The Lockdown GangSTARS still going

Found you!
When do we see the results of the photo shoot? Kaimoana

I wonder if Doodle and the Dude are on dry land yet?
I'm glad your wing mirrors are behaving properly again Mamissimo
The paint arrived so I am looking forward to a fresh kitchen perhaps this weekend. Frenchman has offered to do it or at least some. He's out tonight always in demand.
I was in the pottery with the vets.
Thanks for sending Jeeves back. I ordered chocolate tonight. What's everyone else having?

I'll have one of those too Grammaretto, if Jeeves' would be so kind ?

Can't wait to hear about your photo shoot Kaimoana, we all already know you are a model gangStar ⭐

I also can't wait to hear more about Doodle & The Dude's cruise to see the berglets, I think that must have been dead cool ?.

Jan is on her cruise by now too I understand. Hope you have a wonderful time.

I hope your DH, and indeed you too, are coping Nfk, it can't be easy for either of you atm ?

? LobStars x

HELLO CHERRY!

The Photoshoot
Taxi contracted to BLV arrived at 9am. I opened the passenger door; the driver snapped 'In the back!'
I waited silently until he'd cleared all the detritus from the passenger seat and sat there. Silence for the whole 35 minute journey

But from then, it was pure delight. A professional studio with all the bells and whistles. Photographers (still and video) filming every move. Several more people arrived; we were each posed for multiple shots, mock up scenes (playing Braille Scrabble) and groups.

We were interviewed for podcasts, brochures and TV/radio adverts, asked our opinions, our history and ambitions and made to feel very important.

Ages ranged from about 10 to late 70's; the dogs were a little younger.

One experienced guide dog, Imogen and one ebullient puppy, Orissa who was still teething, loved everyone and showed it. I was in heaven.

Before I arrived I had absolutely no idea what this was all about. I'd been told I'd have my photo taken but no idea it was to be a full-day professional photoshoot.

We had lunch: gigantic wholegrain sandwiches, the bread a chunky 2cm thick; no one could get their mouths around them.
Wraps (I still don't know what they are made from, rolled out and dried wallpaper paste perhaps?) filled with delicious salads and meats.

All the foods were neatly labelled with contents.
I chose a roast beef salad sandwich which turned out to be ham and cheese. My neighbour picked chicken and found she had roast beef. I don't know what traumas the vegans suffered.
We jettisoned the doorsteps and enjoyed the salad innards.
Fruit kebabs followed.

There had been, since our arrival, coffee and tea on tap and a table full of supermarket mass-produced muffins, cakes and snacks but most people, self-included, ignored them.

It was a wonderful day and for me at least, the dogs were the best part. I spent most of my free time stroking and cuddling two gorgous Labradors, something one is not generally allowed to do with working dogs but they were having a day off and loved it as much as we did.

Home by 4:30 tired but very happy.

Hello Gang with a special call out to Cherry


What an amazing day for you Kaimoana. Plenty of doggy petting and as much food as you wanted. I'll bet you were tired afterwards though.
I'm a bit disappointed in my Frenchman. He is so popular that he gets invited out every day and I don't think he will have time to do the painting now. I can't really blame him.
If I was on holiday in France, and was invited to go to the seaside on a beautiful day or stay home and clear a kitchen ready to paint it. Hmm.... now which would I prefer. He leaves on Monday.

Cushie is coming back this weekend so maybe she will want to paint the room?

I gave up on on-line banking yesterday and caught a bus into Edinburgh and found a branch who dealt with my problems so quickly and efficiently.

How is the cruise Jan? any juicy stories of deck life?
How is DH now NfkD?

How was the dinner party Mamissimo?

