Menodiddly; This And That

Slightly limbo this past week. The Grey went in for his service last week, which went well, although there are some repairs that require attending, which requires parts to be ordered. I am preparing this post on Tuesday and still no word. Slightly concerning, because until the repairs are done, his first official MOT (roadworthiness) can't be performed, and the deadline for that is tomorrow! I am hoping that as you read this, things have moved or are about to.

Anyway, whilst waiting for all that, I've been doing my usual, listening, watching, reading, yarning... got a bit more done on WIPs as per my post on Saturday Stitches, but also, being me, working new projects, too. Like this...

Say what?! Read all about that one on the upcoming stitches post.

I received the following update from the Lake District... oor wee pal has been undergoing some spring shenanigans, it seems!

I hope the wee lad didn't have too much of a hangover from that! 

While on the subject of dogs, I had some disappointing news about my current guide dog sponsor pup.

There was a bit more spiel than that, but that's the essential stuff. As compensation for the ongoing sponsorship, I have had a substitute puppy assigned, who is at a similar level as Buttons, in that she is due to go to full training. Once the pups are at training, there is usually only one, at most two, further pupdates, before then being signed off and then a new puppy comes my way again. I believe there is to be a full pupdate for Clover, coming up in June, so will share a bit more about her then. Meanwhile, isn't she pretty?

Menopdate; A Bit Behind

Last month, I received a couple of little updates from Nobby... I know that several of you will have seen this as you follow him on his new book of phisogs address. However, I also know that a few, like me, have resisted that platform, so here we read about Nobby and Dru having raised some funds for charity (well done to them!), and more recently, Nobby's latest coiffure...

Smart, spring cut, I think we can all agree. Sorry that I am a bit behind with posting these... I feel a bit behind myself in general. Spring has been so slow to start here - one might say, elusive to non-existent. There have been bursts of brightness on occasions, and when the sun has appeared, there is some real warmth with it (breaking into double figures, just). The snow, graupel, sleet, gales, a prodigious amount of rain, and, incredibly, on Sunday, there was the most incredible thunder and lightning. Not something one expects in temperatures hovering around freezing. This little article was informative.

So, spring is a bit behind, too. The daffodils out in the backyard barely got their yellow glowing before the big storms hit at the start of the month. Very poor showing. 

Anyhoo - that's all for today. Soon the week will be behind me, and I'll be wondering yet again what I have to show for it. Although I did have a big spring clean in the kitchen last week and this week have been learning some new knitting technique. Not entirely unproductive...

Menomoria - And An Etherwobble

Twelve months since Gail's passing. At once it seems like yesterday, yet so very long ago... Still deeply missed.

Meanwhile, Nobby may not be missing Gail quite so much, if this latest little message is anything to go by!

Now, apropos the intermutts... is anybody else having trouble with the timely arrival of friends' blog posts on their readers? I am discovering that quite a few posts are getting missed because they are not arriving. I know others have been having issues with comments. Then, when updating my profile picture, I discovered that my profile only showed Nobby's blog under my name, not my own! Sortable, but what a pain. Clearly, there has been some more tinkering going on under the hood.

Anyway, if I don't seem to be commenting at my usual sort of time on any of your posts, please don't fret - I'll find you eventually.

Love you all!

MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly

...and if Love comes in the form of feeding, then our dear wee pal, Nobby, can be relied upon to make a feast! For those of you who signed up at the book of faces page Dru set up for Nobby, you'll know this already...

Menoffagin; Last Day SotB

Rounding up the posts on my visit south of the border... (not including all the animal posts that will appear hereafter!)

Saturday morning dawned a little chill and damp, but not enough to prevent Dru from taking me to Levens Hall Gardens. Even if the name is not familiar to you, the images of topiary will surely ring a bell, for you will have almost certainly seen photographs from this place. It is world-famous. 

The hall itself is of the Elizabethan period and, I'm sure, would be worth a visit at some point, but as you know, it is the gardens I greatly enjoy.

The topiary is not of animals or other plants, but more fantastical - of an Alice In Wonderland quality. First trimmed into the various geometric shapes in the 1690s, using Box and Yew, the topiary remains pretty much unchanged. The height and depth of some of the growth is awe-inspiring, and when you add in the underplantings of some ancient flowering plants, this garden could truly be termed 'enchanting'!

