Monday, 27 October 2008
Out of the mouths of babes..
As this grandchild has still made no indication again that she would be appearing soon, big brother, aged 4, said, "Why can't we just get one at the shops?"
Sunday, 26 October 2008
The Reluctant Grandchild!
I've been "down south" for almost a fortnight now and still no sign of junior. There was a false alarm last Saturday night and the maternity unit was phoned, I went to bed about 11pm, got up about 6.30 the following morning, collecting two grandchildren on the way down to the kitchen, made a cup of coffee and made my way to the living room and immediately was suspicious. What should be lying on the floor but the "hospital"bag! Just then mother-to-be appeared and said that "everything" had stopped just after midnight and she had fallen asleep till 3am on the settee. Father-to-be suggested she phone the hospital again and explain what had/had not happened!
A routine visit to the ante natal clinic followed on the Tuesday and words like "examination" and "sweep" were mentioned. Husband suspects this appointment might be at the council cleansing department.
So, I'm still here and, like everybody in this house, am still waiting.
A routine visit to the ante natal clinic followed on the Tuesday and words like "examination" and "sweep" were mentioned. Husband suspects this appointment might be at the council cleansing department.
So, I'm still here and, like everybody in this house, am still waiting.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
He who has always been obeyed!
I thought I would let you see who will be in charge of the household while I am away south. He assures me everything will be fine and not to worry.
I'll leave little notes for him telling him how to work the various appliances, like the kettle etc. and how many sugars he takes in his coffee!
......good job he doesn't know how to switch this machine on!
If you happen to see him, and you'll be able to recognize him from the following photographs, give him a few words of encouragement.
I'll leave little notes for him telling him how to work the various appliances, like the kettle etc. and how many sugars he takes in his coffee!
......good job he doesn't know how to switch this machine on!
If you happen to see him, and you'll be able to recognize him from the following photographs, give him a few words of encouragement.
Monday, 13 October 2008
Busy weekend with great food!
I did it again!.........2 shows in the same weekend, something I always say I will never do again.........till the next time. (I'm a "show-junkie").
The Saturday show was in Lanark, a drive of one and a half hours away, where we didn't exactly set the heather on fire, although Mo had a first in Open dog. The food was provided by the commercially run restaurant on the venue premises and was very good....just as well as I had a long wait till the papillons were judged, by a rather slow judge.
The Sunday show was in Bonnybridge, almost an hour's drive off. It was the Scottish Toydog Open Show and this year the hall was buzzing with an excellent entry in most of the breeds. Again, we were scheduled near the end of the judging, so again , a long wait, which was fine as the company was good (had a good old blether with all the papillon folk, and some others as well(!)) but the very best bit was the EXCELLENT buffet provided by the committee. It was the best I'd ever tasted, and I do appreciate good baking and cooking and know the work that it entails. We even had strawberry tarts, freshly made that morning on the premises!......AND, the prices were so low . What a pleasant change from the overpriced stodge we are often served in the motorway services.
Well done to all concerned.
As to the actual showing, we had a reasonable day. Spencer was again Best Veteran in Show. His younger half brother, Pyatshaw Murphy's Law,now also a veteran and belonging to Sue Gray, (Gennasus), has also been winning a few such awards, so "LOOK OUT, Spencer". His father, Northlyte Adonis Blue was also a specialist in the veteran classes so if you're looking for a good veteran...............
Mo again had a first in Open dog and Swallow had a third in the graduate class.
That will be my last outing with the dogs for a few weeks as I will shortly be taking off (literally) for the far south, near Windsor, to be more precise, where my sixth grandchild is expected very soon.
The Saturday show was in Lanark, a drive of one and a half hours away, where we didn't exactly set the heather on fire, although Mo had a first in Open dog. The food was provided by the commercially run restaurant on the venue premises and was very good....just as well as I had a long wait till the papillons were judged, by a rather slow judge.
The Sunday show was in Bonnybridge, almost an hour's drive off. It was the Scottish Toydog Open Show and this year the hall was buzzing with an excellent entry in most of the breeds. Again, we were scheduled near the end of the judging, so again , a long wait, which was fine as the company was good (had a good old blether with all the papillon folk, and some others as well(!)) but the very best bit was the EXCELLENT buffet provided by the committee. It was the best I'd ever tasted, and I do appreciate good baking and cooking and know the work that it entails. We even had strawberry tarts, freshly made that morning on the premises!......AND, the prices were so low . What a pleasant change from the overpriced stodge we are often served in the motorway services.
Well done to all concerned.
As to the actual showing, we had a reasonable day. Spencer was again Best Veteran in Show. His younger half brother, Pyatshaw Murphy's Law,now also a veteran and belonging to Sue Gray, (Gennasus), has also been winning a few such awards, so "LOOK OUT, Spencer". His father, Northlyte Adonis Blue was also a specialist in the veteran classes so if you're looking for a good veteran...............