Wow thank you Kaimoana. I didn’t realise we were so close to another thread. Can’t believe we are still going. How lovely.
Grammaretto no, no dry land in sight at the moment but at least a wonderfully calm sea. Cloudy but dry. Home by Monday all things willing.
What colour paint have you got for your kitchen. Sorry your Frenchman is leaving soon…….I was hoping he’d move on from your kitchen to my hall. ?
Hope you have a lovely weekend with Cushie.
“I gave up on on-line banking yesterday and took the bus into Edinburgh” ? that made me spurt my coffee out. I have recommended that solution to DH whose frustration of all things on-line at the moment has steam coming out of his ears.
Cherry yippee ? ??? how lovely to have you with us.
I’ve lost track of how many threads there have been since we first started. I will post some more photos of the begs when DH has had time to sort them out. As you can imagine, the photographer was in his element, snapping away at anything remotely ice shaped. ?
Hope you and your WP are keeping safe and well.
Kaimoana wow what a fantastic day. It’s sounds as though you were royally treated. Your description of the day is so entertaining. I laughed at your labelled sandwiches. Having had wraps myself I think your description of them being made of dried wallpaper paste hilarious but so true. ?
I’m sure the dogs had a great time with you all. Do you know yet what the photos were for or where they will be shown?
So pleased you had such a wonderful time. Not surprised you were tired at the end of it.
Mamissimo well done on getting your mirrors fixed. Amazing what uses a frozen leg of lamb can be put to.
Your party food sounds lovely. Hope you had a good time.
NFK hope things at Papworth go well today.
Jan hope The cruise is going well.
Take care all,

Actually no Grammaretto whilst there was heaps of food set out, there wasn't as much as I wanted because I don't eat that sort of food.
All wheat based, processed and heavy on the sugar

So I just had the salady middle of one sandwich and lettuce/tomato from a wrap and a fruit kebab - all day.

Delicious but I was hungry enough to want my tea when I got home
But it didn't spoil the day, not one bit.

As far as I know Doodle this is all for the new publicity drive for BlindLowVision's new campaign.

Yes, we'll get copies of the selected photos. I'll share when they arrive.

Being with the dogs was so wonderful, so I am thinking of applying to be considered for a pilot scheme. These are with BLV's Vision Assistant Dogs, trained but not to the very high standard necessary for the security of totally blind people.
If I'm eligible, I'll let you know.

Good morning ?

We cleaned up from the soup making activity and booked a decorator then flopped for the evening. I'm never making green soup again....or should that be I'm not trusted to ever use the blender again?

I was up early yesterday morning to clean up before the cleaner arrive do a little more prep. The phone which never rings except with bad news rang....yup, the dinner party guests were rather under the weather following their trip to the blues festival in Knaresborough and wouldn't be coming. They hoped I hadn't begun slaving in the kitchen. ?

Thank heavens for DD1 her what lives just over the field who kindly offered to come to dinner tonight to help us to not waste food and effort. The alternative was pea soup for a week.

Kaimoana I have the perfect not quite trained dog for you! H Beagle wouldn't steal your veggies and salads but you could slip her all the carbs. Not sure that she'd be any more help but she does have luscious lugs.

If there's one thing worse than guests to cook for, it's guests not turning up when you've cooked! Mamissimo sorry about that
I was a cross patch yesterday but I had recovered by evening when df arrived laden with the where with all to create a delicious risotto and he has promised to return today to help Frenchman at least prep the kitchen for painting.
So the daily agro with the boiler loan was forgotten for a few hours.
You are always a brave insane woman Kaimoana although a dog to eat the carbs may not sound such a bad idea.
We had a Labrador, when the boys were growing up, who was often found buried in the waste from the Chinese takeaway next door.
Happy memories ?

Hi All. Think I’ve posted on the old thread earlier today but quite honestly I’ve no idea! If you read the earlier thread then ignore this one! Weather has been great for the last four days in what has apparently been Norway’s worst summer. However the next few days look a bit damp!
We have been in a cable car today up to the top of a very high mountain!
Norway is beautiful as ever but living here must be difficult. Daylight now is around 18 hours - we go to bed in broad sunlight - and of course the reverse is true during the winter. According to our guide it’s around 18 -20 hours of darkness during winter and winter lasted from October to April this year. I would find that so depressing and he did say that a lot of people do get depressed. However the summer is beautiful but there is still quite a lot of snow on the mountain tops.
Hope Doodle is having a great time - she seems to have been away for ages. We will be home on April 5 - 2 weeks long enough for me although DH would cruise for much longer.
Hope everyone feeling under the weather or with problems soon feels much better and happier

Wot-ho All

Just popped by to say all went well at Papworth yesterday. His atrial fibrulation is causing a bit of concern so they want to 're-boot' his heart (which can be done locally) and see him again in a couple of months. They couldn't have been more thorough or explained things better. The only fault with the whole procedure was the macaroni cheese the cafe afterwards! I know cheese isn't good for heart patients but I think they over skimped. The traffic on Fridays in and out of Norfolk is dire and DH isn't a good passenger so he drove there and back which was probably a mistake as he's crackered today. DSiL meanwhile was driving the other way to drop off two dogs who're holidaying with us while the family are away. It took him five and a half hours to do a journey which would be three tops any other dy. One dog is only nine months old and has only been here once before and she didn't settle well last night. I'm now off to walk them again before dinner.

