Last couple of sits - UK, Sep 2026

 Next up ..... Jerry in Woodbridge, another area of Suffolk we are very familiar with as we have done previous sits not far from here.  Jerry is a gorgeous 5yo labrador.  There's a theme going on for sure.  Jerry was so much fun to walk.  Every morning we took him out for a long ramble.  He was nearly impossible to wear out.

Kyson Point

Felixstowe

Our favourite walk from the village hall

Jerry is definitely the kind of dog that required walking in the very welcome rain we finally got after a long dry spell.

This sit also came with a beach hut at Felixstowe.  We only used it the once but it was quite fun.  Clare took Jerry for a long walk down the promenade whilst James (unsuccessfully) attempted to spin up a fish for dinner.

Jerry's afternoon walk was from the house and through the horse fields to an old refuse site.

Turned out Jerry didn't have the temperament for fishing so James took to going out on his own to Waldringfield.  Nothing caught for the table but he was so happy to be back on the water.

We also spent an afternoon at Sutton Hoo, the National Heritage site where a king was buried with his boat.  We kid you not!   We have seen the treasures that were discovered here in the British Museum so it was great to see the actual site.   It was a truly fascinating trip.  When we got home we watched the Netflix movie made about it - The Dig.

The homestead, now a musuem

The buriel mounds

The mound wherre the ship was discovered

A replica of the ship

We loved our sit with Jerry. 

Morning cuddles

We then took a couple of trains to Wandsworth in London to spend a long weekend with this treasure.

2yo Labradoodle, Crumble

We walked Crumble around Wandsworth Common every morning.  It was just like one giant puppy play date with as many as 50 or more dogs and their owners running around enjoying each other's company.  So much fun!

Crumbles favourite part of the walk was a swim in the duck pond.

We managed a final catch up with family before we flew out to New Zealand. Uk .... it's a wrap!

Labradors Galore - Blythburgh, Aug 2026

 

Minsmere Sluice

Next up was a family of labradors and we were so happy to be in amoungst it!  Fox Red Holly, Chocolate Hettie and her two pups (from different litters) Huxley and Hula.  And their cat sister, British Blue Millie.

Blythburgh is in a part of Suffolk we know quite well but there are always new pockets of forest to explore.  And these guys absolutely love to explore.  They mostly walked in formation with no trouble at all but were a wee bit inclined toward pack behaviour on the very few occasions we happened upon other dogs.  So we had to be completely on our game.  And we were.

There was always a "who's got the biggest stick" competition on the go too.

It often turned into a family affair.

And the winner is ....

We took them on a couple of jaunts to one of our favourite local haunts, Minsmere Sluice.

Of course, they all enjoyed a good game of fetch in the ocean!

Team effort

James had a bit of the spin on one occasion.  No fish to be had but it added a new and fun dimension to the activity.

No surprise that on the way home, after getting nice and clean in the ocean, someone had to take a detour into the mud puddle.

Around the home, these guys were laid back and very easy company.  We did have to separate ourselves into a bedroom each after the first night.  Seems two adults and four dogs don't divide into one double bed.

Guarding the house from the bedroom window

Gorgeous girl

Darling Dotty - Horringer, Aug 2026

 

James and Beryl

We booked a sit in Horringer, on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds so that we could spend a bit of time with James's parents and catch up with some friends and family.  

We had the pleasure of the company of Dotty, the Cocker Spaniel, and her feline siblings, Beryl and Max.

James was still unable to walk the dog so it was fortunate that there was a lovely wooded walk on the edge of Ickworth Park, just a short walk from home.  Dotty loved romping around, meeting other dogs, chasing squirrels and trying to find the biggest stick in the woods.

Wading in the pond

Making like a meerkat! on the scent

James certainly did his bit when we got home by grooming the sticks, sticky buds and grass seeds out of Dotty's coat.

Ably supervised by Beryl

Max also enjoyed a spot of grooming with a grooming glove.  Not because he needed it, at the age of 15 he no longer ventured outside, but just because he liked it.

The cats also enjoyed their morning bedtime cuddles while we enjoyed a cup of tea.

James  was mobile enough to join us on one of our later Dotty walks and also to venture out on a hunting trip to the nearby family farm.  He wasn't able to harvest any meat but enjoyed watching quite a few deer out in the fields.  We have noticed a huge increase in the number of deer since we arrived here last year.

Although we were in the middle of yet another heatwave, we still found plenty of time, as we do, to relax with the pets.  It really is our super power!

Peace, at last .................