The Last Post ?

I could feel an atmosphere around the place yesterday, it had been a great return home, so I didn’t understand why everyone was a bit down, we’re very sensitive to people’s emotions you know.Sunday started as usual with a trip to Church, where everyone was very plaesed to see us, and then a trip to Harbour View and THE BEACH !!

Harbour View

Getting just a little wet

Ann and Anne went for a cup of coffee to the Pink Elephant, they are very dog friendly, and there’s a lovely view and good coffee!

View from the Pink Elephant

Lovely day ! Then yesterday we were up early and over to James Fort with Anne, Polly and Polly’s boyfriend Simon, they all tried to get me to go for a swim, but I don’t like to go in too deep, we had a lovely walk around the headland, then Anne dropped the others home and we were off to meet Orla, where I had to don my jacket and halti, and do my guide dog walk around Ballincollig. While we were waiting for Orla I got loads of cuddles off Anne, and she was talking away to me, something about being a good girl, and guide dogs ?????

Next thing we were up to the IGDB headquarters where I got to play with these 2 guys for ages and ages.

IGDB

That’s my tail

Roxy's Tail

Making friends

Making Friends

Sussing each other out…such fun

Sussing each other out

Hey hang on where’s Anne gone ?

Anne: I’m going back to France this week to start a 500k trek on horse back to raise funds for the assistance dog program. Le Big Trek Roxy will start her training in May, and may go to another puppy walker for a few weeks, I wish I could have got her back in time to join the rest of her litter in training, but it just didn’t work out. I shall miss her.

Roxy’s Back in Town

Wednesday started with long walks, Fionn told me he went up the Gardette, while I had a final run in the Water Meadows.

Roxy at the Water Meadows again !

Anne spent the rest of the day packing everything up and loading the car. Boxes of wine, General bits and bobs, and of course Fionn and myself. And finally we were off!

Loaded Car

Loaded Car

A slightly drugged Fionn

Roxy on the way home

and we're off

2 days driving and we finally arrived at Roscoff

Roscoff

Fionn and Roxy at Roscoff

Our Ferry

Our passports were checked and we were soon on the boat. Poor Fionn had to go into a kennel on the heliport deck, and I came up to see him from time to time, and also to use the toilet facilities.

Roxy on the heliport deck

Then it was down to the restaurant where Anne said the food was only fatastic

We arrived in Ringaskiddy on time, our adventures in France were over, but it’s great to be home

Visit to MIRA

We went on a day trip this week, to Isle de la Sorgue, it’s a town built on an island and it’s like a mini Venice. Anne hadn’t planned on going there, but when pilates got cancelled and we were already in Apt, she decided to go to Kerry Apt Union , which is part of the Kerry group, and probably if you’ve bought candied peel, or glacé cherries they came from here.

So Anne stocked up on fruit for next Christmas, and was heading for home when she saw the sign for Isle sur la Sorgue, and remembered that there is a training centre there for guide dogs for young people from 12-18 years, part of the MIRA organisation.

First we visited the town itself, where Anne tried to find directions to MIRA without success, but we had a good walk around the town, and a coffee while Anne texted her daughter to get the address off the internet. It was getting near lunchtime and everything stops for lunch in France, so Anne was worried the place would be closed up when we got there, but as luck would have it we got there just as two trainers returned with their pack, and they welcomed us and gave Anne a guided tour , and then I was allowed to play with all the pups in training. Great Fun.

Anne:- MIRA France is a very small organisation, they train just 8 dogs at a time, with 2 trainers. They have the site setup to mimic a small town, with a road, traffic lights, a phone booth, an enclosed area where they reproduce day to day sounds, and a half a car, that can be placed as an obstacle anywhere on the road. And at the weekends the dogs go back to their puppy walkers. Most of their dogs are imported from the main organisation in Canada, and they use lab/retriever crosses and purebreds, and Bernese Mountain dogs and crosses . But there was the same lovely dedicated attitude and enthusiasm  that we see at IGDB back home.

So from there we headed to Fontaine de Vaucluse for some lunch, and I was given a bowl of water with English writing on it…very impressive!

Fontaine de Vaucluse

View from the restaurant

A very picturesque rown

A lovely day, the best bit was the rough and tumble with the other dogs!

Egg Cosies for Easter

My sponsor Tanya has been busy knitting egg cosies for Easter and they are now on sale at the Guide Dog Centre.

I think they look just lovely, maybe there will be some left for me to see when I come home next week

Train de Grand Vitesse

We’ve been doing lots of the same stuff, farmers’ markets, pilates, restaurants(loads of!) , but last week we went to Avignon to collect Martine and George’s friend from the TGV station, his train was delayed so Anne thought it would be quiet, but wow these trains are coming in every 10 minutes.

Roxy at Avignon TGV

Much noisier than at home, they only stayed in the station for a few minutes then they were off again. Anne risked taking me on a quick trip on and off one, again very different to home, no huge gap, and you step down into the train. They have an upstairs as well, but we didn’t dare stay on for that long.

Roxy at Avignon TGV

We will be leaving in just over 2 weeks time, the rest of my litter start training soon, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone again.

More Pilates

I’m becoming a regular at Anne’s pilates class.

Pilates Class

Everyone has got used to me now, so I just sit in the corner and nibble on my chew.

Roxy at Pilates

Afterwards we usually go to the market in Apt, Anne is particularly partial to this stall that sells all sorts of poultry, and sometimes duck sausage, but not this week.

Duck sausage man

Poultry

Then it’s off to Café Aptois for a grand creme

Cafe Aptois

And a sit in the shade

Roxy at Aptois

The things they eat in France

There are lots of markets at the weekend, yesterday we were at our regular Saturday market in Apt, and now that the weather is warmer there were loads more stalls and loads more people. Anne was very proud of me (as usual) working away up and down the streets and through the crowds.

But today we went to Reillane market. We haven’t been there for a while because there were hardly any stall holders, with all the freezing weather. I had to wear my jacket and my halti, it’s a tough life, Anne says she’s never had a dog who was so reluctant to accept “The Tools of the Trade”, whatever that means! But anyway I do find it all a lot easier now, and I do get more attention when I wear the jacket, so it has its advantages!

Roxy in full IGDB Regalia

And look what Anne had to eat, even I wouldn’t attempt attacking these little monsters!

Oursins or Sea Urchins

But she wasn’t long dispatching them, the nice people sitting next to us gave her some hints on which bits to eat and which bits to leave behind.

Empty Urchins

I just watched on in amazement!

Roxy watching the sea urchins

Then as a reward I got to go the water meadows for a good run, where I got to eat Crotin de Brebis, which when humans eat it is usually cheese , but there is a reason the reason the cheese has this name!!! I’ll leave the interested amongst you resort to Google translate, but suffice to say there had been sheep in the fields.

Roxy at the water meadows