A Walk Near Hoddom

Rob, Brock and I had a lovely walk on Sunday, around the Hoddom estate, along the River Annan, around small back roads, and back to the car park (about 3+ miles).

 Eagle swooping on a salmon, wood carving

Repentance Tower
 

Brock meets a tall, new friend

Trees on the golf course, with Hoddom Castle seen at right

Beautiful, old tree

There was a children's bicycle race event on, around The Castle grounds, so we had to make a slight detour back round the golf course rather than through the woodland.

A Trip To Alnmouth

Rob, Brock and I had a few hours at Alnmouth, Northumberland on Wednesday.

It is a very attractive seaside village, with a marina, golf course, lots of restaurants, pubs, hotels and cafés (for its size). There are also a few gift shops and delis to browse in.

We enjoyed lunch at The Red Lion Inn: a 'starter' of crisps, followed by Stilton and red onion sandwich for Rob; omelet and salad garnish for me. (The latter was a special request that they kindly cooked for me, since they didn't have any vegetarian, gluten free dishes listed on the menu.) The food was tasty, and it was a nice place to sit and relax. I see from their website that they do Bed and Breakfast, and also have a beer garden overlooking the sea, which we didn't spot. The Inn allows dogs into the bar area and beer garden, which is useful if you happen to have one with you.

[Click on any photo to see a larger version.]

Next we had a walk on the beach, which is beautiful: wide sandy expanses and very few people, even on a sunny day in August.

Brock found a new friend to play with: Becky.

We enjoyed an ice cream and Brock showed quite a bit of interest in getting some. And succeeded.

The nearby market town of Alnwick is also worth a visit for the shops, Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle.

Brock's New Fur Cut: Before and After Shots

Brock had his first fur cut today (apart from the trim Rob gave him with the scissors last Summer). He looks like a new dog. And we can finally see his little stumpy tail.

Brock

Here are some photos that my Mum took of Brock last week.

Brock is a Patterdale - Jack Russell cross (PatterJack, as we have taken to calling the mix!). He is 2.5 years old and had previously been kept on a farm in an outdoor run with little human contact. When he was first taken to the rescue centre he was scared of people, but the volunteers brought him round after three weeks of walking, play and care.

He came from The West Cumbria dog rescue centre, based in Workington. There are lots of other lovely dogs waiting for homes.

Brock is a wonderful little dog: he loves walks, playing with his toys, fetching a ball, running round and round the garden, meeting other dogs, training, and getting lots of tickles and attention on the sofa.

Canine Companions Folksy Front Page

I have been lucky enough to have my 'Canine Companions' Pinterest Board picked to feature on the Folksy.com front page today.

Here is what it looks like:-

Visit Folksy.com here for these and other handmade goodies made in the UK.

Happy Birthday Henry

A belated Happy Birthday to Henry who was 16 years old on 11 August 2011.

Here is an EtsyVeg Team Treasury to celebrate all things canine.

Click on the picture to see a larger version, or click here to find out more about the individual items and makers.

Pets Update

Here are two recent photos my husband took of Mabel (above) and Cleo (below). To hear about their latest antics, please visit the EtsyVeg Blog where they are 'Pets of The Week'. To read about when we first got the girls and to pick up a few tips about keeping chickens as pets, please click here.

Our lovely Staffie cross, Henry, was 14 years old on 11 August 2009. Here he is on a recent walk showing off his cute, wonky smile.