Happy New Year

It's New Years eve day here in the UK. So to everyone a Happy New year for tomorrow.
The weather is on target to be wet, windy and cold with the possibility of snow by Friday. In Scotland they celebrate New Year with a serious intent.

For all the people caught by the snow and freezing weather in the USA I hope that you were able to have a good Christmas. In Cambridge, in the UK, part of a village was hit by a tornado which caused some damage, nothing like the ones in America which cause so much damage and hardship.

OK New Years resolutions. Remember my last post, you need to plan how you will succeed and change habits and behaviours to bring about that success. After all doing the same things you have been doing in 2007 will bring you the same results you have at present. There's no point in blaming the credit card company for getting you in debt over Christmas. You used the card and purchased things. Be grateful for what you brought and work out a plan on how to pay off the debt. Maybe stop using the card. Cut it up. Pay more than the minimum,but do something different to what you have been doing and change will occur. If you have more than one card then try paying more off the card with the least amount first. Then when that card is paid off you will have more to pay off the next one. It wont happen overnight but it will slowly get better,just press on and go for it. It's not always the fastest that wins the race.

The stitches are out of my ear now and it feels great. My diet is going well and I have no dog breath, although I still suffer a little from wind. Boss reckons that we are saving over tinned foods by about 60% so he is happy and so am I because the meat and veg I am getting tastes better. I will let you know in 2008 where we got the information from and also the sources the bosses use to train me and keep me well behaved.

Boss is in work this morning to start on another maintenance project. I think he is raising the height of a complete sink unit and work surface to stop people getting backache. Boss has been busy around the house taking down a breakfast bar and changing lights and putting a new roller blind in one of the bedrooms.

Gardening has almost stopped with just keeping the beds clean and tidy the order of the day. The compost heaps have been turned again and one is looking good for the spring. D sits in the summer house most days and puts down crumbs for the blackbirds and robin. The blackbirds will coming into the summer house and peck up crumbs from the door mat. The robin has on two occasions stood on the table whilst D has been doing the crossword, waiting to be feed.

A long blog today but it's the end of the year. I wish you peace and happiness in 2008 and may the warmth of the sun be on your back.

Boxing Day was good too

I hope you had a good Boxing day. The family love it with all the cold meats from Christmas day and pickles and chutneys. I love it because I get scraps. Now some people think that you should not feed dogs scraps from the table. Before commercial pet food that's what most people did. Dogs got bones to chew and left overs from the table or plates. Dogs were leaner, healthy and did not suffer from so many diseases.

Back to work for the boss today. He is busy sorting out all sorts of maintenance projects over the coming week. D took me out over Christmas which was enjoyable. Christmas day seemed like any other day from a traffic point of view and yesterday the boss thought that the main A road was as busy as a normal work day.

New Year is fast approaching and many people make resolutions that they have no hope of keeping. The problem with New Years resolutions is that they are either to big or said with no plan of commitment. Look loosing 20lbs or 10Kgs is easy to say, but without a plan and commitment - forget it. It's doomed to fail. Plan how to loose the weight and over what period and how are you going to check and modify your habits and behaviour to succeed. Yes habits and behaviour - how did you gain the extra weight? Dogs don't eat for comfort we eat to live and survive and to be able to live our life with purpose. Remember those scraps from the table, often out only source of food other than that we hunted or scavenged else where. We were not feed food from out of a tin that contains additives and preservatives.

Humans have a saying " having no plan to succeed is a plan for failure. If your New Year's resolution is to get out of debt then plan how and impliment it. Just one little change in habit or behaviour can make a big change to your debt or for that matter the weight you loose.

Have a Happy New Year and may your plan succeed as only you can make it- none else.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone, every where. No matter your belief or religion celebrate the opportunity to feel happy and loving towards the world. Us dogs and boxer in particular are fully aware that this is an emotional time for many humans. Us too.

All of my friends in the US I hope that the snow has not caused too many problems and that you are safe and well. The screens of Yule tide we see in the UK show that you can sure decorate and celebrate. So enjoy and be happy and say hi to a neighbour. Take a moment to remember all those less fortunate than us and look at all you have and be thankful even if it's only a bowl of soup someone in the world will not be eating on this day.

To my friends in the rest of the world thank you for reading and giving me your thoughts on my comments on life from a boxer dogs view point.

My ear is now fully healed, although a little ragged. The mulled wine is warming and starting to fill the downstairs with a wonderful smell of spices. The boss does it every year as it reminds him of when he was young and his family had very little, yet at Christmas his parents always managed to make some mulled wine.

Light a candle some time today for those who no longer are with you for Christmas. Take care to only do it whilst you are there to watch it and put it into a holder to collect the hot wax. We don't want and accidents or fires to happen.

The weather here is odd. It's raining very hard and I got very wet this morning. I was hoping for a clear bright day with a frost to make it a white Christmas. Oh well better than the horrible fog we have had lately

I wish you all the best today and may you find peace amongst the mayhem and enjoy the day. See you tomorrow

What a week that was

Tuesday was not much better than Monday. The weather all these week has been either wet or very cold. We have has freezing fog on my walk in the morning to crisp mornings that make it difficult to answer a call of nature. Boss thought it was that cold that he saw two lumps under my ears; whatever that means.

The Christmas feeling is now with the family. More food has been added to the box in the back room, which has now acquired some seasonal paper around it.

Boss(he) is making Christmas cards. No his not tight, just likes the idea of doing something special for everyone. All the presents have finally been brought and on Sunday eldest son is on the way home. As I have indicated this is good fun because I can wind him up by standing at his door and he goes ballistic in case I walk over his black carpet. What he doesn't know is I go in the room anyway.

Saturday was grey and cold and boss took off a radiator that was not getting hot and back flushed it several times and then put it back in the system. Then we had some interesting problems which was the result of the pump being put in upside down. Boss thought that a mark in the body indicated the flow when in actual fact the mark was on the other side. Personally, I think he needs his eye sight tested for closeup work.
Replaced pump the correct way and low and behold system is working fine all the radiators are hot even the ones at the back of the house. Interestingly the one in the hall is the only one that is warm.

Sunday and the rads downstairs are luke warm and upstairs fine. Much mattering and other verbalising before boss goes out with D to get both lots of shopping.
Afternoon is spent trying to sort out the rads. The one in the hall is blisteringly hot as are the ones up stairs, whilst the ones down stairs are just getting warm. Pump working, valve working. A blockage perhaps? Seems part of the problem is the thermostatic valve sticking or getting blocked. At least upstairs is warm.

Out with boss for a walk this afternoon and not a sole about and the sun was shining too.Back home and the central heating is no better. Boss is now a little peeved to say the least as he has spent the last two weekends on replacing bits. Now thinking that there is a possible block or trapped air holding off the flow on the return side.

Have a good week and may the sun shine and your heating work.

Ear today a bit less tomorrow.

Well been to the vet and the end of my ear has gone, no longer there just a ragged end.
What a week with all the rain and towards the end of the week some awful high winds too.Christmas is definitely on the way. Decorations are now up the tree is decorated and the lights are switched on occasionally. Food is being prepared and frozen and a box full of goodies is at last in the back room. Only 15 days to go so lets take the time to enjoy and spread a bit of cheer.

Saturday was a busy day with everyone whizzing around getting presents and bits for the car. Number one tease will be home next week from Uni so I can annoy by standing at his door and threatening to walk over his black carpet. he he.

Sunday was cold and wet with gusting winds at times. Made it difficult to stand on three legs whilst answering a call of nature. Boss(he) drained down the heating system and put in a new ball cock and valve on the header tank and then a new pump in the central heating system. Deep joy and some swearing seemed to help loosen nuts and by the afternoon it was all up a running again. Late afternoon we all sat in D's Summer house and they all had a glass of wine and talked about boss's childhood days living in the outskirts of London. He recalled his Dad working underground for Plessy during the war and the people killed on the metal bridge crossing the main line when an enemy fighter plane strafed it.

Monday, this morning, was wet and cold with a blustery wind which made it feel colder than it was. Doubt I will go out during the day even if the weather improves a s D&M has lost their nerve taking me out after the ear biting incident.
May your day be good and your dreams become reality not your nightmares.

Christmas is coming

Thursday was an odd day weather wise. Rain and more rain then some sunny spells. not enough to encourage D&M to take me out though.

Friday was a bright sunny day, although there was a chill in the wind. Again no walk during the day. Since my ear was torn by that mutt D&M have not taken me out. Seems they have lost their confidence. It was not their fault the dog attacked me. Avoidable perhaps but one of those incidents that happens.

I see that there is a great deal of news focused on a white 50 year old teacher from England who ask her class, in the Sudan, what to name a cuddly toy. Having giving the toy a name used by Muslims for their boys, a member of the school staff made a complaint. Extremists then took over and yet again non Muslims are shown the total inflexibility of a religion that has as it's foundation similar beliefs to all other religions. All religions have common ground, the way the principles of those religions manipulate it is the cause of so much that is wrong in the world at present. What I find, as a dog, so amazing is that humans are unable to see through this pretense.

Saturday and the weather consists of a fine rain, more like mist. D has called and is going to take me down to the pond and back. Hurray, I do like my walk with D, if only because at his age I think the exercise does him as much good as me. Bosses went into the town for a short time to have a look at possible present ideas for the family. As the afternoon was sunny and dry work in the garden and cutting and trimming before the winter sets in.

