I had to nip to town late morning, just to get a couple things for our New Years Day dinner tomorrow. I took the three youngest with me and the three oldest children stayed home to do chores for me and once they were done they could watch telly or go on the computer. I arrived home and because it was raining very heavily, I told our son, Thomas, who was in the car with me and offered to open the gate in to our property, that I would open the gate and I then forgot to go and shut it straight away, once the car was inside. So until the children shouted from the doorstep, I was oblivious to the fact the gate was still open, as Blottie and Smudge ran past me and that they could thus go off on a hunt. I turned round to just see the back end of Smudge disappearing down the lane. 
No time to waste. I went in pursuit. I know roughly where they are headed. I have tracked my dogs and with my dogs to know now, the way they track from our home. You just got to know which way they have left the home. I saw that they left downwards and footprints in the gateway below us confirmed they had gone across that field and then they drop into dense cover, which I would be unable to travel with out a machete to hand. So I had to take the long way around. After then tracking through three dense boggy covers following deer tracks and listening for pheasants being flushed up. I finally saw the other side of the valley, two fields away and a cover, a white dot and on calling, that white dot bounced around and started to come towards me. I made my way towards it and we meet up either side of a fence of sheep netting topped with barb wire, with dense brambles each side of it. The white dot had been Blottie and she had been joined by her Mum. I found in the fence an area cleared by deer tracking through and thankfully the sheep netting was taut and attached to a strong enough post to take my weight to get over it without ripping myself on the barb wire. 
Blottie and Smudge were so excited to see me and I was pleased to see them. We have a lot of pregnant sheep in fields around us at the moment. When dogs go hunting without you, they don't do it to annoy you. They do it because they are a dog, they love hunting and when you find them, they think you have joined them and unless you scold them, they will be overjoyed to see you joining them. So you have to make a fuss of them, because if you don't, why would they ever want to come back to you?
We made our way back and if anyone saw someone looking a bit bedraggled leading two muddy spaniels with their trouser belt along the A377 (which is not a good road for walking dogs on, but the quickest and easiest route from where I ended up) this afternoon and slowed up to pass and the person with the dogs threw their hand up to thank you, that was me. I was really pleased to see the two girls, finding them before darkness fell. The tracking gene is certainly being passed down from Granny Millie.

'Sleep is a country
whose border guards are fickle.
Some people
slip in and out without
effort, unquestioned.
For them, sleep is routine
and therefore blank.
For others, it is an excursion
from which they bring back
exotic souvenirs and memories of
archetypal visitations.'

- ANNE LE DRESSAY, Sleep Is a Country

Rice pudding at lunchtime and for supper stew. When the winter days are short, dark and wet that's stew days.
I do like candles about in the winter time. They do give a lovely warm light. Most of the surfaces in the living room now have candle wax about them. 
The dogs love it when we have stew and you can almost gauge how tasty the food is you are putting up, by the interest of the dogs. Tonight they were very interested in the goings on at the supper table and took great pleasure in cleaning all the plates before they were put in the dishwasher.
​

"To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”
― George Orwell

The photo above I happened to take Christmas eve and looking at it is very interesting to observe the nose length of each dog. Ysobel is one of our old girls being nearly 9 years old now and I got her from a Show breeder when she was around 18 months old. Often show breeders run a couple dogs on from a litter and if they then don't like them so much to look at as an adult or they are not hitting the mark in the show ring, they will re-home them. Ysobel sports the most show champions of all our dogs in her pedigree, over 20 champions in her first four generations. You will easily see that her nose is the most exaggerated being around only 3.5 cm long. you can then see that Jessica's nose is a bit longer and she has been bred by a breeder who breeds solely Cavaliers as pets. Jessica's nose is 4 cm long. We then have Bumble, who is from our first litter of Cavalier cross Brittany pups and at 8 months old her nose is 6.5 cm long. 
Now below is a painting of young King Charles II of England with his sister, Mary and his brother, who would become, James II, thought to of been painted around 1630. The spaniels at their knees are thought to be the spaniel type later called the King Charles Spaniel. Looking at the photo above, which of the three dogs resemble the spaniels that were sitting at King Charles II knee as a child in the painting below?

I was up early this morning to go milking and my first job when getting up, is to go to the back house (utility) and let the dogs out for a quick run, before I set off. When they come back in they know that the rest of the home is not awake yet and settle back down to sleep again for a couple hours. It is often a time to catch some cute group photos of them.

Back in October I wrote the blog Bringing in the cows and told of a cow where I milk, that back in the Summer, had suddenly gone blind and then as quick as she lost her sight regained it. We were unsure of the cause, as blood tests came back with nothing. At the time she was around 3 months pregnant and only time would tell if what had caused her sudden blindness would have an effect on the development of the fetus. I'm pleased to tell that she has carried full term and last night produced a grand Angus/Frisian bull calf, both mother and calf are fit and well. She came in the parlour tonight for her first time to be milked after calving. 'All's well that ends well.'

Christmas day night as my husband, David and I were about to retire. I had a brain wave. I went and checked that we had enough sausages and bacon about the place and suggested to David, that we could have breakfast a bit later in the morning, having a good old English fry up and thus skip lunch and get out for a good walk with the children and dogs. 

I don't often do a good old English fry up. We don't tend to eat very much fried found, but as an occasional treat it goes down a real treat. I do like a bit of Brown sauce along with my fry up and rather than HP Brown sauce, which is made now in Holland. I like a Brown sauce that I consider is head and tails above HP sauce in texture and taste and it is still made in the UK by Wilkin and Sons Ltd based at Tiptree, Essex, England. You can find this Brown sauce in most supermarkets and if you have not tried it yet and like Brown sauce, you won't be disappointed.  
So we had our hearty breakfast just after 10 am, this morning, got the dogs that were not coming with us run out and the house chores done, and then set off for Saunton Sands beach just after 2 pm with Millie and her Granddaughters, Blottie and Bumble in tow.

