Walking To The Stones

Dear All

It's been a beautiful day. Very windy but very sunny

We went up to the stones at the edge of Mixlow. It must be understood that the stones are not ancient. They were put up by the local builder and there is certainly no sacred grove leading up to them but it is a very nice quiet space and a good focal point to a walk.

We found this man - made lake on the way which I thought was rather lovely

But onwards with our walk

Ah here we are

Oooh lets have a lie down

Ok we've seen them, let's go home

Sharing the red sofa with my mistress and a cup of tea

You may remember we were going to get a camera this week. My mistress did go to the local camera shop to look at some but there was so much choice that she left without making a decision. Too much info from an over - keen sales assistant, always off putting. So we used Himself's phone Any ideas for a good,basic digital camera - that doesn't cost the earth.

It has been a busy week again and my mistress had to fight to get time to look at her herbs. Some of the mint had even wilted through need of attention, including the chocolate mint but she saved it and managed to plant new mint which she bought in Saffron Waldon while visiting a friend (sorry no pictures since her phone camera is still out of order) Having lost a previous plant,she managed to replace her morrocan mint, the best for making mint tea. Mistress Winter had found the most fantastic herb stall at the local market. It sold nothing but herbs including unusual ones such as catmint and valarian. She took the opportunity to buy sweet basil which she had not been able to plant earlier in the year. Have you ever smelt freash basil? It is sublime isn't it?. Is there any reason why anyone hasn't made soap out of it?

Also this week she harvested the first of her herbs and then was faced with the problem with what do you do with all this mint? Well make sachets (she even embroidered a couple of them) and stuff them into the pockets of every garment that is in store and shove into all the bed linen so that everywhere there is the faint smell of mint. Put velcro on the top and you can always supply fresh mint.

The other option is to make the old fashioned drink mint julip which is the perfect summer drink.

Life is sweet,friends,music and herbs and I get to hear about it all.

Well that is it until next week. You never know she might have got a new camera by then and then there will be no stopping us!

Until then TTFN and remember to look after your owners

Samwise

Music Music Music!!

Dear One and All

First off many apologies for the late blog. It's just been sooo busy with work and at last with music. We have been trying to make sure we blog on a Friday but recently we haven't always made it. Just for the moment keep an eye on the blog over the weekend, we will keep to bloging around that time

What a week at work and what a week for music. My mistress loves music and Mixlow just doesn't have enough of it but this week we have been revelling in it together.

When we were in the park earlier this week we saw this fantastic trio playing at the local park. They wer playing trad jazz. We couldn't bring you sound so you'll have to take it from me that they were great but we have brought you pictures

Here they are at the band stand

Me on the way home

And then my mistress went off to see a concert performance of Bizets Carmen at the local church. No dogs or cameras but because it took place literally at the end of our road and could hear everything. It was a stunning performance for a local choir and the soloists were spectacular. All this in the local comunity. As my mistress says Carmen can be become a little tired it is so popular, a little corney perhaps but not this time. Himself went with her having never seen it before and even he came back tapping his toes and singing the meloldies. He said how suprised he was to know so many tunes.

Then as if this wasn't enough my Mistress was off again but this time to play music with friends. Four of them are learning to play the guitar including Himself who hasn't played in years. Again I couldn't go becuase I don't travel well and my mistress couldn't bring photos since her phone has packed up (we are definately going to get a proper camera this week). But I heard from the friends dog Henry on the twilight bark, that it was a great evening sitting in a fabulous garden (he has definately promised pictures in a month or so's time when they visit again) four guitars and a violin having a whale of a time in the evening sun playing such songs as Hey Mr Tambourne Man and Leaving On A Jet Plane eating good food.I just wish I had been there

You must be thinking that I have missed out an awful lot this weekend but it was made up for by a truely sublime dog and mistress moment. The late great Humphrey Littleton was on radio playing Big Band and Swing Jazz, My mistress and I were in the bedroom putting away the washing in the bedroom when all of a sudden a Count Bassey came on with one hell of a beat. We were off my mistress and I dancing and swinging about, Big Bernie my friend from the other side keeping time with his tail. It was a perfect moment which we both loved.

Well that's it for this week

Keep well and look after your owners.

TTFN

Samwise

Dog Roses!!

Hello Everyone

Sorry for the late blog. My mistress has been so busy - both at work and play.

This was me this morning. I just couldn't resist putting it at the top of today's blog. I was just so happy to be out in the sunlight!

We were out early this morning due to the hot weather. Usually I don't get up until nine but this morning Bernard, my friend from the other side was pushing me out of bed reminding me that the heat is not good for my heart.

When we went to down load today's pictures we found the pictures we took last week with my friend Digger. Digger is rather a handsome fellow so I thought you might like to see him. He is a bit of a pin up boy among the lady dogs round here but he's a good mate to me

Here is Digger greeting us and telling me about the dog roses

This is me inspecting the roses

Here's one happy Digger

These next pictures are of the roses we found this morning. We were out early this morning due to the fact that we knew it was going to be a very hot day. The sun was absolutely fantastic Normally I don't get up until about nine but Bernard (my friend who went to the bridge) was with me pushing me out of bed,reminding me that the heat is not good for my heart. We went to the fields at the back of our house and found these lovely flowers.

It's hard to believe that such beautiful flowers should be at the entrance to an ugly electrical power station and yet that is exactly where they are

The rest of the day my mistress and I spent in the yard as she planted out yet more herbs. She has found a passion for mint. Apparently you can get mint in may different guises and she has managed to collect no less than seven. They are apple mint, garden mint, cologne mint (which smells exquisite) black spear mint pine apple mint, lavender mint, basil mint and chocolate mint. Yes ladies a growing chocolate mint. On visiting friends yesterday I heard that she had been discussing a new recipe which involved purifying this mint to add to ice cream.

We now have a very scented corner of the yard to sit in. There are other herbs in the garden such as lavender and rosemary,lemon balm, thyme and sage but the sweet smell of mint is like nothing else.(Mint is very good for the digestion and for travel sickness as well as cleansing the pallet). When things have grown on a bit I will put up a photo. I have suggested to my mistress that the next project we try is to grow a chamomile seat.

To finish with, I thought I would leave you with this quote I found on the bags of our local book store

'Outside a dog a book is a man's best friend - inside it's too dark to read!!'

We think it is by T S Elliot

Until next week, look after yourselves and your owners

TTFN

Samwise

Pictures At Last

Dear All

We have it! At last we have photo's. Just the one tonight and one from my photo album. It is me enjoying the afternoon sun. I am in the field just at the back of where I live and it was taken by Himself a few days ago. Not bad even if I do say so myself . Keep watching this space for our next step will be learning to down load our pictures from our cameras and we have gathered quite a lot. My mistress and I are both excited since neither of us are really computer buffs and this is a great achievement. Archie, Agatha I have the pictures of the dog roses I told you about stored up I will put them into the next blog for you and the story that goes with them. Anyway that's all tonight folks, we're off to celebrate our success

TTFN to everyone

Samwise