Hi Jack and Penny
if you ever find yourself in that bit of Scotland I can heartily recommend The Tomich Hotel about a mile or so down the road from this beautiful ruined house. I have been a number of times and like to imagine all those retrievers milling about! I have had a Lab and a couple of Flatcoated Retrievers there but the effect was not the same! Must go back again as it is quite a while since I visited and Holly Cocker Spaniel would love it.
Christine

Hi Linda
hubby and I were just discussing the traffic in Kendal! There is not a single entry/exit road that doesn't have a lane closure or temporary traffic lights in place. Gas, flood works, pot hole repairs and telephones/wi fi tinkering all stopping locals and tourists alike accessing Kendal. We have a Pride Festival tomorrow to add to the chaos. Next week is an event to ENCOURAGE people to come to all the activities we can offer here in the school holidays. Breweries and organisation spring to mind!!
Christine

Hi Jack
I have to say that Ruby is my kind of dog! I did have one that tried to keep clean and dry whenever possible but the rest tried to look like Ruby does in those pictures! Current cocker Holly is mainly white apparently but prefers to add mud or sand as much as possible.
Happy birthday  Bonnie.
Christine

Linda / Penny
I have just read a news report saying that travellers have used power tools to take down a padlocked iron gate in order to invade the sports field accross the road from my sister in law in Yorkshire. At least your visitors, Linda, have obvious cultural claims (as the saying goes these days) to being Romany. The modern caravans of the Yorkshire visitors suggest otherwise (not a horse or bow top to be seen). We walk our dog around the edge of this field when we visit and one long side borders old peoples sheltered bungalows. The poor souls are very  worried. Yet they wonder why people are not always pleased to see them.

Linda
no flats thanks - we have a dog - plus the maintainence charges will be horrendous! I can't understand why anybody would want one in that development as Longpool is a noisy and dirty road. The ones on the old courthouse site are a better prospect if that kind of development floats your boat. I don't think either of us (but especially hubby) are sociable enough for that kind of living. Too bah humbug! We expected to buy a character old terrace when we were looking last time and fninished up with this almost new modern house so we are back on the hunt for an older property. We have seen a few different types of house but still come back in our heads to an old terrace. Currently keen on one that is ready to move into and whilst a little bit further from the town centre is still a nice flat walk to the shops via the park/riverside and when we get decrepit we will use a taxi!

Linda
Try The Bristly Hog next time you are in Kendal. Good food and really good coffee and very friendly staff.  If you like scrambled egg I can guarantee they do the best you will ever have but everything is nice. Look out for a black and white cocker spaniel forcing a couple to enter the cafe!!

If you win the lottery this weekend you can buy our house as we are on the market. We have a lot of stairs but a lottery winner could afford 3 stannah lifts!!  Christine

Hi Penny
I am spared too much contact with the visitors now that I am retired. The main thing in Kendal was the annual invasion of the (now closed) small department store I worked in for bargains in large quantities that "needed to be reduced more" and were often a distraction technique anyway (fill in the blanks!).
We were in Sedbergh last week and walked through a field full of tethered horses that had only got in there because the wall had been kicked over. It's poor Linda who is at the centre of things. Good luck this year Linda.

Hi Auntie Mo
be aware that they show operations etc as well as beautiful scenery and seriously cute animals. Some of the humans are pretty quirky (look out for Mr and Mrs Green!)
Hope you enjoy them if you can get them on your TV
Christine