Mo again had a first in Open dog and Swallow had a third in the graduate class.
That will be my last outing with the dogs for a few weeks as I will shortly be taking off (literally) for the far south, near Windsor, to be more precise, where my sixth grandchild is expected very soon.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Walks around our village of Abernethy.
We are lucky living here in that we have a variety of types of walk, with our varied landscape around the village. To the south we have the glen and the Law and to the north we have the flat strath land of the rivers Earn and Tay. The following photographs show something of the walk up the steep Law. I had put off climbing up (thinking too much of my age) but was spurred on by one of my doggy visitors doing so before me! Once I got going it wasn't too bad and the views from the top were well worth the effort. I followed a narrow path from near the summit and it led to the forest track where the aroma from the firs and larches was intoxicating and it was so silent: not another person to be seen and only occasionally the sound of some animal, probably a deer, making off through the trees, or a bird taking flight.
I returned on the following 3 days but then discovered that the area was actually infested with ticks, judging by the amount of "livestock" I found on the dogs as I bathed them for a show. I haven't been back since then. I'll wait till we've had a few hard frosts then try again.
I returned on the following 3 days but then discovered that the area was actually infested with ticks, judging by the amount of "livestock" I found on the dogs as I bathed them for a show. I haven't been back since then. I'll wait till we've had a few hard frosts then try again.
Abernethy and Castle Law
This photo by kind permission of Alastair MuirheadCastle Law is back right.
Mo. (P. Ravel) aged 2. Best of Breed at Kirkcaldy, May 2008
another 2 photos from the lost disc!both by Sue Gray.
Tass' pups.
The missing photos have come to light at last. I thought I must have deleted them by mistake but found them on another disc! They show the difference in size between the pups.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
At Last..to Tass, a litter!
Tass (Pyatshaw Silver Tassie) produced a litter of 3 puppies, 2 dogs,1 bitch, on 19/06/08. The sire is Mo (Pyatshaw Ravel). They were small, weighing 3ozs, and 2 @ 1 1/2 ozs. Sadly the tiny bitch survived only 2 days. Little George (3ozs) and midget Geoff battled on and began to thrive, although Geoff was much, much smaller than his brother.
This was to be Tass' last attempt to produce a litter. At first we could not get her mated, then she didn't "take" and then she lost 2 litters, the puppies being minute and she showed no interest in them whatsoever. This time her interest grew after an initial disinterest, but she attended to the front end only of the puppies. I think she would have preferred to hire a nanny, if she could managed it.
Little Geoff is now living the life of Reilly with a lady who had lost her papillon earlier in the year after having him for 14 years.
George, whom I intended renaming but never got round to it, is now at the "electric shock" state with lots of long fluffy hair sticking up everywhere, but he is cute.
This was to be Tass' last attempt to produce a litter. At first we could not get her mated, then she didn't "take" and then she lost 2 litters, the puppies being minute and she showed no interest in them whatsoever. This time her interest grew after an initial disinterest, but she attended to the front end only of the puppies. I think she would have preferred to hire a nanny, if she could managed it.
Little Geoff is now living the life of Reilly with a lady who had lost her papillon earlier in the year after having him for 14 years.
George, whom I intended renaming but never got round to it, is now at the "electric shock" state with lots of long fluffy hair sticking up everywhere, but he is cute.
George's First Triumph.
In his very first competition, our local Ringcraft Match Night, George won Best Baby Puppy. Will future competition be as successful?
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
...of rats, ropes and tin tubs.....
Schoolchildren in the village are on holiday. How do we know? We were told! Hardly a child to be seen outside! What do they do? Don't they play outside anymore? When we were at school we couldn't wait for the holidays to be outside roaming around doing things......no computers, no television even, in my primary schooldays.
When I went to work in the 90s in a big government office in Edinburgh my workmates were mainly in the 20-30 year old age group. They said that vandalism was caused by not enough for youngsters to do.........what!........there are playparks, playschemes, cinemas, icerinks...the list goes on. We made our own entertainment back in the 40s and 50s.
I suppose we were lucky in that we had the farm and fields to play in, plus dogs, cats and a pony. Usually, in those days there were children from the ploughmen's cottages as well. We played hide and seek, chasing, kick the can, football, cricket (Gyp, the collie was an excellent wicket keeper) and other recognizeable games.
For a time, every night after dark, we would all creep down to the barn and up the stairs to where the grain was stored in huge piles on the floor, each of us armed with a huge stick. One person had been appointed to switch on the light and we would rush about chasing the rats which had assembled for a feast. I was terrified of the beasts (and still am) but I couldn't lose face in front of the younger children.