Love the photo Jan, we only saw Norway in deep snow (and yes it was quite dark) so had intended to return in summer. Maybe one day!

Grannaretto please don't be concerned that any future dog I may have will be forced to live on chunky wholegrain sandwiches, BLV dogs have very strict feeding regimes and training around food.

Drop something temptingly edible at their feet and they must ignore it, even when very hungry.
They are never fed from table and new owners must observe and agree to all this and more. The dog will always be the property of BLV, so no deviation from the rules will be allowed, even if the dog is with me for years.
VAD dogs are even trained to pooh & wee on command and at no other time. Astonishing but when the security of a blind person may be at stake, 100% focus at all times is essential.

If I'm considered as an 'owner', I shall have to train too and I'm not sure I'm up to it. Lots to think about.

1st August = Yorkshire Day. I'm making puddings. *

Jan Your comments about Norway reminded me of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem:
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43190/bed-in-summer

The rain is so heavy here that I cannot hear my audio book a metre away as I cook in preparation for family arriving.
A few days ago, dgs rang me from a museum telling me the call was being made on an old fashioned phone with a dial. He was amused.
His voice has gone deep. He's growing up.

* but not eating them

Oh my goodness Kaimoana. I see why our lab would never have made a guide dog!

Gorgeous pictures of the Norway cruise Jan

It is raining here and getting Autumny. The lads (one is in his 70s) are in the kitchen painting and making me throw out my junk treasures
When I told them my weeping fig was once my mother's they said all the more reason to chuck it out!! So it is all to be freshened up.

Well done on the arduous journey NfkD and I am so pleased to hear you had such excellent treatment at Papworth.

Happy Yorkshire day everyone. Why was August 1st chosen?

Evening all. I am home but far from well. I have tested positive for Covid and feel dreadful. I feel really wiped out and every joint aches. Forgive me not reading all the posts tonight. I hope I’ll be feeling more up to it Tomorrow. Hope everyone is ok. Take care all x

Oh Doodle so sorry to hear. Just get plenty of rest, water and paracetamol.
I can't offer much more help.
I wish I could.

Oh heck Doodle I am sorry to hear that. Follow Grammaretto's advice and take it easy. I hope the Dude is okay ?. I too wish I could do something to help. Sending you a distanced virtual cwtch ? x

Oh no! Poor Doodle that's sad news indeed. Yes, rest and take care of yourself, I know your DH is a good, caring nurse when needed.
All love to you. xxxxx

Gramaretto Those men have no feeling for historic continuity. Imagine telling you to throw out your Mother's Weeping Fig! The very idea.
I'm sure you're made of stern enough stuff to defy their feeble opinions.

For the first time this Winter I'm wearing a hoodie as the temps have gone down to 9 degrees. Brrr.
Sunny though so a high of 15 expected today.

My feets can always tell when it's properly cold; lower than 10 degrees and they call for socks

Lovely day with the DS and children yesterday. Dgs is so excited about his New Caledonia holiday.
I must remind him where Old Caledonia is

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8A9rtg0iI

Doodle so sorry to read your news....ring your dr tomorrow as you may be able to have the antivirals to lessen the risk for the Dude? No harm in asking!

I am a lurker an observer on the sidelines of this lovely thread and just wanted to send love and best wishes to Doodle and hopes that they are both making a steady recovery.

It's pretty gutting, I know, to have lasted infection-free for so long, then to succumb?.
?

How are you today Doodle?
I do hope you are feeling better ☺️
I hope Jeeves is looking after you
Cushie arrived this evening but she warned me that she wasn't feeling great so suspected covid. She tested negative but I've given her sole use of the spare shower room.
Frenchman has to share mine.
He is supposed to leave tomorrow.

