Meet Woody and Roy

Bean has two new friends.

I spent 10 minutes trying to get these two live-wires to sit next to each other long enough for me to get a decent shot. They were more than happy to oblige when they were almost sitting on my feet, and too close to photograph. As soon as I moved they either moved with me or scattered. And individually they’d sit like angels.

This was the best of a poor lot, with many shots of two departing bottoms and tails, out of focus close-ups of ears, and five showing one dog sitting nicely and the exiting rear end of the other.

I gave up and drank tea with their owner, D, who has moved here from Australia in the last month. He is renovating a liveable but very run down cottage next to the old mill. There is a huge amount of work to do, but he has all the skills, the tools and the time…and great vision for what’s possible.

We sat in the sun and chewed the fat about dogs, spouses, stages in life and the value of bartering. It turns out he makes soap, and he gave me a bar - so he is instantly part of my bartering community, although I’m not sure what he’ll be getting from me yet.

It’s been a busy day around that hour in the sun…line-trimming, setting up the next sourdough loaf, making yoghurt, cleaning the guest cabin for visitors arriving tomorrow, walking with Bean.

She is still my number one dog of course.