We all went to bed just before 1am and Rodders didn't settle. I took a lesson from OH and came down and lay by his crate stroking him through the bars saying shhhhh for a little while and he quietened down so I slipped away to bed.
I didn't hear anything until 7.10am but apparently Ailie needed the bathroom in the night and could hear Rodders moving about in his crate but he didn't make a sound. He is such a good puppy. Rodders and I went straight in to the garden so he could have a piddle. the garden here isn't secure so I am keeping him on the extendable lead. When we came back in he wanted breakfast and then we played fetch until people started to come downstairs.
I spoke to my sister this morning to check that she would be in so that I could drop off her Christmas presents on the way to Newmarket to visit friends and then got washed and dressed while Ailie kept an eye on Rodders. We headed off to Newmarket via Houghton and Rodders was making a bit of a racket to start with but eventually quietened down. Once I got to Houghton I found out why, I had forgotten to do up his crate :-(
Anyway, here we are in Houghton and my sister isn't here. I gave her a call and we seem to have a miscommunication but if I hang on for a little while she will come home. Rodders got an extra walk around the garden while we waited. We swapped presents, I admired the christmas decorations and it was time for Rodders and I to be on our way. We didn't get far before we got a call to tell us we have forgotten something and we had to turn around a go back. It is times like this that I think I am turning in to my Mum.
We set off again and made it to Newmarket. It is lovely to spend time with friends and their children,who are growing fast. They have also gained a dog this year, from a rescue centre, and it is the first time Buster and Rodders have met and it was interesting! Buster spent most of the day trying to mount Rodders and it was interesting to see Rodders reaction to this. To start with he just lay there and accepted it, as the day wore on he was fed up being pinned down and started to retaliate, by the end of the day he was saying sod off and was back on his feet quickly.
We took Buster and Rodders for a tramp across the fields which was fun, if muddy. Rodders kept stopping and I realised that he was covered in burrs. I got off as many as I could but it could be a long job to clear them all off, he is also mud up to his tummy. My God daughter told me that Rodders was the best and much better behaved than Buster! I did the right thing and told her that she should always think her dog was the best, she eventually agreed that they were equal then.
Back at theirs we chatted, ate lunch and I caught up with two of the children, the eldest was queuing for the Carol Service at Kings College with her Grandmother which is far more important than a visit from me. One of these days I am going to get found out as a bad influence on the children around me but for now I will enjoy giving them the wisdom of my life experiences and try to point them in the right direction. Today's conversations earned me a hug or two from a really lovely teenager who doesn't care that it isn't cool to be seen hugging!
The children are excited about Christmas which is lovely and wanted to know what goodies were in my bag, shame they have to wait until tomorrow to find out but so funny watching them trying to peak without being caught. And then they were, and the big ogre (their Dad) took the bag off to be hidden.
All to soon it was time to wish them all a Merry Christmas and for Rodders and I to get back on the road. Traffic wise, this was probably the busiest I have seen the roads on Christmas Eve. Not helped by a Double Decker on fire near Bar Hill. Flames leaping in the air and bits flying off like fireworks and landing across the other carriageways, smoke billowing and not a police car or fire engine in site yet. Bit concerned about the people stood on the verge watching it, I think I would have wanted to be a hell of a lot further away.
We got back to Oakham and after Rodders had said hello to everyone and had his tea we sat on the floor picking burrs off him. At one point I thought I was going to have to take scissors to him but, after a couple of hours of work (with some play time thrown in so he didn't get fed up with me) they all seem to be off.
We had a lovely dinner this evening, a few drinks, and are now all sat around watching a film, except for Rodders who has crashed out!
Santa will soon be here.
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