This Summer...

I've watched the landscape change from this...

...to this...

...and now to this.

Enjoyed the annual ritual of picking strawberries...

...and raspberries.

Along with enjoying the fruits of my labours in my own little patch...

...despite the fact that I was mortally wounded! That'll teach me to try and jump kerbs...note to self - try to remember you're **, not 14 ;-)

Had days out to nice places...

...including lunch by the river here (sadly, the service was very sloooooow)

Strolling along the river made us green with envy as usual at the sight of these.

One day, my lovely, one day.

Me, A and a whippet. On a narrowboat. Paradise methinks.

On a walk closer to home we met this gorgeous young chap who left his Mum as soon as he saw us and strolled over, not stopping until his nose was almost touching mine!

He let me put my arms around him and kiss his nose. I could've brought him home. Literally. Every time we made to go he would follow. But he got the message, eventually.

Aren't his ears lovely?

We also welcomed some regular visitors to the garden...

I love photographing Dragonflies. They're so accommodating!

Just a few snaps from my Summer. What have you been up to? Whatever it was, I hope you had a great time.

Good home wanted for two old ladies....!

I have just uploaded lots of new items to This Vintage Life including these two wonderful old mannequins, one a Stockman. If only I had the room...!

There are also a few new bargains to be had in the Vintage Value category.

I recently got around to finally installing a new mailing list function to the website. If you currently receive a newsletter, you may find yourself getting more than one. This won't be for long, just until all the customers on my old mailing list have been passed over to the new one. It has automatically sent out an email to all my existing customers asking for a confirmation. If you wish to remain on the mailing list, please can you confirm by clicking the link in that email, otherwise after seven days it will remove your name from the list, permanently. Don't forget to check your bulk folders!

Here are a few more snapshots of beautiful Norfolk. Our time there always seems to involve a lot of water. Not the seaside kind (I can get that at home!) but the special tranquility of the Broads.

This is our usual home for the week (bottom right, gold car!)

This holiday was particularly poignant for us as it was the first time we have ever been away in our caravan without a dog for company.

Just before Christmas I sadly lost my darling boy, Jack.

Jack was such a fighter. I've never known anybody, human, canine or anything else show such stoicism. He truly made me feel humble in the way that he dealt with his adversity, all as a result of the treatment inflicted on him by previous owners.

He was only with us for the very short period of 21 months but of course, it was like he'd always been around and the house was just not the same 'after'.

These were taken during Jacks one and only holiday he had in July 2008. He loved all the attention he received when he had a little toddle up to the service point and back! Only a few yards but it would take him 10 minutes or more. Everybody would stop to say hello to him and ask if he had arthritis. There are always a lot of dog owners on caravan sites!

He wasn't very keen on being lifted up and down the step ....he did stop grumbling as the week wore on though.
And yes, we always take Flo. She spends the week sunning herself as you can see. I'd take Betty too if I was allowed to 'pitch' the eglu for a week! She is very lucky though as she has hen sitters who move in to the house specially to look after her (thank heaven for parents)



Jack would have been thirteen on the 28th of December. He was rescued by a great organisation called The Oldies Club who just re-home older dogs. They don't use shelters to home the dogs but foster them out to their army of volunteers so they are living with all the creature comforts while waiting for the right new home to come along. How fantastic is that? What wonderful, selfless people. Sadly, just one of many, many small charities up and down the country doing similar work, mopping up other peoples mess.