The mystery of the stray Patterdale is solved.

It is though Sorrell has lived here all her life, she is such a laid back mare and the others have accepted her presence with no fuss at all.So different from some new arrivals who cause tremendous excitement with the resident equines . There is usually lots of galloping about and whinnying to one another until they become used to one another and then everything calms down and equilibrium is restored. There is a better photo of her here which I took this morning. We cannot mix her with the others until her worming is completed but she is able to see them and interact over the fence. Isnt she lovely ? I love her already.If I was able to sing in tune I would now burst into a rendition of that old Stevie Wonder song. Is it called 'isnt she lovely'? I can't remember if that is the title or just one of the lines from it. Being unable to sing a note in tune has never stopped me before so maybe I will sing it anyway. I wonder would Horrid Neighbour ring the Council to complain about that? Probably! It would be the one and only time I would have sympathy for the man!

Nice Neighbour Nia with the stray Patterdale popped round with him today. Just before she arrived I had taken a phone call from a lady wanting to get rid of a neutered Patterdale terrier who kept escaping on walks! I asked her if he was missing now, he was ,and yes it was the same dog.Fortunately she is happy to take him back until we can find him a suitable home. His name is Iago (pronounced Yago)which in Welsh means James. Funny that the last Patterdale we rehomed we named Jimmy and they are almost identical except Jimmy came in with a scarred face.

Still nobody has claimed Luca or the White German Shepherd.There is a home waiting for her if nobody turns up for her and there is interest already in the very handsome Luca. Lockie labradors homecheck passed too so we are doing very well with the dogs. I wish the adult cats were going as well but Precious and Magic etc will be going soon so that will be something to look forward to - not only the thought that they will be soon living in a real home as they should be but that we will have space to take in a few more. Our waiting list is growing by the day.

A farmers wife turned up here today with another collie who is not good enough for working with the sheep. As it happens a few days ago I was driving past her farm and noticed a collie tied up in an outhouse and commented on it to Mei.This is the same dog so I am pleased to help find him a pet home. In fairness to them they are willing to hang on to him for a week to allow me time to advertise him/get him neutered .Gel is pictured here.He seems a very nice natured dog but he is showing signs of male testesterone so the quicker the Vets appointment the better.

Lockies prospective owner has backed out this morning, I think his wife has persuaded him that after losing the last dog, they could now be free to spend more time holidaying and going away. I do have a certain amount of sympathy as I would never have believed it of myself but I too often feel a desire to be free of encumbrance in order to have more 'me' time. That is not to say that I would be without my dogs, everyone knows how I feel about them but as I have grown older I often long to have more of a normal life. A life which is not totally dictated by the animals I have. Of course it is extremely unlikely that this will ever change to that degree and perhaps I only think I want that(the grass on the other side is always greener), after all what would I do, who would I be without the shelter? I cannot envisage not being occupied and busy with animals all around me.

Still , it gives me some understanding of their feelings,Its just a pity that it was not discussed and decided before they applied to have Lockie. So I now have to start advertising him,its a shame as I have wasted time which could have been spent looking for someone else suitable for this big loveable Labrador.

My car is not running very well at the moment so I called in to a local garage for them to have a look at it.Vanessas boyfriend Dave (who has been helping out here recently)had already suggested that it was the drive shaft - at least I think that was what it is called! Anyhow he was right so that is more money to lay out. Still at least it has not yet bitten the dust for good which is what I am really scared about ,having no money to replace it.

Buster, Callie and Freddie who are grazing out at a property in Caernarfon will be coming back to us in the next few days as they have eaten all the grass in the fields there. As Buster is too big to fit in our horse trailer, we are asking someone with a horsebox to collect the three of them at the same time. It will not be long before we have to start buying in bales of hay to see the horses through the winter ahead.

Finally I forgot to mention a few days ago that Sylvia the lovely grey cat has found someone nice to take her home.The kind people who found Sylvia have been in touch since she was admitted and I know they will be thrilled she has become one of the Chosen Ones.