Sunday was wet, but D still took me for a walk to deliver the papers. One of those days where the weather "stops play" in the garden or any where else. Boss(he) put nan's number plate up after much faffing about trying to use existing holes and plugs; made a 5 minute job into a major task.
My ear is healing and according to the boss(he) I am a true boxer as they often have cauliflower ears. Laugh a minute sometime, he is. Next Tuesday I have to have the stitches taken out.Can't say I am overjoyed at that prospect.

Monday sees much activity to release the teacher I spoke about earlier. Perhaps, some sense will prevail as for many people this it just another example of extremism from a religious group.

Well December is with us and the count down to Christmas begins. Amongst all the waste that this will produce as people buy to excess it would be useful to spend a moment on what it is we are celebrating. Is it the birth of Jesus or the pursuit of excess. Yesterday on the BBC web site I noticed an article that indicates that a vast fortune is spent on presents that are not wanted. How many females still get underwear in colours and shapes that they will never wear? How many pairs of socks go to the back of the draw? EBay does good business after Christmas when all those unwanted presents are sold on.

Web site is all but ready to go live. Looking for a good reliable hosting that does not cost a fortune and offers certain facilities. Any opinions on that one?

Tuesday is here already and it was chilly this morning but the rain is holding off; but for how long? Must go as I need to have some R & R before my visit to the vet. See you, take care and be happy.

Midweek and where has the sun gone

Wednesday was not my best day. My ear was giving me some pain and even worse I was not eating. I got boss(he) to help a little with the web site to keep it on schedule for completion this weekend.

The Skyline R32 GTR has gone. All 416 BHP now belongs to someone else, boss was a little sad but the guy that brought it looks to be a the sort to get it back on the road and give it lots of TLC.

I think the boss(he) is suffering from pre-Christmas tension at the moment trying to organise presents and the like and get everything sorted for the family. Nan is away for a couple of days so the new number plate in black slate, very tasteful, will be screwed to the wall as a surprise.

I am hopeful that this wet and cold weather will make way for some sunny and cold weather. I love the blue sky and the way the sun makes for contrasting colours with it being so low in the sky.

Have a good day and remember you have the choice be miserable or be happy. Blaming others is just that it's your choice so choose for happiness.

Interesting start to the week

Monday was "just another day" as the Beatles sang. Weather has turned very Novemberish with damp roads and some fog patches. According to the boss(he) the grey and silver car brigade insist on driving without dipped headlight in poor visibility for some strange reason?

Tuesday same weather early on then it brightened with some sunny periods. Went out with D&M for a walk and whilst out along came another little dog laid down ready to spring up and have a play and it bit my ear and would not let go. Blood everywhere and another visit to the vet, ear was trimmed, more jabs and back home having been given a very mild sedative. Back legs seem to have a mind of their own and I feel so tired. Would not have minded but the mutt was only a little thing, seems that I have had more trouble with little dogs having a go at me than any other size. Hm must be a reason. best take a little more care when little dogs approach from now one. Check the vibes before making a decision on whether to play or not.

Looks like the car will go today. Boss(he) has had a hard time keeping focused as on Sunday another tire kicker phoned and had a look. Turns out the original person is going to buy and was having problems with selling his car to finance buying this one. It will be sad to see it go; as a fox would sometimes sit under it in the morning and I would chase it off. Still it's better to go to someone who will get it back on the road and give it plenty of TLC.

Just a note that I will not promote any sites on my blog that just leave me promotion chatter,reciprocation is the name of the game, I like my back to be scratched so you do the same or don't bother with your promo comments. Grrrr.

Web site should be up by the weekend, a little delayed with my two visits to the vets. I will keep you posted.
Enjoy the sun and let it shine in your heart.

Happy Thanks Giving

To everyone a Happy Thanks Giving. My American relations take time out to meet with friends and family and partake of a meal and other good things to celebrate. I think it sets the mood for the festive season culminating in Christmas. In the UK we celebrate the harvest with a thanks giving too, but not in the same manner as our friends across the pond.

What a week of changeable weather out with the boss in the mornings and not certain if it was going to be wet or very cold. Still it's November so should expect some changes to the weather, particularly getting colder.

D took me out on Saturday, only one jogger and very little else. The sky was filled with fast moving clouds but we got back without getting wet. Bosses went into town after dropping youngest son and girlfriend at the station. Boss(he)sorted out the pelmet lights in the kitchen and the day looked to be one with achievements.

Sunday out with D and boy was it cold. Flushed a heron by the pond; his feet must get cold standing in the water. Saw Buster, he is very busy at the moment with all the security problems and looked to have lost some weight. Talking of which my diet is going well and I am a leaner, meaner boxer dog. More info on my web site.

Much collecting of leaves and some tidying of the garden, sunny and quite mild considering the morning was cold.

I see the BBC web site has a section explaining the sub mortgage problems in the US. The only problem is that some people have made a lot of money and caused hardship to many, not to mention that people are now homeless. The net result it not contained in the US, but has rippled across to the UK and beyond. Tighter regulations and less small print could have prevented it. But, then there would have been less money for a few to get at the expense of so many. In this country there are still ads on certain TV channels encouraging you to get into debt by consolidating your existing debt into "one easy payment". It is still a debt and if it's tied to your house it has the potential to create more problems.

Smoking is bad for your health and advertising has been banned. Lets do the same for debt and credit cards there are just as bad for peoples health if not more due to the stress debt causes. Of course people should not get into debt, but buying a home or car is a debt and we all need them.

Have a good week and may the sun shine and light you world.

Where has the sun gone?

Out with the boss on Monday, early and although it had been raining it was dry and the sky was becoming clear with a multitude of stars showing. Rather uneventful walk as we saw nothing and no body. The clear sky does mean that it is getting cold. Only one thing for it. Back home and under the covers until breakfast time.

Boy was the afternoon bad. The rain was persistent and heavy at times and kept everyone inside. Not only was it wet but cold as well. Not good for a Boxer dog as me joints suffer a bit in this weather. I was inside keeping guard, whilst M watched the TV with her eyes closed and snored. D came in from the summer house to tell M that a fox cub had walked across the decking in front of the summer house and carried on up the garden before jumping into next door's garden.

Tuesday it had rained in the night but again was clearing as we went for a walk. My fox friend came with us part of the way. Cheeky, walked only a few feet behind us until we hit the clearing then was gone. The temperature is about 7 degrees and it feels colder. Out and back at a brisk pace and then under the covers to get warm and await breakfast.

Boss took the computer to a friend to have the hard drive checked as he thought it was on the way out. Brought PC back with a new hard drive and a hope that the data can be recovered from the old drive. Both he and his friend are thinking that it might be due to the drive being in upside down, as his friend sees a lot of drive failures with this location problem. Any thoughts out there?

Lets ensure that our week is not a grey as the weather by changing our view point. That way the pillock who just changed direction without signalling and without any lights on in poor visibility, may have something on his mind other than other motorist!

Mainly wet weekend

Saturday and D will come and take me for a walk later as it is raining hard, blast the weather. 10 o'clock and the rain has eased so out for a walk. Very little to report only one jogger and he did not look happy. Strange, most joggers never look happy!

Not much going on today. Boss(he) is at D&M stripping off old wall paper and peeling paint as he is unable to do any outside painting; due to the rain. Went to see how boss(he) was doing. Looks like the finish plaster has come off in one place partly due to the leaking roof and partly because the scratch coat hardly had and scratches to help the finish coat bond to it. He will need to take down the plaster ceiling and look at the state of the joists and put in a proper lead flashing on the outside, cut into the wall.

I am back to normal now and my diet has been given the OK by the vet who reckoned that for a 9 year old I was in very good condition and as strong as they come. My new web site is coming along and will be ready soon; more information to follow.

Sunday and it's dry but very cloudy with fast moving grey clouds every where. Again nothing of interest, not even a jogger today. Deliver papers and have walk without getting wet. Boss(he) is off to do some recreational painting today. A vase of flowers I think.

Rain by mid day and it has got cold again. No gardening today as it is too wet. I like the sunny cold days by dislike these wet and cold ones as the cold seems to get right into the bones.

Christmas is not far off now and no doubt my relatives in the USA are starting to prepare for it. They always seem to have a more community spirit to Christmas than here in the UK, where everyone has their own somewhat private celebrations. It will be interesting to see how the market responds to what should be a lean time as the interest rate and leveling house prices start to hit the pockets of consumers.
See you soon take care and may the sun shine on you for a while.

Another week is all but done

Thursday was very cold in the morning with a heavy frost that took the sun some time to melt. What a glorious sunny day with birds busy feeding and the leaves falling from the trees like confetti. Blue skies with the occasional white wispy cloud. A day to be glad to be alive and in the now. Still feel a little off colour, although my appetite is back but I have only a restricted amount to eat until the weekend.

My apologies to the pigs of the world. It would appear that my reference to being a pig had offended. As a creation of the world I have no problem with pigs and my colloquialism was not meant to offend my pig readers.

Friday was very cold again and today the sun did not burn off the frost in areas of shade. The Blue Tits were very busy in the trees and Robins had a good time searching for food amongst the fallen leaves.

Seems this week has not been good from a techie point of view as the main family computer has gone on the blink.Dad is doing his usual and will at least get it back and running to backup to another drive. Technology is a wonderful thing, yet humans are always at it's mercy. Take cars they are more and more reliant on computers to control the braking, traction control etc. Yet on little thing can immobilise them. Lifting up the bonnet is no longer of any use. The boss remembers when he used to build engines and gearboxes for his custom cars. He does admit is was in the 70's.

