"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

Come over anytime Kaz He needs entertaining (other than by the cat hissing at him through the bars of his pen). And I won't be going far anytime soon. Mornings are mostly good, and I'm around all this weekend and most of next!

Barriers are now up, and he's been to the vet. Who recommended a bath(!), slow feeding bowl, and charcoal biscuits! We've done quite a bit today so he's having a rest.

Gardener has removed a huge lump of limescale from the drains, so hopefully they'll now behave (as well as putting up two puppy barriers and helping me get the crate in and out of the car for the vet visit). Then we'll empty all the pots from the greenhouse onto the flowerbeds, and he can mix up more commercial compost and composted bark into the big compost bin for me to use on the veg plot. 

Need to make decisions on some stuff the electrician has sent me, and also think what I'm going to ask the plumber to do and when. I would be nice to be able to finish all the work that involves the attic and get it properly insulated with a decent loft hatch!

After another couple of walks I'm shattered. Cats are still not entirely happy, and puppy is a bit bored and probably starting to miss his siblings. But he did get to meet lots of new people today. There will be several more walks today, although it's getting dark already!

Sun_Addict

Have found your diary 🙂 How lovely a new puppy. Our dog is our first, had her since she was a puppy and she’s 12 now. She’s had very little training as Mr SA started with his brain tumour before she was 1, but despite that she’s a really good dog, never had any trouble with her and she loves cats (just not dogs 😆). 

EssexHebridean

Happy new farty puppy greenbee! You used to be able to get dog biscuits with charcoal in them, not sure if they are still made or not though. (They are - I’ve just checked!) Of course the advantage of getting him slightly older than the usual is that at least you can do getting out on walks right away as he’s already had his jabs - far better than trying to keep an active dog entertained within the confines of house and garden alone! 

greenbee

Vet said 'bath, slow feeding bowl, charcoal' which is what I'd already worked out! Slow feeder has already worked wonders (it arrived in time for his supper). Keep forgetting to add charcoal. Bath is scheduled for tomorrow. 

Puppy is being very, very good. Sits lots (as he knows that results in cuddles), also lies down for 'down' (sometimes), retrieves well. Probably a waste of a very good gun dog He's also very good at letting me know when he needs to go out, and is being very patient with the cat that keeps coming and hissing at him through the bars of his pen.

We're booked for a walk with the dog next door tomorrow, which is important as they're going to be sharing a fence. We've been doing lots of short walks, but I think I want to start a routine of 2 x 20 minute walks a day and the rest playtime/pottering in the garden. So morning walk, walk before work, and then quick trips into the garden during and after work. 

I have to decide tomorrow about the electrics and get back to the electrician, plus respond to an email about a family friend and reply to a whatsapp from a cousin, and book the puppy in to stay with his mum and siblings while my mum is in hospital as I'm dropping her off/picking her up and looking after her for her first 48 hours. 

Tomorrow's list also includes doing some soil tests (I've had the kits for nearly a year), and trying to do some work in the garden. And not be too shattered to get any work done on Monday!

Good Agile pricing tonight, so the DW, WM, and towel rails are all programmed. Must remember to un-programme the towel rails in the morning.

Time for a last puppy visit to outside, and bedtime biscuits for the cats. 

greenbee

We've had a busy day... up at 6.30 and out for a loo break (puppy, not me), the coffee, dressed and out for a walk. Breakfast for animals, washing hung out, then went to meet next door's dog... lots of barking (from her) when we met at the end of the drive, but he happily followed her into her (dog proof, cat free... apart from my cats ) garden and they rushed around playing happily. Short walk after that, then bath for him (not impressed at all, but he smells SO MUCH better), followed by shower for me. Correct sized kong arrived, so half of lunch was in the slow feeder, half in the kong - kept him occupied for a decent amount of time. Cleaned out the WM filter and put the dog towels in. Will clean out the filter again and run a cleaning cycle tonight. The towels can go on the line tomorrow in the hope they dry a bit before I have to give in and use the TD.

