Canal wildlife

Yesterday I wrote about the man made aspect of the canals, today we switch to wildlife.  Many animals have made the canal and the surrounding areas their homes and June is a lovely time to see all the wildlife, with lots of young about.

Ducks chase boats for bread, even follow you into a lock.

Canadian Geese with their young.

Their are also the rarer sights.

Mandarin duck

The birds love boaters and except them into their life.

Although some of the animals themselves do not get along quite as well. The film is us feeding the ducks and a moorhen decides to join in.  

Canals

Having just spent a week on a narrow boat on the Grand Union Canal it has got me thinking.  Canals were built for industry and the transportation of goods, they show mans engineering skills to over come problems.  Before engines horse power was all you had and one horse could pull up to fifty tonnes on the canal much more than on road.  The engineering achievements are everywhere along the canals, the bridges

from heavy duty metal work





beautiful stone work




to just practical.

The locks are a thing of pure genius, then there are tunnels and aqueducts.


Stoke Bruerne top lock



South end of the blisworth tunnel

It is just amazing the amount of work that went in to the building of the canals, and how under rated they are.  We  travelled for two days each way and we passed seven locks, countless bridges, two swing bridges (one now out of use) and travelled over two aqueducts.  We made it the bottom of the seven locks at Stoke Bruerne, and from there walked to the south end of the Blisworth Tunnel.  Everything man made or dug in a time before heavy machinery

College

I have just returned from a week in Yorkshire, where I have been attending college.  I have had a busy, but fun week.  As well as training different dogs we got to model various harness and head collars on them.  Which was handy as some I didn't have a clue how they fitted on the dog!  Learnt more about canine first aid and about observing animals and recording data. 

One of the best bits though was getting to meet follow students, when doing a mainly online course it is nice to put faces to names and just chat.  I know I have made some good friends. 

Not taking a dog with me was slightly odd, I had more time in the morning and didn't have to do a last thing at night pee walk, but next time I go I am planning to book a kennel and take Racer and new baby welsh (still no name).

The year does seem to have come and flown by, this time last year I was wondering whether it was the right thing or not to go to college, a degree takes up a lot of time.  Now I'm pleased I did, even with it taking up a lot of time.  With 52 hours experience to fit in before September, an assignment due next week and 5 hours of watching and recording dogs to do even though the lessons maybe over til September the work isn't.

Although now my practical is over I can start training Racer different things again, I already have a plan.

The garden is coming along.

The boarders are roughly planted



They need more colour though, the rose in the corner is making up for it.

 The pond too, is finished and looking lovely, with the patio edge at the back planted

Even the Koi are saying "hi"

Puppies

Yesterday I made a 147 mile round trip to have puppy cuddles.  Racer is a father for the fourth time and one of his sons will be coming to live us. 

The second picture is of the two boys, which we will have one.  I am even going to try and show him.  Racer has achieved show champ status, but has always be shown by his breeder.  So it will be new to both of us.  I just hope I do puppy's breeder proud.

On a different note I will be heading up to Yorkshire next week for college.  Having filmed my practical already,  I have no tests planned so I can enjoy the week and look forward to seeing friends and meeting my friends new puppy. 

Car Insurance

I have wasted hours of my life trying to sort out my car insurance it is finally done, what I did discover though is that lots of insurance companies only count 5 years no claims, so if they then change the new one starts counting from 5 as they have no proof of anything before that.  So in effect if you then choose one that does count higher years you have no proof.  Rubbish I have lost 3 years worth through changing insurer.

This the leads to the dog insurance debate, is it really worth it?  Well I had never claimed until this year and the claims combined sneak into four figures, but I still have to pay £100 of the first claim per year and 20% there after.  Even with the claims this year I have paid lots more into the scheme, so do you self insure and go crying to the bank manager for a loan should you not of accrued enough?  Thing is once you starting paying insurance it's had to stop.

I currently have buildings and  contents, car, boiler, life and critical illness and dog insurance. Would I be richer without them?  Well thats the though of the day. Enjoy

The Garden and Training

Well the garden is almost done, the pond is complete and the fish are very happy with their home.  The patio and rail behind the pond are done and looking good, no one will fall in  four paws or two legs.

The green house has sprung to life with tomatoes, peppers, chillies and a grape vine.  Still need to sort out the two main boarders.

Unfortunately this week is dedicated to panicking over my college practical.  Racer and I are capable of all the nine tasks when no one is about, but add a cameraman in and we both fall to pieces. He has done so well learning to creep and do a lovely figure of eight though my legs in the past two months.  Bring back a dropped glove has also been a big achievement.  For a dog that would never return to hand, (my fault of using a chuck-er ball for years) to teach him not only to retrieve and want to play with a glove, but to get him to hand it me has been great.  We must have the practical filmed by Friday, so here thinking positive.

Murphy's training has ceased again, mainly due to his health issues, although were not 100% sure of the cause, a low fat diet has got him back to his old self, so were happy about that. 

It's been a while

I've been very busy of late the blog had been long forgotten until today and with five minutes to spare I thought it was worth updating it.

There have been major changes in the garden, in fact the pond has been rebuilt in a different corner, and a patio is now taking up a lot of grass space.  The green house has sprung to life with lots of seedlings.  The spring bulbs have come and gone.  Doesn't time fly.

My uni course, oh yea I'm trying to find time to do a degree, has nearly reach the end of it's first year.  Still have to go to Yorkshire one final time, which I'm looking forward to.

My summer shift at work week on week off, is one week away. Got to love the summer.

Murphy the lab has been out of sorts and run up a nice bill at the vets.

Well I'll bore you with the details another day.