Well lets hope the weather stays sunny for the weekend. Talk tomorrow.

Another week is flying by

Boy, what a week. After my little episode on Monday evening down the vet and completely loosing the plot and the will to stay upright. Tuesday was a mix of gaining some sort of reality to this world and plenty of sleep. Food was just starting to become an interest in my life. Boy I must have been bad to not think about scoff.
Funny, or not, but life often gives at a jolt when we are not being what we ought to be. What was I doing, begging for treats and make a pig of myself. When I should have been doing what I am good at - being a boxer dog.The treats would have come anyway, although not so many and been better for me.

Lesson to be learnt? When you put more effort into doing and not into being life gives you a jolt to reset your bearing and be more and do less. Humans have the same problem. Take my family, they are always working hard and long hours for less. He works long hours and earns money so he pays more tax. She works hard and appears to get no where in terms of reward or acknowledgement. The end result is that resentment creeps in and blinds them to the fact that doing less will produce more.

Now most humans are told to work hard and be honest and punctual and you will succeed. Whilst these attributes are creditable they do not take account of the BIG picture. All this talk is about separateness, all individuals striving to have a better life, job, car, holiday, house etc. Yet humans are not separate, if they were the vast majority would not be experiencing the same things, in varying degrees.
Recent surveys have found that over 78% of people are not happy in their job and a similar percentage find the job they do stressful!

The dollar is now trading at just over 2 to the pound. What does that REALLY mean. Nothing because there is not enough gold in reserves or on deposit to cover all the "money" in circulation. I have spoken about this before and the "feeling" attached to money that gives this false sense of security. The value of gold rises to attempt to cover for the credit. Copper is now more expensive to buy yet in the UK we are building no more houses than normal. Why has copper become a "hot" trade. What do you think?

As a dog and in some ways more able to see the whole facade of "human life" my observations lead me to conclude that humans have lost their way and instead of trying to find the way back delude themselves through the pursuit of money and material things as the way.

Enough of humans things the days have been cold with some rain and some sun. Life in the garden is one of storing for the Winter and readying for Spring. Last evening I came upon a young fox in the garden who was off like a shot and on the bosses shed. Well I had to start barking as the shed roof is getting old and not able to take the weight any more. D came out with his flash light and the fox was off the shed and into our neighbours garden without a goodbye. Today, Thursday it is very chilly at minus 3 and my coat seems to be rather thin so I am home to get into bed. Looks like it could be a wonderful sunny day. See you again.

Where did the rest of the week go?

After Einstein and all the weather changes from wet to very cold yesterday (Monday) where did the week go?

Last Thursday was uneventful,although the weather was fair with some sunshine and activity in the garden. Birds busy at the feeders or grubbing about on the ground. D still breaks up biscuit for the birds in the summer house and the Robin and blackbird still come in to peck it up.

Friday was much the same although there was more sun around and on our walk in the morning we had a fox a company for a while. Blue tits and goldfinches are busy in the silver birch and at the feeders with the finches liking the Niger seeds.Went for a walk with D in the afternoon but no one about. Must be the time of year as I have not seen Buster or No Brain for a while now.

Saturday out with D to deliver the papers and some medication for one of our friends. The leaves have now started to fall very quickly and trees are now like skeletons, although some are still showing some wonderful colours in the leaves. The boss(he) wants to go to see the fall in the USA before he dies and looking at some of the pictures on his screen saver I can see why. Some activity in the garden with racking of leaves and the turning of the compost heaps to aid the process. Boss(he) was ill later in the afternoon; just before it got dark. Must have been some virus as he was in the small room quite often all evening and was in bed early. Mum had a bonfire to get rid of the last of the wood debris. The ash will be used around the garden and put into a heap in one corner to suppress the weed growth there.

Sunday, was mostly wet and someone came around to look at the car, but they all never make up their mind there and then. I had a bit of an odd day as D and I got wet on our walk and I was bit off the food; unusual for me I know. Because the weather was damp it was day around the house with a lot of pottering; not the Harry type. Boss(he) was feeling better, although still a bit groggy on the pins and feeling light headed. All in all a day more for being than doing. Nice for me as it meant I could relax and look into D's eye with my big brown eyes and get treats.

Monday. Oh boy I wish I had not eaten so many treats as I feel bad. I can just about make the effort to drink some water and can't eat a thing. Boss(he) is off work today as he still is not 100%. So by mid-day we go for a long walk in the sun which is nice. There was a heavy frost this morning and in the hedge row there is still some frost where the sun had not reached. Back home and drink of water, but no food. Feel awful and my belly is making some odd noises. Mostly sleep until everyone else gets in. Boss(she) is quite worried about me and just before 7 o'clock the boss takes me to the vet. That visit was not enjoyable had two injection and now I am home and have lost the plot completely as well as control of by back legs. Seems the vet gave me a mild sedative to quieten my stomach and that's it I am out for the count. Bliss.

Wednesday already

Mixed weather so far this week, although mostly sunny with a chill to the wind this morning. Not a lot going on this morning, only one fox as a companion for a while before they were off to look for some food.

Lot of negativity in the house at the moment which I find starts to depress me. If I get depressed it makes my wrinkles, wrinkle and that's not a good thing. As Einstein said, " in every problems there lies opportunity". Humans spend to much time dwelling in the past and not being in the present. I guess it's hard for them to do, but they just go over the same ground again and again getting more upset or frustrated. Look if you are in the present, right now, have you a problem. No because if you are in the present you are reading this. It's only when you let the mind start chattering that you move away from now and start to go back in your history or even worse go forward to the future. We dogs learn from the past and change what we do so that it positively effects what might happen the next time that situation arises. That's why we sit, roll over and do tricks if we associate that action with a treat or food.

Remember Einstein's quote? Lets look at it a little closer. If there is a problem, there must be a solution. Not always the first that pops into the mind, but by changing your viewpoint it may present an opportunity. Take as an example going broke. In the UK their is an author and a peer who lost the lot. Whilst in prison he wrote a book, it was published and he got paid. He has since written other books and they have all been published and he is no longer broke. He may not be a peer anymore, yet. Does that matter? Probably not, but he is not broke. He saw opportunity and went for it when he could have easily thought his world had come to an end. Change your view and change how you see the problem, which opens up opportunity. Einstein knew a thing or two about life and human existence. What do you think?

That's enough on humans and their approach to life for today. Look it could well rain today so smile and the sun will shine. I like the rain as it cleans the place and gives life to all living things. I must admit it's best when it rains in the night, then I don't get wet.

Smile and someone may just smile back like wagging the tail has the same effect. See you?

Tuesday and the world of woe

Cold and star studded morning as we had our morning walk. Fox in the drive of the house 2 doors away, but little else to report.

The bosses were talking about the problems in the USA in the housing sector. Now being of American descendants my ears pricked up. What I gather is that people trying to get a roof over their heads and have a place to live with basic living requirements have, because of their background been poor or low credit risk. Then through less than honest advice they get on the property ladder and all is well until they find that the rate of interest starts to rise and other "small print" increases their debt beyond their earning means. Possessions start happening and then the only people to make from this are the banks and other financial institutes that backed it all. They still own the land and property yet leave the dwellings to decay rather than keep money coming in from the lender.

Who gains certainly not the borrower because they are now homeless, not the state or the government as they will bear the burden of the homeless in one form or another. My problems is that many of those house owners will have had dogs. Now with no home or backyard they will be on the streets to roam and be killed by traffic or by the state. To make matters even worse their bodies may well end up being processed into pet food.

There is a similar problem in the UK where people brought endowment mortgages which are now maturing only to find that they will not have enough money to pay off the mortgage. The mortgage brokers still get their percentage as commission and the mortgage lender has potential property worth many times the value of the endowment.
Who losses, the person who took out the endowment and most are now reaching retirement age as the endowment matures? They are having to borrow against the equity in the property AND GETTING IN MORE DEBT. People are making money out of this misery and at present they appear to be untouchable or unaccountable because the governments of both countries are afraid to take action to preserve the basic payout to pay up the mortgage or pressure the banks to accept some payment. The end result is the dollar is at an all time low and the economic repercussions are being felt around the world. The UK economy is slowing, house prices are slowing and Christmas is coming and no one has money to spend so production of seasonal items will be lost.

Oil is at a high, not because OPEC is cutting back, but because of speculation on the market based on US reserves, which are inaccurate. Who is making money? The people who are manipulating the market. Remember this happened to silver way before my time. One person started a chain reaction with silver until the bubble burst then silver went back to it's market value. Some lost but some made millions on what, a whim or serious manipulation of the fragile system of market forces.

Humans need to stop doing and concentrate on being. Why because in all reality do you think that there is actually enough money in the world to pay what everyone is owed. Of course there is not it's all based on credit. When enough people start to panic and take money out, like Northern Rock , in the UK. The Bank of England had to step in as there was not enough available cash. What a system. Little wonder it can be manipulated and causes so many financial problems for those who have no say in it.

Humans, seems many are just going through life paying for the wealth of the minority. No wonder they pay a premium to be entertained so they can loose themselves in another world for a while.

May the sun shine and the warmth touch your body. It's a blessing from above and it's free so enjoy. Until tomorrow take care.

