Authorlouisa

One month in: things I’ve realised since getting a dog

1. Walks

I knew we’d have to go on walks and we were looking forward to the excuse to exercise and explore. I didn’t realise how much we’d need to walk to tire her out in the first few weeks (we were constantly exhausted!) but now it’s settled down, I didn’t expect quite how much I’d enjoy the strolls. Sure, the on-lead first thing in the morning pee-and-poo walk around the block is a bit of a chore comparatively but park/woodland walks are a lot of fun – watching her cheese it about at full speed while we dawdle along behind. We’re very lucky to have such interesting walks at the foot of our garden and around both Leeds & Bradford in general – very green cities. In a chicken/egg situation, it’s also perfect timing that Lily has entered our lives just when I’m getting more interested in wild food/wild plants in general. We’re also going for more walks with friends – not just other doggied-up friends – loving the excuse to go for a stroll in the sunshine rather than just seeing those friends at the pub or whatever.

2. Dog walking small talking

And it’s not just people we already know: if you want to get to know people in your local community, get a dog – it makes things so much easier. To be fair, this was a already pretty friendly neighbourhood but it seems to ramp up a lot when we’re out with Lily. Lots of doggie-related small talk but it’s a start.

3. Restrictions

I had not anticipated quite how tying a dog would be compared to cats. The cats are tying in some ways – they wouldn’t want to go into a cattery so we’ve not been able to go on long (read: more than a week) holidays due to a combination of missing them and not wanting to abuse the generosity of our friends doing the feeding. But the dog, at the moment – we can’t even leave her for an hour on her own. We’ll build it up but she’s effectively been abandoned twice within a couple of months (firstly by the person who loved her for over 8 years, secondly by that person’s daughter) so she’s understandably somewhat anxious. Since we work from home, we don’t need to leave her alone that much but sometimes it’s desirable – we’ve got a great and very willing babysitter in Katherine but still, it’s quite tying. On the plus side though, most of our holidays in recent years have been to a quiet cottage by the coast somewhere in the UK so she’ll be able to come with us then.

4. Poo

When we were talking to rescue people about getting a dog, we’d often joke that we have no fear when it comes to poo but it turns out, we genuinely have no fear of poo. John’s dad watched me with pick some up with a baggie the other day and said he couldn’t do it, he’d need a little shovel. But a decade of cleaning out litter trays & accidental cat poos on carpet, then four months of Sili with stomach cancer last year – we’re not going to be licking our fingers after doing it but … no fear.

5. How noisy dogs are

I’ve lived with cats my whole life and know that their vocabulary extends far beyond “meow” – and there are hundreds of different meows anyway. I know the sound of a cat washing, a cat giving its claws a good clean, a cat scratching its ear with its back leg and hitting the window at the same time. I didn’t think a dog would be silent aside from the occasional woof or pine/whine but Lily grunts, she snorts, she snores, she sighs, she farts (that’s both an assault on the audio and olfactory senses), she thunders around the house, and she licks her bum & bits so loudly that it’s worrying (George identified the worrying aspect the other day: it sounds too wet, like she’s doing something very moist on the carpet. Never a good sound). None of these sounds are a problem and some of them (the grunting in particular) are hilarious — I just wasn’t expecting them.

6. How much stuff I know about cats that I don’t realise I know

That stuff about cat noises isn’t half of it, not an eighth of it, possibly a 20th of it. I’ve lived with cats my whole life and have been the primary caregiver to the Peach pride for over a decade, so I know all about cat food, cat litter, cat treats, cat toys, cat facial expressions, cat stares, cat actions, cat needs, cat routines… I am at one with the cats. But it’s all so internalised that I didn’t realise how much I knew about them until I started living with a new species which needs different food, treats & toys, has a different routine and facial expressions etc. There has been, and still is, a lot to learn.

7. It’s frustrating my camera is broken

And I have to rely on my crappy camera phone. She’s too cute for just two megapixels! ;)

Last week’s Tweets (up to 2010-04-04)

  • @LauraBlackwell my dad ends every statement on IM with between 4 & 12 ridiculous smilies. i wonder how we'll annoy our kids in 20yrs time :) in reply to LauraBlackwell #
  • Meh. #
  • Procrastinating. #
  • Fell over in the beck on the way back from a walk. Now both the dog and I smell somewhat swampy. #
  • Dog unimpressed that we tried to drag her out to the shop in the pouring rain. Sent @johnleach on his own in the end, he's easier to dry. #
  • Still in bed as feeling a bit poo. Am surrounded by many animals. #
  • A busy day out and about, mostly in the wet and cold, so I feel justified about being in my pyjamas by ten past six. #
  • We're going to the Leeds Farmers Market tomorrow then for a Lily walk in some Leeds park/woodland (probably Meanwood). Anyone want to join? #
  • Scored bargains galore @ Leeds Farmers Market, had a lovely stroll with Team Peach & Team @xbaz in Meanwood & pottered in the garden. Ace. #
  • Just freestyled a risotto using one of the BOGOF Whitby crabs from the farmers market & wild garlic from the garden. Very fresh & light: yum #

Wild Food Fun: Whitby Crab and Wild Garlic Risotto

A change from my last very quick and easy wild garlic (Ramsons) meal – I made crab & wild garlic risotto for dinner today.

