Connie the Conway's Maiden Voyage ...

 

Well Connie the Conway turned out far better than I anticipated. Until it went up, I was having nightmares about the canvas being in a terrible state. But it was fine! Two small holes in the roof, but it rained in the night and no leaks (except through a zipper that hadn't been properly covered when we were setting up, so our fault).

The nasty paisley cushions look very smart in their blue check covers and I even found co-ordinating blue and orange blankets for the bedrooms! It is now fully kitted out with our own equipment and ready for it's next outing - off to Sandringham for a short break next weekend. I just have a little shopping list for this week - pegging and window rubbers, metal buttons and replacement springs for the poles and fabsil to lubricate the poles.

My only gripe was the beds - I am used to a comfortable airbed and layers of blankets in my tent. And fairly level ground. We didn't check just how level the tent was last night and it wasn't - Al and I ended up slithering down the bed in the night, with the boys nearly slithering out of their own bunk! I know he thingks it a bit obsessive, but I am taking a spirit level with me next time. And some thin airbeds to go underneath the foam mattress - boy was that bed hard!

My latest project ...

Oops, is it really that long since I last blogged? *blushes* Well if you are reading this you deserve a medal for persistance in the face of very negligent blogging!

We discovered camping a few years ago and you will have seen previous posts showing our fabulous, huge tent. Well due to various factors (creeping age, need to take more short breaks instead of fewer long ones, need to include two mental spaniels on our hols etc) we started looking at the possibility of 'upgrading' to a trailer tent. Well we found this one on ebay, got it for a reasonable price and got it home. It needs a bit of work and TLC - hence it is a 'project'.
This was what we collected:
Decent canvas, green manky storage box (containing a broken fridge)

The trailer cover is ripped and holey and the kitchen unit was dirty, mouldy, with broken brake lights. I forgot to take a 'before' picture of the kitchen. This is it now cleaned up and bleached, with new brake lights. Ideally it needs new formica tops cutting, but that will have to wait a while.

The fabric is a pretty blue and orange/terracotta, but see that little strip of greyish paisley? That is the seat cushions, they have been recovered at some time in the past. Not a good match is it?

Work is in progress already - kitchen cleaned, new trailer cover arrived today, seats have been recovered, that manky storage box has been scrubbed to within an inch of it's life. Providing the weather holds we will take it to a local campsite this weekend and have a go at setting it up. More pictures will be taken and you will hopefully see it in all it's glory, rather than this sorry state! And 'it' needs a name. I don't know why but it does.

The Snow is back!

Oh I have been so bad about keeping this blog up to date! I do apologise if you do happen to venture on here for updates occasionally!

Anyway, we have had a new addition to the family. We enjoyed having a new dog so much, it seemed a shame not to find some company for her - especially as she didn't like being on her own at night. So we registered with some springer spaniel rescues (we had to be a bit more careful with this one - it is one thing bringing a single dog into the house, but a second dog has to be family and dog friendly!) At the beginning of December we heard about Ruby, went to visit, and 2 weeks ago she came to join the happy family.

She is another liver and white girl, 6 years old - 2 months younger than Candy! Very different circumstances to Candy's - Ruby was a much loved pet whose owner made the sad decision to part with her as she was having to work long hours and Rubes was being left alone far too much. In 2 short weeks she has become part of the furniture and has gone from a little pudding to a pocket rocket!

She sure likes her food - she has not learnt to be gentle yet and the boys have to watch their snacks (and their fingers!)

They get on very well together - lots of playing and racing but no overt affection. Two girls together was always going to be a bit touch and go! Hopefully that will improve with time - I can't wait till the day they actually snuggle up together!

She is far more spanielly than Candy - which just makes me think even more that Candy may actually be a sprollie! They are very different - but equally as gorgeous. Feels like we have had them forever!

It is nice to go on familiar walks and watch how they respond to their surroundings. Today it was Ruby's first time at Wistow - perfect on a sunny, snowy day. The ancient church of Wistan:

Across the fields to the canal - which was frozen!

Candy surprised me - she is the least confident of the two, but she braved the ice!

The boys had fun finding things to throw onto and trying to break the ice.

Finally managed to break a little bit at the side!

Making snow angels had to be tried as well.

Great way to tire out two boys!

We were very fortunate to be given a super duper dog crate when we collected Ruby. Very handy for the car, otherwise they climb about all over the place! Two bonny girls after their walk:

Butlins!

Now normally Butlins is not my idea of a good place to holiday! I hate slot machines, I hate Bingo and I hate 'organised' entertainment! Purely because I do like to get back to 'non' man made when I holiday - beach (for walking rather than lazing), forests or hills do it for me every time.

But Butlins at half term was a gift from Grandparents to the little boys and as hubby was working, I got to go too! It was actually much better than I thought it would be! So bear with me while I show you Butlins!

