Peter & Simon are One Year Old Today.

Simon and Peter are a year old today.

The first three photos were taken four days ago

Peter is very inquisitive and bold and independent. He can also be rather naughty!  In particular when I take him for walks.  He hasn't quite worked it out yet that it is bad etiquette to sound like a screaming banshee when he sees another dog.  He is the epitome of a rather small yappy dog!  So far everything I have tried hasn't worked.  I think it is sheer enthusiasm, but of course other dogs and their owners don't take it that way, and I don't blame them.  If they allowed him to make his noise and walk with them, he does calm down and stop, and there is one person and their dog locally who will do that, and it is helping, but we don't see them often enough when we are out.  Strangely he doesn't tend to bark at all at home, which is good.

Peter likes to snuggle in the evenings and especially likes to lie upside down with his tongue sticking out, very much a Percy trait.  He likes to go underneath a blanket or tucked up under a jumper/sweater you might be wearing.

Simon is loyal and a bit of a softy.  He is perfect to take out, doesn't bark and is very well behaved, but he takes his guard dog duties at home very seriously and does bark here.  I think he has had lessons from Stanley, who being a typical Sheltie does like to let you know when there are people walking down the road, visitors arriving here or at the neighbours, oh and of course the postman arriving, although they do stop and I can have a chat with him.

Simon snuggles in quite a different way to Peter, and doesn't like to be upside down at all, rather curling himself up and against you.

Together they are a great pair and contrast to each other, not only in size but also character.

One of their favourite games is chasing each other around the settee.  Simon gets very excited and vocal about it.

Now for some photos taken today.

Simon having a good sniff...

Stanley coming to investigate. 

Peter checking on Simon.

Do you want to play?

A poorly taken in action shot.

 

Simon & Peter January 2023

I'm not sure if I did an introduction of our puppies.  I must go back and do something for my records if I haven't.  So anyway we adopted to Chihuahua brothers, Simon and Peter and they are growing fast!

They are now seven months old and up to all sorts of mischief.

Peter is on the left, and Simon who is bigger is on the right.

They have quite different characters.  Peter is very inquisitive, and strong willed, and well naughty at times!

Stanley adores them and has a new lease of life.

Peter 

Peter on the left, Simon on the right.

Simon

So handsome.

They love playing, and playfighting, and racing round the lawn.

 

Percy

Sadly our beloved Percy died tragically on 17th June 2022 and we are totally overwhelmed with grief. He was such an amazing dog and we loved and treasured him so much. He had such strength of character and was the bravest dog I have ever known. He sadly went blind overnight in March 2018 just after his fifth birthday from something called SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) but he never let this affect him, and he still ran round the garden chasing squirrels and jumped on and off the settee. He then had some seizures in the September/October of that same year which we successfully treated with CBD Oil. The following year in January 2019 he developed another autoimmune disease affecting his spine called meningeal myelitis and had to undergo an aggressive course of chemotherapy and steroids. He responded very well to this and by January 2020 he was still doing well and enjoying playing with his toys. Unfortunately due to all the C nonsense he then didn't receive as good treatment due to us not being allowed to talk the vet in person, and they prolonged it too long and by June 2020 we said no more as he had deteriorated. He picked up really well and improved once coming down to the island. Unfortunately in August 2021 he had to go back on steroids and this helped, but of course long term steroids has damaging affects and his teeth rotted (this didn't stop him eating though, but he could no longer play ball or chew bones) and he developed a heart murmur. However despite these issues he was still a very happy dog, just not so active anymore. He enjoyed his wanderings around our garden, having mastered the ramp down the steps on his own (finding his way through the use of mats). He learnt to open his mouth for his Lion's Mane drops in the morning and his CBD oil in the evening. He was the rhythm of my life, from the time I woke up, to the time he went out for his final wander around the garden before going to bed. He used to sit on my lap in the mornings while I read the bible and sleep with me in the afternoons when I needed a rest due to pain issues. He followed me throughout the house and had little beds in every room, and I would take him up to the sewing studio with me. He also enjoyed sleeping in his bed in my husband's office. He loved to climb onto the backs of our legs if we were building furniture! We feel totally and utterly bereft and inconsolable, and I am finding it so hard to cope with his loss and the manner of it.