What Monday already

What a week sunny periods and cold mornings all week. D took me out on Saturday and as we approached the pond 5 deer walked across the path to drink at the waters edge. Where else can you see such happenings within metres of a busy A road and in a high populated area? Bonfire tonight to get rid of some of the large thick wood that will not compost or shred.

Sunday and D and I met a young mum with her little boy who made a fuss of me and called me "big dog". Very misty on Sunday and at one point D and I had our heads above the mist and the rest below it. By 9 o'clock the mist has been burnt off and the day is sunny and bright. The grass is still growing so the little lawns are cut with the blades set high. Then off to Nan's to do some more topcoat whilst it is dry and warm. People busy next door clearing up the garden looks like they will have a bonfire too.

Monday and up early with the boss(he) and a fox walked with us down to the common before meeting another fox and then they when off. Cold this morning and the only thing to do is get back home and get under the blanket.
My web site should be up soon with information on boxer dogs and some very good links and a free ebooklet for those who give their name and email address. More later on this and some other things I have seen the family doing on the computer.

Well must go as I have so much to do on all this web stuff. It's not easy for a dog as the paws keep pressing more than one key. A challenge I will overcome or invent a keyboard for dogs.
Have a great day and may the sun warm your back and touch your heart.

Where has this week gone

What a busy week. Monday out with the boss over the common for a long walk then back home and a busy day in the house. Sorting out the larder and disposing of all those jars of jam etc that had gone past their sell by date or had lost their appeal. Reorganising and doing stock rotation of the honey, chutneys and other home made edibles. In the afternoon the kitchen and dining area got the works and the floor was given a good clean and mop with nick knacks and the like being cleaned and rearranged. Before I knew it the day was closing and with it getting dark by 5 o'clock there was time to reflect.

Tuesday was another long walk in the morning followed by a day in both gardens with lots of light digging and planting for spring and some final pruning. All that needs to be done now is to turn the compost heaps to aid aeration and give the whole effort some fresh air and new life.
Out with D in the afternoon and a very nice sunny day with plenty of blue sky and much activity in the garden with the resident robin turning over the fresh dug soil looking for food. The blackbird is still coming into the summerhouse to eat some of my dog treats.

Wednesday was a mixed day with the weather but with some sun, but quite chilly when it was not to be seen. Got grey as the day headed towards lunch time and lots of leaves to be swept up and put away to mulch. Hair cuts in the evening which is a time for the adults to chat and have a little socialising. Time for me to take advantage of the situation and gets some treats by making a nuisance of myself; in a nice way you understand.

A mixed week so far with much activity in the house and Halloween and then getting the bonfire for November the 5th on the agenda. Speak to you soon. May yours days be filled with that which you desire and not with what you don't want.

Sunday and it was a wet one

Out with D at a reasonable time wet to start with then just very damp. Set the tone for the whole day damp and wet. Made fully weeds easy but not pleasant to work in and I spent most of the time under cover.

No painting today and only an hour or so of gardening clearing all the Nasturtiums as then are now running rampant and choking many of the other plants. This year there have been four different colours but they are now on the compost ready to provide nutrients back to the earth later in the new year. One of the small rose bushes is still budding despite the hard frost last week. How the trees have changed as more leaves fall and others change colour, although some of the Beech hedges still show green.

The car should be gone this week and then one of the tribe is going to go out with the boss to remember what they had learnt about clutch control, a couple of years ago. Odd how learning to drive a car at first is a problem, I guess three pedals and a gear stick and steering wheel all inside a box in motion can be quite scary. Me I find long drives boring especially as I cannot lay down because of the vibration from the back wheels in the MPV that we have.

I now have to settle into the routine again. Just when I was getting used to going at 3 or 4 times on walks in fields with lush green grass and not noise save the birds and the odd bee out collecting nectar from the last of the clover flowers. This week will be a little different until we get past the hour change in the time from summer to winter setting. Odd really as I thought it was all to help with the harvest during the war?

Well time to run, or just amble as I am off home now as it is getting dark by 5 o'clock and I smell cooking, which means food.

A weeks holiday in Wales

What a week. Good weather most of the time with some very cold nights. Plenty of walks and a few visits to the shops and other places. The people are very friendly and pat and stroke me and say what a handsome dog I am. I will have to take their word as I am a very modest dog!

No going to the beach this time as the weather had a bite to it. We had some sunny days with blues skies and some very nice sunsets. Some days the boss(he) took me out before it was light enough to see very far.But it was worth it as we got to the coastal path the sun would be trying to break through the clouds and the colours were spectacular.

Big holdup on the motorway but we arrived home safely. D informed me that I was lucky to have missed the heavy frost on Tuesday. Then he took me for a walk and commented on how slim I was and full of vitality. I think it is the diet I am on, I will tell you more about it at I listen to what the bosses say about it.

It's been a long old day and I am about ready to take some kip so I will speak tomorrow.

Friday the sun shone yet again

Cold night and clear skies. Too cold to go out in the early morning so stayed in my bed. Boss(he) just laughed and said he would get me an overcoat.

Fantastic sunny day and birds were busy and flying things were everywhere. The frost has caught the last rose buds, but the sun still encourages them to burst open to give added colour to the autumnal colours in the garden. Spiders webs are like the finest lace and the berries of the bushes are reds and oranges to provide food for the birds. Yes from a dog's perspective it's a brilliant day even if it's cold.

Tomorrow sees me off on a few days holiday and if the weather stays fine lots of walks away from the crowds and traffic, bliss.

My boss(he) loves Autumn as he sees the colours as a promised of what's to come. Winter is his blank canvas on which the surface needs preparation, Spring is the outline of the picture with the base colours, Summer is the filling in of the shapes and forms and Autumn is the work finished and mellowing. He being a painter of sorts I think he sees everything like a picture.

Well must pack and get some rest busy day tomorrow.
See you Saturday week. Have a good week and may your days be lit by sunlight.

Thursday glorious sunny day

Up and out early for a walk under a canopy of stars. It is just amazing to see all the stars on a clear night. It's cold too with a frost and the boss(he) is rattling on about how wonderful it is to see it all. Whilst I agree I wish he would get a move on my coat is short and I'm getting colder by the second.

Home and in the warm. On the basis that the sky is clear the day should be bright and sunny.
After the sun burnt off the frost and mist the day is just great, plenty of sun and blues skies with the odd flurry of clouds. The frost has caused the trees to drop more leaves and when we go for a walk D and I walk through a carpet of different leaves with a variety of colours and shapes. If the wind blows it will cause the leaves to form into heaps which the birds turn over looking for things to eat. It's a busy time for the birds looking for food, especially as this is the first real frost of the Autumn.

Remember we spoke about the differing opinions on the selling of the car. Well so far there have been 4 phone calls and three people wanted to see it; of those two have turned up and one is going to put a deposit down on Friday. Once it's sold the space will be used for parking one of the kids cars off road. Now would those people have rung anyway on just having a belief that it would be sold was enough for it to happen? The boss(he) take is that if you have the belief and faith then as long as you have emotion that sets up a vibration that will resonant with others and it will happen. He reckons it's easy to understand but more difficult to do. Like when you believe the traffic lights will all be green and they are. Weird or just the Universe responding to your request?

What a fantastic sunset all fiery reds and oranges that coloured the edges of some of the clouds. The colours were just fantastic and fill a dog's heart with joy. If it stays clear there will be another frost tomorrow and it should be a clear day.
The sun has set now and the colours are fading as dusk arrives. D and boss(she) have been chatting in the summer house and boss(he) has just come home. They need to bring the tortoise in to winter in doors as she is over a 100 and they are concerned that the frosts maybe too cold for here to survive.
End of a great day and tomorrow promises to be just as good if not better. May your tomorrow be great and the sun warm your back.

Wednesday and the sun did shine

Sun shine was evident after a slow start. The rain from the night has brought down a lot of leaves and the lanes are covered. Should make for some interesting driving. Leaves are a problem to the railway too and often are the cause of train delays.

The day has certainly taken on a wonderful autumn hue. The sun is calling the last colours to the leaves and bathes everywhere with light. I can site or lay on the decking and see all the activity going on in the garden and get my back warmed; bliss.

It would appear that humans have a preoccupation with over eating and obesity. Last week it was not good enough to go for a brisk walk you have to jog. Seems to me that part of this problem is that humans life styles have changed so dramatically in the last twenty years that they have created the situation themselves. Low fat was the fad so everyone was onto low fat diets and did they loose weight? No, because the fat used in many products as a binder and filler was substituted with carbohydrates which is just as bad. People have less time to spend cooking so either use convenience foods are ready meals. Then they are told to eat "5 a day" so the food industry responds with various drinks, smoothies and the like to make it easier for consumers to get their 5. The core problem seems to be a human fixation with time.

Einstein saw time as an illusion and we dogs know that to be true. Take feeding dogs. Humans will spend a lot of money on tinned, dried or moist packet foods for us that saves soooo much time? Is it good for us, hardly as we often die earlier than we should and all the dried products inform that water must be available. Why? Look what do dogs eat in their wild state? Raw meat, bones and any other thing to survive including water of course. So why feed us with processed garbage that costs a fortune and does us little good. Time, because it is easy to open a tin or carton or packet. Look at the ads on TV are the people in a rush?Of course not because the emphasis is subtle and relaxed because your dog is being fed and it's oh so easy and quick.

