Due to unforseen problems caused by public access to this page, it is my displeasure to announce that I will no longer be blogging here. I have set up a brand new blog that can only be viewed by approved guests, in other words you will have to email me if you want to read it!...all ip's will be logged!
vixtravels2@hotmail.com
My new blog will also be closer to a diary, that this one has been, and will be much more personell. Proxy servers will NOT be able to gain access......sorry!!
Its been fun folks, but all good things must come to an end. I apologies to my genuine friends for the inconvienience!

*transmission ends*.............*blog terminated*...................

Pudding hasn't been well following our day out in Birmingham.....
He started nibbling at his back leg and he has obviously got something in there, but I have looked carefully and I can't find anything. He has licked it so badly though he has made a bald patch on one of his toes though, so Derek and I have been bathing it with salty water and disinfectant, and wrapping his leg in socks so he can't nibble it! Yesterday evening we considered taking him to the vets, but decided to give it one more day to see how it goes...fortunatly this morning he seems much more perkier, and in a better mood and he has just shared breakfast with me...he is now sat in the window waiting for "Nanny!"........
Last night on the phone mum asked if she could use the spa today as he back has been bad. I said ofcourse!! But the house is a tip at the moment so I had better get some housework done before she arrives at 12pm!! My spa is great for all kinds of aches and pains (including Derek!!) but this is the first time mum has actually asked to use it, so I think she must be bad. However, mum is a notorious hypercondriact and infact she is fitter than me!! But my spa does need a bit of work this morning before mum uses it at lunchtime. Last night, just before I got out of the spa I noticed some foaming and this usually indicates my water is not right, so I will have to do a water ph test and see what the problem is. Also I must top up the chlorine level and give it a run through, and all this while keeping an eye on my Pud to make sure he dosn't nibble that sock off!! All in all this will be a busy morning, but hopefully will be worth it. Our lunch is poached cod with chive mash and to cheer her up a bit more I have her favorite comiedian, Dave Allen on DVD!! Crikey!! I must sort some fresh towels also.........*zips off to do work*

Over the weekend we went to the British Briard Club fun day, at Bickenhill near Birmingham!!

We arrived shortly after 4pm and it was raining so we had to wait in the car for the rain to stop before we could set the tent up, in the far corner of the field which was "Briard Central!" There was loads of gorgeous champion Briards, mostly twice the size of Sirius, and as soon as we set to work putting up our medium sized tent, a delightful lady came over to invited us to do some fun agillity!! Fortunatly I had managed to explain to some via a forum that Sirius is a cross breed and not a proper Briard, but there were still many questions to be answered as to what he is crossed with!! We still don't know, but most were saying some kind of spaniel, then another lady came over quiet in awe at my Pud and she was a breeder who said he was possibly a very rare breed of European sheep-dog! Many said "does he heard?" Oh yes!! I had said as Sirius does indeed hurd me and Derek together and its worse if Mum is about...if Derek and I are not together he sulks and sits grumbling too himself...Anyway here is a short video I took on my pod of my baby's attempt at the fun agillity!! Sorry for the quality! It was raining and Derek got in the way too!!



After this we carried on organising the tent and our stuff and later we were invited to a quiz, and the evening had a delightful "doggie rave" air!! I nearly fell off my chair in shock though when one lady announced over a megga-phone that the winner of the fun agillity for the non Briard was........SIRIUS!!! Derek and my pud went to collect his prize which was a an excellent "dog walkers companion" featuring water carrier, travel bowl, treats pouch and play bone all in one delightful package!! I had not expected that!! There were other non Briard dogs at the event who were much better behaved that my hell-raiser pudding!! Anyway we joined in the quiz but it was getting late and pudding was restless so I took him back to our tent, and left Derek drinking with his new quiz team mates. When Derek didn't come back for half an hour, Sirius was certainly getting irritated, but much to my relife he appeared shortly after slightly tiddled!! We soon settled down into a comfy and very cosey nights sleep!!
The next day at the event was strictly "Briard champions only" and a proper dog show, where a lot more people appeared and indeed more dogs. We took a short drive for breakfast and then came back to see the rest of the show!! The Briards were truly magnificent!! But as it was hot, Sirius was becoming restless again, and I think he was getting quite spooked as he had never seen so many people and dogs before!!! Indeed when we got back and got to bed last night, he was certainly not himself and kept us awake for a while panting and grumbling. I think he was just a bit overwhelmed by it all, and if we go to another doggie day out I feel he would be better off at a smaller event. It was, however, a superb day and will be long remembered!!

What would I put in "Room 101"?....mmmmm.....thinks........

4x4's and people carriers

my mother's hypocondria!

intolerant anti-smokers!

over-sized baby buggies!

crap daytime TV!

reality TV shows!

someone's got talent, shows!

charity adverts!

Trendy over-priced sports drinks!

The England football team!

Katie Price!

..........ok....really do need some retail therapy now!!! *blinks*

Just looking back over my blog and I have only just realised I have made much of the hard work involved in having a spa....and absolutly nothing about how nice it is!!
As we come to the time of the year when the darker nights are coming in, I have been adding lights and candles to my spa's gazebo and the ambience the lights create is stunning!! I got some Chinese lantern type "string" lights from ebay that are solar powered and they are delightful, along with a small camping lamp and tea candles set in free standing lanterns....even on a trip to TK Maxx recently I found a gorgeous, Veniceian Jester mask, very ornate and beautifully decorated, and I have set that in the gazebo with a light behind it to shine through the eyes!!! (I always like the macarbe!) Also privacy is paramount with my camping curtians covering the windows of the gazebo...
Now because of my very "time aware" dog, my evening spa has turned into something of a routine, as Sirius gets more and more restless as 9pm approaches!! Even from 8pm he will sit under my chair in he living room, and if I dont show signes of making ready he will begin grumbling and pawing, untill I move...so it goes as follows:

4pm....switch on spa to begin heating for the evening! The lid holds a lot of the heat in but I need the extra time to get it up to 39 degrees!!

8pm....water garden if we have had no rain. I have two massive tomato plants and some 6 foot high sunflowers as well as others!

8:30pm....change into swimwear and gown, fill Sirius water bowl, and bring treats into the gazebo

8:45pm.....prepare supper, open port, and prepare mp3 with waterproof headphones!!

9pm......Sink into hot steamy bubbles, give Sirius his snacks and chill out listening to fav tunez!!

Very regimented isen't it? muhahahahahaha!!! ...and needless to say I will be late tonight as I am writing this!!....But its not the same every night and some nights I dont have a spa at all. Perhaps the weather is too cold or I have just done a water change when it will need a full 10 hours to re-heat!! or even if I can't be bothered at all or Derek will use it, or both of us! but Sirius will still want his snacks!! But saying that though, Sirius seems to like the spa as when I get in he likes to lay next to it and watch the garden!!
Ok...gotta go.....his lordship, Sirius is waiting!! :)