I think it’s fair to say that we’re all getting a bit fed up with the lockdown. But like most people, I can see why we’re doing it and am happy to play my part in keeping people safe. If some of the newspapers are to be believed, though, things will be back to normal within days. I don’t think for one moment that this is the case. But it does raise the valid question of how, when the time is right, we’ll go about unlocking the lockdown. Continue reading
The COVID-19 outbreak and the current lockdown appear to be taking their toll on my ability to measure time. Natalie put it best the other day, when she announced that, essentially, ‘every day’s a Tuesday’. The hours, days and weeks roll together into one long period of foggy uncertainty. Thankfully, though, I’m slowly finding ways to manage my temporal confusion and to keep things on track. Continue reading
Molly, my older Labrador, is celebrating her 11th birthday today. She’s an absolutely great girl and I couldn’t ask for a more faithful sidekick. She’s also the perfect mentor to Ozzy, my younger Lab.
Happy birthday, Molly.
As the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK continues, it’s starting to look like our shared efforts are helping to mitigate the impact of the virus. But still the disease has taken, and will continue to take, its heavy toll. I’m heartened, though, by our ability to come together at this time of crisis. By our ability to improvise, to adapt and (hopefully) to overcome. Continue reading
We’ve been in lockdown for over a month now and, like most people, we’re learning how to live with it. Thankfully, we’re allowed out once a day for exercise, which means that we get to give the dogs a good run around in the fields near our house. I take them in the morning and Natalie takes them in the evening, so we both get some time (a) playing with the dogs and (b) out in the fresh air.
When it comes to Ozzy’s search dog training, though, we’ve had to make few changes. Clearly, doing our usual training with friends hiding from Ozzy in the woods and other public areas would probably be frowned upon in the current circumstances. So instead of looking for people, I’ve got Ozzy searching for the residual scent on things I’ve dug out of the laundry basket. It’s human scent, after all… Continue reading
