Action-packed Saturday

Yesterday was such a busy day.

You KNOW how excited I was about going to the annual Great Greyhound Gathering in Nottingham? Well, first I had to wait for the Boy Of The House to do his football training, then we loaded into the car.

But SHOCK! HORROR!! We stopped and got out at the vets in the village!! I shook like you wouldn't believe because I HATE going there. But a very nice lady vet just looked into my left eye which  has got a bit of a red, swollen lump under the lid at the bottom. (We think I might have stuck something into it when I snuffle in the hedgerows on my walks). She prescribed some eye drops and anti-inflammatory tablets and I have to go back Tuesday morning to see if it's improving.

Anyway, after that unpleasant surprise we really DID head off the to Great Greyhound Gathering at Colwick racecourse. There was sunshine and showers on and off all day and it took longer to get there than we thought because we got caught up in football traffic because Derby County were playing Nottingham Forest at the City Ground which is very close to Colwick racecourse.

There was lots of food, and interesting stalls and interesting dogs. I was much more sociable than I was last year and said hello to lots of dogs.

I got stroked a lot - and recognised quite a bit from this blog and my Facebook page which was really cool. I felt like quite the celebrity.

When we had just arrived I met my 'cousin' Alice who found me on Facebook. She was with her people Mandy and John and it was lovely to meet them in the flesh. Sadly, the Lady Of The House hasn't got herself organised and didn't think to get a picture of us all until they had moved on. She was too busy talking. I've had a word. Tsk tsk.

Anyway, here's a few pix to give you a flavour of the day:

I didn't enter any classes, but here are some of the contenders for rescue greyhound of the year. They had to be judged in the big paddocks where racehorses usually stand.

I was happy to just meet everyone and walk around with my people. We also met Janet, who we know from Facebook, who organises the Great British Greyhound Walk.

We met the lovely Donna who runs the Huggy Houndz business and makes the cutest toy greyhounds and greyhound-related gifts.

The LOTH couldn't resist bringing home this little fella who is just too cute to save until Christmas.

I thought he MUST be for me..... but apparently not! Huh!!

"Not every toy brought into this house is yours, Winnie," said the LOTH and the BOTH. "Just MOST of them."

I was also very proud of the BOTH who wanted to buy this tshirt from the GGG. 

Although we know it is natural that greyhounds WANT to run, over the last year we have heard a lot about the abuses that go on in the sport and we think that on the whole we subscribe to the idea that we should race cars not greyhounds. That's our personal view.

Anyway, I was worn out after all that. But the LOTH and three of her girlfriends had a night out at a genuine 1950s American diner that was shipped over here some years ago and now lives just outside the town of Swadlincote. 

Here's a picture of her main course which she thought she'd share with you food lovers out there. It's called a Humphrey Bogart (her joint favourite actor along with Alan Rickman, she says).

Am off to hang about in the kitchen now while she cooks Sunday dinner.

Have a lovely week everyone.

Great Greyhound food

The Lady Of The House - and the Boy Of The House - are driving across the border in to South Derbyshire today to collect a bag of my special greyhound food.

I'm making it sound a bit of a major trip across border control...but it's OK really. The natives are very friendly...in fact the people who stock the greyhound food live a stone's throw from where the L O T H was born - the wonderfully-named Eureka Road!

My family decided it was best to keep me on the food I was used to from the Retired Greyhound Trust kennels at Crossing Cottage. It's low protein and very kind to sensitive Greyhound stomachs.

Lovely John from Crossing Cottage delivers the food to a few folks and the greyhound-loving family in Midway are the nearest to us.

Hurrah for dinnertime

I am quite partial to mine mixed with a bit of a good quality dog meat and gravy...or sometimes pilchards or grated cheese for a bit of a treat.

While I think of it - and I SHOULD have mentioned this before - congratulations to Crossing Cottage greyhound Lundhill Sarah who was named Best In Show at the Great Greyhound Gathering.

Greyhounds galore

Oh what a BIG day yesterday was!

Just a few folks from the Great Greyhound Gathering 2010

Truth to tell, I was a bit overawed when I got to the racecourse at Colwick, Nottingham and saw all the people and oh-so-many greyhounds at the Great Greyhound Gathering. My tail was tucked right under my tummy and my ears were flat against my head.

But the Lady Of The House and the Girl Of The House took me off somewhere quiet and gave me lots of fuss and reassurance while I got used to it.

Then we met a few people we knew. There was Jane with her two greyhounds Jack and Sophie - Sophie was at Crossing Cottage in a kennel near me in July this year before Jane gave her a forever home.

Then we saw John and Judith who run Crossing Cottage - and I stuck my nose into the dog's lucky dip and so the L O T H took the hint and had a go and won me some dog treats.

Next we ran into one of the Crossing Cottage volunteers who used to have long chats with me in my kennel.

After that I felt a lot more confident and I said hello - in that way beloved of greyhounds - to lots of dogs.

Had a nice long sleep in the car going home.

Getting ready for the 4th annual Great Greyhound Gathering

Just two days to go to the Great Greyhound Gathering 2010!! I'm SOOOOO excited.

Picture from retiredgreyhounds.co.uk

For a while it was touch and go whether we would make it...the Lady Of The House is in the middle of some serious car trouble (don't ask, long story apparently). But she's now lined up to borrow her dad's car and the L O T H and the Girl Of The House are going to be taking me to Nottingham Racecourse to meet up with some old friends. YAY!!!!

This will be the fourth annual GGG, and last year's event attracted about 3,000 people and 800 dogs, I'm told.

When we were at Ashbourne Show last month a few of my old friends (who were volunteers at Crossing Cottage kennels) asked if we would be there so hopefully we'll be meeting up with them again as well as lots and lots more people and dogs.

A treat of a day

The website for Burton's branch of the RSPCA

Today I took a stroll - on my lead of course - to the 6th annual companion dog show held by Derwent Valley Dog Club in aid of the RSPCA Burton Branch.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes and types were entering obedience and breed classes as well as novelty classes - like "The dog the judges would most like to take home".

The Nottingham branch of the Retired Greyhound Trust were among those who had stands at the show. Those RGT people never seem to stop! It's so great that people work so hard to show what great pets greyhounds make.

I didn't enter anything....but I might try next weekend at the Great Greyhound Gathering - but more of that later this week.

The Lady Of The House did buy me some treats from The Dog Bakery - home-baked with all natural ingredients, no preservatives, colouring, added salt or added sugar. Looking forward to giving them a try.