The bravest and strongest dog with a heart full of love, he is missed so much. Our lives feel so empty without him. Percy 10th March 2013 - 17th June 2022 Philippians 4:8 describes Percy so well "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

Happy Eight Birthday Percy

Happy Eighth Birthday to our Chihuahua Warrior Percy.

These photos are all from 2013, the year he was born after he arrived to live with us.

That tongue!

Aw snoozing in his 'Daddy's arms'

Ready to play.

Getting bigger, those ears!

Trying to clean out Pirate's mouth.

He still likes to do this and does so with Stanley's mouth, most days after dinner!

I think he fancies himself a bit of a dentist.

Look at him fly!

I do miss these days when he was sighted and could run free without any fear and hesitation.

So alert.

Loving his ball!

To think he has now been blind almost half his life now is pretty incredible. He went blind literally overnight back in April 2018, just after his fifth birthday.

Then just a year later he couldn't walk developing yet another auto-immune disease, this time in his spine.

But he is a true warrior, and is doing so well today.  True he is not as fit and active as he was, and far less confident, but he seems pretty happy and is always excited when I take him out for his walks with Stanley.  

I'm not sure when we will be walking today though as it is currently pouring with rain, and he is definitely a 'fair weather walker'.  Haha!  He is currently lying in front of the fire absorbing all the heat.

We are really proud of his fighting spirit, his love that he freely gives us, and of his companionship. 

 

 

Monday 1st March!

I almost forgot to take my '1st of the Month' photo today, partly as I have felt a bit 'off' today.  I had to have blood tests this morning, the nurse came to my house which was good, but because I fasted, and she had problem with drawing blood, I almost passed out during the second attempt (second arm!).  In the end she had to have another attempt in the first arm, and we had success...but for some reason it left me feeling really quite ill.  I am usually fine having blood tests, and normally there is no problem with drawing out the blood, so must have been a bit dehydrated I guess.  Anyway, I did still take the dogs out for their walk, but I came home exhausted and have rested/slept on and off all day.

It has been another lovely sunny day, but quite cold, with a real bitter wind.

Dainty little daffodils in my herb planter.

I forgot to post photos of the socks I made in February.

I especially love this pair, knitted with Waikiwi wool, they remind me of waves.

Another pair made with Waikiwi wool.

This pair I knitted with Regia 'Pairfect' yarn which was supposed to be 'knot-less' and I got part the way down the ribbing on the first sock, and yes, there was a knot/join, so I wasn't very happy.  I ordered two of these balls of yarn way back in January, one ball still hadn't even been dispatched yesterday, despite when I ordered them, it said they would be delivered in a few days, so I cancelled the order.  I think I have been spoiled with my lovely NZ wool, it is so much nicer to knit with.  I am so sad I haven't been able to stock up on it.  If I had realised I wouldn't be going back for at least two years, I would have bought a lot more while I was over there in 2019.  

Percy sunning himself.

Standing on the foot stool!  He doesn't quite have the courage to get down from it.  Once up on it, he seems to lose his confidence in getting down.  It is hard when you are blind to judge downwards distances. 

 

Summing up the Last Week

Well what a week, I didn't much feel like updating my blog, so this is a round up of the last week.

I stupidly did some washing last night and hung it on the line this morning as the weather app said no rain, and although it looked overcast I thought it would blow over.  Instead it has been raining ever since I put the washing out!  Not heavy rain, but enough to make it even damper!  Still the weather app says no rain - I never usually take much notice of it anyway, but today I have had my thoughts of its accuracy more than confirmed.  I will just have to leave it on the line as don't have a drier, and if necessary will bring it in later today and rewash it through this evening to hang out tomorrow. (Updated as it has taken me all day to write this post!) Sun finally has come out at 6 pm this evening.  Will probably just leave the washing, it will dry on the line tomorrow.

