Steve Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Well, that was an exciting weekend! We go off to a friend for a brilliant party every year about this time of year, and camp overnight in a big field they have next to their cottage, with a few other party goers. The party usually starts about 3pm and goes on until everyone falls asleep, with a big bonfire and fireworks about 10 ish. Because it's such a big place all the children just disappear into the woods and have a brilliant time, and the grown-ups (as we laughingly call ourselves) do all the serious adult stuff, like getting drunk and falling over. Our dog Ellie also loves the occasion. She's very gregarious and just wanders around between the children and adults, taking pats and food whenever they're offered. But she's very old. She'll be 17 in October. Everyone loves her even though she's tatty, pretty well blind, deaf as a post and limps from arthritis. And she got lost last night... So having looked for a while, we retired with the tent flaps open, hoping she'd come back during the night (She knows the place really well and does sometimes disappear off into the woods). But she didn't, and this morning saw a lot of searching and ringing round police and other numbers. Walkie talkies were dispensed with children and other search parties and Steve got on his bike. There are lots of footpaths and bridleways all intertwined in a big area around the cottage. Many hours later we admitted defeat and headed home, hopes fading. When we got home there was a message on the answerphone. I'd left a note in the local pub with our details in case anyone found her. Someone had spotted her galloping down the main road this afternoon, and managed to coax her into her car. Unable to keep her in her own house due to her own dogs hostility, she'd driven ten miles or so to a dog warden approved kennels, left her with them, then come back and gone into the pub, who passed on my details! So we had a happy re-union - the children, Helen and I are happy and Ellie is snoring away behind me, catching up on her night's lost sleep (hence the title of this post). Just thought you might like to hear about our escapade this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 glad it had a happy ending! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 totally mad!!!! you must have been really worried ,glad it had a happy ending. maddy. oh and sue go and do your planning!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Steve!! Sounds like fun The sort of thing my lot might get involved in!! So glad you found Ellie, though - can't bear to think of how you'd feel otherwise. Isn't it great that there are people like that around! As a non-doggy family, we have recently been introduced into the joys of dog-ness. our daughter and Son-in-law have recently acquired a dog, Nanoo (Alaskan Malamute/Wolf cross - big dog, even at 6 months!!) and we can't believe how much she has changed our lives! Perish the thought that she should be lost. Is that where you were on your profile piccy? Sorry, it just looks so nice in that photo! Long may you, Helen, children and Ellie enjoy these outings!! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 maddy ! Honestly, it was in my hands..... But I'm fed up with it! Think I'll go in and shout "Do your own thing!!!" Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Dear Steve I am delighted to hear the good news Look forward to seeing Ellie tomorrow morning so I can make a real fuss of her. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted July 4, 2004 Author Share Posted July 4, 2004 ..... And that was the bit I forgot, but the main reason for the post in the first place. Thank you Mrs Baker, for finding and looking after Ellie! You'll never know it but you're famous with Nursery Practitioners, and there's a box of chocolates heading your way! (No Sue R, we're either cursed or blessed by having lots of friends richer than us - this was another big gaffe we would dearly love to move into!) Sue - you'll have to wake her up first!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 I'm glad you found Ellie-you must have been really worried! Our dog ran off once, although he wasn't technically lost as I could still see him, we just couldn't get hold of him. He was on the other side of a fence frantically chasing the scent of a fox!!! I was so worried that he was going to take off and that would be the last we saw of him! We got him back by me sitting on one side of the fence keeping an eye on him and throwing him treats while Gavin raced around to get hold of him!! We have had a brilliant weekend here in freezing cold Stockport. We celebrated Fiesta Freshfield, Freshfield being the name of the road we live on. Just an excuse to get together, no special celebration. We had a barbeque on Saturday evening at one neighbours house, breakfast on Sunday morning at another and a barbeque again yesterday afternoon/evening at yet another. It was really good in spite of the weather!!! I can see it is going to become an annual event. About 20 households out of the 32 on the road joined in at some point. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 What a lovely idea, Linda! We live on a atreet about a mile long and know hardly anyone other than immediate neighbours, despite my manic 'good morning' nods and smiles - or perhaps because of !!!!! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 Steve - dogs are such a worry aren't they! I'm sure she had a wonderful time and would be completely oblivious of all the mayhem she caused! A dogs life indeed!! Many years ago we had an Afghan who was an escape artiste extraordinaire. We were constantly getting phone calls from kind people who had found her and taken her in. Linda - sounds like a great place to live. I love all that community spirit. We are in the middle of nowhere with 6 houses and are all really good friends. Having come from a street rather like Sues where we barely knew anyone this is great. It's also nice to know I've got people who I can turn to in a crisis and with children and dogs that happens fairly regularly!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 Glad to hear it ended well Steve.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 Steve Glad Ellie is fine, I wonder what she did all night!!!!! She is doing really well for her age, our Great Dane is 9 this year and is looking very grey, but still bounds about with all the energy of a pup! I couldn't be without her, as we are the only females in a house full of testosterone!! Here she is! My baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 Many years ago I go a phone call from a farmer in Lyme Regis who claimed he had my dog and was very surprised because we had a London phone number. I was just as surprised as he because we did not own a dog. He checked the disk on the dog and he had dialed the correct number, he told me the dogs name was Sam. We had friends with a golden retriever of that name and we were going to look after him during the school holidays while they were on holiday and they had put our number on the disk in case he got lost while staying with us. All I knew was his family had gone to a Christening in Lyme Regis but I didn't know where? The farmer rang every church until he found out where our friends were staying and Sam was reunited with his family. The funny thing is that had Sam been wearing his own telephone number things would have been very difficult because no one was at home. The farmer was very pleased with his detective work and phoned that night to tell me so, as a dog owner he was anxious to reunite Sam with his family. When Sam stayed with us he also went for a walk on his own he jumped our six foot fence to get out. When he was tired of his walks he would usually go home but if he was lost he would follow someone else with a dog home and wait to be collected. What a Star! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2004 Share Posted July 5, 2004 What a fantastic story Mimi! These dogs are incredible at times!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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