Keep the Home Fires Burning!!

Feb 10

Keep the Home Fires Burning!!

Hi, sorry for the delay in posting the pictures of the fund raising night, I have been so busy looking for wood to burn on the wood-burning stove, then getting it home, and chopped-up. Winter is really hard, the dogs hate going out in the cold and rain, this Winter has been really unusually cold, the mountains around have a couple of meters , of snow on their summits.

I try to keep a stove burning most of the time in the really big room I have where some of the dogs sleep always, now I have moved almost everyone in there so they can lay around the stove. I know I'm crazy, but I know I hate to be cold and I know they feel the same.

Except for Simon, the Cooker Spaniel, he loves to swim, and even freezing temperatures don't deter him. This last week has seen him in the water at least 5. times. He had a long shaggy coat for the winter, but it was not even drying out, and he would sit there shivering, so one afternoon I set about

giving him a "haircut"!!       Usually I have terrible problems with him, he hates the scissors, and I have to put a muzzle on him.

This time was different, he actually wanted to be clipped.   As i made a start on his face he kept holding up his paws, he was determined that his feet were done! He had horrible wedges of fur caked with mud between his toes, he was so happy to be rid of them.

The whole process took hours, but at the end he was looking lovely, if a bit like a shorn sheep!

He is now able to swim and dry off quickly afterwards. But he is still just as crazy!!

Today, Sunday is a bit milder thank goodness, but it is absolutely pouring with rain. Like stair-rods!

The dogs took one look outside and immediately headed back to the blankets by the fire.

It has not even got properly light yet, a great greyish blanket of cloud is hanging over the mountains, it looks like there will be a lot more snow.

But thankfully not here in the village, we have only once had snow since I have been here, (19. years.) and that was 2, years ago, and only a few flurries, pretty to see, and a change after all the wonderful sunny days we usually have, but this Winter has been really horrible, and we (the animals and me!) are really ready for the Spring sunshine.

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