Another walk (met more people!), testing a harness but it's not a great fit. Then put him inside and filled the garden waste bin and emptied the composted bark into the compost bin (needs mixing properly). By which time it was raining and the other harness had arrived. So fitted that, and he went out for another loo break. Since then I've moved some furniture around - not sure that it works, but I want to work out what will go in the sitting room before the decorator starts. And choose a colour for the backs of the bookcases. Puppy has been good and not squeaking while I've been pottering about, but he's starting to move about so I think he might need to go out. It's raining hard out there - this is when having to go in and out through the kitchen rather than the utility room becomes a bit of a PITA as there is nowhere for me to hang my wet coat etc as I come in. I might see whether I can sort out a temporary coat stand.

No clue what to have to eat, but there is stuff in the fridge that needs cooking, so I'll get it out and prep it once I'm back from the next puppy outing!

greenbee

Lovely day, bright and cold. Even at 6am when Fartypants (cat) got me up, and she and Fatty (other cat) went out. So I took Stinky (puppy) out and thankfully he decided it was a good time to go to the loo. Since then I've had coffee, got dressed, taken Stinky for a walk, fed them all, taken the recycling out and tried to work out how much more I can fit in there after so many deliveries, swapped the new crate for the old one, put the folding crate in the car (that might have been last night actually), put the borrowed crate in the hall, had a shower, stripped my bed, put the clean dog towels in the dryer while the sun is shining and generating solar, called the tree surgeon to confirm the date and that they can remove the hawthorn instead of giving it a haircut, and replied to an email from a family friend. Oh, and moved all the unwanted curtains and blinds from my bedroom to the spare room where they will be packed up and either given away or go to the CS by the end of the week.

Now I need to clear my work email, walk Stinky again (he's been out a couple of times... actually must try to remember when the last wee was). I've printed the electrician's quote and need to go through it and make sure everything is in there. And then talk to him about the logistics. It means he'll be in almost every room apart from my bedroom and bathroom and the sitting room (which the decorator will be in), so I'm not quite sure how we'll manage unless we have a daily plan so I can move things around (including animals). It's at that overwhelming stage - and I know that after he's been there will be mess and chaos for weeks as I'll need to fit the plumber in at some point before getting the decorating and floors done. But it would be nice to get it over and done with. 

LadyWithAPlan

I am loving how 50% of your diary is now devoted to 'Poo/Pee watch ';)
We had a lab as kids and he was so the most behaved cute dog for the most part Love to see a pic!

I really want a dog but am waiting til I buy..

EssexHebridean

I give it a handful of days at the most before pup is universally known as "Stinky" both at home AND on here! 

I do now have serious dog envy - we'd love one, but it's definitely not practical for us with the amount of time we are out or away from home. 

greenbee

I've wanted another dog for years EH, but while I was travelling it was totally unrealistic. I got the cats first (because it was winter and because I thought I might still be travelling). As I haven't travelled for a year, and this one came up, I've gone for it - I hope I don't regret it! He's lovely, but hard work. 

First day of puppy and work today - so of course, not as much outside time for him. And he faffs about a lot before deciding to have a pee. Early mornings are fine - but later in the day less so. As I've had a whole two days off there's a bit of a backlog too!

I've been in touch with the decorator, and am putting the electricians off until the NY, as electricians and decorating don't mix. So I need to go through both the electrical and solar proposals tonight and provide feedback/ask questions. But first I need to heat up something to eat! (Animals have all been fed). 

greenbee

On the solar front, I've had a quote for an additional 15 panels - 3.52kw south facing (closer to the wood on the east but also higher as they're on the house (2 story) rather than the garage (single story) where the current 14 panels are), and 3.08 west facing (neighbours have had some large trees down to the west, so I get a lot more light here than even last year. There's more shading on both of these than on the garage, so the proposal includes Tigo optimisers. No battery, as the 10kWh we already have is enough for a couple of days in the event of a power outage for now. 

I won't get as much efficiency from these as the existing panels, but they'll extend the length of day that I'm generating electricity - particularly the west. Scaffolding costs are more than for the original as it's two stories not one. It's quite a big investment (not as much as the original one due to no battery), but probably worth it. And I think I might be able to use a diverter for the towel rail in the bathroom that's not on the heating circuit - which I need to ask about.