In the first week of July, Andy, Finn and I had a week's holiday down near Gillingham in Dorset. I have to say it was probably the most relaxing holiday I've ever been on - the whole week was perfect. We had lots of plans to go out and about visiting while down there, but, as soon as we arrived, in fact within the first five or ten minutes, we were swallowed up in peace and quiet and decided there and then that we weren't moving unless we absolutely had to!
Andy had hired us a shepherd's hut by the side of a lake and it didn't take long at all to feel perfectly at home. We had our own little garden which, for normal sized dogs, would have been perfectly adequate to keep Finn contained. However, our very own Harry Houdini managed to find all sorts of ways out of the property to get into the lake! Luckily the owners, Deb and Lester, were incredibly accommodating and told us that Finn was welcome wherever he wanted to go. The place is set up perfectly for dogs.
As well as our shepherd's hut, we had a shelter adjoining it with our own bench and chairs, our own barbecue and also a firepit. This place is perfect for us!
Gone were all thoughts of going out for dinner, we had a couple of supermarkets within a ten minute drive so Andy headed off to get provisions and that was us for the rest of the week!
Finn absolutely adored being at the lake and was in the swim at every opportunity, bless him. Deb and Lester had two dogs, Jess and Fat Al, and Finn made great friends with them and the other dogs that came to visit during the course of the week. It was really special to see him being a proper dog for a change.
We were free to walk around the site and down to the little creek for a wander - it really was the most perfect place to relax.
This made us laugh - the house was only built a few years ago and the planners were insistent that it fit in with the location and didn't stand out so it was actually built into the hill side and the roof is the grass slope. Health and safey did not seem to be a priority though as Lester zipped up and down on the lawn mower cutting the roof and they even let the sheep graze up there too!
I of course took lots of knitting but didn't get around to doing much. As Andy's gilly, I have to be there with the net to land the fish and Andy caught so many that week that I didn't get as much knitting done as I'd hoped as I was constantly jumping up and down and earning my keep!
Five of them in the swim!
One morning we got up bright and early and walked a few miles to go and get some eggs from a local farm for breakfast.
It was Andy's birthday halfway through the week and we celebrated by doing a walk in absolutely baking heat (post to follow) and a ploughman's in a local pub. It was just too hot to go out for an evening meal but the ploughman's was just the job.
We weren't complete hermits for the week though - we went to the New Forest to visit our friends Ed and Ruth, Katherine and Jessica one evening but, in the excitement (and my anxiety bordering on hysteria) of Finn chasing their rabbits around the garden, no photos were taken! And our friends Wid and Tracey drove up from Portsmouth for a barbecue one evening too. Lovely memories made.
We weren't sure who this little one belonged to, but he kept coming down to the field for a poo! We think he belonged to the Farm Manager.
Just perfect. And I really hope that we get to go back - now we've discovered this absolutely magical place, I couldn't bear not to see it again.
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