Dirty dogs...

Lola and her best pal Milly enjoying the mud each other's company.

Milly lives not far from us and she and Lola have been known to communicate with one another from their respective gardens.  Milly more than Lola I have to say, as Lola tends to save her best barks for warding off evil men and the hoover!

Lola's coat looks so dark here and compared to Milly's it is.  Milly is as white as a polar bear!  Five minutes before this photo was taken she was covered in mud from head to toe but she had a good dook in the burn and came out almost fully clean.  Both were ordered back into the water before getting in their respective cars to come home! :-))

It's been a hive of industry here today.  Outside and in.  

The landscape gardeners arrived at 10.00 am to begin lifting the main patio in the back garden (we're hoping they don't find any bodies under there!)  This is a job that's been on the back burner for a couple of years but the slabs were getting loose and dangerous so it time to bite the bullet and get it done.

We spoke to the landscapers at the start of the year, thinking they would start the job at the end of March and we would have a lovely new patio (and a couple of paths) in time for summer, but of course Covid put paid to that.  They had hoped to start in September but had so many jobs before ours to get done that they've only now caught up.  So all being well, we should have a new patio to put the new fire pit on for all this outdoor entertaining we are planning on doing when restrictions ease!  lol

Talking of restrictions being lifted, the new rules covering the five days from 23rd-27th December where three households can get together to form an exclusive bubble to celebrate Christmas during those dates, are a nightmare and just don't work for us.

Normally over Christmas and New Year Ele, Kenny and Jennifer, and Andrew, Nikki and Esme come up to ours, and under the Christmas rules, they could come but that means Kenny won't be able to see his 93 year old mum (who still lives independently at home) and Nikki wouldn't be able to see her mum.  And as forJohn and Norma, they would have to chose between us, John's son and daughter and grandchildren and and Norma's son and daughter and grandchildren!  Impossible!

So it looks like we'll be Billy no-mates for the whole of the festive season and I am actually fine with that as I can't help but think the relaxed restrictions are going to lead to a massive coronavirus spike in the New Year.

Milly's owners, our friends T & V will be on their own as their sons are down south and they've told them not to come up, so we might get together with them on one of the afternoons for gin and nibbles coffee and mince pies.  

Whatever happens, when travel restrictions are lifted on the 23rd, we will do a Santa run and drop off Esme's pressies, social distanced of course.  I suspect Ele will suggest we hang on to the adult gifts until we can all get together and have a belated Christmas dinner. 

So sorry I haven't managed to visit journals again today!  So frustrating.  But between trying to get the house organised for the decs going up this weekend, forging ahead with painting commissions, cooking for the freezer and working on my secret project, there just aren't enough hours in the day (even when I am still awake at 2.50am and uploading my blip!)

Time to sleep now.  The big yawn has finally arrived :-)))