Does Windows Live Write work?

Only one way to find out. And that is to publish a post!!!

Pictures of Disney and Google, the two West Highland White Terriers that share our house with us.

Wash day two years ago. The only time I could find pictures in which they were white!!!

First Google.

And then Disney.

Bottom of the bottom league

Oh dear.

The mighty greens are truly the strongest team in English League football. We are supporting the whole top four divisions on our shoulders!

Worryingly we have 13 games left to rectify (save!) the situation. Away today at Wimbledon. I was a little surprised to see the team bus leave Home Park at 16.15 hours. Not a lot of time to get to London I must say!

The boys (Disney and Google) and I headed out to Whitsands today. Low tide at 11.45 was ideal for us. They love the beach and a run and roll in the sand. It is lovely watching them. The rain held off and we had the whole beach to ourselves. People pay a fortune for what we did today, I really appreciate the area that we live in. Walk in the woods one day and the beach the next. Friday down by the river where the boys get to see all of their friends and run with whatever pack they form!!

Cross fingers for Argyle and see what the end of season brings!

Happy Christmas 2012 - the world is still here!

Sorry I have been away for so long. Waiting for the end of the world.

Have been messing about with my other blog. Trying to show my Galoob Micro Machine collection is proving a very long task. Feel free to have a look, just click the link on this blog.

The collection has taken up a fair bit of the little spare time I have. Getting a listing onto the blog has proved very difficult and I have had many hair pulling, computer out the window moments!

Well, tomorrow is Christmas Day and Ches has just found out that instead of working from 08.00 through to 20.30 she is only on duty from 15.30 to 17.30! Brilliant news. Many thanks to the families of the people she cares for. It means that we will have a reasonably normal family Christmas!

Tony, my brother down under, rang this morning. I explained that it has been a little wet over here and that the boys and I were about to head to Plymbridge for their daily walk and roll in the mud. He kindly informed me that it was sunny and 32 degrees in his part of the world. Yeah good one bro!!

Had a little chat to mum. She is a poorly lady but seems to be looking forward to Christmas.

Seem to have a fair number of family half way around the world. Anne and Tracey and family are gettin along fine. Lovely photo card from them. Doesn't seem that long ago that Tracey was using our stairs as a makeshift slide along with Cameron and Alice. Now she is a mum of two and Cameron is the new Chef to look out for! Alice is 14 going on 21!

My sister, Clare, is also down that part of the world, living in Sydney with hubby Brendan. Hope you get well soon mate by the way.

Well, must go as many things to do. Hope all reading this have a super Christmas and a great 2013!

Lottje picture

Forgot the picture of Lottje.

There you go.

E-maile between HR and me re terriers

Been naughty again and haven't got around to posting. Just been busy with a few projects that seem to be taking rather longer than I first thought!
HR and I had an exchange of e-mails concerning terriers. As you know we have a couple of Westies, Disney and Google, so HR feels I should be an expert on the subject. The boys and I went to Plymbridge again today, the top route by Wrigleys. On this route they use me as a formula one racing driver uses a pit crew. Just to top up on energy giving items, in this case doggy chews! Then off they go again into the bush.
Google hasn't quite got his sense of direction so Disney has to go off looking for him. He is getting better and I only lost him twice today! I know when he is lost as when we are reunited he comes running past me then does another couple of passes before being distracted back into the woods!
Anyway the e-mails as promised. HR and his new wife JJ are doggy sitting Lottje.

By the way I discovered the most useless expression to use to a Terrier today......."slow down..!"

Lotte does sit though.

By the way as an experienced Terrier person....where is the "off" switch ? !

We have had a great day.....ending with chasing balls and fallen apples in the garden.

Iwan did his best but it was like being on a bombing range if I threw balls for them......Iwan would trot off after the ball like a bomber,a t a gentlemanly pace .... when suddenly a grey streak like a Eurofighter...would swing curve past, out-flank him...steal the ball and run off with that expression of both sucess and possession which only Terriers have !!

I think her batteries are low becaiuse she is flaked on the matt beside me !

Unfortunately there is no “off” switch with these models.

If you use excessively you will find the batteries run down completely. However, due to what I can only think is a malfunction at the design stage, recharging is done at a remarkable rate.