I have five more lovely piccies, but you will see them in a Tuesday post in a few weeks (otherwise this will turn into a default Views post!). Suffice to say we thoroughly enjoyed our early autumn walk through this delightful place, chatting with a few of the other visitors, then dropping into the house bakery, where I purchased some eNORMous cheese scones and a sourdough loaf.

Then we took another short drive to the town of Milnthorpe so that Dru could pick up a parcel from the post office, and we dropped into the local supermarket for some basics like butter and milk. I stocked up just enough to keep me going for a few days, until I could do a full grocery run.

Back at home, we got stuck into those scrumptious scones with a cuppa and combined that with a lateish lunch/early tea arrangement. Dru and Stephen were to attend a wedding at four in the afternoon, so Nobby and I had personal time once again, which was lovely. At seven, I locked the door, and he went to his cage. I heard the carousers return a little before eleven.

Sunday morning was farewell time... We sat around another lingering cuppa and doggy cuddles were had...

We worked our way down to the gate little by little, as you do when parting is bittersweet. Dru caught one last 'selfie' of me...

There were mutterings of "you can stay longer if you wish", which was most generous (and tempting!), but I really needed to get headed back north as other things were looming and requiring attention.

Without a doubt, I will return to visit them at some point next year. I fired up the battery, and The Grey and I drifted away toward the North Yorkshire moors, taking our time and revelling in the damp and misty moodiness they offer. Teesdale in particular held much appeal, then up through the Northumberland National Park to my reserved parking spot at Corbridge Rugby Club. I had two nights there (in heavy rain), before continuing up the A68 and on to Hawick. Back on home turf!

Menoffuurrringgg...Animal Overdose

Picking up on the recent visit to Nobby and co, and the day out at Westmorland Show. I mentioned sheep... I warned of sheep... There was definitely an overdose of sheep! I am sad that I didn't get to the alpacas and goats. This all gave me the thought that I will have to ensure I am there next year and, what's more, be ready for the physical drain.

You see, I am a solitary sort of soul, for the most part. Being among crowds, surrounded by noise, covering a considerable distance, and interacting is definitely a buzz, but it takes its toll. 

And boy, did I do some interacting, mainly with the animals, but also quite a few folk. While going around the sheep pens, I met up with Isla, a very enthusiastic Border Collie puppy... she and I had a lot of interaction, and her peeps were quite happy to share her with me. See for yourself - did I come away happy?

Just ever so slightly! There is no doubt that I was in some sort of heaven. Dru said to me several times that I was clearly enjoying myself. It wasn't until she kindly shared all the photos she took of me that I could recognise the change in my own face. This was a day which spoke deeply to my roots...

I hadn't quite realised the impact myself. Being able to talk to a few of the farmers also brought back memories and reminded me how much a part of my DNA this life is. The girl may leave the country, but the country will never leave her.

Up at the members' marquee, Dru enjoyed looking back over the photos she'd taken, we watched the Driving Assessments, and I met a few more locals... the gentleman you see beside me was a long-time friend of Stephen's dad, and is in his 90s. Fit as a fiddle - and a bit of a flirt!

Following lunch, Dru and I had a visit to the cattle tents. There wasn't quite so much to see there, as the main cattle event was the next day... but there are plenty of photos, and as previously threatened, I'll be sharing them in future posts after the sheep - but here are a few to whet your interest.

By four o'clock, I was quite ready to go home. Dru had noticed that I was fading a bit. This had been my fourth day in a row of being 'switched full on' and, sure enough, I woke on Thursday morning feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. The CFS kicked in, and all I needed was a quiet day to myself. This was no problem, as S and D had to attend the show for the second day anyway, and this meant that I could simply rest and recuperate. I had healing balm of me-time with Nobby, which helped!

Don't let those sunny shots fool you, though. On this day, the weather truly broke, and there was a lot of rain; however, there were these amazing little breaks in between the strong showers, and we made the most of them.

On Friday, we simply socialised together, did some work individually, took a drive out for a bit of a view of Morcombe Bay, and some of the very pretty wee towns in the area. 

Saturday morning found Dru and me doing something else... for that, keep watch for next Thursday's post!

