Having fun with the camera

I mentioned in my last blog that whilst we were at the Two-Day Event over the weekend, my pal Ali and I took the opportunity to take some photos of the show-jumping and the cross-country course with our respective cameras. These are a few of the shots that I took and of which I am inordinately proud, particularly as I forgot to take my zoom lens and had to make the best of the standard 18-55mm lens that I had with me!

Another "conversation" blog

Went to a Two-Day Event and Country Fair this weekend. Ostensibly to raise funds for Greyhound Gap, but a little fun was had with the camera whilst there (more of that tomorrow). Sunday involved some lurcher and terrier racing so there was quite a lot of hounds to snog. Which was nice.

Lurchers come in all sizes, colours and degrees of hairiness, depending on their breeding. A lurcher will usually have a greyhound as one parent with a pastoral or terrier type as the other. A second-cross lurcher will have a lurcher as both parents. Yes, mongrels but mongrels that are a recognised "type". Yesterday a lady approached our stall with several lurchers that I had not seen the like of before. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Ooooh....they are beautiful! They look like a cross between a Whippet and a Borzoi" (remember I said that. It's important).

Lady, in that manner that dog-breeders reserve for someone who has just asked them what cross their very expensive pedigree pooch is: "Oh no, these are Silken Windhounds"

Me, having been momentarily lost for words: "Gosh"

So we got chatting and it turns out these Silken Windhounds are a newly recognised breed. In Slovenia.

Me: "So if they are a newly recognised breed, what is their history as I presume there is sighthound in there somewhere?"

Lady: "Oh yes, Whippet and Borzoi"

Umm....right. Didn't I say......? Obviously not the same thing at all. Silly me.

Anyway, they were stunning....even if a little odd choice of cross if you ask me. They are a little bigger than your average Whippet but with the beautiful curly silky coat of a Borzoi. This be them:

Out of proportion

The conversation tonight went something like this:

Me: "I really do not feel like cooking tonight"

OH: "Let's have fish and chips then"

Me: "Good idea"

OH: "What do you want? Fish, chips and curry sauce?"

Me: "Yes please"

I know it's naff but there is something about chip shop curry sauce that just sets fish and chips off just right.

OH: "Spring Roll?"

Me: "No, hold the spring roll. I'm not that hungry"

OH disappears off the chip shop and duly returns.

Me: "Where's my curry sauce?"

OH: "You said you didn't want any!"

Why is it that when you don't feel well, the smallest, inconsequential, thing can set off a major pissy fit?

Walk away from the computer

This morning you were going to get vitriolic blog about selfish men and idiotic people.

Instead, I stopped blogging and walked away from the keyboard. I poured myself a large, strong coffee, took some more Nurofen and Sudafed, and waited until I felt better. Now the headache has subsided and I don't feel quite so snappish, it's probably safe for me to venture out again. As long as no-one pushes their luck. But I'm not making any promises.

Nothing quite like a cold for making you lose patience with things you'd normally brush off.

Men can still be bloody selfish though.........

Anyway, in order to try and be a bit brighter and more cheerful, and to put myself in a more positive frame of mind, I thought I'd share three beautiful things - as suggested by flowerpot days on her blog:

My dogs - what more can I say? They make me laugh, make me cry, frighten me half to death sometimes but give me more joy than I can possibly express in words. They cuddle with me when I'm miserable, laugh with me when I'm happy and remind me that life should be lived for the moment.

Climbing into a bed made with freshly laundered linen, especially after a shower. Bliss!

A book in which you can lose yourself for hours and hours.

Do join in if you'd like!

I am not well.

It's official. I am a poorly bunny today. So poorly that OH was asked to walk The Lurchers this morning. I'm that poorly. Nothing to do with the fact that it's howling a gale and peeing down. Oh no. I am poorly.

I felt lousy last night with an aching throat and head. Lisa suggested it was just a release of stress after yesterday. I was inclined to think she was right and that a good night's sleep would put me right. Except I still feel lousy this morning, with blocked sinuses and the waves of dizziness that go with them to boot. I shall be brave and noble and make my way to work, in the vain hope they'll send me home again, even if only to stop the noise of my groans and sniffles from echoing around the office.

Not sure going on the bike is a good idea though. Dizziness and howling gales are probably not conducive to safe cycling.

And why, in the middle of August, is it howling a gale and peeing down? It's not right I tell you, it's not right.

Ho Hum. With emphasis on the hum.

We went camping this weekend. The annual clan camping trip.

I forgot to pack half the things I needed. Mugs are always useful to drink coffee out of don't you think?

Lurcher No.1 was stung by a bee on her gum on Friday evening. Much swelling. Much panicking when I realise that I don't have a phone number for a local vet, much less than that, I don't even know where the local vet is. Won't be going anywhere without that information again. Fortunately she was fine but I'd have been stymied if she had had an anaphylactic reaction.

Saturday afternoon it started to rain. That drizzly, damp, pervasive rain. And it stayed that way for just about all of the rest of the weekend. We braved the elements to have a BBQ and a bonfire once it got dark. But we had fun nonetheless.

Onto the humming. When we got home, I realised I'd forgotten to take something else with me. The meat I'd been defrosting for The Lurcher's supper on Friday night. It absolutely stunk! Nothing leaves a pervasive hum quite like rotten meat. Eewwww

Dakota, thank you for your comment on my last blog. I've had so many people wishing me well for today that I've been quite overwhelmed! I do know some lovely people! The scan went fine and the lady doing the scan was almost 100% sure that it was just a lymph node. It was just a pea-shaped lump and there didn't appear to be any irregularities in it's shape nor were there any blood vessels in it...both of which would be expected if it was cancerous. I'll know for definite when I go back to the clinic in a few weeks but, for now, cue a very large sigh of relief!

Pretty in Pink

OH has gone to his niece's 18th Birthday party this afternoon. The theme of the party is "Pink".

Most ordinary people would wear something pink. OH's ordinary side has done that - pink t-shirt and pink cowboy hat. His not so ordinary side has dyed pink the white in his beard. He kept meaning to try it and make sure it would washout but he never got round to it.

Tomorrow morning could be fun!


In other news.....

Life has been a mad whirl of waking up, walking hounds, going to work, walking hounds, going to sleep, waking up, walking hounds......with the odd visit to the vet in between.

Poor Wesley Presley has been through the mill a bit over the last few weeks. New home, straight in to the vets for de-nadding and two warts removed, back for check-up, back again for stitches out, microchipping and vaccinations, back again because he developed a reaction to the internal stitches and developed a small egg-sized lump. Then he goes back again on Tuesday for second vaccinations. The good news is that I think we have a lovely home lined up for him with a couple who live near me and who already have a beautiful 3-year old whippet. I'm going to miss this boy. A lot.

And we're already planning the next possible foster! Who said it was addictive....?

It's all a bit crappy really. PartTwo.

Details of "It's all a Bit Crappy Really" Part One here.

This time it's the turn of St George's hospital where I went yesterday for my regular check-up. Bloods were fine so that was good. Not so good is the small, pea-size lump I have noticed developing on the side of my neck. I had expected them to tell me it was normal and not to be concerned. Instead they whipped me down the corridor to make an appointment for an ultrasound.

It's probably absolutely nothing more than a slightly enlarged lymph node, which could be enlarged for a variety of reasons and much more likely to be from a harmless infection than to cancer.

But I can't but help be a bit concerned. This is the second scare in a year so please excuse me if I spend a day or two wallowing before putting it to the back of my mind before the scan on 21st August.