New Dog

http://ruditherudeboy.blogspot.co.uk/

Hi All,
Even though we still miss Roddy very much and talk about him all the time, we have taken the plunge and now have a new dog called Rudi.

Please feel free to visit his blog (link above) to find out how we are getting on.

Best regards to all Roddy's readers for Christmas and the New Year.

We have been thinking a lot about scattering Roddy's ashes on New Years day, in one of his favourite spots....just got to be sure we feel right and that it is the right spot.  We are going to let him go free.

Lots of love

Ian and Helen x

Rest In Peace Dear Roddy

Goodbye my friends

As I have enjoyed sharing my happy times with you, it seems only right that I should send out my own goodbye too.
The last few days have been a little tiring, but I have been surrounded by much love, care and attention.
Whilst my appetite has dwindled, the food offered to me has been delicious and I have done my best to eat it when I can.

I have had a life full of love and happy times and now it is time to rest.
Thanks for reading along over the years. Love Roddy x

Sitting on the landing.....

Hi there,
I do a lot of sitting and contemplating here, at the top of the stairs.  What to do next?  What to eat?  Where to snooze? 

I don't seem to be able to eat as well as I used to, so mum and dad have been trying adventurous new meals to excite me to eat!  Unfortunately, cook as they might - it's the simple foods that have been appealing the most: corned beef, sausage, heinz beany-sausages and beef and ham paste.
Yesterday the menu took a distinctly 'Friday night chip shop' turn, with jumbo sausage and fishcake - very nice.
Today I have eaten some tinned tuna (yummy!) and a little beany-sausage.
Its not that they don't feed me proper food - all the very best dog food, meat, vegetables and biscuit seem boring to me these days.  I really am becoming a fussy old man!
Still - life has never been so exciting when I approach the kitchen hungry.  At this stage, I now know that if I want to eat it and will eat it, I am allowed ANYTHING!

My poor nose!

Hi All,
I have been doing a bit of burying lately.  Don't really know why, but I have just got the urge on occasion to try and hide things.  A piece of food, a tennis ball.  Important things that I may need another time - just not now.

As you can just see from the photos, trying to bury a tennis ball in hard ground under a holly bush is not a good idea!
I took all the skin off the top of my nose and now have a cruddy pink scabby bit! I hope it goes back to shiny black.  After all, my lovely black nose is a feature of my handsome Labrador looks!

Sporty me!

During Easter we were quite busy really.  On the Saturday we played crazy golf in Cannon Hill Park. I was on the lead to prevent me widdling on the artificial green! It was fun watching the children though.

 Then on Easter Sunday, as is traditional in our road, we had egg and spoon races with our neighbours.  This involves real Cadbury creme eggs, so I remain on the lead - sadly.

However, I am a bit of a celebrity on my road and get lots of fuss and attention - sometimes enough to distract people from how close I am to their chocolate.  Notice here I am watching closely for any eggs that drop!

Easter Time

As I am playing catch-up with m activities during April, I must remember to tell you how nice it was to have my friends Katie and Sam to stay over Easter.  They are smashing fun and always have time for a friendly stroke and cuddle when an old dog needs one!

Highlight of the Peaks!

Oooh, I must say that one of the special treats I particularly like to recall from my holiday this year is the lovely icecream called Hope Valley.  We had been walking on the Tissington Trail and I was a bit tired out. The icecream perked me up!

Holiday in the Peaks

Hi everyone. Sorry I have not been blogging lately. I have been a little bit under the weather.  I have just been looking through my holiday snaps from March and remembering what a nice time we had at Derwent Dam, where there was a lovely memorial to Tip, the sheepdog who stayed with her master for 15 weeks after he had died.  Us dogs are very loyal, but crumbs... she must have been hungry!!!

Oooh Sunshine!

Hello everyone,
We had a lovely lazy hour in the sunshine yesterday.
After lunch, all three of us (mum, dad and me), sat outside for a while, (between the rain showers). 
They had their cups of tea and recipe books - planning something yummy no doubt........

.....and me, I was just enjoying the warm on my back and the sniffs on the breeze.

Oh, and I was also keeping an eye out for cheeky crows and pesky squirrels!

Sunny Days

Hello, hello! Doesn't it feel lovely to have the sun on your back and feel it warming you up! It certainly puts a spring in my step and a wag in my tail.
While my 'mom and dad' pottered around the garden in the sunshine, I enjoyed sunbathing......

....and chewing selected favourite tennis balls.

I found 2 new ones this week!  Things are definitely looking up!

Just pottering around......

Hi everyone.

 I am glad to say it's finally warmed up, after skating around everywhere over the last couple of weeks.  The only downside is how muddy I seem to get (hee, hee!).

Every weekend we do an extra special walk, visiting some of my favourite haunts from over the last 8 and a bit years.  Two weekends ago we went up The Lickeys and last weekend we went to Leasows Park. Both are wonderful for woodland walks, streams, sniffs and definitely plenty of mud!

I have to be careful that I don't overdo it though, as the following Monday I am quite tired out and I have to have an easier day.

Here I am pottering around in the park out the back of our house.  Just enjoying the sniffs and taking the air!

The joys of retirement! No haste, no speed, oh! and all the lovely food you get!

 Must go - its nearly tea time! xx

It is snowing!!

Hi all, I know we've only just spoken, but I'm very excited to tell you that I have just been out for my evening walk - in the snow!
After a cold -8°C last night, it is now a balmy -1°C. Perfect temperature for the white stuff to fall.
Who knows how deep it will be by the morning!

Right then, I am off back to my radiator until tea time. Brrr!

Late Risers

Afternoon all.
I have been a bit rubbish at sleeping through the night lately.  Mum  puts it down to me getting older and having a weaker bladder!
However I slept right through last night, which meant mum and dad got a really good night sleep and a lovely lie in this Saturday morning.

As usual at the weekend nowadays, I was let out for an early morning (8am ish) garden visit, which is followed by a breakfast snacklet - as I am peckish in the morning.  Then everyone goes back to bed for an hour or so.  Here I am snuggling up to the radiator in the back bedroom whilst they snuggle in bed with their cups of tea.
Everyone's happy.

Knowle Locks

Hello everyone, I hope you are all coping with the cold and wet weather!
I have been getting out and about over the last few weekends for some extra nice walks, including a visit to my old walking places where I used to live.  The sniffs brought back very happy memories of my youth!
Today was very cold, but bright and dry, so dad got the map out and we decided to go and find Knowle Locks.

It is mighty strange how water can go up 5 steps!  Very clever.
We stood and watched a boat go through the doors and the water go down a step at a time and off they then went. Brilliant.

I also met another dog who lived in a floating boat home! He said it was great fun and had a very waggy tail.
All in all a lovely afternoon out, followed by - yes you've guessed - a lovely snooze!

Happy New Year!

Hi Readers, I do hope that you have had a lovely Christmas and New Year break.
My mum and dad looked a bit grumpy getting up in the dark this morning to go back to work! 
I must admit however that I was ready to get back to normal really.  I'm all partied out!
All the best for 2012 xx.