We do find that, providing distractions are not present, batteries run down completely when the sun goes down. Do not provide any audio input at this stage as it will cause the motors to over compensate and turn the audio input into output at a tenfold ratio. You may be interested to note that the Doppler effect is quite noticeable with these models, especially when all else is quiet.

A secondary use for these models is an alarm clock. You can charge the whole block for this facility if you are able to persuade your neighbours that early rising is good for their health and wellbeing.

We hope you enjoy your flirtation with this model as ours bring us many hours of joy, especially if we are trying to watch any TV with an animal content!!

Hi again , and thank you for taking on themantle of "Terrier Help Desk".

I think terrier stuff this might be blog ,material  !
It makes a change from my monologues about flying and guns !!

Last night we watched TV and Lottje snuggled down on the sofa and this was only broken by a "launch" at Boots (the matriach mog) who decided to do Bruce Lee impressions at her as she went past.
I managed to arrest Lotje as she got her gear up and return her to the circuit ( I lied about not mentioning flying!).

At midnight we all settled (Joke,Iwan ,Lotje and me) in the slaapkamer; the cats had dispersed themselves out in the schuur (the utility area outside the back door) or up in the zolder (attic).

My attempt to lure Lotje off our bed and into her own failed because after a brief sitting and smiling exercise her springs took over and she would reappear beside me.
I discovered the next phase where she showed her latent burrowing instincts ! The covers were not enough and she dissappeared beneath the bedclothes; thankfully stopping and settling down after her tail dissappeared !

Joke is not impressed by any of this and blames me for it all.

So I settled down to a night with a live "Knuffeldier" (cuddly toy) and almost managed to avoid having my face washed again before we dozed off.

I hoped that (like cats) she would become too warm under the covers and move out ; but that didn`t happen until I got up to go to the loo at about 2 and disturbed the quilt.

At one point I descended to the use of chemical warfare... but that had no effect!

We went for our usual walk this morning and Lotje did impresions of a sidewinder on a piece of string ! Only changing pace to explode into the undergrowth...after a blackbird !

Iwan has a runny tummy (probably stress-related) ,so plods on as usual,but with an earlier than usual loo-stop in the bushes !
Lotje didn`t wait until we left our own territory and I now have a recovery and disposal job to do in the flowerbed !!

Overall though she is a lovely litle animal and would be ideal company. I just have to anticipate like mad !!

However I confess: I will be pleased when Ellen gets back from Turkey and I can give her back !!

Today is day two......and I see her small paws returning from the schuur....
End of e-mail correspondence.

You may recall that we had a lovely old Labrador, Holly. Now Labs are obedient creatures who anticipate your every whim and only exist to please. We went from that to getting a puppy Westie.

Westies very much have a mind of their own and want to know everything that is going on around them. Their definition of "around them" is a circle of about 100 metres. This makes walking in the woods an interesting experience. They want to be in about six places at once.

Val, my loving other half, did not take Disney out for walks in the woods. So when she thought he must be lonely and needed a sibling she didn't take the complication of dogs going in different directions into account. So we got Google. One year nine months down the line Google is now very confident and wears his explorers head with the same devil may care attitude as Disney. Makes for interesting walks!!!

