Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Thanks @Victoria. I don't usually post on chatty threads, I like keeping to garden ones which I will still do. However I tend not to join in much at all, and even miss lots of the garden threads - forums are not central to my life.

 

Many of the Gardeners' World people are chatty and there was a bit called "The Potting Shed" with different threads where people chatted about daily life, crafts - about anything that wasn't really gardening. Like that we got to know each other and sometimes arranged meetings, like looking around a garden together. However, not everyone was like that and there were many who just posted on Gardening threads. For those who chatted every day it was a big shock suddenly being told we wouldn't be able to anymore.

There was also very big Rose thread with lots of posters who sent their rose photos and gave a lot of advice about roses. I've seen one of them here, but posting under a different name. I wonder what has happened to them all?

 

@Dovefromabove, thanks for the message on the other site, they were the first band I saw at uni. in 1976. Happy memories, a band every Friday in the Union building, and in those days quite large bands were on.

 

Looks like the GW forum is now closed to new posts, although I was still able to ‘like’ a couple of the recent ones. So it’s goodbye to all that. I might pop in during the next week just in case I get any messages, but as from now, I’m going to be a regular on here.

I am going to need slimmer fingers though! I think OH has a stylus/ pen thingy I can purloin, which will make it easier to press the correct like / agree/ friendly button at first attempt! And the go-to-top button, although I may need to upgrade my reading glasses as well.
Delighted to have this new ‘home’ to visit, and very grateful for the warm welcome.

 

Afternoon all.
Thank-you for identifying the self-seeded poppies @Punkdoc Hope you are sleeping well, and that the plague of rats abates.
My best wishes to your Brother, and also to your OH @lizzie27
I hope all goes well at work for you @Debs64
Hopefully your shoulder problem will subside, or the osteopath will be able to help you @KayJ

Last night's rain has given way to a bright sunny day with a keen Northerly wind. I'm now hoping that last year's leftover hardy annual seeds which I have recently ineptly sown will germinate.

Have a wonderful afternoon folks.

 

Ah thank you to those who want to know about Dazzle and scentwork. She's my working cocker spaniel, nearly 14 now and pretty much deaf but still very active....if a little forgetful now and then....
Scentwork has become a big dog sport in recent years, great for all breeds/shapes and sizes, for dogs/owners who are less than mobile, or too young for other dog sports, or just want something that they enjoy.....sniffing! It involves teaching the dog to search out specific scents...we start with clove and go on to gun oil and truffle oil in the higher levels. Other organisations may use other scents....I know one uses catnip. We hide the scent (on bits of cloth) around objects or in crevices in rooms or walls, and the dog has to find them and indicate where it is. The dogs love it, as it gives them an opportunity to use a natural behaviour and sniffing is very rewarding for them. All taught with kindness and rewards of course!
There are competitions (or trials) too, in the various organisations....we used to compete but Covid pretty much did for us, as it did for the agility that we also used to compete in at a high level. By the time things returned to normal, she was too old and unfit to go back to agility (and so was I!), and I'd lost the competitive edge for scent work, so we just go for fun and a natter now.

If anyone is interested, heres are some links to the main organisations, you can get a flavour of what it's about from these:

SWUK Home - Scentwork UK
NoseworkGames – Nosework competitions and assessments for super sniffers

 

@KayJ thank you so much for that explanation. That work must be a real enrichment for Dazzle's life bless her. She sounds a grand old lady. I was aware of the use of sniffer dogs for all sorts of prohibited substances but had little real knowledge of how these clever animals learned their trade. I do believe that it is all a game to them.

 

@Ladybird4 yes, we teach them in exactly the same way the sniffer dogs are taught, all for games or treats, whichever the dog wants most. It's great fun for pet dogs, some of the organisations make their searches more like real life ones, in big outdoor areas....I know a local trainer who puts on scent sessions at places like farms, air museums, sports grounds....we tend to stick to village halls...
One of the nice things about it is that the dog is the expert...we can't smell the hides, and if we don't know where they are (which we usually don't) we have to trust the dog to tell us....so they're in charge!

 

@KayJ this is when we have to bow to our superiors

 

@KayJ - Dazzle looks adorable (soft spot for cockers here) and I love to see disciplined working dogs - what an achievement and lovely thing for you both!

 

@Ladybird4 indeed!

@AuntyRach she has been a dog of a lifetime....the first cocker I've had (had german shepherds and border collies previously), a brilliant partner for agility and anything else we wanted to do. We have had so much fun together and it's hard to see her getting old. She will be my last dog though - if I'd been going to get another it would probably have been 6 years ago when I lost my last border collie - but she isn't very tolerant of other dogs so it was never on the cards, and I don't have the energy to start again once she is gone.

 

@KayJ , I have had two awesome GSD in my life, both got obedience titles. So precious they were. But, sadly, no more dogs for me either, it takes a lot of time and energy to develop a socially appropriate "large" dog that can go anywhere and be awesome. Maybe one day a small mixed rescue . But for now we just lost our last cat, she was 19. So we can travel more and stay away longer without any guilt.

 

So sorry for your loss @redstar, we had ours for 17 years but I still miss him so much.

Thanks folks, for all your good wishes for my brother, much appreciated and comforting. He was okay by the time I went to bed last night and I haven't yet heard any different today so no news is good news.
OH had his minor surgical procedure, took an hour, longer than we had anticipated, six stitches and 3 internals so I had to drive him home, after I'd treated him to lunch at the GC. Didn't get the growbag as he mustn't lift anything for a few days and neither can I. He's only! been waiting since last October to have it done and couldn't have the hip op until that was sorted.

My sympathies with your shoulder problem @KayJ - I know how much that hurts!

Are you going to post the photo entries on here @redstar? Look forward to seeing them if so.

Now you can get on with life @Punkdoc, and I do hope the rats stay away. That would really freak me out, they are bad enough in the garden.