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Happy valentines

Ahhhh, what to write when every day is pretty much the same? What is new this week? Well, not much!

The good news (in a world where good news is in short supply) is that we have successfully made it to half term with no major mishaps.  This included Abi's parents evening (via video conference of course - 5 minute sessions interspersed with a one minute break - it all felt a bit relentless and I'm none the wiser really as to how she's doing) and another manically busy week - what week isn't these days though.

While we have stayed at home, Glenn has been out all week, painting at the barn. It's a slightly strange situation currently - the barn is not finished but we have a key and therefore access to come and go as we please. Steve (the builder) reassures us that there is no more than 2 weeks work left to do, and we have at least 6 weeks before exchange / completion, but we would prefer they just get on with things. Glenn has come home every day feeling more and more frustrated as nothing really got done other than the progress he made and (for him even worse), the simple things like just tidying up outside never seems to get sorted. I keep saying its not for us to comment on - we are buying the finished barn not the building site but it's easier said than done to say 'don't get stressed about it'.

After all the rain of January, February has been freezing with record temperatures of -23 in Scotland. It hasn't been quite that cold here but at least it has meant the ground has hardened and we have had cold but dry dog walks with no massive wash down afterwards required - happy days. I've taken to walking the dogs separately in the afternoons as Betty needs to meet other dogs and Bertie quite frankly doesn't want to. It also means I don't have to cope with 55kg of dog on the end of a lead heading either in different directions or (worse) both diving into a hedge after a bird the other day and nearly taking me with them!  

Poor Bertie this week has been to the vets after we (well Abi) found that he had a number of growths in his mouth. Apparently this is common for Boxers (what ailment isn't?) and when the vet had a look they also pointed out a couple of teeth which looked dodgy as well. After a walk on Friday morning, both dogs thought I had completely lost it and forgotten to feed them, then it was off to the vets at 8am. We left him looking a bit dismayed that clearly the trip in the car hadn't resulted in another walk, and then went home to find Betty pleased that we had fed her, but confused we hadn't brought Bertie back with him. She managed to get through the day by sleeping as much as possible (was a very peaceful day!) before we went to get a very wobbly Bertie who was pleased to be home, and even more pleased to find food waiting for him. Betty seemed to know that he wasn't feeling great and left him in peace for a whole 24 hours before she's back to her old ways of ambushing him when he's least expecting it to see if he wants a game!

So this week is mainly a work week for me (I'm saving holiday for when we move - fingers crossed!), more painting for Glenn and goodness knows what for the kids. Abi has plans to make a natural snake enclosure, Izzy might put her phone down long enough to go for a run or two and normal weather service will be resumed and I'll be dodging the rain again. We have a week to go before BoJo announces how lockdown might be eased - 15m people have now been vaccinated so we have everything crossed that there will be some positive news. Schools are due to be back on the 8th March - let's hope its not just primary and exam years, not that there will be exams again this year. There's lots of noise about needing to get everything opened back up again - let's hope the government sees sense and agree.

Betty choosing to people watch 
(her fav pastime) - this time
in the middle of the road!



 

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