Climbing along the rafters in the sheds was another favourite as was making gang huts, and swinging over the burn.Sitting on a huge knot on the end of a long piece of rope tied to the branch of an overhanginging tree, provided endless fun.
In the summer we would go "dooking" in the loch, (we lived on the banks of Loch Leven in Kinross-shire) clad in our vest and pants, always ending up covered in midge bites.
Once I suggested to my brothers that we should try sailing on the loch in a big tin bath we had found. A trial followed with one of the dogs as crew. A long piece of rope was attached to the handle at one end and we walked along the stone pier pulling the "craft". It was a very short maiden voyage as the dog didn't fancy the experience and deserted the tub. Ross was then volunteered as the sailor but didn't last long either as the tin bath was flat bottomed, and very narrow and tipped over just as Jack and I had managed to pull it to the deeper water at the end of the pier. We were in trouble as we were supposed to be at Sunday School but had decided to opt out that day.
Home was a huge , very old, three storey farmhouse (I thought all my friends lived in similar houses), with a fairly long driveway covered with some sort of fine, red ash. This was regularly ploughed by us with a long forked branch resembling (roughly) the real thing, pulled by Beauty, the Shetland-cross pony. We had no harness but we improvised with sacks and pieces of rope.
We played "horses" most days and I have spent hours tied to a post while my brother went into the house for meals or hammered at my feet, playing the blacksmith. I took the part very seriously!
.......................I still haven't seen a child in the street!
When I went to work in the 90s in a big government office in Edinburgh my workmates were mainly in the 20-30 year old age group. They said that vandalism was caused by not enough for youngsters to do.........what!........there are playparks, playschemes, cinemas, icerinks...the list goes on. We made our own entertainment back in the 40s and 50s.
I suppose we were lucky in that we had the farm and fields to play in, plus dogs, cats and a pony. Usually, in those days there were children from the ploughmen's cottages as well. We played hide and seek, chasing, kick the can, football, cricket (Gyp, the collie was an excellent wicket keeper) and other recognizeable games.
For a time, every night after dark, we would all creep down to the barn and up the stairs to where the grain was stored in huge piles on the floor, each of us armed with a huge stick. One person had been appointed to switch on the light and we would rush about chasing the rats which had assembled for a feast. I was terrified of the beasts (and still am) but I couldn't lose face in front of the younger children.
Climbing along the rafters in the sheds was another favourite as was making gang huts, and swinging over the burn.Sitting on a huge knot on the end of a long piece of rope tied to the branch of an overhanginging tree, provided endless fun.
In the summer we would go "dooking" in the loch, (we lived on the banks of Loch Leven in Kinross-shire) clad in our vest and pants, always ending up covered in midge bites.
Once I suggested to my brothers that we should try sailing on the loch in a big tin bath we had found. A trial followed with one of the dogs as crew. A long piece of rope was attached to the handle at one end and we walked along the stone pier pulling the "craft". It was a very short maiden voyage as the dog didn't fancy the experience and deserted the tub. Ross was then volunteered as the sailor but didn't last long either as the tin bath was flat bottomed, and very narrow and tipped over just as Jack and I had managed to pull it to the deeper water at the end of the pier. We were in trouble as we were supposed to be at Sunday School but had decided to opt out that day.
Home was a huge , very old, three storey farmhouse (I thought all my friends lived in similar houses), with a fairly long driveway covered with some sort of fine, red ash. This was regularly ploughed by us with a long forked branch resembling (roughly) the real thing, pulled by Beauty, the Shetland-cross pony. We had no harness but we improvised with sacks and pieces of rope.
We played "horses" most days and I have spent hours tied to a post while my brother went into the house for meals or hammered at my feet, playing the blacksmith. I took the part very seriously!
.......................I still haven't seen a child in the street!
Monday, 6 October 2008
Meerwings The Swallow Tale by Pyatshaw (Swallow)
Swallow (Ch. Martika What's The Story x Meerwings Painted Lady) was born on 25/04/07.
I bought her from Mrs. Carole Paul (Meerwings) and have had quite a bit of success with her in the show ring. Her greatest achievement to date must have been Best Pup in Breed at WELKS earlier this year.
She is an extremely "vocal" little dog.
I bought her from Mrs. Carole Paul (Meerwings) and have had quite a bit of success with her in the show ring. Her greatest achievement to date must have been Best Pup in Breed at WELKS earlier this year.
She is an extremely "vocal" little dog.
Pyatshaw Ravel (Mo)
Mo (Amicae Hide and Seek x Pyatshaw Nessun Dorma), a tri colour, was born 8/6/06.
