Dog with a New Bed

Arrow has chewed up a double blanket he was given for a bed so we bought a new bed for him from the market:

And a new toy to distract him from chewing his bed.

This one has a hole in the middle where you can hide treats so that it's rewarding for the dog to play with. The only problem is that Arrow keeps losing it under the sofa.

Monmoth and Brecon

I'm here near Brecon on a school trip. Dominic and I are enjoying the fresh air and open spaces of mid-Wales at Woodlands outdoor education centre in Glasbury. On the program are hill walking, canoeing and caving. We went canoeing on the Monmouth and Brecon canal today. We were last here a couple of years ago for a holiday on the Mon and Brec with Castle narrowboats when we took our hired boat from Gilwern to Brecon and back. Sadly however the canal is closed to navigation (except canoes) for what may be a long time after the recent breach at Gilwern.

Potato Hound

Some people have dogs that do useful jobs like herd sheep or find truffles. Arrow digs up potatoes from the garden. We had a patch of potatoes that self-seeded from the remains of the compost heap. Last year we harvested them and this year there were enough left to grow another small crop. I'm not sure if potato digging is a useful activity for a young dog. He doesn't eat them but most emerge badly scarred with claw marks.

Here he is, resting after his labours.

Tidy

Syncopation's baseplate has now been cleaned and blacked inside, ready for ballasting. The lining has been oiled and given a coat of varnish to protect it during fit-out. Nothing significant is likely to happen for a couple of months as the boatyard are going to be busy with winter maintenance of the fleet of shared ownership boats based there.

Checking the stern tube.

Not Very Evil