A thought for Angus

It's the birthday today of our much loved and sorely missed beardie Angus. Sean and I took Casper and Dougal to Bow Bridge, a local beauty spot which was one of the old boy's favourites as it has a handy stream in which to cool off and a plentiful supply of sticks to be thrown for him. When he was young, Angus's one idiosyncracy was leaping around the bottom of trees and bushes and barking at the birds in them. Bow Bridge was a perfect place to display this peculiar habit and the way we got him to stop was to throw stick, after stick for him until he was so worn out that he collapsed in the stream and forgot all about those pesky birds.
Neither Casper or Dougal show any penchant for bird baiting but, whilst Casper eyes with disdain any sticks waved in front of him, Dougal loves to run for them as fast as his legs will carry him and, as I watched him run in a blur of flying legs bouncing hair, I couldn't help but think about our old, handsome hound Angus. It seems only yesterday that he was doing the same.
Louise

A Dougal breakthrough

Casper, Dougal and I went for a stroll this morning on Birkrigg, a limestone outcrop complete with stone circle and lots of sheep. Casper usually eyes up the sheep but always responds to my command "Off those sheep". Dougal usually notices the sheep but always follows Casper's lead and so leaves them alone. Many dogs and owners walk on Birkrigg, whatever the weather, and Dougal has over the past few months learned to approach dogs, meet and greet them and then come back to me. So far so good. However, the main reason I resort to putting him on his lead is that he jumps up at people. When he does it he gets suitably chastised but he always does it again, even just a few minutes after he's had a good telling off. Today, however, we met a few people whilst on our stroll and Dougal didn't jump up at any of them. I'm hoping this is a major breakthrough in Dougal's training and I'll hold on to that hope for a few hours until I take them out again.
Louise

If only it were true

Last year there was an investigation of Windermere to hunt for our very own monster named, imaginatively, "Bownessie". The search will be featured on the current series "The Lakes" on March 1st, but apparently there were enough grounds to conduct the search again this year.....mmmm.....I'm tempted to teach Casper and Dougal to swim underwater, tied together of course, as we could really do with a decent monster sighting and what better than a two headed, hairy beast from the deep.
I met up with one of our suppliers today for coffee and cake. She and her partner live in quite a remote part of Cumbria and she makes the most fabulous soaps and bath salts (Fanny and Claude on lovethelakes.net). Her parting anecdote was about the time she was at Lowther Show and, desperate to get to the loo, she gently elbowed her way past a little old lady in her way, only to discover that it was the Queen! I was hoping to also meet up with one of my other suppliers, Karen, who makes stunning jewellery, but she couldn't make it. I've sold 2 pieces of her jewellery this week over the phone to customers who bought other colours in the summer so I really need to get her on lovethelakes.net as soon as possible.
Louise

More Dougally Doings

Father Christmas delivered some of our presents early last night and, obviously, we're all on special Dougal watch as none of said presents will bear chewing. However, to our surprise, our barmy pup is not intent on destroying the parcels: his more benign mission in life is to sit on them. Already this morning he has been hauled off his present nest three times. He has been banished outside and the tree is now surrounded by barbed wire: well, not quite, but it doesn't look very festive as anti-Dougal devices include Connie's guitar (in its case), the chewed Next catalogues (see previous blog) and, in fact, anything that came to hand that will do the trick. Will the presents make it through to Christmas Day? Have a Merry Christmas everyone: I'm escaping to the shop for a bit of peace.
Louise

Dougally Doings

Sean and Casper sneaked off before the crack of dawn this morning and, as soon as they'd departed, there came a "Woof" from the utility room, aka Dougal's cell. As I didn't want the rest of the household to wake up before the crack of dawn, I trudged downstairs to release dog no. 2 into the relative freedom of the living room. Obligatory greetings of the usual nature (ie. I haven't seen you in weeks, where have you been, how could you leave me) over with, I nipped back upstairs to get my computer and some paperwork that needed filing. A mere 2 minutes later I came back to find the Next catalogue chewed on all 4 corners and cast asunder on the rug, the wastepaper bin upended and the contents scattered around the room, including on the couch and dog no. 2 busily gnawing on the wooden frame of the patio door. Good Morning Dougal.
On the plus side, when I took him for a walk through our local wood I saw deer and rabbits galore as, for all his numerous faults, Dougal doesn't bark when he's outside (unlike Casper). I've left him on the patio in the dubious charge of James, our son. I'm glad I'm not going to be home first!
Louise

Flood update

We have finally made it through to Bowness - the roads are flooded but thankfully we are nowhere near as bad as Cockermouth and Keswick, I hope everyone is alright up there.

We took a circuitous route due to blocked roads and saw that the River Crake has burst its banks at Spark Bridge flooding houses there. At Newby Bridge there are major tailbacks on the main road and the road to Bowness is officially shut. The Swan at Newby Bridge is under water and Fell Foot is flooded. At Bowness the lake is right over the road at the jetties - even deeper than last year which seems unbelievable. There are quite a few folk about though, I guess everyone is trapped! Our shop has remained dry but up the street a couple have flooded at the bottom of the hill. Thanks for all the messages we have recieved from our StridingEdge family, we appreciate everyone's concern.

Update and photos later hopefully.

Sean and Louise 

Casper is six but will Dougal make it to one?!

Casper has reached the ripe old age of 6 today and is taking it easy lying in his favourite corner at home with an extra large bonio. We never actually knew when his birthday was until recently as he was a rescue Beardie and came without papers, so we only knew his approximate age and his breeders name. We were, of course, reaquainted with all of those when we got Dougal (his kennel club registered name is Sylvabrae Striding Edge BTW) who has now become the tormentor-in-chief of Casper. I think it is safe to say that Casper's tolerance has been thinly stretched recently and I guessed he had been pushed too far the other day when there was an almighty lions roar from our patio and I found Dougal lying on his back with Casper standing over him...complete with his jaws firmly locked around Dougal's throat. Now, now boys - play nicely!

Sean