He grew to eleven inches and was shown very little as a Minor puppy as he was like a giant among so many tinies. However, I took him to a championship show just before his first birthday and, to my astonishment, he came first in his class. He has accrued several more first placings, but some judges prefer the smaller types and he has been "binned" a few times! Even although tall, he is fine boned with a wealth of silky coat, which has proved to be a bit of a nuisance at times as he has had to be rescued from a low growing hawthorn branch and untangled several times from a mass of bramble strands, acquired on our walks up the glen.
Lively and happy,Mo likes to think of himself as a bit of a ladies' man!
He grew to eleven inches and was shown very little as a Minor puppy as he was like a giant among so many tinies. However, I took him to a championship show just before his first birthday and, to my astonishment, he came first in his class. He has accrued several more first placings, but some judges prefer the smaller types and he has been "binned" a few times! Even although tall, he is fine boned with a wealth of silky coat, which has proved to be a bit of a nuisance at times as he has had to be rescued from a low growing hawthorn branch and untangled several times from a mass of bramble strands, acquired on our walks up the glen.
Lively and happy,Mo likes to think of himself as a bit of a ladies' man!
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Ch. Pyatshaw Silver Tassie (Tass)
Tass was a single puppy in the last litter, born 31/08/02, to my bitch Sparky (Noljo Zodiac) by Penang Tycoon at Shevid. As soon as she was running around she was up to mischief. one of her favourite tricks being to scramble underneath low objects e.g. the writing bureau , then kick up a fuss because she was stuck . She would also chew on anything wooden and completely demolished a kitchen stool! Another trick was to stuff rubber balls underneath the video cabinet.
Never the easiest puppy to show she continued to caper around in the ring until she was almost 5 years old. I never saw any other exhibit in her classes as I was kept busy trying to control her. That said, she has the best of natures and loved showing.
She won her 1st CC, BOB and Group 4 in Belfast in 2004 , but 2006 was her best year, winning another 3 CCs and 3 RCCs.
Her 3rd CC was won at Darlington Championship show in 2006 under Stuart Mallard, giving her the title of Champion.
She then retired from the ring and gave motherhood a go, but more of that later!
Never the easiest puppy to show she continued to caper around in the ring until she was almost 5 years old. I never saw any other exhibit in her classes as I was kept busy trying to control her. That said, she has the best of natures and loved showing.
She won her 1st CC, BOB and Group 4 in Belfast in 2004 , but 2006 was her best year, winning another 3 CCs and 3 RCCs.
Her 3rd CC was won at Darlington Championship show in 2006 under Stuart Mallard, giving her the title of Champion.
She then retired from the ring and gave motherhood a go, but more of that later!
Friday, 3 October 2008
Pyatshaw White Heat
Pyatshaw White Heat (Spencer) was from the first litter I ever bred, born 20th November 1997.
(Northlyte Adonis Blue x Noljo Zodiac)
He was a natural show dog from the outset and has never changed, always keen to accompany me to shows and is still doing well at almost 11 years, with many Best Veteran in Show awards.
To his credit he has 1 CC with a BOB and 2 RCCs.
(Northlyte Adonis Blue x Noljo Zodiac)
He was a natural show dog from the outset and has never changed, always keen to accompany me to shows and is still doing well at almost 11 years, with many Best Veteran in Show awards.
To his credit he has 1 CC with a BOB and 2 RCCs.
Pyatshaw White Heat aka Spencer
Spencer winning BVIS at Highland Open Show at Dingwall (both photos by Sue Gray)
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Compare today's style.
I found these two old photographs whilst rummaging (my photos are not exactly carefully catalogued) for more dog pictures.
This first one shows my parents, two brothers and me on a rare outing to the beach. We all wore our "Sunday Best", as we always did whenever we went away from the farm. My father wore his best brown boots, mother , as usual, wore her hat, set at a jaunty angle, Ross wore his little dressed,brown Harris tweed suit, complete with tie and tie pin, toddler Jack sported a pair of hand knitted socks and as usual I was dressed in a homemade pleated skirt. In all, a perfect package for a Scottish summer, beach picnic.
This first one shows my parents, two brothers and me on a rare outing to the beach. We all wore our "Sunday Best", as we always did whenever we went away from the farm. My father wore his best brown boots, mother , as usual, wore her hat, set at a jaunty angle, Ross wore his little dressed,brown Harris tweed suit, complete with tie and tie pin, toddler Jack sported a pair of hand knitted socks and as usual I was dressed in a homemade pleated skirt. In all, a perfect package for a Scottish summer, beach picnic.
Swimming attire 1940s style.
This was an outing with my aunt , cousin Ann, big brother Ross and wee brother Jack. Jack and I each wore a huge pair of navy knickers, Ross had something more like a swimsuit and I was rather jealous of Ann's rather smart elasticated, crimpy effort. Later I graduated to wearing a vest with the knickers to be more modest.
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