Hello all. All your lovely messages have cheered me up no end. I am feeling a bit better today I think although it might just be the relief of getting home. Yesterday was too much with all the packing etc . I think I must be about 5 days into it by now as I’ve had the days of shivers, headache, muscle pain and a couple of days horrendous coughing.
Can’t believe I was lucky enough to avoid Covid until we were well on the way home. Any earlier and it would have spoilt what was a fantastic holiday. DH and I were among the very few onboard who wore masks all the time. We only took them off in our room or outside or when eating and drinking.
Kaimoana thank you for your good wishes. My DIL already sent a text to DH asking if he wanted some tips on using the washing machine (?).
I hope the campaign is a success and more help becomes available because of it. I do hope you’re eligible for the scheme. It would be lovely for you to have a dog.
I know a little (very little) about guide dogs for the blind training (similar to the assistance dogs I assume) as a relative has been involved for some time. I know there are very strict rules and the dog’s welfare and health is closely monitored.
That poem for Jan really made me laugh. Having been to Norway many times it is so true.
Ah yes the old fashioned phones. I bet your DGS couldn’t wait to tell you all about it. Hope the Yorkshires rose to perfection.
Mamissimo thanks for your concern. Good idea about the antivirals. Hadn’t thought of that. Thank you.
Oh what a shame all that effort wasn’t able to be appreciated by your dinner guests. Well at least the rest of the family were able to have the benefit. I’m sure Honey Beagle would be the perfect support dog in terms of cuddles.
Grammaretto thank you for your thoughts. I’m certainly getting the rest as I don’t have the energy for much else. First time I’ve ever got home from holiday and not had the washing machine on overdrive…..I haven’t even opened the cases yet (and this year it’s not because DH forgot the password code for the padlocks ?)
Good to hear your ‘boys’ are hard at work in the kitchen. It will be lovely when it’s all finished.
1st August is also Swiss National Day. DH and I once arrived there on holiday on that day and it was the most wonderful celebration. Fireworks, bands playing, people up all night singing, dancing and of course Cow bell ringing.
Jan what a wonderful picture. The sky looks so blue. Glad you’ve had a few days decent weather. Nothing like Norway in the sunshine. Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise and have calm seas.
NFK so pleased the visit to Papworth went well and managed to reassure you both with any concerns you may have had.
I hope your two doggie guests settle in well soon and you get to sleep well at night. Be nice to take them out on walks though.
Don’t forget to rest a bit yourself.
Hope the Re-booting is an easy process and gives the desired result.
Cherry that’s kind of you . Yes the Dude is fine thank you. Still testing negative so I’m hoping he might not catch it. You always make me laugh “distanced virtual cwtch” indeed ? and one returned to you too. x ?
Oh ixion that’s so nice of you to pop in with you good wishes. Thank you.
You know you are always welcome to pop here and post whenever you feel like it. We like company ?.
Well gang that’s me off to bed soon I think. Thank you all again so much for you good wishes. It’s good to be home and back with you all again. Sleep well all x

I’ve spent so long typing my post that Grammaretto was able to sneak in again. Oh dear I do hope Cushie doesn’t have Covid. ?

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-95497-laughing-owl.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-93636-owl3.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-950013-sly-owl.jfif

Pictures to cheer you Doodle

Call from BLV says I may have my interview & assessment next week - time and day to be arranged. This gave me buterlies in my tummy.

A new person has moved into Brian's old unit opposite my home. I shall walk across with some freshly baked shortbread and a brief message of welcome.

An old custom from my childhood. Does anyone still do it I wonder?

Hello All. We are on the Flam railway. If it wasn’t p…..g (sorry!) with rain it would be the most beautiful train journey ever! Not only is it raining it’s flipping freezing!!!! Just can’t believe it after the sunny hot weather of the last few days! Never mind we’ve had a giggle and a moan and let’s face it we’ve had many years to perfect the moaning!
Tomorrow we are a short trip somewhere then packing on Thurs and the long drive home Fri. Must admit I’m ready for home - 14 days is my limit. Hope *Doodle+ is feeling better. So annoying when a post disappears.