Why do humans put on? They have become disconnected with who they are. They spend their time doing a not being. They are also unable to manage this thing called time. My bosses spend their weekends doing all sorts of activities that are mostly manual in nature, Yet both are overweight, even if by a few pounds. Now they organise their weekends by setting goals and targets and the more they set the more they achieve. They make food from scratch and cook a roast most Sundays and still have time to watch a bit of TV too. Yet they still have a problem with weight and time. Eating late or missing meals or worse snacking. Habitual eating habits are one of the main problems with humans as they fight to find time. Time to do what I ask?

It's been a sunny day with some cloudy spells but the evening is looking good so tomorrow if the cloud stays away it will be cold with a chance of frost, I reckon. See you tomorrow and enjoy the sun

Tuesday and the rain came

What a wet day and grey too. Early morning rain gave way in the afternoon to some sun, but not the best of days; weather wise. Me, I stayed in and kept warm until the afternoon when D took me for a walk. Very pleasant in the sun. Two days running D and I have spotted a fox sitting in the afternoon sun by a fallen tree on the common. Sees us but does not bother as we don't bother him, so all is well.

Seems that in the late 80's a storm changed direction and created havoc in the South of England. Thousands of trees were uprooted or so badly damaged that they needed cutting down. Kew Gardens was one notable place to loose many of it's old trees. However, as a result people now have a better understanding of tree growth and root structure. As a consequence new plantings take into account root spread and how soil can become compacted around trees if humans are allowed to walk around them. Us dogs help irrigate them and also use them as territorial markers and as a living thing we acknowledge their right to exist.

One of the problems with humans is they get attached to trees and in the main their attachment is misguided. Take for instance all the silver Birch trees in peoples garden that at present are just small trees. Within the next 10 years they will be too high to keep manageable and as a woodland tree not suitable for gardens they will then create a future problem. When houses are built around trees for aesthetic and environmental reasons the developers will not consider future growth of the trees in relations to the space to maximise building plots and profit. A reluctance to cut down, thin out or reduce the number of trees will lead to problems in the future for humans. How many Elm trees are there as a result of Dutch Elms disease?

According to the news the weather for the next few days is set to be sunny. Looking at the sky at the moment I think they might have got it wrong. Looks like more rain on the way. But as my front leg is not a multimillion pound computer I will put this stiffness down to age and not damp. See you.

Monday strangers in the night

What a weird morning. Out early and in front of us appears to be a jogger who seems to be tired, to the point of exhaustion. As we get a little closer he is in his boxer shorts and is either drunk on high on something. Keeps starting to jog then stops then starts again. Even worse he is now jogging in the road and may be injured. Boss, notifies the police who send out a patrol car which arrives when we are going back home from our walk.

On a walk boss sees a fox sitting in the shadows and after I have sorted out my digestive residue it starts to follow us. I have to turn and show some indignation at it's action. It makes no difference it just stays further back and follows us down the lane until we hit the main road.

The morning weather seems odd too. A mild morning for October with cloud and a light touch of rain. If the cloud breaks it will get a little colder and the sun may shine.

Mid-day and out with D for a walk and we see another fox resting in the undergrowth who is not bothered by our passing. Buster was on a different shift so we saw him today. He is very busy at present and because of his age should be slowing down but because of all the human problems he reckons he will go way past retirement age in active service.

Rest of the day is uneventful other than boss(she) brings D a copy of a booklet on a local bus company, which D find most interesting and is grateful for the copy.

Boss(she) starts a little evening job to help with paying for everyday things. Boss(he) is certain that the car will be sold soon, had two enquiries over the weekend after putting the sigh up.
Must go food calls.

Saturday and where is the sun?

Out with D and very little is out and about today; must be the grey weather. Only two joggers and one postman all the time we were out.

Bosses went to town and came back looking happy. No improvement to weather. Boss(he) is cutting the chipboard flooring to fit. Boss(she) is blowing the leaves and fixing hanging baskets and doing some more planting in pots. Floor is down, doors are finished and shelves have been fitted. Filing cabinet has been put into shed and the sand has been moved in readiness for possible slab laying under the tree. D&M busy putting things in the shed.

Bosses start to change things in the back room and its looks like tomorrow will be over Nan's for painting and replacing rotten wood.

Boss(he) is cooking up a lasagna from scratch, which everyone, including me likes to eat. He always leaves it to mature for a day or two in the fridge before it is put in the oven; reckons it brings out the flavour. Does the same thing with curries too.

Tomorrow looks as if it might be a repeat of today on the weather front. If so I would think the last of the rubbing down and possibly priming, if the air is not damp. Replacing rotten wood looks high on the agenda. Boss(he) says that changing from imperial to metric leads to waste when replacing old wood, as the new is a different size so you end up cutting to fit and wasting wood.

Lets hope we have a bit of sun as it always makes you feel better and the birds are busy and sing and life looks that bit brighter. Till tomorrow then.

Friday and all systems go

Grey, cloudy start to the day. Not much to see or do at present.Fog yesterday caused a number of avoidable accidents. Boss(he) was saying that people were driving without headlights on and in light coloured cars too. In this day and age with alternators there is just no reason, even if it's during day time. How are us dogs to see you?

Bosses have decided to change things around at home this weekend if the weather is not good. They are going to finish the shed by laying a chipboard over floor for added strength and finish the doors and add the furniture or fittings.

Mid-day and still no real improvement in the weather although D has hinted that a walk is on the cards. Yes, we had a walk and a long one too. Now many people or other canines about. The leaves are now changing colour very quickly and many are falling. Winter is just around the corner and my coat is not that thick yet.

My change of food from tinned and dried to fresh is working really well and I fit better for it. Less joint problems too. I will keep you posted as it continues.

Tomorrow beckons and (she) has a real bad head cold so we will see what tomorrow bring. See you then

Foggy day

What's this fog? Boy I hate fog it clings to my short hair and by the time we get back I am cold and wet. No doubt this will cause a number of traffic accident with people driving too fast and too close to the person in front. Humans do have strange lemming type tendencies to driving in conditions like fog and rain.

Good news the sun have broken through and it's just gone 9 o'clock so it's looks as if my walks will be taking place with D&M today. The sun is making the garden look like a special place, all the spider's webs are covered in dew and the sun sparkles off each droplet making the scrubs looks as if they are bedecked with jewels. Great day to be alive and wonder at the simplicity of nature in the moment.

If this weather holds then the weekend should be good. Bosses have to go to town first thing, then they will be painting and finishing the shed. Then I hear that it's clearing out the garage; that will prove interesting I will help of course.

What a great day sun, and no rain to talk of today. The evening is looking great and boss(she) is sitting in the summer house with D having a glass of white wine and looking at the amazing sky as the sun starts to set. Boss(he) has just arrived as dusk starts to become night so it's off home and have me back rubbed and some scoff.

Tomorrow is another day of adventure that has yet to come and now doubt it will be misty again before the sun breaks though so enjoy and the weekend beckons. See you.

Wednesday's mixed bag

Out for an early morning stroll with boss and saw a fox sitting in the road; little wonder they get killed. Boss(she) has a busy day with work, Pilate and then does ironing for someone. One of the tribe was in a competition over the weekend but did not get through. I wonder if it was because she had her hair cut short?

It would appear that the bosses were fortunate enough to see a buck and doe eating up close to day; which seemed to make them happy. I still remember my rubbing nose session with a deer down the lane,which was fantastic as we are not that compatible; according to humans.

What an odd day, weather wise. Misty, with a chill to the air early on and then some rain and masses of cloud. By late afternoon, early evening the sun broke through and for a while the evening was quite pleasant, even autumnal.

Middle of the working week and there is much to do in the garden and around the house. This weekend looks like another busy one with the final finishing of the shed and more painting over at Nan's. If there's time some more working in the garden before the frosts start to appear, which get later every year.

Off for another walk so I will talk tomorrow. Move out of your comfort zone just a little and find a new world to discover.

Wet Tuesday

What a day rained on and off all day. By mid afternoon the rain was heavy and many of the lanes were flooding as the water tried to find a way to drain. Still it will make pulling those last weeds easier. The summer house roof did not leak, after the bosses gravity defying action and the new shed stayed dry; so he did a good job on the felting.

Bosses still have a problem about the car; remember I spoke about their differing outlook on how to resolve it. Well boss phoned the original owner and ask if his friend would buy it. We will wait and see the outcome.

I hear that the exercise my boss does with me in the morning is unlikely to be of benefit to him. Seems to me that the experts are missing two important issues. One he works hard during the rest of the day and more important he believes it does him good. Harnessing the mind to do the bodies work is just as good and doing a hard workout and stressing your heart, which may not appear until later in life. What do you think?

Wow the evening has turned out fine. Clear blue sky and a bright sunset. Makes being a dog well worth the effort when something like this happens. Night maybe cold it depends on whether cloud start to come over and keep the air mild. Have a good evening and may tomorrow bring you joy.

Monday- Monday

Up early and out with the boss for his walkies. Not a bright night with very few breaks in the cloud so not much to see. Seem to be having a problem with wind which the boss recons is not helping the ozone layer.

The car came back on Friday and has been a nagging point. Boss (she) is focused on getting rid, whilst he is saying just let it be and it will be sorted. Now humans seem to be action orientated so I can understand that doing something is the best way of getting something done. To back that up it's been sitting there for two years and nothing has been done with it other than the occasional wash and polish. So I can see that she has a point. He on the other hand believes that the car will go when less effort is put into getting rid. Interesting logic, human that is, would indicate that she has got it right and he is just drifting. What do you think?

