We received some bad news a few months back in that hubby's uncle had had a heart attack and, due to his pre existing conditions, was in a bad way. We had already mentioned to the in-laws our plan to go and do the family circuit, so we weren't surprised when they asked if they could tag along with. Thankfully I was only just looking for places to stay, so we accommodated the extra dog and couple quite easily.

The calm before the storm!

Plans were reshuffled and a rough itinerary was put together with the in laws arriving Sunday and us all leaving Monday. We kept the travel as easy as we could and stopped first of all at Gretna Green Village (top photo). It has a better space for dogs to run about than the Gretna services, and provided a good spot to take a long lunch.

Then we shuttled down to my sisters to walk the dogs at the big park by hers. By coincidence, the Airbnb was only 7 minutes from hers (I had booked the location based on midway between Tatton Park for Dog Fest and our poorly Uncle). There was much thanking as we queued for a quick privvy break and then I got to sit back and watch my MIL get a guided tour of my sisters craft room. They were soon cackling away together and I was content knowing that the families would work well for our get togethers. 

Tuesday was planned as awonder about Blackpool before hubby and FIL went to check the lay of the land with the relatives. I was originally a bit put out at the suggestion of mooching about the tat epicentre of Northern England, but reminded myself that the weekend was solely for Missy and I, and went along in good grace.

I'm pleased I did. Whilst we didn't "do" anything, we managed a walk along the promenade, explored the birthplace of Sooty at the North pier and rode the merry-go-round there. We tried to set it up as a little spur of the moment photoshoot for the in laws with me riding a horse in front of them and hubby getting photos from the sides. The in laws are much like myself and the hubby, thousands of photos of the dogs, and none of ourselves! 

Ruby hasn't learned to pose like Missy has (well, I say pose, she really just has a very good sit and stay command) so we tried throughout the holiday to various success to get some photos of them together. 

After all of the above, we walked back via the shops before letting the dogs run on the beach to the south of the south peir which allowed dogs. Missy got to play in the arcade (the in laws decided against allowing Ruby in) and then we all had fish and chips in true Lancaster fashion. 

(As an East of Scotland girl, I will always lament the lack of "sauce", no matter what people say of it!) 

The evening was quiet as we waited for the update that would really shape the holiday: how well was our poor Uncle? Hubby and FIL were pleased to announce that, whilst he couldn't really stay on his feet, his humour was as sharp as ever and he was keen to see visitors. 

Tuesday was a doggy day off and FILs official retirement. We celebrated by running around the flumes at Sandcastle Waterpark. MIL was not interested at all in coming and seemed to enjoy a quiet day to herself whilst we exhausted ourselves rushing up and down stairs. 

The day was finished with a meal out with my sisters family. As they would all meet at Dogfest, it seemed a good idea to introduce the kids to my in laws first. As FIL and BIL bonded over a camembert, MIL heard all about the books the kids were reading and the games they liked to play. A successful day, if I do say so myself! 

Thursday was the National Waterways Museum - a suggestion I made based on our previous adventure in the Chester area. 

It was interesting to see how it differed from our last visit in the days before plague. Some areas were shut, licenses had expired on some of the engines that were used for demos, and the museum was under refurbishment. Despite that, there was new boats to climb aboard, and the cottages had been done up. Well worth the revisit. 

We finish the day all visiting Aunt and Uncle (and visited by Granny) and having a truly Northern dinner. Mince and potato pie. Lamb hot pot. Mashed potato. And liver, but I avoided that plate and tried all the rest. There was syrup pudding and apple pie for dessert and we all chatted and laughed at the squirrels on the feeder.

Both dogs were thankfully asleep. It may have been a small disaster had Missy clocked the furry beasts. As it was, she stole the sofa and cuddled up to Aunt and Uncle where I overheard a few soft "oh, just like oor Tara"s from them. I've previously seen photos of Tara, a Manchester heeler, and she sounded a wonderful dog with a temperament similar to Missy. FIL tried to damage control the comments with a "oh, but they do love her as Missy in her own right," but I know that comparing someone else's dog to your most beloved pet is a high compliment, so brushed it off as endearment.

