Today we saved a kestrel!

Whilst walking the dogs this evening we found a kestrel spreadeagled in the woods where I walk the dogs. Harvey in fact found her so we picked her up and inspected her. She just has a bump and cut on her head where we think she flew into a tree.

We passed her onto our neighbour who rescues animals and has all the facilities so fingers crossed she makes it through the night - he mate is missing her.

Alan is a fully Qualified PADI!

Today Alan passed this open water scuba diving exam and is now has his open water licence.

I am very proud of him.

Brodie: Ten Weeks old

Brodie is now ten weeks old. He is virtually house trained, just a couple of accidents in the last week. He knows his name, he comes to the whistle (although we'll see what happens in the outside world), he's incredibly intelligent and is growing like a bamboo plant!

His feathering has started to grow and he has definitely got those all important testicles!

For the last two days I've left him for an hour to go to the gym and he's behaved, not screamed and not panicked. The only problem we have to solve if his sleeping, he still wakes me up at 4am, still whines and still doesnt really like his crate. Lets see what happens one week on from now - lets hope things have changed and I am no longer craving sleep.

Books I have Read - When Will there be Good News

A brilliant roller coaster of a ripping yarn/who dunnit/murder mystery!

Kate Atkinson is a superb writer but I just think I preferred Scenes from the Museum.

book read: A Thousand Splendid Suns

I cant recall the last book that actually made me cry - oh yes I can, it was the Kite Runner, funny that as this book is by the same author. Oh God what am emotional roller coaster, what a wonderful book and what a wonderful way to bring the plight of the Afghanistani women to a worldwide audience. In fact it wasnt the actual book that made me cry but the wonderful after thought at the end of the book that outlined the sexual apartheid that is common in rural Afghanistan.

As a feminist this book appalled me. The way that women are treated as just a breeding commodity who cooks and cleans is just beyond belief.

10/10 to Khaled Hosseini for bringing the plight of Afghanistani women to the attention of the world.

Brodie: Day Four

It's amazing how you get to know your dogs character, how they change, get more confidence and change shape in such a short space of time - and boy has he grown!! He looks like a hare he is so high on the leg!

Today Harvey didn't want to play with Brodie all day because he has taken a toe nail off with just the quick showing which must be incredibly painful - so of course Brodie has had to entertain himself all day - by wrecking the garden, chasing the cat, annoying Bailey and chewing anything in sight!!!

Landmark for today was that I left him with the others for about half an hour while I went to the animal feed shop. He was very tired when I left and was still asleep when I got back so good result!

Other observations are that he is no Harvey. He is far more feisty, far more bolshie and I think will be far more of a challenge than my beloved Harvey but hey, I always knew Harvey was special.

48 hours of life with Brodie

The first few days with a puppy are never easy but I've found Brodie to be especially challenging.

His good points are:

He's incredibly intelligent and trainable
Harvey and Bailey have been so good - not at all what I'd expected - Harvey is almost his best buddy!
He's eating well
He's virtually house trained himself!

The bad or challenging points:

I cannot however hard I try to get him to accept his crate
He will not sleep so I am suffering terrible sleep deprivation and havent slept in my bed for two nights.
He's a real whinger and is going to be a chewer.

I hope as the days go by the minus points start to improve.......

Brodie: Day Two

The first whole day with Brodie. As with all puppies he is challenging - plus I think I was spoiled with Harvey as he was an incredibly easy puppy.

Today's landmarks are that he is getting on with Harvey and amazingly Bailey far better than I could have imagined.

The downside is that I've had no sleep, I slept on the sofa as he's a screamer and feel as though I am a zombie.

The upside is that he is virtually house trained which is incredible for an eight week old pup. I cant say I love him yet but like all relationships it take time.

Welcome to Billingham Brodie!

So here I go on another journey, another Gordon Setter who I hope will one day win prizes and leave his stamp on this wonderful breed. Hopefully a long and enjoyable journey, full of laughs, memories and happiness - just like all my other setters.

