I can't believe that it's only a week since we fostered Billy (Greyhound, with a dash of summat else fast as well). Like Gypsy, his background and breeding is uncertain, but it's certainly known that he was starving, manky with all sorts of skin problems - but never the less loving dog - when he arrived with the Bristol Dog Action Welfare Group. The majority of work on him's been done, but he's still described as work in progress. Quite frequent Occasional sizeable little accidents, a desire to be with people absolutely all most of the time ... these things are only to be expected in a dog that's been through so much and - let's face it - doesn't know if we are going to be just another transitory phase. Fear not, Billy - the plan is that you're with us for good. A dog is not just for Christmas. A dog is also for 2012. And 2013. And 2014 ... we just need to be 100% sure that you're going to be happy. And Gypsy's happy. And Charlie's happy.

We've never fostered or adopted a dog from another home before - purely from a kennel or a larger cat place. So with Billy, we're also learning and treading carefully as regards how many pictures and reports to send to Ali who did so much for Billy over the last couple of months, and to Gerry, Lisa, and the rest of the team at DAWG too. I can only imagine what it must be like to see a fostered child move on, and I can only guess what it must be like to want to know how they're getting on in a new home, but at the same time perhaps to miss them. So we've sent a couple of early reports ... but stopped short of a daily "here's a photo of what he did today". Thinking aong the lines of a weekly update, with at least a weekly reference in "The Horse's Mouth" so there's always something current there - mixed in amongst the hotel and Open Source stuff.

As I write this, 9 a.m. Sunday morning, we've been out into the field and run off our energy. Had breakfast. Billy's downstairs wth Lisa, and Gypsy's on the bed with me. Charlie was on the back of the sofa when I came up. I'm going to be off in a few to finish boxing the final presents for Santa (we have 90 adults and 60 chldren on the 17:20 train from Melksham tonight to meet him) and to switch training rooms around as the course next week is in the smaller "Berks" while we have a bigger outside event running in the larger "Wilts". And - staring as I mean to go on at least this month - some more pictures of the animals. These were taken on a walk yesterday afternoon ...

"If you go down to the woods today, you'd better not go alone ..."


"What's going on over there?


Giving way to cyclists - the towpath on the Kennet and Avon Canal, which runs just behind the Bowerhil area of Melksham.

(written 2011-12-04)

 Z203 - Cat and Dog
  [62] Technical Open House - (2004-09-25)
  [96] Variable Scope - (2004-10-22)
  [547] Taking the dog for a walk - (2005-12-29)
  [744] We can offer a room, but we can't operate on a dog - (2006-06-05)
  [771] From cat breeder to Cobol to Perl - (2006-06-21)
  [2029] Also for the eyes of the cat - (2009-02-07)
  [2132] Learning about Lurchers - (2009-04-18)
  [2138] Ski bore ... train bore ... dog bore - (2009-04-24)
  [2140] Beware - giving copyright away when you upload a picture - Dogs Trust - (2009-04-25)
  [2167] Watching the tele - (2009-05-10)
  [2252] Leaping dog, Leaping horse, copyright of old masters - (2009-06-20)
  [2271] Dogs Trust, Dog Show, Newbury - (2009-07-06)
  [2295] The dog is not in trouble - (2009-07-17)
  [2450] Family Gathering at 404, The Spa - (2009-10-11)
  [2451] Gypsy says - (2009-10-12)
  [2456] Bright Eyes - (2009-10-16)
  [2496] A better design of mouth - (2009-11-07)
  [2499] ourdog is Greyhound, Staffie and Ginger Cake - (2009-11-09)
  [2555] Bookkeeping - (2009-12-29)
  [2689] Can my dog eat potatoes? Doggie Dietary Research, and political sleaze! - (2010-03-23)
  [2787] Sleeping in on Sunday - (2010-05-30)
  [2897] The Land of the Black Labrador - (2010-08-01)
  [3096] Contrast in pictures - (2010-12-20)
  [3324] Rabbit Shelter - (2011-06-12)
  [3338] Return trip - Dogs Trust, Newbury - (2011-06-27)
  [3530] A typical weekend?? - (2011-11-28)
  [3533] No message - just doggy pictures of the new doggy - (2011-11-30)
  [3541] I loves Melksham - (2011-12-06)
  [3553] Changes to morning routines - (2011-12-16)
  [3561] Happy Christmas ... a Christmas morning walk in Melksham - (2011-12-25)
  [3606] Gypsy and Billy enjoy the snow - (2012-02-10)
  [3625] An update on Billy the Greyhound and Gypsy the Lurcher - (2012-02-25)
  [3674] Off to walk the dogs - (2012-03-30)
  [3675] Spring 2012 - (2012-03-30)
  [3737] Postcards from Barmouth - (2012-05-20)
  [3906] Taking the lead, not the dog, for a walk. - (2012-10-28)
  [3908] Black dogs at Halloween - (2012-10-31)
  [3920] Challenge for a photographer - (2012-11-10)
  [3936] Lisa is home today ... - (2012-11-26)
  [3943] With us for a year already! - (2012-12-03)
  [4016] Red, yellow, green or pink dog? Yellow Dog Project - (2013-02-23)
  [4130] Soft furnishings up a Welsh Mountain - (2013-07-03)
  [4180] Exceptionally, I sign a petition - on a life and death issue for Irish dogs - (2013-09-20)
  [4189] Who are we - Lisa, Graham, Gypsy and Billy - (2013-10-07)
  [4316] Too many Staffies, too many lurchers - (2014-11-16)
  [4333] Misty Melksham Morning - (2014-11-30)
  [4417] Crisp morning, fast run - (2015-02-06)
  [4433] Different views of a Welsh Valley - but headed home - (2015-02-20)
  [4507] In favour of adoption rather than puppy purchase - dogs! - (2015-06-07)
  [4517] Black dog day - and Bobby still seeks his new home - (2015-09-26)
  [4526] Day trip to Lancaster - (2015-10-10)
  [4666] Spring at Well House Manor - (2016-03-27)

Back to UK Mapping Data - and more to come - under government Open Data measures

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Santa Train - another successful trip - 4th December 2011

Easy session example in PHP - keeping each customers data apart
Separating program and artwork in PHP - easier maintainance, and better for the user
Santa Train - another successful trip - 4th December 2011
Letting the foster parents know ... too little or too much?
UK Mapping Data - and more to come - under government Open Data measures
Melksham, Luxury Hotel Rooms, Christmas.
Learning to program in PHP - Regular Expression and Associative Array examples
Sharing the user experience - designing a form with the customer in mind