On Friday, we managed a rare day of "winging it", something I have been unable to really do owing to covid. Firstly we visited the Blue John Cavern where everyone was very impressed at the dogs. Missy is well practiced on stairs from years of castles, so she comfortably managed the 250+ steps on the way down and then the return.

It quickly became a joke that we went all the way down to go all the way up at Peveril Castle. 

Calling it a castle is an exaggeration, it being more a single storey watch tower, but the winding path was certainly worth the stunning views. We all admired them for some time, a landscape quite different from home despite its similar beginings through glaciation. 

And I will leave the blog there for today, the last tranquil moment before the enjoyable chaos of Dogfest:

Pancakes?

Is that the face of true love, or just really wanting that peice of pancake? 

It's been a quiet weekend, which we've needed to recharge from a few busy weeks. Work has been very busy for us all and we're still trying to figure out a routine that let's us enjoy weekends without burning out.

Friday we finished up the birthday run seeing some local friends who have just moved house and both hubby and I were delighted with a voucher for Stack and Still as a gift. It was good having a quiet catch up and we ended up staying longer than we had intended.

Saturday was a rare quiet day in. It was by BILs birthday weekend and he and hubby decided on a boys day together, leaving me and Missy to have a girls day in. It was nice having time to just bumble about and potter about the garden and get on with some sewing. My latest project is an upcycle - I was given a bag of old jeans that I've turned into a bean bag. I will confess that I'm ridiculously pleased with how it came out as, sometimes, upcycles don't turn out all that pretty. 

Today has been a cleaning day. Scrubbed the house top to bottom before our neighbours pop round to go over budgie care as we have a holiday coming up. With that voucher burning a hole in our pockets, we decided that we deserved to go out and have a treat for lunch. 

The staff were great with Missy, although it was obvious that, despite being dog friendly, they don't get a lot of doggy visitors. The main clue being the fact that when we went to get seated, the lady serving us had to really think about where we were to be sat. 

Missy, as always, put on an exemplary display of good behaviour. She sat/lay under the table and didn't make a sound as we ordered food. I spotted that they had gluten and lactose free pancakes and, in a moment of "why the hell not", we decided to order Missy her own pancake.

The girl serving us, after a moment of confusion about a plain pancake for special diets, accepted the explanation with a laugh. 

Then one of the kitchen staff popped over to double check something hadn't gone wrong with the order. And then laughed about it.

And after that I'm pretty certain every staff member on the floor popped by to check on us and watch Missy get fed little peices of pancake. 

The kids at the table behind us were absolutely delighted about this, and it never ceases to amaze me how much children are more observant than their parents. Every time Missy was mentioned, it was a kid pointing her out to a parent who had failed to see her. 

Nonetheless, Missy very much enjoyed the pancake and the attention. Although all of us are gonna have to go on a long walk this afternoon to burn off the calories! 

Paws at the Palace v2

It's been a quick week with work being a bit crazy, but that means that the wait for Paws at the Palace 2021 didn't seem as long!

With it being based at Scone Palace in Perth, we had decided to use it as our monthly Perth get together and have a girls trip (with hubby in tow, who these days is an honorary girl anyway). The weather was set to be fair and Missy had gotten over her poor spell at the start of the week (she'd scavenged something that did not agree with her). So we bundled on the car and set off to Perth.

It turns out we all had super crazy weeks. Between one friend in the process of selling her house, the other having crazy staff issues with work, and my dealing with an incident at work, we were all completely beat. So it was a very leisurely day out where we simply chatted with the other dog owners and cuddled all the doggos. 

Everyone agreed it was exactly what we needed for the soul, ally he happy dogs giving cuddles. 

We all mooched about the stalls, stopped for lunch and ice cream. Watched the agility. Had a wee wander about the grounds, stopped for tea and cake (I can finally say I've had a scone at Scone!), and entered Missy into best rescue.

She didn't place, but I know she's the best, so it doesn't matter! 

We filled the day with chat and laughter and had a great time all round.

Definitely the day we all needed!