* 56 *

I've been trying to write this post for the last few days but somehow time just ran away with me . Fingers crossed I get it finished this time.

So, last Tuesday .... me and Hub set off on our little adventure down to the Big Smoke , all on our own , no boys and no dog. First time in over seven years we've had a night away by ourselves and boy were we looking forward to it. Hubs favourite band was playing , a band he last saw 14 years ago . They don't come across from the States very often but they were playing 2 nights at Shepherds Bush Empire and we had tickets.

We only had a few hours to spare between getting off the train and the gig starting so we had a quick wander around Camden. I used to spend hours here when I was a nanny living in Finsbury Park.. every Saturday this was the place to come.

Still is by the looks of things.

This shop is the exact same one I bought my first ever pair of Docs back in 1989 I think it was .

A few tube stops later and we reached Shepherds Bush , passing the Empire on our way to the B + B. We were lucky that we had found one really close , about a 5 minute walk away .

I think at this point Hub was starting to get excited . So we checked in, dropped our bags off, quick wash and change and then headed back up to get a bite to eat before the music started.

But as we passed the Empire about 20 minutes later !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolute nightmare . Turns out the lead singer had lost his voice and was unable to sing... gutted, totally gutted . The band have said they will try and play again at a later date but not all of us have the pennies for travel and hotels again. We bumped into one young lad who had came across from Spain to see them ...... he couldn't believe it .

So we ended up going to a shopping centre for a look around, having some Greek food for tea and then watching football in an Australian themed bar which was no more Australian than the room I'm sitting in now!

The next morning up bright and early we had another very quick look around

and then jumped back on the train home .

* 55 *

Hi everyone , I hope you are all having a lovely holiday . I am , it's really nice having all my family around me , it wasn't so nice when they were poorly but they are all just about okay now.

Pops and mammy took me somewhere new today, somewhere I've never been before , this place called a beach! It's nothing like that grass stuff I've been getting used to walking on , this stuff called sand is all grainy and it smells all different.

I wasn't too sure at first so Pops gave me a big cuddle and told me it was all okay, well if he says it's okay then it must be as I do trust what Pops says . I mean, the other day he told me that eating tea lights and conkers would make me sick so mammy has moved them all out of the way so I won't be tempted . It's a pity as they were nice to chew on and they made a lovely mess too.

Milo and Gabe like to take me on little adventures, Milo is a bit more sure of me now and he loves giving me a stroke . He tried throwing some stones for me , well I think they were for me but I wasn't too fussed on that.

Now running is a different matter altogether ... yep I do like a good run. Mammy likes it when I run too although she says I ' lollop' plus after I've had a good run I do like a good sleep and that's when everyone gets some peace and quiet.

At the beach there is all this water stuff , loads and loads and loads of it.

My new friends Jess and Terry love it , they were racing backwards and forwards chasing the stones that Milo threw for them. I did think about joining them, for maybe a second

but once that cold water hit my paws I definitely decided against it ... boy that water was so COLD !!!

But I tell you now , one thing this beach is good for , really really good for

is digging , ooooh yes I do love a good dig. Mammy has given up all hope of having a flower bed this year and she had such plans too . She has strategically placed pots on her little patch but I still manage to wriggle in behind them.

As much as I love digging with my huge shovel paws I have to have a little rest sometimes

before I start again ... oh what fun I had .

I really do like going to the beach and playing with this sand stuff but one thing I don't like

is when I have to have a shower afterwards. Pops knew I didn't like the water earlier so why oh why did he think I would like it now??

He did make up for it though with lots more cuddles which are my favourite plus I don't smell anymore which is always a good thing .

Before I go mammy said to tell everyone that on Tuesday her and Pops are going down to London for the night to see some band or other called The Descendents , they're only going to be away for one night but it's the first time they've been away since before Milo was born and they are really looking forward to it. Auntie Trish is going to look after us all while they are away so I have promised I will be on my best behaviour for her ... well I will try, honestly I will, honest !!

See you soon x.

* 54 *

I had so many plans for what we could do over Easter , where we could go and the things we could do .

Going back to Durham was one of them . It's not far from where we live and only takes about 50 minutes in the bus.

On Tuesday the sun was glorious , brilliant blue skies and warm enough for shorts and t- shirts and to eat our lunch outside under a lovely Japanese cherry tree.

We had a stroll around the Cathedral cloisters , some of you may recognise them from a certain Harry Potter film.

Cuddles beside the river after the stones they were throwing narrowly missed a couple rowing up stream.

On the way home though the smiley faces turned to sad faces as what we thought was travel sickness started , but the sickness continued and brought with it coughs , runny noses , sore throats and for myself swollen glands.

The warm sunshine has now turned to very cold drizzly fog which is coming off the sea and the little ones are dosed up with Calpol .

Normal service will resume shortly fingers crossed and hopefully there will also be a post from Kali who is growing so quickly and is loving being able to get outside and go for walks.

Ooops nearly forgot ... Happy Easter everyone.

* 53 *

One thing that I really don't associate with Spring are dandelion seed heads. I always think of them as a late Summer thing , am I just imagining that I used to always see them in the Summer holidays?

We went for a walk today , no surprise there then ! We went back to the Secret Garden where all the currant bushes were full of leaves and the beginning of berries were just starting to show. I think the ones below are gooseberries.

The daffodils although still yellow are now past their prime but are still looking pretty.

I don't know what it is about the tree below but it's shape fascinates me . Those long outstretched tentacle branches and it's bark is really dark compared to the others around it .

No water in the stream today.

Gorgeous pink buds waiting to burst open.

The big old beech tree with it's red leaves.

Once again not many words but sometimes it's easier just to let the pictures do the talking.