The day has been odd, very little sun and a sky filled with clouds. Robin has been very busy in the garden and the Blackbird is still coming into the summerhouse to eat bits of my treats. Leaves are starting to change colour now and the horse
chestnut is dropping it's leaves.

Went for a walk and met a young English bulldog, really nice young lady and the owners made a fuss of me so it was good all round. Hope I see them all again.

Very odd feel to house tonight bosses seem to be on edge with each other. Off to bed as early rise tomorrow as I have to go for a walk with him to keep him company I guess. Have a good day tomorrow and if it rains it will help the plants and make weeding easier. Still lots to do in the garden, including turning the compost heaps.
Must go, take care.

Sunday and finish the shed

D takes me out for a good long walk. Weather is overcast with some patches of blue sky. Nothing of great interest today, the hedgerow is providing some food for the birds.

Finishing of the shed today, glazing the windows and fitting the doors. The doors are a tight fit, but the bosses agree to leave to settle in before planing any wood off. Windows done although the boss (he) is not to impressed by the design which consists of a plastic cill on which the "glass" rest, leaving a lot of movement which could be a problem with rattling in the wind. Boss(she) is sweeping the floor and collecting all the odd screws together, I help by nudging the box and they spill out. I was only trying to help.

They are off now to finish undercoating over at Nan's. I will stay at home and look after the tribe. Bosses back now and talking about how much more work it was to prep the bay window which is oak and how the paint will not "stick" for more than a few years. Some rot in the door frame has to be cut out and the wood replaced. Well looks as if they will be busy next weekend again.Oh and Nan's lawn was cut edged and an azalea planted.

Time for dinner now and boss(he) is defragmenting him computer and sorting out what to do now his car is back on the front. He wanted the space to change the suspension on the old car which has done 165,000 miles and still going. Boss(he) says the suspension is "tired" and needs changing before it is given to one of the tribe to have as their first run about.

Time to settle down to relax after a busy day. See you tomorrow and may it bring you and yours new hope and inspiration.

Saturday and was I busy

D took me for a good walk, but I was not feeling to great; too much R&R. Saw lots of people today so I think we were late.

The sleep over was OK and after much fuss making and stroking they all disappeared into their worlds. The bosses went to town and got a book for Nan and some work trousers for him.

Off to Nan's and whilst the boss(he) gets sorted with ladders and things I sit and help with a jig saw by laying my head on it to stop the pieces moving. Boss(he) is up and down ladders rubbing downs and cleaning the woodwork before painting with primer. Tomorrow it looks like undercoating and then some top coating of the work done last week. She(boss) is going to help by rubbing down the front bay window, whilst he does the glossing out back.

We arrive home and boss(he) goes around to look at shed that arrived two weeks early. Seems to me there are lots of bits of wood stacked everywhere. Other boss(she) arrives and they lay the floor to get an idea of the size. Then he says, "lets put the back and one side in". It's three hours later and the shed is erected and the roof has been felted. I hardly had time to help. In between boss(she) vacuumed up all the leaves on the lawn too.

We're off home now and because they are both tired and hungry so they order a Chinese for a change and all the family have a good scoff. Pity that one of the family is in London and hardly ever get to come home and the other one is at uni some ways off.

Weather is looking good for tomorrow so lots of activity and busy things for me to be involved in. Until tomorrow may your morn bring you what you desire and not what you don't want.

Friday here already

Fine night with clear skies and lots of stars. Boy it's great to look at all that and know your part of it. Boss(he) never ceases to wonder at it all; me too.

The shed has arrived, two weeks early. The man that delivered it has two English boxers, brother and sister that come from a rescue centre. I think the bosses are talking about painting some more wood preservative on it before they erect it. Most likely they will do that this week.

Saturday should be sunny so they are going to get on with the painting. More rubbing down and undercoating and hopefully start the top coating. All down to the weather, needs to be dry and just warm enough to allow the paint to dry without to much shrinking.

The day is sunny and bright with some clouds, but by mid afternoon the sun is warming to the point of getting hot. Birds are busy and bees are out in the lavender collecting nectar. Good day to be around to enjoy life and show gratitude for such a day.

Tonight the house will be full as one of the tribe has four friends staying and they are all sleeping over in her bedroom; with only two beds kinda cramped for me.

I'm off for a walk then some R&R before that all happens. Talk tomorrow, until then enjoy the day

Sunny day in a dogs life

Sunny day with some clouds, but the sun was on my back and it was a great day to be alive. The sun seemed to light up every corner of the garden and the rose buds respond by opening. Such a bright day could mean clear night skies and low night temperatures. A frost might kill off the midges that have been identified as the cause of the blue tongue outbreak in Suffolk. Many of the trees will change colour and hopefully hold on the branches and not fall off yet awhile.

Boss thinks his car will come back tomorrow. He it now looking at doing the engine himself as he reckons its no different to the ones he used to build, just two more cylinders!

Busy weekend ahead as boss will continue to do painting before the weather gets too cold or damp. Remember the shed it should be here in two to three weeks? Wrong it's due to be delivered on Friday. Another weekend taken up with construction work and fitting shelving inside. I will of course assist in any way possible and if all else fails get in the way.

Buster, the bomb dog, has had a busy week at the airport and is always on call. Why any human should wish to take the lives of other seems inconceivable. To do so under some religious reasoning is beyond us dogs. Life is the reason for everything, why have the seasons if not to create more life. We dogs live our lives for the living and being, humans live for doing. Therein lies their problem, if they concentrated more on being then living would require them to be more attuned to each other. All dogs know that they came from just two dogs and then with time adapted to their surrounding environments. Same way humans are all from the same source so instead of killing each other they should become more enlightened and be part of living, not existing.

Enough philosophy for today. I am out to enjoy the sun and see whats to eat and then all this activity will lead to sleep. Be seeing you.

Another grey start to the day

Out early and all the signs point to another grey day with mist. Boss is talking about it being more like November than October. Rattles on about crisp sunny days with clear skies. Must be getting old and going back to his youth.

Despite the earlier misty start the day is looking promising now. The sun is trying to come through and the birds are becoming more active. Out for a walk soon so I will see what the afternoon looks like.

The sun has broken through and the afternoon is looking good. The temperature has risen and there is much activity in the gardens, with birds eating berries and searching on the ground for food. D breaks the outer casing off some of my treats and feeds the bits to a blackbird that has being coming into the summer house since she had her young. Some times she would bring her young to feed when they could fly. Last year there was a robin's nest in the compost in the green house. Why a green house when it's made of glass? Must be to do with all the plants and growing and showing green? Glass house has a different meaning if you are in the army.

The evening is not looking to bad, although the clouds are building again. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Every day is full of new things and familiar things never boring because us dogs have a purpose in being dogs, and it's great.
See you tomorrow and may your day be blessed with something new and let the smile spread across your face. Bye for now.

Tuesday - grey day

What a dull looking day. Must go in the garden and look at all the colour still there. Strange how the weather effects everyone. Us dogs just find somewhere warm and doze, knowing that tomorrow or the next day the sun will shine again.

The fall is upon us according to the boss. He has in his mind to go to see the fall in America as he never ceases to marvel at how nature can produce such wonderful colours on the trees. He says it's God's indication of the glory to come after the winter as spring arrives and colour returns to the land.

A single act by one individual can have such an effect on others. Today out for my 9 o'clock walk passed the local school. One person turning out when the road was not clear led to a complete snarl up of the traffic. It took some time to clear as some of the cars where still there when we walked back some time later. It's a human trait that is becoming more evident, that of not considering others. People conversing with someone on their phone in a train so everyone can hear. MP3 players loud enough that the person next to them on the bus can hear. The best one is people who have the window down on their car whilst player music so loud. Why spend all that money and then change the intended environment for best listening by opening a window. Yes humans have definitely lost the plot.

Forecast for next few days means not so many walks as D&M like the sun to shine and the day to be bright. Not to worry I have plenty to do around the garden and there is always some shut eye. Until tomorrow, may the rain be fine and the wind light.

New day, new month

Wet and not the best weather for an early morning walk. But I did it just to keep the old boy happy. Seems there is a bit of a problem with the car the boss sold so it's coming back. Just getting used to the space and possible place to park one of the other cars; off road.

My new diet seems to be working well. I feel a lot better and wind seems less of a problem. It does concern me that part of the problem is that people just do not appear to have the time to prepare meals for themselves, yet alone their pets. After all the additive problems with pet food in the USA humans are led to believe that what's in the average tin of pet food is good for it. Some of the results from America would suggest otherwise.

Good day at D&M's had a walk and plenty of R&R. Helps with the wrinkles you understand.
The shed should be delivered in a couple of weeks, so more activity there. Because D&M have vast amount of books and thing the bosses are going to suggest that that get another shed and they could move some of the books into the shed; giving them more room indoors.

Off home now to see what sort of day the family have had. I'll keep you informed. May the sun shine and the birds sing in your garden.

Sunday and a lot of sand

Out with D this morning to deliver the papers. Very little to report of interest no one about, although the birds were active in the hedgerows.

After taking everyone to do their shopping it was time to move the sand. Boss(he) had put in the area to be covered and the depth of bedding mix and ordered accordingly. Just a little too much sand like 250 Kgs. Not to worry it will be used to fill in the hollow in the front lawn, although they both think sharp sand should be used.

