Scotland 2016

Who would of thought it would have been possible, given everything Blue has gone through since the car accident last September, and the discovery of the cancerous mass in his abdomen, but in Scotland we shared what could be Blue's last holiday away, but who knows what is around the corner....

To put some perspective to it, our journey from Reading to the Highlands of Scotland, some 650 miles or a 12 hour journey is not for the feint hearted.

Below is a google map of our journey, and  a couple of images pinned on the map which are clickable. Feel free to zoom in to see the location of the images, on the top left is menu for specific selection. (If you lose your place, simply refresh the page).





Our journey was without incident, and as always, Blue travels well, there are times you have to remind yourself he is in the car.

Whenever we indicate, Blue pops up to have look, are we there?

The main reason for the holiday at this particular time, Blue's Chemo injections were completed, and three weeks later he was to begin chemo in tablet form. This was a chance for the three of us to recharge our batteries before we commenced with the new chapter.

Two weeks in Shieldaig, located on the West coast of the Scottish Highlands, affectionately well known and loved by us all.

Our holiday in pictures;

Our home for the next two weeks, with the red car outside.

These are but a few, more will follow and some more will be added to the google map.

Two weeks after setting off we returned home, rested and relaxed, ready for the next chapter.

Normal service has resumed

Blue is back in the swing of normality, the need for a cat nap in the afternoons is surely a sign of slowing down now he is the ripe old age of seven, equivalent to being 56 in human years.

The title is normal service has resumed, because of what happened during his afternoon walk, a glove needed his attention. Why we do not know, but Blue must shred any stray glove that he finds. Today he converted the latest victim into a finger less glove. When I say fingerless, that is in the singular not plural.

Today only the tip of the index finger was removed, and Blue kindly posed with his trophy;

Blue has returned to his weekly swim, and gets good exercise, and helps him with his back. Although it is over six years ago, Blue has never fully recovered from the spinal surgery, we do notice how he can be a little wobbly on his hind legs, and rarely jumps into the back of the car, we have to lift him in, I get the sharp end and Sue gets the tail end, he sometimes looks at us in an indignant fashion, but that is part of his character.

On holiday this month in the Scottish Highlands, we avoided some of the high level walks and kept to those walks which were less challenging, and avoiding the need to scramble over rocks and boulders, though happily walk for nine miles.

This morning on our dawn walk, we came across a fox, within the grounds of the local university, just stood on the edge of the "wilderness" watching me and Blue walk along, not a murmur from Blue. This is very different to 3.00am Wednesday morning when Blue needed a wee, I took him into the back garden on his extending lead, without being attached to a lead he would wander round all night, barking at anything and nothing in equal measure, I digress, well he had his wee and then as we approached the back door, it happened.

Bold as brass stood by the car on the front drive was a young fox, that was the cue for Blue to bring out the big guns. I did well to hold him, but could do nothing about the ferocious barking, the fox retreated to the end of the drive and just stood and looked, wondering what all the fuss was about.

They say things come in 3's so out there is one more encounter waiting for Blue.

I mentioned we have just returned from Scotland, a lovely place in the Highlands, Inveralligin set on the northern shore of Upper Loch Torridon, so just a few snaps of Blue's holiday pic's until we blog again....

Making good use of the local furniture

The obstacle course, that had to be negotiated on the North Face Trail to Ben Nevis

It's a long way down!!!

Stunning views

7 Today

Look who was born on this day seven years ago. Blue looks at the gifts received this morning.

We have just spent two great weeks in the Highlands of Scotland, where Blue has had a marvellous time. He is, showing his years more now, with the grey whiskers and a little stiffness as he rises, but apart from that he is in good health and spirits.


One of the funniest things on our holiday was when walking along the shoreline at Sand in Applecross, Blue spotted something on the rocks, actually it is best shown in pictures..............

Enjoying the fancy footwork of @Bluesmummy 

Aha what is this hiding in the rocks?

Now he's got it

Yikes it's getting away

Assistance is required, if you please!!!

Looks like the rapid response team are too slow!!!

As you can see it was best to keep taking pictures rather than assisting the dynamic duo.............

Happy Birthday Blue!

Holiday coming soon.

Soon Blue will be sat in the back of the car and enduring a 13 hour car journey to the Highlands of Scotland.

Blue is no stranger to both the journey or the location, this being the seventh time he has done such a journey. Along with the Lake district he really feels at home once we are there.

He has been keeping well, continuing with his weekly swim at Aquadoggies, where the ball he plays with helps keep him active and entertained, though he still has a bit of a clumsy care free side while running around the pool, on Wednesday as he tried to cut short one corner, his back end went in the pool, but he recovered and just carried on. Although we have lots of pictures, this week I got some close ups.

A short clip below from a previous visit

Good news that the skin infections that caused severe fur loss last year did not return this year and he remains healthy and active.

Last week he stayed at home and looked after the house, while we went to London to see Les Miserables, with a visit by our good neighbour Anne, one of only three others that Blue could be trusted to let into the house while we are not around, when we returned we were told he was as good as gold, just as his Pedigree name "Folkvang Good As Gold"

This weekend he will be on his own once again while we visit Wembley to watch Reading FC take on Arsenal FC in the FA Cup, you can see below where Blue's loyalties lie

Come on you Blues!!

We will be leaving as late as possible, just in case the game goes to extra time, but with Anne keeping him company at different times, he probably won't miss us until we walk back in the door.

Walking with Blue was a bit of challenge this morning, while in the park he took  a dislike to a jogger, pulling, barking, starring just pure obsession. Best of all the jogger never came within 20 yards of him, the majority of the time the jogger was the other side of the park. Causing me to have to drag Blue, walking backwards for most of his dawn walk.

Blue has now mastered ESP or something, perhaps it is a GSD form of ESP. When we sit to watch to TV in the evening, he will stand and stare either in my face or my wife Sue's face to get us to let him out the back door for a wee or a bark or as normal both. He will then come back in and stare at his water bowl or the back of Sue's head, until water is added to the bowl, even if it wasn't empty. Each and every time he expects a reward for this behaviour, however he does not always receive such reward.

It is good to see a new series of "Supervet" back on Channel 4; The work done by Noel Fitzpatrick is absolutely amazing. For Blue the outcome of his work is appreciated each and every day, this week an episode we watched was heartbreaking where a six month hold German Shepherd had both elbow and hip dysplasia, the outcome was Euthanasia, which was hard to watch but the right decision made by the brave owner.

So until the next blog

Keep your friends close by.