The other stupid thing I did was leave the freezer drawer open last night - a lot has defrosted, some of which I will cook up today and tomorrow but some I will have to throw out as being on my own, I am just not going to get through it.  A real nuisance.  It is a drawer freezer at the bottom of the fridge and I don't think they levelled it quite right when they installed it as you have to always make sure you have pushed the fridge door shut otherwise it falls open.  Obviously a similar thing happened with the drawer, as I was sure I had closed it when I took out the ice bag for hubby, and also I went in to the room later that evening to put the time on the washing machine, and I would have noticed the freezer drawer open as they are next to each other. I hate wasting food, so it is a jolly nuisance, but nothing I can do much else about.  When I get my chest freezer delivered on Wednesday I will explain about the fridge door falling open and  ask them if they can check the fridge levelling as it is the same company that installed the fridge who are delivering the freezer.

A lovely walk earlier in the the last week, the grass is so dry.

But perfect weather for haymaking.

Carrier ship just off the coast.

In the garden this week:

I did a new sign and was able to laminate it this time, thanks to hubby bringing the laminater down.

Beautiful skies.

My second cucumber, they are delicious!

Lilies in the pond looking gorgeous.

Hollyhocks still going strong.

I'm not sure what this plant is.  It has a sort of thistle flower head, and the bees love it.  Not the prettiest of plants, but good to see it attracts the bees.

My one and only sunflower I planted from seed that has actually grown into a plant.

My Dalmatian beans are looking good and I have been having them for dinner every few days.

These are the other beans I planted.  I can't remember their name off hand, but they are lovely to eat.

I've been doing battle with a climbing plant that has gotten out of control and covering one of my plum trees.  I managed to clear half of it off the tree, but couldn't reach the rest and we ran out of time for hubby to do some.

It has been a funny old week, the beginning of which I felt very ill from the stress, but fortunately by the end of the week, these stresses have been mostly resolved and an amicable solution with regards the fence has been reached which is always good.  Hubby came down for a few days with the dogs which was lovely and he managed to get the first coat done of half the deck.  He had originally planned to do the whole deck, but his time was taken up trying to resolve the back fence problem and then doing a lot of weeding and clearing along the line where the new fence will be going up this week.  It would have been nice if we had had more time to actually relax and enjoy each other's company and his time down here but it wasn't to be.  One day hopefully we will actually have some stress free time!  Anyway the time passed quickly and he left late last night with the dogs.

During the treatment - I forgot to take the 'finished first coat, first half' photo.

This has been a wonderful sight to see these two boys looking out the door at me.

I picked some more sweet peas and their scent is wonderful.

My sweet Percy snoozing.

Last night Percy cuddles.

I was really shocked at how much Percy had deteriorated since I last saw him in March and of course back in February.  How on earth the vet gave him a better 'body score' than he has ever had is beyond me, and completely wrong.  He is so much weaker than he was, and instead of a seven year old dog, he looked like a 16 year old dog.  I think the problem is in part due to lack of continuity and different vets treating him each time he goes in for his chemo, but even so, my husband wrote a detailed account of his symptoms and our concerns when he last went in and that was virtually ignored.  We have decided to cancel his next treatment this coming week (and what probably would have been his last, or second to last treatment anyway) to see how he goes on.  I don't think the treatments are doing him any favours anymore.  We will then assess how he is getting on and if still concerned we will take him back to his lovely regular vet and ask for blood tests etc to be taken.  Hopefully he just needs time to build up his strength again.  But I am worried about his future.

Stanley enjoying the beach.

We managed to take the dogs out a couple of times while DH was down here.  The first time we took them to the beach Percy used to love, which was quite frankly a disaster.  He hated it and looked totally miserable so DH ended up having to carry him.  Stanley was fine, he loved it.   The following day we thought we would try the forest where I have been before, and Percy was much happier walking through there, and although slow, really enjoyed sniffing and toddling along.

Surprisingly the photos I took of the dogs on the beach, Percy doesn't look too bad in.

Having good sniffs.

Today has been an odd day, seems a bit strange to have the house empty again. but at least I have some flat surfaces uncovered again - boy an my husband clutter up a flat surface in a very short period of time!

I've felt a bit flat, so have had a quiet day and then went for a walk late this afternoon.

Delighted to see a heron looking for food amongst the rocks I sat and watched him a while.

 .

The ferries are working hard going back and forth

Just resting.

Total Mileage: 

Week One: 30.5 miles
Week Two: 27.7 miles

So slightly over half way to my goal of 100 miles this month, which means I'm still on track to achieving my goal. Of course now I am nearly at the end of week three of walking.