It's a dog's life

Stan and The Bean are not enjoying the current cold snap. Greyhounds weren't made for arctic conditions and they take every opportunity to stay indoors lying on whichever vacant sofa they can find or, naughtily, our bed until they get turfed off. The only time they show much excitement at the moment is when Anna arrives, usually a few lunchtimes a week, as they know her presence signals a good long walk on the heath. One other piece of fun today was a visit from my niece, Madness, who at 18 months is toddling around and is at the perfect height for the dogs to attempt to lick her face relentlessly, particularly as she often has quite a bit of food plastered around it. My sister Lynn does not find this amusing but Maddy doesn't seem to mind one bit.

The dogs have just about got used to the electric zappers around their necks which prevent them from straying off the property (I'm reliably informed by the company Freedom Fence that it does not hurt them and it certainly has deterred them from wandering towards the gate).

John's son Anthony is staying with us for half-term and is every bit as brahmatic as his father (*"I don't like eggs/chocolate/Cheerios/grapes" - *delete as applicable - before sitting down and devouring the offending foodstuff. Now who does that remind me of?).

Panto's giving me some cause for concern again as he's been listless for a few days and not eating all his food. Mind you, he's as fussy as John and as HOE Feeds decided to deliver regular sugar beet instead of his preferred Alfabeet he seems to have had a strop and has refused the mash in his food. The ever helpful Dengie rep, Claire, is on the case, however, and has promised to get some Alfabeet here by Thursday, after which all will be well. I sincerely hope so anyway as at the back of my mind is always the worry that his gastric ulcers may be returning. He's lost a bit of weight in the last week or so but that might just be because we've stepped up his work lately. He's such a problem child.

As well as Lynn and Madness dropping in, our other sister Jules came up from London to drop off some furniture to be stored in the hayloft. An unexpected bonus to see two of my three sisters in one day. The next time we'll all be together will probably not be until our parents' 40th wedding anniversary in July which means a trip for us all to the Highlands.

Roll on the summer. I've had enough of this freezing fog.