ps

tee hee
I had to smile to myself
Leo is in bed, I have just come in following sorting out the animals, making everyone dinner and washing up the dishes........... and have just grabbed a minute to write up the previous blog about the day before I gather the dogs up for their evening walk!
Chris and his father, like bookends are fast asleep!
They've had a hard day!

Touristed out

Leo's last day here in Wales has been warm and sunny and bright.
He was up at 6am and out in the field with me soon after 7am letting the birds out, feeding and watering!
Chris took him to Church with him at 11 am ( complete with game boy -set on silent- and a stuffed elephant of all things) and the old lady congregation was stirred up into some excitement at Leo's presence!
This afternoon we took him for a ride on Llandudno's 100 year old cable cars, which was a first to me. We had an enjoyable time with the tourist crowds ( you couldn't tell by the above photo, could you?)...and ate ice cream overlooking a rather hazy Irish Sea

Richard and Leo go back home to Broadstairs tomorrow. I hope we have made his "holiday" here fun and trust we have not spoilt him too much ( always a worry with infrequent young visitors)

The cottage will seem very quiet and empty without them

Notre dame de Paris Gypsy

she doesn't quite live the role but after 60 seconds it lifts a pace

Jango Fett

This afternoon I learnt all about the virtues of Mace Windu versus Jango Fett and what Jabba the Hutt thought of Darth Maul........what our 7 year old guest doesn't know about Star Wars doesn't need knowing believe me!

After Chris and Richard took him to Chester Zoo, I drove Leo to the video store in Prestatyn to pick a Harry Potter DVD. After 25 minutes of deep concentration ( when all available copies of the famous series had been taken off the shelves and put in a neat row on the floor) he spied a dvd of Star War -The Clone Wars and so excited he was about it, he told me in detail every character and every episode of the six film series!

His excitement and enthusiasm was quite infectious

Poor lad...after a long day's activity he just about managed to finish a cheese covered lasagne , watch a few minutes of clone Wars then after kissing each dog in turn he has fallen into a deep and timely sleep

Chris, Leo and an elephant

End Of An Era

Our Post office closes in two weeks. It is not one of the many thousand rural post offices that have faced the chop from last year's cuts, no, it is just a victim of a change of expensive computer system and a need of the owners Jenny and Mike to conserve their health and happiness a thing which is totally understandable.
I shall miss the post office greatly. It is not as though I am a huge and generous customer (I buy a diet coke, regular stamps and perhaps a bag of crisps daily) but I do feel that the daytime "heart" of the village will be effectively extinguished with its closure.
Post offices and shops are, I think the public daytime face of a village. They provide a public place, where people meet and interact and I am rather saddened that that ours is closing the way of many, many rural businesses have already done

After a rainy start the day has started to brighten up. So much so, that the "Gop" over looking the village looks as though it will be an inviting and pleasant walk.
Leo was awake around 5.30am and pottered around until he had his chosen breakfast of eggy bread and potato cakes.
I turned into an Italian Mamma and shooed everyone out of the kitchen as I prepared a cooked breakfast and sorted out a packed lunch for them all to take to Chester Zoo.
"Howa canna I worka with all of youa arounda!!!!!"
I cooked a cheese sauce to have with pasta later then dutifully waved them all goodbye before collecting a somewhat exhausted group of dogs for their walk.
Leo has finally won Meg over ( with the help of some dog treats) and all three climbed into bed with him this morning after their early morning walk. Last night William sneaked upstairs after we had put Leo to bed and I found him curled up on the end of Leo's duvet, much to the sleepy delight of the little boy.
I suspect Chris' Brother and his wife is going to pestered constantly in buying Leo a puppy!

Badgers are proving themselves to be somewhat of a nuisance overnight, for the second evening running they have knocked over all of the bird feeders and have eaten at least ten pounds worth of layers pellets..........

A photographic record of the afternoon

Leo and I Coop Cleaning

Leo, feeding Bunny the runt

Leo and his new friend

The Cochins looking on

Leo wrestling with George

William, Leo and George

Kid care...pah it's child's play

This child care lark is exhausting!

I have prepared a fireman's breakfast ( boiled eggs and soldiers), put together a lego policeman supervised a country walk, organised a wild flower collection and some chicken coop cleaning, taught a seven year old the life cycle of turkeys, calmed down an over enthusiastic wrestling match between boy and an over excited welsh terrier, given a guided tour of an animal feed wholesalers AND the sea aquarium in Rhyl..........and I even prepared lunch then delivered some eggs......

and Its only soddin four o'clock in the afternoon!!!!!

I must admit I have really enjoyed the day...Leo keeps his "whys? and whats?" to a minimum. which mean that you are not worn to a frazzle with little boy questioning and even though it is tiring reminding myself NOT to swear in everyday conversation...I have managed to keep him entertained when Chris was at work.

It also helps , when you realise just how polite and courteous Leo is compared to other people's children. There is always a please and a thank you whenever things are requested and he actually ASKS to be excused from the table after eating! He puts both Chris and I to shame!

Mind you his love affair with George (known to Leo as the "Black dog" as he cannot remember his name) and a hyperactive William , is firmly set, as every few minutes dogs and boy swap licky kisses and cuddles......I am beginning to run out of antibacterial gel with all this animal handling...thank god Leo isn't so attached to the poultry!

Anyhow tonight we are having fish and chips on the seafront and I have just captured a quiet 15 minutes to myself after sending Chris out with him to walk down gypsy lane with the dogs...Yesterday I spent an hour in the morning planting coins on the tree trunks, to form an interesting "treasure hunt" for him to enjoy........lets hope he finds some.....

Chris and his dad are taking him to the Zoo tomorrow.....

I am staying home with the dogs!

Small boys and dogs

Small boys and dogs go together like Hinge and Bracket.
Leo let a huge amount of steam wrestling with William in the living room
and screaming around the field with a hysterical George in tow

I don't know who will be exhausted first dog or boy!!!
As I write this Leo is shouting from his bedroom
"William is sitting on my head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


hey ho