A displaced Sally day

Regular readers will know that we normally dog sit on Tuesdays, but with Elanor being struck down by the lurgy at the start of this week, we didn't do so. Elanor's back at work, but still feeling a bit pale and wan (it's a vicious little bug that takes a couple of weeks to get over properly) so she's not been going to dog training, which in turn means that Sal has been missing out on a lot of exercise.

Since they were due to visit us this evening anyway, Elanor asked if we would take Sally during the day and get her charging about a bit. This we've done; it's been very successful. They turned up at eight as usual, Sally looking very cosy in her heavy coat, the one that's really a horse rug for a very small horse, a Falabella, say.

I took her for a first run after we'd finished our early morning routine of checking email and the like. As we got to the usual field, Ian from Nobby was there with Katie, a long, low slung dog, the result of an encounter between a Bassett hound and a collie. She actually looks a lot like the stretch limo version of a Cardiganshire corgi , and gets on well with Sally. They were having a good old charge about when Barry from Adagio appeared in the next door field running his Bedlington terrier cross whippet, Duffy.

Duffy made it clear that she really, really wanted to join her friends, so they came round and the three of them hurtled about to their hearts' content. After a bit, Sally started checking out the bunny options instead, which involved a lot of running to and fro by the hedges, so more exercise for her.

We all then walked round the rest of the marina; Sally was being remarkably well behaved, only grumbling at Duffy when the younger dog kept trying to get some more play out of her; Duffy is one of those dogs who just doesn't understand why the rest of the world needs to slow down occasionally. It just shows that three bitches can get on together.

Back at the boat, I had coffee then went shopping at the fortnightly mini Farmers' Market, getting a range of meat, a bit of veg, and a jar of mini beets in orange and spice dressing.

After all that, it was chill out time until lunch. Sheila and I took Sal for another run this afternoon, and then retreated to loaf for the rest of the day, the weather having turned from bright and frosty to overcast and grey.

Elanor is coming to help eat the haggis in a bit, so it's going to be a sociable evening.