Is it autumn?

Minty enjoying the view - don't jump you daft mare!

Very wet on Stanage Edge as it has only just stopped raining.

The sun was trying to peek through...but didn't quite make it.

We had to retrace our steps as we couldn't cross the stream at the stepping stones as there was so much water!

I've been feeling very willing to hibernate over the last few weeks. Maybe it's the rubbish weather. Maybe it's the change of seasons. Maybe it's the fact that I've been eating more carbs than usual. Who knows. I haven't been going mad foodwise but I haven't been dropping any lbs recently. Real balancing on the edge stuff.

I've been clawing my way back to exercise though which is a positive. I'm managing 2 sessions of personal training and 2 jogs per week on top of the usual dog walking duties. The jogs are painfully slow and don't involve much in the way of hills compared to my previous form but they're getting better. I've gone back to my 5 miler up to the dam wall but I retrace my route along the path now rather than going back along the road so that I can bring the dogs. I couldn't run properly with the 2 of them on a lead for any length of time. Minty would trip me up into the road and we'd all perish knowing her...!!

Minty is an absolute gem. So naughty and lively but really sweet. I was blowing bubbles for her for the first time this evening. I remembered that Shelagh used to love it so tried it with Minty. She was scared of them to start with but before long she and Shelagh were jumping up trying to catch them and barking and whining like crazy when they popped. They're such good company when D is away.

Anyway, my mate Nicola was up from London last weekend. We went out for a good long walk on Saturday afternoon despite the rain. It chucked it down for the first 40 minutes but cleared up after that. Lovely, but I'm really looking forward to the sunshine of South Africa!!!

Nicola has just come back from SA and had brought a selection of her best piccies from Kruger. They would blow your minds...they were so gorgeous. I doubt I'll get anything as good. She had a whole load of perfect shots of a family of lions sitting around a buffalo carcass in mid dining!! All blood stained maws and fat stomachs...simply stunning. I hope we're even a quarter as lucky as that. We aren't going to Kruger (this time) as it's just too tight timewise but we will go to Addo Elephant Reserve which is the next best thing. Not just elephants, loads of other game and much closer to Cape Town.

On other news, I've set up a new blog!! Nothing exciting, just a bit of a bit of fluff about our local play area which me and few mums from the village are trying to raise funds for. It would be really helpful if any of you could pop in and leave a comment or so just so it doesn't look so fake! The only reason I set it up is to "evidence the community suport for the project" or some such blather from the Lottery application form! I swear, it is easier for me at work to apply for over £4 million for a town centre redevelopment project than it is for us to apply for £40k for a new playground. The hoops they have made us jump through - 250 signatures on a petition; 80 questionnaires; a 40 page application form; a blog; a stand at the local carnival; smarming up to the local Recreational Ground committee (believe me, a fate worse than death which I did NOT do...) and God knows what else. We had better get the money now!

Anyway, the addess is http://www.friendsofbamfordplayarea.blogspot.com/ and any droppers-in would be much appreciated. My pals from the village are not very au fait with blogs and stuff so I'm having trouble getting them to leave a comment or post something so it's all on me...

It's good to be back talk to you all soon. Kiss kiss