This is different

I haven't published for a month or so, so thought I should let the world know what has been happening around here. I find that my blog has changed, or at least the way I get into it!
Hopefully there will not be any changes from a view point of view as this new set up has confused me no end!!
Still, life appears to be full of change nowadays. So what is another eh?
At home things are going along. Disney has been scratching and has taken his fur off in two places around his bum/tail area. One of my fellow dog walkers recommended NatPet, so we bought a bottle.
It appears to have worked. The loss of fur wasn't too bad but this stuff has stopped him scratching and biting in that area. He is also sleeping better at night!
It's like having kids at home again!!
We checked him out for fleas and gave him his monthly dose on the neck, I reckon he is bothered by pollen or something akin. Google doesn't appear to be suffering, although he does have a good sneeze when in the woods!!
Alice has now reached the age of 14. Amazingly she is a genius as she appears to know everything about everything! I can't remember being like that at her age - well, actually I can't remember anything at all nowadays!! Get to the top of the stairs and wonder why I set off in the first place!
Ches has had a good go at her flat. She has painted and papered her bedroom and painted the hall. I helped her with the garden, the whole place looks a lot better now. Not that it looked bad in the first place.
I am out to Ches and Al's place tomorrow to try and sort the Virgin Hub. First one kept cutting off from the Internet every so often. Virgin have sent another which I will try and connect tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Al went out to Plympton fair yesterday and some kind soul pinched her mobile. Annoying as she saved for a while and did extra chores to get money to buy her prized Blackberry. It was second hand when she bought it, but still pricey. Some Bastards around aren't there. Unfortunately she didn't know the IMEI code so we could only stop the charges on my account rather than freezing the phone.
Ches has been working all the hours sent again. Her line manager is poorly and Ches has been covering her shifts.
The DWP are playing silly buggers with her Bereavement Benefit claim. Don't understand the problem myself. When Mark sadly passed on they were married, they were separated but he still had a financial and moral obligation to Alice. The fact that he turned avoiding those responsibilities into an art form is, to my mind, immaterial.
I am getting along well with my Micro machine collection. Have set up a blog in which I intend to show pieces individually. One of the problems I have found since collecting is identifying individual pieces, there are just so many! I currently only have one I am not able to name, but will keep trying! Anyone know the name of a large hairy Star Wars beast, white with two horns set on top of the head? Two eyes, one nose and a normal mouth. Black toes.
Val has just sent me on a wild goose chase. Get the dogs in, she says. Note plural. Out I go and Google comes running in. I shout for Disney, no response. Down the steps at the end of the courtyard. No sign of him. Back into the house to find him sitting in front of Val!!! "Oh I meant Google not dogs" she says!!!!!!
Google is now in our bedroom attacking the sofa he sleeps on. I have told him when its destroyed he is on the floor - but he ignores me!!
Well, time to go. Ches is taking Alice around to Lin's where she is having a sleepover with Alisha. She hasn't been on a sleepover since ... oh... last night. She was at her friend Alice's. Two Alice's in one house - oh joy!!!

A message from HR

Thought you may like an update on HR and his new wife. He calls her Joke although that isn't her real name. A bit of in house humour I think!

Anyway they are both beginning to settle in as you can see. Our love goes to both of them.

The two cats we inherited froim Relianna (Speedy and Spanky) have relaxed and I fitted a cat flap which I then had to demonstrate with my head and a smile to encourege them to use it).

On the down-side : I have had to clean the areas scented by some local toms and have spent the last feew days smelling of Paco Rabanne and cats pee !

They have had  a free reign in the relatively short time the house has been unocupied ; but a few power-projections by me have re-established the territory.
They will be backed up by water from the hose and a super-soaker as appropriate ( feel free to put any of this on the blog by the way !).

I must admit the accelerated rust-streaks on my pillar drill and that all-pervading smell on a lot of the equipment which had been delivered by me in the van a few weeks ago really cheesed me off.

Joke is as happy as I could ever have hoped and there is a definite change in her demeanour when she comes here. She is relaxed at last.
Once we move from Sylvenne in Winsum it will definitely be a step into our future.

I asked if she would like to name the house and she immediately said "Carpe Diem". So we are going to get a name-plate made in slate or wood.
we are interpreting the expression in the context of "making the most of the day" ; or not wasting the day.

So lots of positives here in NL ; it`s a windy and greyish day but a happy one.

I will sign off cos my back is aching !

All the best,

Love Bob and Joke.

Google visits a beach for the first time



Look what we found!!

Disney in front. Google unsure.

This water is a lot bigger than the river we normally go too!

Wheeeee!!!!!

Disney has found something else

Disney having a roll

Race you!!!

What! I can't see anything.

Heeeee. This is great fun.

And the winner is....Google

Not sure I like the taste of this water

Next stop ....America

Catch me, catch me

See it's there again

Take us home dad. We are knackered.



Yesterday Google had his first visit to the beach. Disney had a super time remembering sand. A few photos show what a super time was had by two little boys!!

The Army were using the firing range so we couldn't go to the end. The boys were having too much fun to allow the sound of machine gun fire interrupt their day out!!