Went to the local school this afternoon as boss needed to take in a network storage box. It's got 2 Sata drives. What ever they are? Have you noticed how humans complicate life with the language they use? Some words seem to have many meaning like love, love that dress, love to see you, love you, love that car etc, which is useful. Whilst others have changed over time, awful now seems to describe something not very nice yet it meant awe full or filled with awe.

Well we shifted the sand. I helped of course when it came to filling the hollow in the lawn. Boss got quite cross as as fast as he racked it I redistributed it. Boss(she)was quite amused by it all. Grumpy just got on with racking it back down again and when I went to help he told me to go away. Talking of language that humans use boss(he) told me to go !away". How often when out I have heard people getting cross with their dog and shouting at it to "come here". When it does the either shout at it or hit it. Now what does that teach the dog, when it hears the words "come here"? It is uncertain as to what the outcome, will it get hit or shouted at. Humans just don't understand how clever we dogs are. Even "no brain" the setter is very good as sitting and other things that a working dog should do. Treats us with respect and dignity and we are no problem.

Off to bed early tonight as it's an early start tomorrow. May the sun warm your back and the day grace you with life.

Saturday's post

Wet morning got soaked out on my walk. Boss is under sink as the waste disposer has broken and the new one is a different size. Looks like he is talking about new pipe work to the taps so he is going to change the taps for a different one they got some time back.

Day is getting better boss(she) is busy planting more bulbs next door. Boss(he) has just come round, wag tail and get back massage,; bliss. They are measuring and laying slabs to check the exact area to clear for the shed base. Much activity going on, I help by walking around and sniffing the ground. Wheel barrow is now filled with lots of earth and distributed around the front garden.

Weather is not looking to good, plenty of rain clouds around. Hello one of the tribe has come over to see everyone she works in London and finds it expensive to travel every day so has a shared flat on the outskirts, not a great area but she can bus or walk it on a fine day. Good to see her, she has done well for herself and is a very positive person. Gives me lots of rubs and makes a fuss of me.

Whats this? The pair of them are mixing cement and laying slabs. After much back aching work the 36 slabs are layed, both look tired and despite D&M making drinks they are talking about hot baths; with smells in the water?

Slabs look good and level so it's a good job. Tomorrow boss(he) needs to repair tire on barrow as it picked up a cloat nail from the old shed.
Off home now and a well earned rest speak tomorrow as it's paper delivery day.Hope the weather is dry, hate getting wet. See you

Friday in a boxer's life

Fair morning for a walk much milder than yesterday and the moon is trying to break through the clouds. Looks like the bosses are going to be busy this weekend as a big bag of sand, bags of cement and some paving slabs have been delivered. I think this is the base for the new shed to go on.

Household seems a little down, I think it's because one of the tribe is back to uni for their last year. Strange that we have a system that even creates debt whilst still studying. I know the bosses took out a loan to help and that a student loan was taken out too. Now when his studies are finished he will be in debt before he starts, even though he has worked every holiday to ensure that he has no outstanding debts to the bank or credit card company.

How the seasoning is changing fast leaves are falling and there is less activity around the bird table unless the sun is shining. The frogs are keeping a low profile and the baby toads are not in their usual places. There are still roses in the garden and many are buds, the dog wood is showing good colour and the acer's leaves have changes to a golden glow. According to the bosses the grass should slow down and require less cutting. Bulbs have been planted in tubs ready for next Spring and winter pansies have been put in hanging baskets to give some colour to the garden over winter. Much clearing and trimming of plants to give shape has been going on and I think some replanting was talked about too.

Will keep you informed of the work in the garden and the shed base as it occurs. must go as there is a warm spot just been made available on the sofa.

Thursday - a cold morning

Up early and out with boss. Cold morning with a strong breeze. The moon is full and the clouds are moving fast. Autumn is upon us and the horse chestnut tree is already dropping it's seeds. My winter coat is not ready yet so I feel the cold just like I feel the heat of the sun in summer.

No Brain the setter is able to catch things when they are thrown towards him. Me I have no nose and have a problem catching anything. Seems odd that. The bosses think I maybe long sighted. Any other boxers have the same problem?

More blue tongue infection found on the same farm. The cold weather today might help?I wonder if we are able to either produce a vaccine or isolate the animals and see if they can combat it themselves to build their own immunity?

I see that the Blair's are cashing in on their claim to fame. I wonder what percentage of their money do they give or use for charitable or life enhancement projects. Seems to me that many of the world's wealthiest give money to create a better life for others. Take Bill Gates, you may curse him when you are trying to upgrade to Vista, but he and his wife have a foundation that help the less fortunate in the world. Any projects or assistance that helps to give others the means of sustaining themselves and growing into self efficiency must be good.

Talking of which it would appear that this world is all about lack or scarcity. Yet there are more millionaires now than ever so is there a lack of money? Hardly, and what about food? There is enough food wasted in the western world to feed the starving in the world. Humans have got it wrong and as long as they are not affected they have little concern for anyone else.

I see that the Natives of America are to get special shoes that are designed for their feet to help them be more competitive and combat obesity. Their feet are much broader and higher than the norm. Am I surprised, these people roamed the plains and the lands of America following the food trail mostly on foot. They had horses, but never that many, so they walked as did the people of Africa to hunt for food. Whereas the majority of the palefaces used horses to traverse the land and only walked short distances, in comparison. As a boxer, I was bred for working, mostly hunting out wild boar so my paws are large, yet my hind quarter is narrow and designed for speed with a deep chest and strong front end. I would be of little use flushing rabbits out of their burrows. My point is that we have all evolved to differing tasks. Give them shoes designed to their feet, but to help them overcome obesity. Sounds more like a marketing pitch, regardless of how genuine the intention. Look at why they are become obese might be a good place to start, although it may not sell many shoes or trainers!

Well I sorted the human world problems out for today, must concentrate on my being which means plenty of R&R and then walks, then chasing cats and lastly sorting out the family I live with before dinner tonight. It's always busy being a dog. See you tomorrow

Wednesday already

Boss(he) calls this the middle of the working week. I have noticed that those that work the most and the hardest often do not seem to get the rewards, just more hard work. Fox was out this morning opening bags of rubbish and making a mess on the road way. Boss says he remembers when people has metal dust bins and the dust bin men emptied them into the dust cart. Now it's all plastic bags which take an age to degrade and the road look a mess because the refuse collection is done on contract and often they just leave the rubbish in the road.

Now the GTR has gone the bosses are talking seriously about cutting the hedge and sorting out the front. Interesting that along the front of the dwellings used to be a ditch and the lane ran along side the ditch. When it rained excess water ran into the ditch. Old Bill across the road remembers that there was never any flooding then. Mind you he says the winters were much colder then. Is this global warming or just one of nature's cycles?

As I have said before humans go on about the environment then do almost the opposite. Take houses, why build more in the South when there are plenty in the North and there is more brown land available up there. All that happens is more houses, more cars more congestion more toxic fumes and more doing the environment. Why are houses still built with wooden windows which will be replaced with plastic , why not build them with plastic in the first place and double glazed with reflective glass. I think that humans are motivated by greed and are too materialistic.

Dogs require food,shelter and warmth anything after that is a bonus. Humans exploit us just as they exploit each other. yet they can not understand that is why they are screwing the world up and ultimately themselves. At the moment there is an outbreak of foot and mouth in Southern England which is causing all sorts of problems, financial for farmers and other and also the well being of many people. This outbreak would appear to all come from one source a laboratory complex that had defective drain pipes that had been noted. Yet because of lack of funds nothing was done about it? This site complex appears to be shared between private and government establishments. Why was money not made available when one must be profit based and the other is government funded and the government waste tax payers money on other less important things, like training schemes that become scams?

The morning is cold so that might help with the blue tongue problem that has erupted in the Southeast. I hope so as animals are being slaughtered. I also hope that all these slaughtered animals are not going into a food chain somewhere, like pet food?

Strange lot humans but they can be also the most kind and loving individual too. Just like dogs really but with less intelligence and a lot less common sense. They think they train us but we train them. We sit when they say sit not when then say stay. They have to use the correct word before we do what that word means. Well will most likely see Buster today and will discuss our plans for taking over the planet before humans do anymore damage. Sunrise is looking good and the world awakens. Smile at someone today and everyday, especially someone you don't know. Go on try it and see how it lift your day, us dogs do it all the time. TTFN

Tuesday and skip is going today

According to D&M the skip is going today. Well it went nice and early which means that the space is there for the delivery of the materials for the new shed base.
Big day to day I have found out as the boss is selling his GTR which he loves, but has not been able to do anything to it for so long that it would start to fall apart. I remember sitting in the back once when he took it for an early morning spin. Boy does it go and sounds brilliant. Oh well a new chapter begins.
Strange how humans get attached to 4 wheels and a load of metal. Men also refer to cars as she very much like sailors and ships. Is this some affinity to an emotion that they can express to an innate object but not to a living human of the female gender?
Car has gone, I do my bit by barking to let people know that I know they are around. D&M are a lovely couple, well they must be as they take me for walks and feed me and talk to me. But, as humans go they do have some strange rituals. D sits in the summerhouse and reads or does the crossword whilst drinking beer or wine. M does some maths thing in the paper or sits and reads and marks items in the papers, but never appears to get rid of the papers.