Menolgent; Indulging In Indulgence

...if that title reads like 'overindulgence', that wouldn't be entirely wrong. There was a touch of overwhelm due to the joy of my visit South of the Border... You all have had intimations and glimpses in earlier posts. Here begins the tale proper of my time with Nobby and his peeps, Stephen and Drusilla. It's going to be more than one post - and you ARE going to get a lot of sheep. Take that as fair warning.

Having wound my way through the narrow Lakeland byways to the wonderful home where Nobby now resides, I was welcomed immediately with a cuppa and biccies on the verandah. You saw the photos from that in Tuesday's post. Nobby did his familiar hop, skip and run around the yard before making a beeline for my lap. That he was so quick to recognise me and seek that closeness brought a lump to my throat, as you may imagine. The 87 kissies made sure I felt truly loved by him. (You can see that shot at the bottom of his last post, if you haven't seen it already.) He's a generous pupster, though, and made sure that S and D got their share of cuddles, too. 

The Grey was parked in the drive beside the garage, and I opted to continue sleeping in the van, but shared meals and lots of conversation time with the peeps, as well as a good amount of play time with Nobby. The yard around the house is extensive, including an orchard area, a water-feature area, the main garden lawn, and the bit that I termed the lower paddock, giving S and D the giggles, as they'd not thought of it that way. It's enormous, though, and would make good agistment for a small pony. As it is, it is a perfect park to play with pooches!

I felt most honoured when Stephen prepared our first meal together, taking into account my dietary requirements: cauliflower 'steaks' with a cashew masala sauce. He's an excellent cook - his sourdough bread is scrumptious, and his garlic-free hummus was like butter. He even prepared a little vase of Sweetpeas for me to decorate the van whilst staying there!

Spoiled, or what? I did not lack for stimulating discussions, some good laughs, proper 'getting to know you' moments, and such open-heartedness. We acknowledged that Gail had known what she was doing when seeking a place for Nobby to go - and that we felt comfortable building on the connection. I will add that Dru is equally good a cook, and her sweet potato and pumpkin curry the next day was every bit as delicious. On Friday, I added one of my paneer dishes to the table... safe to say, we all enjoyed our meal times.

Now, on the first evening (Tuesday), I was advised that there was a special day ahead... I was to accompany them as their guest to the Westmorland County Show. This proved to be one of the best days I've had in a long time! SHEEP!!! I love cattle and other animals, but sheep... Long-termers, here may recall that on my mother's side, we have a long line of shepherds (five generations that we account for, and likely more). My mother never lost her love of sheep, and more specifically, wool, being one who could wield the shears, take the fleece and work it all the way through to finished garment - and win ribbons and rosettes at any shows she submitted to. The spinning lark never quite grabbed me, though I greatly admire the skill, and I do have an appreciation for fine yarns, as well as the wool on the backs of the animals that produce it.

I will be sharing some of my sheep shots over the next few Nature Friday posts. The ones you see above are Lonk, a large hill breed (read more about them), with excellent wool quality. 

Dru had expressed an interest and stayed with me the two and a half hours I spent going around all the pens, digging my fingers into fleeces and checking out formation... After her several years of attendance, it was only now, as I told her what was going on, that she realised how the judging was being run, including the 'feeling of the tups'... and no sooner had I explained this than we spotted a judge working his way under the tail of a Leicester Ram! She had also not known how the wool fibre was assessed, so there was a quick lesson from yours truly about staple length, crimp, colour and so forth. 

If I'm brutally honest, I hadn't realised how much of this information I had retained all these years!!! I recall some of it from my grandfather, a lot from my mother, a good bit from attending a fleecing course in Australia, as well as what I had to learn when I worked for the East of Scotland College of Agriculture. It has been an age since I last attended a country show, and I was having the time of my life. 

But let me leave this here for now and pick it up again next Thursday, with a little bit more from the show and some more Nobby shots. As mentioned, there will be sheep features for NF, sharing breed info and, hopefully, bring an appreciation you may not have realised you had! That might be followed by some cattle cuties. Jus' sayin'... Let's finish with an action shot of some Ryelands being judged.

Me-Now-Views; Less Speak More Peek

I was presented with a plethora of 'selfie' portraits by my hostess SotB - too many to put in the newsy post that is coming up on Thursday, so I am indulging in sharing them here, because I know there will be some oohs and aahs around the globe! The first few are at arrival, getting reacquainted, then there was the Westmorland Show...