He now officially Brodie and seems to have settled in OK, he travelled home very well - unlike his uncle Harvey, he had no accidents! He seems a bit of a whinger so I'm not sure I'll have any sleep tonight or in the next few nights but at least I dont have to go to work on Monday! I'm not really looking forward to the next few days especially if this rain doesnt stop but after that I should have a routine and hopefully a happy little dog.

I am half excited and half terrified - I pick up my new puppy tomorow!

This week has been a complete and utter emotional roller coaster. From going to see the puppies and picking one, to being told that I couldnt have that puppy as there was no guarantee that he had two descended testicles - which of course is no use to me as I want a show dog. So after a lot of soul searching (and I was was ready to walk away) Alan persuaded me to have the 'other' dog puppy. I still have reservations as I'm such a 'head' person and this little chap definitely doesnt have as much work in his head than his brother but his body is pretty exceptional for his age. Lets just hope that by taking this chance it becomes the best decision I've ever made.

His name is Kilnrae Kemerton Crusader - I will call him Brodie. He was born on the 15th May 2009. He is by Amscot Dramtist ex Kilnrae French Kiss.

I look forward to a long and happy show and home life with Brodie.

So much for a life of leisure!

I can honestly say that since I left work I've not stopped. I rarely sit down until 8pm there are so many things to do. As it's not so hot this week I've taken the dogs on a long walk every day. I've painted the 'dogs' room as it was looking tired and dirty. It's amazing what a lick of paint can do. I've been to the Farmers Market and the Guildford market for fruit and veg. I've had a make-up consultation for products and tips on how to hide my vitiligo, I've been swimming, I've changed my vets to an old fashioned type vet - not the supermarket style that I'm currently with, I've tidied the house from top to bottom, mowed the lawn and done a little bit of gardening! If I dont lose weight now I never will!

Captain America comes to Goodwood.....

.....40 years after the film was released.

I love Easy Rider and have been lucky enough to see Captain America's replica shopper a couple of times but this years Festival of Speed at Goodwood saw the star of the film, Peter Fonda not only attend the festival but also ride the hog up 'The Hill' - sadly I was not there but the photo's were all over the Sunday Papers!

cars, fumes, noise and weirdos.....then there was the helicopter ride!

The festival of speed was the same as usual, lots of cars, lots of fumes, lots of noises and singlehandedly removing the ozone layer in one weekend!! The new stuff this year were some NAS cars which was strange to see as we've actually been to a couple of american speedway tracks and the 'hill' must seem very narrow compared to their tracks. The late Dale Earhardt's daughter, Taylor was driving one of the Monte Carlo's - only 20 years old and not really into car racing like her father and brother - she is a champion barrel racer!!! What a girl!!

The highlight for me was seeing the Captain America's Chopper (so much about choppers here!) as ridden by Peter Fonda in Easy Rider (a fave film of mine) who I understand was there today. OK, OK, for purists out there I know its not the 'real' one as the two used in the film were 1) destroyed at the end of the film 2) lost forever (idiots!) but this is in every way a complete relica.

We also saw Jesse James of the West Coast Chopper fame (as well as being an actor) driving his - well what can you call it, an off-roader? It was mad and he is very handsome - even if a little overly tattooed for me :)

The pinacle of the day was however, my very first ride in a helicopter. I've wanted to have a ride in one since local company Ben Turner offered a ride for each year in my school by way of a raffle - I was ten, I wanted it so much I tried to bribe a fellow student into swapping with me.....I've waited a long time for this and I can honestly say it was one of the best six minutes of my life - a truly wonderful experience! I would recommend it to anyone!


I also made a big mistake....I sat on a Harley Sportster. It felt wonderful, it was a mistake as I now want to get back on a bike!!! Argh! Bring on the mid-life crisis! (this isnt the Sportster, this bike was far too large for me - I couldnt touch the brake but the Sportster - ooh I'll have dreams about that one tonight :))

Brodie is going to join Billingham

Today I went to see my future Gordon Setter champion. He will join Billingham on the 11th of July.

He is gorgeous and it was love at first sight. His name will be Kilnrae Kemerton Crusader of Billingham.