Where we live it is on the side of the Taw Valley and our home sits in what locally we refer to as ,'the lew of the hill.' The word 'lew' in this case comes from Old English ​meaning “warm, sunny, sheltered”and often I can leave our home with hardly a breeze in my face to walk just above our home and be nearly blown over, as was the case today at home it hardly seemed much of a breeze, but at the beach it was really blowing, it was dry and mild though. Got a few photos of the dogs running about and some lovely landscape photos with the low Winter sun coming through the clouds. 

This lovely email came in my mailbox on Christmas morning from Emma, who has Bertie Boo, who is another of our Blottie and Bumble's litter siblings from our first ever litter of Brittany cross Cavalier puppies born April this year. Tank for getting in touch Emma and hope you are having a wonderful  Christmas time! 

'Hi Jane & Family

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

We keep up to date reading your blog, love seeing all the photos! 

Bertie is doing very well! He enjoys his morning walks on the Common and since September we've been going to the beach more regularly! He's a bundle of legs and fun! We adore him! 
Em, Stu, Romi, Daisy, Otis & Bertie Boo xx xx' ​

One last seasonal greeting before the off from Laura, who has Daisy. Daisy is our Blottie and Bumble's litter sibling. She is from our first ever litter of Brittany cross Cavalier puppies born Spring 2015. Great to hear from you Laura. Thanks for contacting me and letting me know that Daisy is doing well. Have a wonderful first Christmas with Daisy.. 

Just done me sprouts and Henry got to chew on the stalk.. Don't worry, he did not get to eat all of it, because I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning wondering what the smell is about the home and find he's rough scat the back house. Henry really does love his Brassicas.

Just got this lovely, funny photo of Archie from Angie. Archie is from Smudge's first ever litter, with Reggie the Dad. Born May 2012. Thanks Angie. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Have received this lovely update from Karen for Tilly, who is from our first ever litter of Brittany cross Cavalier puppies. Her Mum is Smudge and Dad is Henry. She was born April this year. Thanks Karen for letting me know how well things are going with Tilly. Have a wonderful Christmas!

'Hello Jane

Just a quick update on Tilly and of course to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas. 

Tilly is doing incredibly well and is still an absolute delight. She is such a gentle and sociable dog and is adored by everyone who meets her.

We met a woman called Alex again on Wimbledon common today after first meeting her a couple of months ago whilst walking Tilly. She was planning to buy a puppy and was particularly taken with Tilly so I passed on your details. Meeting her again by chance today it was lovely to hear that she has made contact with you and is hoping to have one of Treacles pups in the spring. It was also nice for her to see what a lovely dog Tilly has grown in to.

We walk most days on the common and she particularly loves running through the long dry grass that you can see in the photo. Chasing birds is a favourite game of hers and she is also very good at retrieving now.
We need to work on her 'waiting' to command particularly when crossing the road. She gave us quite a scare tonight when she ran out of the park and crossed the road to say 'hello' to a couple on the opposite side! She seems pretty quick picking things up, so we will make a start teaching her some road safety.

Tilly was spayed a few weeks ago and made a very good and fast recovery. Her incision was very tiny and she didn't need to wear a cone. The vet suggested changing her food from puppy to a weight maintenance type which she seems to like.

It's lovely as always to read your updates and I'm glad to see that you are all well. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Best wishes

Karen'​

Just got this update in for Dottie, who is from Primrose's Cavapoo litter born in 2014 with Reggie the Dad. Lovely to hear from Sue and Colin. Great that they eventually got to meet up with Felicity who has Dottie's litter sibling, Lottie. Thanks for the update and have, you guessed it, a wonderful Christmas!

Just received an update for Milly, who is from Primrose's Cavapoo litter born in 2012 and Dad is Reggie. Unfortunately Milly suffers a bit with separation anxiety. Most dogs have a degree of separation anxiety, because dogs are pack animals. Preferring company, as not. If your dog suffers with separation anxiety it may be worth seeking advice from an animal therapist Dog owner cures her pet's separation anxiety with therapy .

Thanks for the update Lindsay and I hope Spencer has helped Milly. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Received this lovely reply this morning, the day after I blogged the above from Lindsay who has Milly. Thanks Lindsay.

Also received this lovely Christmas greeting in the post from Myfanwy and Will for Beasley, who is from our first ever Brittany cross litter born this year. Smudge is his Mum and Henry is his Dad. THanks Myfanwy for letting me know that Beasley is doing so well. Have a great first Christmas with Beasley.

Got a lovely card in the post from Felicity, who has Lottie. Lottie is from Primrose's litter of Cavapoos born May 2014, with our Reggie her Dad. Thanks for the lovely card Felicity. Have a wonderful Christmas with your Lottie.

Been a busy day today with having to get Treacle out to Bideford to see the Cardiologist vet to check her heart before breeding her in the Spring and picking up the turkey and getting the last few things for Christmas.
All went well at the vets. Treacle's heart is okay. Her Cavalier Mum, Dolly was clear over 5 years old and at 8 years old is well with yet no sound of a murmur on her heart. Reggie her Miniature Poodle Dad is also fit and well at 5 years old. So would of been a bit of a schock if she did have a problem at 2 and a 1/2 years old with her heart.
​Really looking forward to seeing what Treacle will produce with Toby our Cavalier boy, who just now needs to visit Christopher Warren at Westmoor Veterinary Hospital ​for his annual eye test and then it will be just waiting for Treacle to come on heat again, sometime from around February/early Spring 2016. If interested in this future litter. Please read our website page BUYING A PUPPY FROM POUNDLANE as this explains how we do waiting lists etc.