I got two dressed crabs from Leeds Farmers Market – the guy gave me a free one because he wasn’t doing another market for a few days and they don’t freeze them, so I decided to do something a little different than my usual, which is gobbling them down with some bread & salad. I found a crab and leek risotto recipe online and thought wild garlic would do instead.

I’m not the risotto maker in this house but John was out (and doesn’t like crab anyway) so I just bodged it. I knew I didn’t want to cook either the crab or wild garlic for too long so I made a very plain standard base with the rice (although as a nod to the to-be-added ingredients, I added lemon juice to the stock) and added the crab and the wild garlic (roughly cut again) just before the parmesan at the end.

The risotto was very fresh and light – the crab quite delicate but definitely there; ditto the wild garlic. The leaves were mostly wilted like spinach and I was glad I’d cut them up a bit.

10 goals for 2010 – progress update

Right, we’re a quarter of the way through the year – am I a quarter of the way through my goals? Nope.

1. To make a meal using only ingredients I’ve grown, raised, caught or killed myself.
This feels like it’s moving on a bit now as the sun is shiny and there are potatoes chitting, seeds in pots of soil and many more seeds to meet their soil this weekend. Plus, there is more wild food about now – I “caught” some wild garlic the other day and have plans for the nettle shoots springing up everywhere (and maybe even try the cleavers).

2. To travel to a place on my “top ten places to go before I die” list.
The only places I’ve travelled to this month have been Liverpool and Bingley. So, not got any further with this one.

3. Finish writing my second novel.
Thought about it this month than I did last month. Have yet to apply pen to paper. Sigh.

4. Learn how to make sausages – wet English style ones and cured ones too.
We unfortunately couldn’t make the wonderful course at Old Sleningford Farm last month but are trying to organise going on another one with them, maybe later this month. Still can’t wait – was gutted about having to miss the last one.

5. Spend at least a day fishing out on the North Sea.
There has been preliminary talk of a week in a cottage on the coast in May-ish – my fishing may coincide with this.

6. Finally finish learning how to drive.
Nothing happened with this. Buses from Bingley still frustrating but I’m now passing the time crocheting & listening to TTC lectures — much more productive than if I drove.

7. Make a full outfit’s worth of clothing for myself – including spinning any wool used.
I’ve pretty much stopped playing WoW again for now so I’m crafting more. Working on a (dog) blanket at the moment but I’m determined to start something clothes-y soon.

8. Learn how to program and make a mini-game/application using Ruby.
My progress has slowed with this but I’m still doing bits. My book suddenly got less usable though so I’m looking for other resources.

9. Climb a mountain or at least a jolly big hill.
Last month, I alluded to something happening that would make this goal a lot easier to accomplish – the arrival of Lily. We’ve walked so much this month! Actually, it’s lessened a bit over the last week or so – the initial excitement of her new environs has worn off and she’s happy to run about everywhere off-lead while we dawdle a shorter route behind. Still, way more exercise than we used to do.

10. Participate more in the real world – plan/run a real life green event or scheme.
Getting out and about more with the dog has made me a) talk to more local people (albeit just doggie small talk so far) and b) see more of the area. The brain cogs keep turning.

3BT – surrounded, distracted, rewarded

1. I wake up just before dawn to the sound of some low half-barks – Lily getting excited in her sleep. She’s still in her bed so I go to her to soothe her. Next time I wake up, perhaps an hour or so later, she’s lying in between us, on her back with her paws in the air, Carla is sat on my chest purring and Boron is fast asleep on my head. The best way to wake up.

2. On the bus, my ears and brain are distracted by a lecture on human pre-history, my hands and eyes by granny squares.

3. After a difficult rehearsal, I need cake. Lots of cake. Then I spot it – a fancy, expensive cake reduced to clear for just 99p.

Last week’s Tweets (up to 2010-03-28)

  • @davidsmalley we went out during a little break in the rain earlier. Lily got *slightly* muddy. Bathtime later for the furry filthpot! in reply to davidsmalley #
  • Cleaned dried mud of Lily's belly ahead of @strowger78 coming to tickle it tomorrow. #
  • Cat & dog both curled up, bums touching, on the sofa. Too cute. #
  • @sarahjarvis or a couple of months if you'd swapped to wearing muu-muus and claimed it was a new fashion trend. in reply to sarahjarvis #
  • Had to interrupt a business phone call to stop the dog chasing squirrels. #thejoysofworkingfromhome #
  • @sarahjarvis your question should be "do i eat a 4th cupcake or not?"; the first three don't need questioning. in reply to sarahjarvis #
  • Off to Salvo's with @johnleach tonight for our first proper date night in flippin' ages. Can't wait. :D #
  • Full of Salvo's. Happy. #
  • Wild garlic & leftover mash potato cakes. Y.U.M.M.O. #almostafreelunch (Eaten with @johnleach-paid-for smokey bacon so still free to me ;) ) #
  • @davidsmalley that's why i booked team always-late onto a direct train ;) in reply to davidsmalley #
  • Boron's head smells of biscuits … and burped wild garlic gas. Funny that. #
  • Had a good run around the Chevin with Katherine & Joe, and Lily-dog. All got rather muddy but was fun. #
  • Would really rather like a nap. #
  • @tim_waters ooh, maybe. would a (well behaved, ever so pretty) doggie be welcome too? in reply to tim_waters #
  • Just had one of those "the food isn't very good but there is lots of it" moments with a random takeaway. Leftover dhal & naan for tomorrow. #