Daily Archives: December 22, 2011

Midge – a Border Terrier/Jack Russel cross. I found her at a gamekeeper’s cottage in the middle of a forest near Lake Vrynwy in Mid-Wales —

Midge is one of a litter of five – I got her as a tiny bundle fur at six weeks old. The Border Terrier dad is a ruffty tuffty working dog who lives in an outside kennel and the Jack Russel mum lives indoors and is the family pet. When I went to chose a pup there was quite a mix – rough haired pups – smooth haired pups – some red – some brindled all climbing under and over one another with mum looking on proud as punch.

It’s unusual to see water spilling over the dam as it is really a catchment for the city of Liverpool water supply and the city draws off most of the flow. I have seen it in all seasons and all weathers and this is the main feeder river – again I caught it in flood —

It was difficult to chose but one little beauty had a white tuft under her chin so it had to be her —

Both Midge and Taz live up to their names but there is never any trouble between them. Midge will get too boisterous after a few minutes of playing together. That’s when the claws come out and a swift tap on the nose from Tazza cat is enough to make Midge settle down.

Those plaques on the rock at the end of the dam above my XJR1300 give lots of info regarding Lake Vrynwy —

and down below the dam there are walks and an interesting sculpture park with exibits from artists worldwide —

Lake Vrynwy, a lovely place to spend a day or two with tearooms, gift shops, water sports and bird hides. There is a single track road runs all the way round the loch making it a good walk or cycle at about fourteen miles for the circuit. Well worth a visit if you are in Mid-Wales.

Midge

With Oswestry Showground right on my doorstep for a number of years I would enjoy the annual Agricultural Show.

There was always plenty of beef about —

But if I had a favourite it was my friend’s horse —

a two years old Shire horse —

or is he a Clydesdale?

can’t remember – but you have to be fit to parade these big fellas —

and even down in rural Shropshire they love the Scottish Highland breeds —

Oswestry Show

With Christmas fast approaching most of us have thoughts for our family. My children and grandchildren may as well live at the end of the earth but my thoughts are with them.

My cat Tazza has featured in these posts recently and this is how I described her arrival in my home to my grandchildren a few years ago.

Raining Cats and Dogs

One dark winter’s night the wind was gusting under the bridge over the stream at the bottom of my garden and the rain was coming down in torrents when my neighbours, the Mills family, heard a howling outside their house. Mother Mills rushed out expecting to find at the very least a pack of dogs whining and baying at the wind but to her surprise there was nothing to be seen.

Mother Mills went back inside for her big torch and bravely came out for another look to find where the cries were coming from. Then she saw it! A tiny kitten clinging to a narrow moss covered stone ledge on the side of the bridge a few feet above the raging brook! It may have been a tiny kitten but she was making enough noise for a whole family of them!

Mother Mills managed to rescue the soaking morsel from her precarious perch and took her into the house where she dried her with an old towel and gave her some warm milk to drink. When she was dry and her tummy was full of warm milk the little kitten quitened down, curled up and fell asleep as if nothing bad had happened to her. Where she came from and how she got there was to remain forever a mystery.

The Mills family had two more cats at that time called Zach and Clovis and when those two saw this strange little mite drinking their milk and sleeping in their bed they were none too pleased and set off around the house complaining loudly to anyone who would listen! So, to keep the peace in their house Mother Mills asked me if I would like a kitten and I’m sure you know what the answer must have been because that little kitten is now Tazza, a full grown pussycat.

She is a really brave and clever pussycat and one day when I didn’t have my car I put her in her travelling basket strapped to the pillion seat of my motorbike and took her to the vet’s surgery for her appointment. She didn’t complain at all. In fact she seemed to enjoy whizzing through town like that!

Another time when she was quite young she came on a two hundred miles journey in the car to Scotland. That’s quite a long way so we stopped for a comfort break at a service station on the M6 where she walked on a lead and did her toilet behind some trees as if it was something that happened every day.

Shame she blotted her copybook at her grannie’s house though. The young Tazza found it all very strange and managed to do a ‘whoopsie’ on the cushion of a chair in the sun lounge. Poor Tazza! She was very embarrassed and so was I but the cushion cover cleaned good as new in the washing machine and I’m pleased to say that Tazza hasn’t had any ‘accidents’ since.

Another trick that Tazza get’s up to is to try and walk along the narrow edge of the bath when I am having a soak in the tub. Now cats are not supposed to like getting wet and I would have thought that after her problems on the bridge as a kitten, she would keep well away from ledges and water but no, daft cat that she is, she is never happy unless she is in danger of slipping into the bath amongst the soapy water!

It’s the same with the bathroom sink. If I leave the cold water tap running just a little bit, she will climb up into the sink and play with the running water for ages. First catching some water in her paw and then pretending to drink it.

Tazza sleeps in the house most days and goes out hunting for rats and mice at night. Sometimes in the morning she will bring a live one home as a present. That’s one present I would rather not have! One thing hasn’t changed and that is the row she makes when she arrives back at the house around five or six o’clock in the morning! She is louder than an alarm clock and I always have to go downstairs and let her in before she wakes the neighbours!

Sometimes I think that Zach and Clovis were right when they thought she was a right little nuisance but I love her to bits and am so glad she came to stay.

Don’t be fooled – Tazza is the boss!

Tazza cat