The things I see when walking the dogs!

A couple of minutes after leaving the house with three of the dogs and as I was approaching the main road out of the village two young men, one carrying what appeared to be a tray covered by a jacket, crossed the bottom of the road I was on and ran along the pavement from the direction of the newsagent. I did wonder why they were running and turning round to look back in my direction. Were they workmen, sent by their colleagues, to buy some hot food for lunch and they didn't want it to get cold?....No, no hot food available in either of the shops. Could that tray have been the money drawer from the newsagent's till and they were thieves? I kept watching them and they me, then they turned into a street and were hidden by a high wall. A car reversed out and then went back in then almost immediately drove out and sped off out of the village. I know that the newsagent is a frail, elderly lady and looked towards her shop but there was no sign of any activity around the door, so I continued my walk.
Coming back I saw a police car and decided to pass the shop door round the corner. The place was awash with the constabulary so I offered my information. The money drawer had been taken from the shop but the old lady, although understandably shaken, was unhurt.
A policeman came to the house for my statement of events and there were the usual questions eg...name, address, date of birth and mother's maiden name before he started on my story. Any outstanding features? No....why don't thieves have huge heads with one eye on the back and three legs? Height?...not very tall, not very small, just average! What colour was the car? that was easy but what make?...more difficult for me. Did it have anything unusual about its wheel trims? Well from a distance of 200 yards and my not too sharp eyesight nowadays I couldn't say.
I hope they manage to catch them after traumatising the old lady--I don't suppose they could have made off with much money but then again she did stock cigarettes and they are extremely pricey and someone not too far from me is a regular shopper for that commodity along with many other villagers.

Scottish Open Show Dog of the Year 2010

No, we didn't win, BUT, we came second! The Scottish Kennel Club organises a competition to encourage people to enter the Open shows and points are awarded for 1st to 3rd in every class entered, for Group placings and, of course for Best in Show.
Mo had won quite a few Best of Breed awards in 2o10 so I totted up his points and sent off his form. A short time later we received a letter inviting us to the competition at the beginning of February. It took the form of a knock-out match, so, of course, there was an element of luck involved.
The winner was the massive, magnificent, black Newfoundland, Ch. Scotiabear Talk of the Town at Rathmil and Reserve Best in Match was my Mo,Pyatshaw Ravel, pictured in the header photo.