Tara picks up and Cariad is worse.

What a change to have the sun shining all day, this is when I realise how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place as North wales.I never thought I would ever leave Liverpool having lived in the same suburb of Crosby all my life but a series of incidents led me to move here 6 years ago and I feel as if I have lived here all my life.Just to say a little about it, there were 8 rescued horses in the care of Freshfields and they had been kept at a livery stables for several years(we did not have enough land for grazing)Suddenly we had to move them and I had nowhere to do so.I was at my wits end when an email came through offering The charity this smallholding.It had belonged to friends of mine and ex Freshfields helpers who wanted to move but wanted the property to continue as an animal shelter.The timing was incredible.All of a sudden there was light at the end of the tunnel, somewhere permanent and safe for the horses to live.Within 6 weeks the horses were moved to their new home and with much apprehension and feelings of trepidation I packed up my meagre belongings and my beloved dogs and left behind my old life. I intended to stay 6 months, find a manager for the place and return to my home town, well that was 6 years ago and I am still here.I think I knew the first night here that I would not leave, somehow it felt right and strangely familiar.
Stray ponys owner not turned up today or rung to make arrangements so I presume he will leave a message tonight for collection of her tomorrow.I find it hard to believe he has not been near the shelter yet.
Cariad our permanent longhaired ginger cat(pictured here) who has been very wobbbly on her legs is worse than ever, the vet thinks she has a neurological problem. Her balance is very poor.similar to the effect of a middle ear infection.I am keeping her in the house for her own safety.cariad has always been the first cat people see when they visit here, she used to live loose in the cattery and her appealing looks would make everyone admire her.Her pretty looks however belied her nature which was unpredictable, she had originally been admitted with a litter of newborn babies but it was not long before we realised Cariad was temperamental and unlikely to find a home.After a year in the cattery we decided to release her to live freely but she always liked her basket in the passage of the cattery and would return to that all the time.Last year I persuaded her to move in to the conservatory and after a few false starts she did decide it was better and warmer there.We have much better natured cats here but for some reason the feisty ones are often the ones for which we all develop a particular fondness.
Tara our old collie is back to normal, today she is as lively as ever though the vet says her heart has deteriorated considerably since the last time he saw her.That nothwithstanding she is back to playing with her toys and her appetite is good once again.Maybe like all old animals, humans too, she just had an off day.
The little Westie I took in from a dog pound went to a new home today and I am not ashamed to admit I wept a few tears.Funnily enough I am not keen on this breed at all but Lele was so frightened and scared(she had recently been homed from a puppy mill because she had miscarried 2 litters!!!) and she needed so much reassurance and love that before the first week was over she had imprinted hgerself on my heart.Its fatal for me to have a dog in the house with my own dogs, Lele was cuddling next to me on the sofa with the oldies and she had started to wag her tail and give me kisses.Then I betray her by passing her on to someone else - well thats how it feels though as always I know it is the best thing for these animals, they need homes of their own and it gives me room to help another.She had the sweetest nature and how can anyone not feel for a dog so timid and scared of her own shadow.
Mion is fostering the mum cat and her 3 babies and there is another one coming in on Sunday, this cat has had babies in someones shed, I have asked them to wait a while to minimise the likelihood of mum rejecting her offspring due to the trauma of being moved so soon. Then another pregnant cat is being admitted tomorrow.I can already see the kitten season looming ahead!