My new buddies

We've had a wee bout of the Arctic here in NE Scotland this week, perfectly timed for Gail's brother who came up from Englandshire to visit for three days.

I am thinking my husky blog pals might have appreciated the conditions more than Uncle Max did.

But once again, I was happy to permit a welcome guest a generous allocation of space on my cosy blue sofa. 

In fact now he's gone, it feels like there's something of a gap.

Other good news is that I have a fun new companion for my Thursday morning walks. Freddy has just been adopted by kind neighbours Ola and Struan and he's totally up for a race around the park in the snow. Ola reported that we were both super well behaved off the lead, give or take the odd flash of 'dominance' on my part...

Freddy is a handsome one year old poodle/shih tzu mix from Mrs Murray's (the local dog and cat rescue centre). I am feeling a bit sorry for him in the cold weather as apparently his poodly coat was so matted it had to be shaved off right down to the skin when he arrived at the rescue centre.

I hope for dear Freddy's sake the furs grows back again quickly, but meanwhile he has a nice cosy jacket to keep the winter chills at bay.

Gail is spending a lot of time dozing on 'her' sofa - the brown one - at the moment, and I am learning that she mostly just wants to be left in peace.

Sunday outing

Yvonne protects Nobby (or is it vice versa?) from giant squirrel in Crathes Castle woods...

 

But where are the acorns buried?

A different kind of Nature Friday post

So I bet you're looking at the photo Gail took out of our front window yesterday and are thinking "Nobby, what on earth does that have to do with Nature Friday?"

Well let me explain.

The council workers in the hi-vis jackets are digging up the paving stones, and smoothing and relaying the pavement so that pedestrians are not forever tripping up and hurting themselves due to what had become a very uneven surface.

The root cause (pardon the pun) is the trees.

It's quite a dilemma isn't it? You can have a pleasant, nature-friendly tree-lined street, providing shade in the summer, home for the birds and plenty of pee-mail sniffing opportunities. 

Or you can have a boring tree-free road where the paving stones do not have to do battle with the tree roots. 

Which would you prefer?

Oh and finally, here are a couple of more conventional 'Nature Friday friendly' photos for you to enjoy.

The first was taken by our friend M earlier in the week and shows sunset over Couper's Pond on the western edge of Aberdeen.

And the second was taken by next door neighbour Edith on a late afternoon walk along the River Dee with my 'Thursday girlfriend' Stroma. 

Didn't we both pose nicely?

Do you like to share?

I'll be honest with you.

The larger of the two sofas in our living room is very comfy and I think of it as my own personal fiefdom.

But every once in a while, when super nice guests come to visit, I am happy to cede some space so they can be comfy too.

This weekend, Gail's lovely cousin Sue and her (also lovely) husband Martin came on the train all the way up from England. My alert terrier instinct immediately picked up how delighted Gail was to see these kind relatives, and thus it was of course my pleasure to share.

A Nature Friday Miscellany

So the week began with sunshine and a walk around Hazlehead golf course with John and Françoise. 

And with Gail asking if we should enter this photo in a 'rear of the year' contest.

Midweek there was a pretty sunset in the skies above our street.

In Duthie Park the mahonia is just now coming into flower.

So far so predictable.

But who could have anticipated a Thursday morning invasion by a stack of cardboard tortoises from La Bretagne....?

What??!

PS from Gail: thank you so much to Phenny, Nelly, Katty and Mark for sending us this delightful 3D card. Rest assured it was rescued from Nobby's paws before any damage was done...

Happy Nature Friday all!

'Cheerer Upper in Chief'

I told you on Monday about the crack team of local friends who are keeping me exercised and entertained.

Today I want to show you how Gail's pals from further afield have been brightening up the house with lots of lovely messages and cards and flowers. 

The weather here in Aberdeen has turned a bit November-gloomy this week, but I am perfectly suited to the role of 'Cheerer Upper in Chief'!

Flowers from Angela and David in London

(Gail tells me my cheering up services might be in high demand today by many of our friends across the Pond, as well as more generally in other parts of the world such as Ukraine, but I'm afraid there's a limit to how much one jolly little fox terrier can achieve...)

A strong squad

Me and my 'Tuesday girl'

Can I tell you about my team of wonderful humans who are now helping Gail keep me exercised and entertained?

Close neighbours Kirsty and Edith do Mondays and Thursday afternoons respectively. Both are also dog owners and Edith's cocker spaniel Stroma and I rub along together companionably enough, but Kirsty's wee poodle Ella is elderly and never was a fan of my more boisterous side, so she doesn't usually join us for our walks. 

On Tuesday at the moment it's Anita. I'm told Anita has a penchant for running endurance marathons in the mountains when she isn't sailing around the world. But so far, and somewhat to my relief, we've stuck to the less challenging territory of Aberdeen's parks and green spaces.

My Wednesday lady is Sheila. She is, like Kirsty, a retired vet. Sheila clearly adores walking and dogs and in turn I adore her.

Friday it's the turn of Imogen, another action woman, who somehow finds time to fit me in between her cycling, kayaking, cello-playing, swimming, volunteering and other activities. Exhausting even to read that list!

First choice on Sundays is Gail's former colleague John, who likes to drive me out into the hills and give me a good workout.

Oh and finally let's not forget Saturday, when lovely young Ola and Struan take me for a walk and, if I'm super lucky, we might also go to the pub next door to their flat - a familiar spot from pub quiz evenings where I feel quite at home and am, in truth, rather spoilt.

All the best teams are backed up by first rate talent on the substitutes bench and you'll doubtless be hearing more about some of my 'reserves' in good time.

As readers will have realised, I'm having to adapt to some big, sudden and wholly unanticipated changes in routine since Gail came out of hospital, and she tells me that henceforth things will never be quite the same as they were before. 

But you know what? I'm friendly and adaptable little chap and I'm doing just fine.

Me and Stroma

Late Autumn East and West

In Duthie Park, my friends are still bowled over by my handsome haircut, and the branches of trees are also bearing less weight, having mostly shed their leaves by now.

Gail's lovely friends Yvonne and Neil made the trip west to check that all is in order at our Torridon cottage and sent us photos of the autumnal scenes thereabouts.

Yvonne brought back the 'last flower of the year' from the cottage garden, and it's now adorning our breakfast table here in Aberdeen.

Happy Nature Friday!