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 .................

Heatwaves aplenty - Jul 2026

 

Sunset, Theale

We took a couple of trains from Huntingdon down to Theale, just west of London.  We were to stay with Ernie, the Airdale and Hugo, the Welsh terriors.

We called the little and large

Although they looked fairly similar in coat and colourning, they were quite different in character.  Hugo, the elder of the two, is quite sure of himself, personable and very very stubborn when it suited him.  Ernie is self contained and very very smart. And they got on like a house on fire which is always such a pleasure.

Ernie goading Hugo into a game

It was necessary to keep Ernie's mind engaged and as we were in the middle of yet another heatwave, this had to be done in-house.  So we created games of find the treats.  Hugo was methodical and calm about the whole thing whilst Ernie went at it like a bull in a china shop.

Ernie crashing out

Hugo and his foot fetish!

We also filled the paddling pool up for them to try to keep cool.

 This was the first time we had ever had a dog walker who came every weekday to pick them up for a couple of hours.  Clare made friends with the dog walker and took to going with them.  We walked them in the cool of the early morning at weekends.

In the nearby forest

On the canal

Unfortunately, towards the end of this sit, James stumbled on a walk and tore all the tendons on the top of his foot.

It came time to move house.  Not too far, but this James on crutches and in a moonboot, two trains and three undergrounds were quite the trick.  Especially with all the luggage we seem to have acquired.  People were very kind and accommodating, offering to carry some bags up and down steps (the underground doesn't have lifts) and helping us find our platforms.  Hey ho, these things are sent to try us and we always choose to take the positives.  Thank goodness this didn't happen in India or Nepal!!

Our next sit, in Chalfont St Peter, was for the sister of the lurchers' Mum.  It was so lovely to meet more of the family ... including the three labradors - 16yo Tinks, her sister Tarka and their cousin Rocco.  We were set to have a fabulous two weeks.

Black - Tinks, Fox Red - Tarka, Choc - Rocco

James wasn't able to walk the dogs so he diligently drove Clare and the two younger dogs to the fields every morning and waited in the car for an hour.

So so dry!

Tinks enjoyed her own short sojourn up the alleyway beside the house.  For her, it was more about the sniffs and stimulation than the exercise.

Fortunately these guys were also lots of fun around the house too, so James could feel included.

And of course, they're labradors, so food is very important to them.  Especially someone else's.

Jen's garden was important to her so we put in extra effort to keep it alive and well for her throughout the drought of the heatwave.  Even James was able to help despite his temporary immobility!

Fortunately the dogos also knew how to chill out at the end of the day.

We were sad to leave these new found friends.

Back with our babies - June 2026

 

Gorgeous sunset

We were delighted to once again in the fantastic company of some long time friends in Cambridgeshire.  We have been housesitting this lurcher family for 10 years and these pups, Jake and Finn are now 11 years old.  They were only 16mths old the first time we sat for them.  So they really have grown up with us too.  They lost their Dad, Max, the week before we arrived which everyone was really sad about.  We made extra effort to jolly everyone along.

Jake and Finn

The boys enjoy two 45min-1hr walk a day rain, hail or shine.

It is so much fun for us all to step out onto the nearby fields and romp around.  We did notice a marked increase in foxes this season, which is lovely to see, and fortunately the boys have grown out of having to chase everything they see.

Jake enjoys a paddle in a pond

And a happy roll

And another roll

Finn says 'Hi'

Frequent treats are a must!

A week into the month long sit we were joined by Frayko, the boys cousin dog whose family were also going on holiday.  Frayko is a Romanian rescue, 10 years old.

We had not met this gorgeous boy before but he slotted in quite beautifully.  He is not quite the advanced walker as the lurchers so he needed to go on much shorter walks around the village and the nearby fields only, so we split the walks between the two of us.   Whoever walked Frayko would often meet up with the others to meander home together.

We were in the middle of the first heatwave here in the UK which required the walk times to be adjusted accordingly to stay out of the hottest temps of the day.

There was lots of gardening to be done.

As well as some clearing up after wind damage.

Rest assured, there was always plenty of time for plenty of R&R.

Brotherly love

Oh, and morning cuddles .....