Dog Sleepover

We are having a 4 day dog sleepover, and frankly it has been semi- chaos. Neddy and Lucy belong to my friends on the island who have International visitors, so have gone away for a few days. It's school holidays so you'd never get them into a kennel, and anyway, nobody likes sending their dogs to the kennel, me included. So I offered to look after them, and now that we have sorted a few things out, all is well.

Lucy (the big brown kelpie) is the top dog, and likes to make sure that Neddy doesn't have too much fun. Neddy is a maniac, who wakes up at 4.30 am and seems to keep on going til bedtime. I didn't quite believe them when they said he would be bringing me presents at 4.30am, but now I do. My fluffy slippers, Chloe's toys etc. Then failed attempts to get on the bed, then successful attempts landing on my head. So last night Ned and Chloe slept in the loungeroom, but I don't think Chloe was impressed being sent down there with him. They are friends though, and play together like fools part of the time. This is Chloe and Ned, with Chloe on Lucy's bed which I don't think she wants to give back.

Lucy and Simon slept with me, the first night it was one on either side with me squashed in the middle, but last night I insisted on having my own side, and there were no problems.

Feeding time rivaled the zoo, but now we have one feeding time for all dogs - no chance to be precious here! Then to cap it off, I walked them today. Ha ha ha. The good thing is that Lucy walks off the lead, but this means you have to be watching for the dog catcher. The other 3 were a joke, so it will be 2 dogs only tomorrow.

As for sewing - who has time after supervising this lot? Plus it's getting hot now, and all I feel like doing is lying down having dozy afternoon naps, which isn't good. The day's nearly over and I've hardly done a thing. Oh well, I suppose I should enjoy it while I can. Maybe I could do some sewing tonight. Maybe. If you have come this far, sorry about the lack of sewing content.

Heartstrings Blocks

It is pink month at Heartstrings, so today I made a couple of blocks to get me back into sewing. As the end of the month is rapidly approaching, it was a good motivator to get started. It's amazing how once you start something you soon feel like moving onto something else.

As I am cycling around between 3 projects at the moment, it isn't very thrilling to keep seeing more of the same everytime I make a few more blocks of something.

I really enjoy making the string blocks - the big String Quilt I made some time ago I did without a foundation, but this method isn't really that much extra work. It certainly makes the blocks stable, whereas the long panels of strings were a bit stretchy.

Nothing much else happening really, just the little trials of life. I went to the Mainland yesterday as I was feeling a bit stircrazy, plus I really needed some petrol for the Island car, and I wanted to register Chloe and to do this I had to go into the Council office. You only keep the minimum petrol in the Island car, as it isn't uncommon to have it siphoned if it is down at the jetty at night, and I tend to run with the fuel gauge on empty, just below empty, half below empty, getting pretty empty, and SH*T it could run out any minute. Well it was on the latter.

When you bring petrol over on the WaterBus the deckie puts it on the front deck as it isn't allowed in the boat. The big risk then of course is forgetting to get it from them and off it goes to the next island. I often sit there saying the "don't forget the petrol" mantra, but yesterday I met Kirsten on the boat and as we were getting off we were talking and I was offering her a lift. We got in the car, got a bit up the road, and the car stutters and stops. It's dark, and my first thought is sh*t I've run out of petrol, closely followed by SH*T I've left the petrol on the boat! Aaargggh.

It could have been worse - I was quite close to the jetty and the car did actually start again so I was able to go back. Poor Kirsten had to walk, and I had to wait 40 mins for the boat to come around again to get my fuel. I must get sewing, but Kenny is on TV tonight which is a must watch Australian film, so you know what I'll be doing...

Repairs Only

This is the only sewing I've been doing this week I'm afraid to say. This is Chloe's squeeky toy, which didn't last very long at all. She squeeked it for about 20mins til the squeeker was puntured, then started to rip the poor dog apart to get at the insides. I took it off her and got the squeeker out, and she was most upset. Then the stuffing started to be pulled out, so I will sew it up and see if there will be any more life in it, or if it has lost its appeal.

Chloe is doing well. For a 3 year old who has had 2 homes and ended up in the pound, she is a very good dog. She has dug up the garden a few times today to bury her bone, right where I had just planted some seeds, the little wretch! But she is out in the yard with me when I am gardening, and loves a walk. She is keen to play with other dogs as well, and has a great time with Neddy who lives up the road, when they get together.

Someone asked to see the Ute we hired to move some stuff. There is nothing too exciting about it, but here it is.

I've mainly been gardening this last few weeks as the weather is starting to get hot now even though it's only the 3rd week of spring. I've got to get as much done as I can before it's too hot to do it - it's going to be 31 deg C today. I've been planting things, and trying to grow a few veges. I've put a birdbath in but I haven't had any visitors in it yet. I've even put some bribery bird seed out, but no bird has fallen for it. I'm told that the birds will make sure the water source is going to be permanent before they start using it, so the pressure is on me to keep it full. They're testing me.

Chloe

This is Chloe, our new beagle girl. We are both exhausted having driven 11 hrs (including brief stops) on Friday and Monday, combined with the stress of staying at someone else's house (I'm much more comfortable at home). She was very good in the car though, and slept most of the way on her cushion in the crate.

We got home last night on the 6.40 pm Waterbus - she shook a little on the trip, but was starting to relax by the time we reached the island. Simon doesn't understand how Swampy could have changed so much in one night. He is behaving as though she were Swampy, and Chloe is doing her own thing. She slept part of the night on the bed and part in a dog bed, and had a growl this morning when she obviously thought to herself "how did I get to this strange place?"

For a rescue beagle she is very good so far, so I am waiting to see if there is a skeleton in her closet - as long as it isn't the ability to scale a 5 ft fence, the ability and desire to dig under it, or excessive howling and separation anxiety, I will consider myself very lucky. She is a pretty girl and very soft, she loves to play and likes squeeky toys.

We are having a very quiet day today. I'm doing the washing, a token amount of housework, and seriously considering an afternoon nap.

Simon is sitting back and watching to see what happens next. I've had a message from Shane - he and Swampy are out and about today, so that's good for her to get some stimulation. Hopefully all will be well...

Getting Late

I should be in bed - it's getting late and I have a big day planned for tomorrow. A friend and I are hiring a ute and will be picking up furniture, birdbaths, terracotta pots, 25kg bags of dog food, gypsum, downpipes and so forth to bring over on the barge.

Then on Friday I'll be driving down to Newcastle which is a 9 hour drive so I will be leaving at the Crack of Dawn. It's a fair way - I plan to make it in a day, but if I get tired I'll stop for the night. I'm staying the weekend with some friends and catching up with some others who will be driving north to see me, then all going well I will be coming home with a new beagle who will live with us. She is a rescue dog and is 3 yo. Swampy the cattle dog is going to move back to live with the Ex (she is his dog), and then I will have 2 beagles.

All paws crossed here for a compatible relationship between Simon and his new sister, but having spoken to her foster mother this week about her behaviour, I am hopeful.

So lots of organising going on, and not a lot of sewing. I have been making a few more of the string blocks from the previous 2 posts - I have done 17 now, and I have been working on the Repro 4 patch. Here are a few blocks pinned up. I like the pink, and realised after I had quickly snapped the photo that the quilt will be on point, so please turn your heads 45 deg to one side. I can see you doing that!

Better go to bed; I will be away 4 or 5 days, so will catch up then with all the exciting dog news (we hope). She has to like me I'm told, so she may choose someone else. But I know The Secret Way of the Beagle, and plan to have tasty biscuits in my pocket at our first meeting...

PS it's raining and my tank is over half full. Knew that would make your day ha!