Firstly we had a gold appartment. Highly recommended! Having stayed in silver and standard appartments many years ago and vowed never again, this was very pleasant for a short break. And the pastel painted, clapboard chalets with planted areas even looked quite quaint! We got to dine in the Yacht Club restaurant - very good value and excellent food.
The boys obviously had a great time! They met some of their heroes and spent loads of time on the Bob the Builder rides! And the swimming was a great hit with the water slides and bubbles and waves. We even saw a couple of the shows, and very entertaining they were too!

But I had to drag us all to the beach at least once during the week. It was dry and sunny but incredibly windy - fabulous for beach walking! And Skegness does have rather lovely beaches.

The boys were not in the least bit bothered by the lack of entertainment - they dodged the waves; made sandcastles and beachcombed; running and hollering into the wind like mad things! It was wonderful! They did stop to admire the windmills way out at sea (we even managed a short lesson on electricity and wind farms!). I didn't take my camera when we visited Skegness itself, but there is another lovely beach there as well. I didn't manage to completely avoid the slot machines and bingo. But it didn't matter. We all had a lovely time. Thank you Mum and Dad! xxx

Autumn Glory

We bunked off church today! It was such a glorious day, there was only one place to go. Bradgate Park. After spending half term at Butlins with the boys, I needed to get out into the wide open spaces again!
The air had that semi crispness of autumn, the sky was blue as blue and the colour in the trees and bracken was stunning! The boys appreciated it too - they spent ages running and climbing up and around this rock.

Candy had a good run! When she is first let off the lead she really races around - then she settles down and starts to investigate the scents. Can you see her disappearing up the path?

We visited the ruins - the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey.

Sat on a bench by the river, soaked up some rays and admired the colours.

"OK, time to sit wiv me Dad"

"So what we lookin' for den?"

She did manage to play in the river, but I think she just prefers to be with her humans!

We have decided to look for another dog to keep her company, so on the way home we paid another visit to a couple of the rescue centres. Lots and lots of staffies and rotties but no gundogs. Maybe we are being too fussy, maybe we should consider a pup. Decisions decisions!

Dog walking and Hedge scrumping

I am rediscovering the joys of dog walking. Dennis was never one for long walks - and he was a monkey, preferring to run away from us rather than with us! And for the last couple of years he has hardly done more than a quick walk around the park under duress!
With Candy we are rediscovering old walks that we used to do with the retrievers. We are so lucky here to live within a 2 minute walk of open fields in any direction. And a 2 minute drive takes us to even more possibilities - rivers, canals and woods.
Candy investigates the bridge, not sure how to get across it yet:
Typical springer lollop - tail flying, tongue lolling, ears flapping - so much to see and so little time!

Time for a quick cool off in the river - just the feet, she didn't venture any deeper.

Have to check out the trough as well.

She is a joy to walk! Not brilliant at coming when called, but she doesn't run off far and although she loves to say hello to other dogs, she doesn't want to be seperated from us.

This evening though she blotted her copybook by sliding into a very fresh cowpat. Most of it got scooped up into her collar, the rest was smeared down her side. Lovely!! However she redeemed herself by standing stock still whilst I hosed and shampooed her in the garden. My own fault really - I was engrossed in picking sloes and blackberries and she got bored!

On the plus side, I have a huge haul of sloes ready for gin ( I would never have spotted that bush if it hadn't been for Candy!)

Dog Days ...

I have become very lazy in my blogging recently! I do apologise! I came to post about recent goings on and realised I never did share the finished pictures of Dans bedroom!
Anyway, here it is - although not quite finished (I never did get round to making bunting for his window - I might one day!) but his lighthouse is finished.
And we have the Normandie Express ferry racing across the wall as well. He has moved in and loves his new room. One day he might even get it finished!

Since then, we have had some rather sad happenings. Our little westie dog Dennis had to be put to sleep the other week. He had been slowing down for a while, back legs looking very stiff, and I just assumed it was a touch of arthritis. But then he deteriorated really quickly and was struggling to walk in a straight line and becoming incontinent. The vet diagnosed nerve damage and put him on valium. This cheered him up no end, but he still couldn't walk properly and was really beginning to struggle so we made the hard decision to let him go.

I was quite looking forward to the freedom of being dogless, but hubby had other ideas and so we did a tour of the local rescue centres last Monday.

I'm very pleased we did, because we found this little lady and brought her home with us.

Candy is a 6 year old Springer and she is adorable. She is an angel with the children - likes to sit and shake paws for a treat, and is very gentle. When in the house she just wants to be a couch potato! But get her out in the fields and she goes into full Springing mode and is great fun to watch.

However, she is also very fond of the chickens so we do have to keep them segregated. I don't know if she will ever be safe to be around them, but we will wait and see. In the meantime she spends many happy hours trying to figure out how to get into fort knox to play with them. Luckily their run is Springer proof, and they are very laid back about her attentions.
So it's back to daily doggie walks. Oh well, I suppose at least it will keep me fit!