Mind you the lot I live with are also weird. One spends most of his life on the computer playing a game and talking to other players world wide. Another one spend most of her time trying to do impressions of a sea gull with sand in it's throat; she calls it singing! Then there another one who is into uni and studying and only appears for food or to answer a call of nature. Another one spends most of her time in London, because that's where she works. Then we have the two bosses well they are total opposites. She sees the glass as half empty and he sees it as half full. Now how crazy is that especially if it's the same glass.

Seems to me that humans are so preoccupied with detail that they spend there lives doing things when they should be, being. Look I spend my time being a dog, sleeping, eating passing wind, smelling the wind and the flowers, chasing cats and looking for frogs. That's being a dog I am not doing dog because there is no doing dog only being a dog. Humans seem to spend all their time doing things, doing work to pay the bills, doing the shopping doing this and that. That's not being, other than stupid. This doing seems to be a relentless task they have to do to get anywhere or anything. Enough of this serious stuff it's time for some scoff and a little beauty sleep. See you tomorrow?

Monday skip goes

Monday already and up early and out for his morning walk with me in tow. Not much to see, although according to him there was a lot of traffic on the road so early in the morning.!
The skip should go today which is a good thing as it has had additions to the content overnight. Must be the garden fairies or humans getting rid of garden stuff too lazy to take over the dump themselves?
Odd day weather wise as it is warm but with some cloud and light rain. Need the rain to give the plants some water and wash the ground. We have one period of torrential rain around 09:00 which creates a lot of surface water and run off from the land as it's so dry.
Talking of wet, my old mate "no brain the setter" was out when I went with D for a walk this afternoon. Really great dog, all happy and bouncy but can't remember from one minute to the next. I guess when we where bred for chasing wild boar, setters where bred to face guns which requires not having any brain. Why because why run towards guns very bad for your health, particularly as some humans act stupid when they have a loaded gun in their hands.
Skip still has not gone and it's evening now. Bosses are not happy as they need the space for the slabs and the sand and cement for the base for the new shed.
Must go as food and the soaps call.

Sunday - shed in skip

Yesterday was very productive. The shed is in the skip, garden is looking good and the burn heap was reduced to ash. All thanks to my organisational skills.
D comes around and takes me for a walk, very misty but with the promise of a good bright day. See two deer in the mist but they are away before I can get to them to say Hi. No walkers or other humans doing early morning activities. Still mist is rising and there is blues sky. Pass heron on the pond, very busy looking in the water. Must like his own reflection. Nearly home time for some scoff and then some shut eye.
After the shopping they are all in the garden busy doing things. I think they call it pottering, although J.K Rowling is no where to be seen. Since the big scare in the USA about contaminated dog and cat food the bosses have taken me off tinned food and now buy offal for me. I must admit it is a whole lot better for me and it save them money and I love it. Always worries me how this could happen until you look at the short term gain humans seem to focus on. After children and often in place of comes pets. Now I know that for some that means a hungry market that mean MONEY. So they obtain "meat" and add cereal and other materials and tell pet owners it's good for their pet. It cost money, they have no real idea of what goes in it and it contributes, in the case of dogs, to a decrease in life expectancy and increased illnesses.
I digress, the patches of grass are mowed and a general tidy up of the garden is done. Off to Nan's to take over the big ladder ready to do more window preparation next week.
Back home and go round D&M's for a chat and glass of wine. All very civilised and the day has been quite good, just a little chill in the afternoon air as Autumn start to make it's presence known.
Have a good week and may the sun shine on your face or warm your back

Saturday is shed down day.

Boss(he) up early sorting out the tools required to take the shed down. Explains to me how he will need to cut bolts and take the shed down bit by bit. Now I have seen this all before, starts off like that then out comes the wrecking bar and hammer and it's down in bits.
What did I say, bolts too difficult to get the saw on, so out comes the bar and off comes the door within seconds. Lots of dust as it's got wood worm in it. Within a short time the front of the shed comes out to leave the roof sagging on the sides and the back. Next the two halves of the roof then the sides and lastly the back. Skip is then loaded and by midday it's all done. screwdriver and saw returned, unused.
Other boss(she) has been around helping whilst I have supervised, the only way to get things done. They now move to clearing out the green house and before I know it they are in the garden doing weeding, repairing the water pump, trimming and showing me the frogs ( they call them oggits) never mind I know what they mean.
Stop for a hot drink and filled roll, whilst I have my scoff and away they go again. Looks to me like a bonfire is in the making which is interesting. Why? Well (he) likes flammers with little smoke and everything burnt within a short time. (she) likes to burn everything which means some smoke. This will happen after sunset and is a ritual getting cardboard first, because it flames well and produces lots of heat and then away it goes. Well it's all burnt and it was quite good as they put a lot of lavender on which smelt OK.
A good productive day, the humans are pleased and thanks to my organisational skills it was done in an orderly manner. I can now get down to some serious shut eye whilst they have showers and watch a little TV before bed. Speak tomorrow as they are doing something over Nan's also must chat about my diet.

Skip arrives

What a day the skip arrived and with some effort it was sited so you could just get by. Nice day with plenty going on as D&M where busy moving bits out of the shed. Strange how many humans store large amounts of unusable rubbish for years and then have to pay to get rid?
Not much to report spent most of the day being (a dog) and very little doing. So much better for the inner you, gives you time to listen to your inner thoughts. Well it looks like I may get a walk after all as they can just get by the skip with me in tow. see you tomorrow

20th September 2007

Good morning,
Met a new hound this morning. A old English Bull Dog, seems that we are related somewhere in the past so always interesting to find out about your relatives and where they came from.
Weather not that bright today with showers on and off most of the day.
Big day tomorrow as D&M's shed will be taken down over the weekend, and the skip arrives tomorrow. I will be busy helping with pulling the shed down and chasing any rodents that should be in residence. If I can I will get some photos, it should present plenty of opportunities to observe humans as work. Dogbert would find this interesting in his understanding of humans.
Out of body experiences is in the news; I see. Bosses both agree that when I am suffering from wind they have OBE?
One of the clan should be back from the Dominican Republic today so will keep an eye open for all the news about their holiday.
Talking of holidays, only four more weeks and I will be off for a few days somewhere in England. Never know where as they often setup the Tom Tom incorrectly and we all end up miles from the intended place. I of course can get back to base quite easily without some gadget.
Must dash as there is some scoff in the bowl and then some shut eye. See you tomorrow?

Sunday in the life of a K9

Another late start. Bosses went out last night to a 60th party which they both enjoyed. Boss(he) wakes up with a start and gets out of bed in a hurry as he thinks it's gone 7 o'clock. Why humans are so into this time thing never ceases to amaze me. Time is dictated by light and dark. When it's light you do what ever you need to and when it's dark you sleep. Why make it difficult. Problem is that humans are to busy doing and not enough being. Oh well, their choice.
Anyway weather looks fine and sunny and D is in fine fettle this morning so we are off at a good pace. Nothing to report on the walk as we see nothing and no one. Mist rising off the field looks good and gives one a real sense of the beauty of nature and life in general.

Some harsh word are said by boss(he) as it would appear that something he got the garage to done last year has gone again and also the drive shafts are getting near to needing replacing.Seems to me that cars are not only very expensive to get but then are expensive to own and all because the public transport system is so poor.

Off to Nan's again as her paint work needs rubbing down and cleaning before priming and top coating. All these different words to describe an action or something. Weather is holding out and bosses seem pleased with what they have done.

Back home and round D&M's. Boss(he) is going to repair the summer house roof as the felt has split with all the thermal movement ( bosses words not mine) Whilst (he) gets on with the roof, (she) starts doing the wood preserving of the decking and balustrade. Wow minor problem (he) has a problems as the ladder has shifted and he is clinging to the roof, doing an impression of spider man. Phew, all is well minor adjustments to ladder catch with hammer and up (he) goes again. Oh no not again. Just finishing screwing in the finials on the top and the ladder has shifted again and (he) is attempting to defy the law of gravity. To make matters worse it looks like he has pushed the screw driver through his bottom lip. Well at last he is down on the ground, badly bruised shins, ribs and skinned arms and a bloody lip. Cup of coffee and a biscuit seems to get him sorted. Well after all that excitement the rest of the afternoon and evening pass without incident. D says that he will take me out in the morning which means I can have a late start.
Boss(he) is muttering on about Northern Rock and all sorts of thing, must be shock or something coming out, according to boss(her). I will keep you posted speak tomorrow.

Saturday

Lay in today as boss (he) does not take me out. Interesting walk today, rub noses with a deer on the common. Not afraid of me at all and seemed quite agreeable to a quick greeting.
Along the path on the common saw a male fox but he was gone before I could get to him to say Hi.
One jogger and one other dog walker. Weather is looking fine and it should be a good day to lay in the sun. Get a couple of treats from D who is always eager to please me by giving them to me. Boy these humans are an interesting lot.
Buster was up as we passed by him garden but not out in the garden so unable to catch up on any news.
mid morning and we are off to see Nan. The bosses are busy replacing a plastic roof on the green house and need to finish it today.
Lay in the sun and have plenty of strokes from Nan. According to bosses Nan is in her early eighties and despite having an odd form of cancer is doing well, considering.
Mid afternoon and back home and go around to D&M's. the bosses busy themselves with gardening whilst I relax on the lawn and get some sun. Not too much mind you as I get sunstroke.
All the family are home this weekend which means I get plenty of attention and am able to catch up on the weeks news.
Must go speak tomorrow.