The husband is off out in Manchester tomorrow. Dottie and I are staying home and I plan to - hopefully - have a more relaxing weekend than the last one. Tonight is for getting domestic tasks done and unwinding after the working week, so I've started by bleeding the central heating radiators and […]

This week's work is done and I am home. Hurrah!

Friday 05/12/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured a Manchester bound flight growling gently overhead, tawny owls calling loudly from a stand of trees, neighbours heading out to work chatting on their phones, and fresh goods being delivered to a high street bakery.

I'm part of a regional staff welfare group at work, and we're hosting an online gathering next week for colleagues. As is my wont, I'm reading three Christmas poems to get people thinking and reflecting and at the trial run today the other group members were in tears, of a good kind, so I'm […]

The Argentinians know how to celebrate university graduation 😳 (It's that loud through the windows!)

Thursday 04/12/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured tawny owl call and response across an empty field, cleaners on display in windows cleaning school classrooms, wheelie bins stuffed full of cardboard waiting to lose weight, and a delivery of fresh cut flowers to the high street florist shop.

I think I'll head out and walk a few km before I prepare dinner. Sure it's dark out there, but I still need the exercise and have podcasts which need to be listened to.

Wednesday 03/12/2025, #morningdogwalkfeatured a cyclist with bright lights heading down a silent street, sloe berries like Christmas decorations white with frost, tawny owls calling from the trees beside the school, and crunchy grass glinting in the light from my head torch.

Dottie is off to work with the husband now she's more or less back to normal. I've a day in the office mentoring a new team leader while also looking after my team. Better get myself organised and showered.

Tuesday 02/12/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured runoff from the weekend's rains flowing by the field, an open sky awash with stars over silent streets, robin song from dark hedgerow telling secret tales, and Christmas lights in distant windows speaking of childhood.

The weekend’s worries about Ms Dottie have had me fairly tired today. Planning an early night and hoping for an abundance of slumber and rest so I’m raring to go tomorrow. Well a boy can dream, right?

Dottie is settled. The husband is off to get the van serviced and then head to work. I’m hitting the shower and will then be playing catchup after having Friday away from my laptop. Stay safe.

Despite all the worry about Dottie that was a productive weekend. Glad I could sleep the whole of last night in our comfy bed rather than on a camping mattress though. I suspect there’ll be some early nights this week to help make up for the lost sleep.

Monday 01/12/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured bullying blustery winter winds racing across fields, Dottie with deep interest in every blade of grass, puddles from overnight rain reflecting car headlamps, and the high street Christmas tree and lights shining in the dark.

I have just ordered a new ironing board as our old one has seen better days. The gay agenda is in full effect here in South Yorkshire.

Vet happy with Dottie’s progress so we’ve a week’s worth of antibiotics for her and that should be that. Hurrah! Time to get on with the rest of our Sunday plans.

Woke up at 1.30 to the sound of Dottie scratching around in the bathroom. Got her downstairs and outside so she could relieve herself, then I slept downstairs with her again. Up at 5.50 for a walk and coffee is now brewing. She’s still got an upset stomach but has snaffled scrambled eggs and […]

Sofa. Gin and tonic. Cheers.

Replying to Anon Opinion posts / Fesshole posts though. 👀

Didn’t sleep much last night, and the previous few nights I’d been plagued by full on horror nightmares so I’m feeling pretty tired now. The rest of the day is dedicated to lookibg after Dottie and taking things easy. And Dottie is currently sleeping contentedly, which is very reassuring.

Every year we make a free-to-download-and-print-off-yourself colouring-in Advent Calendar. This year’s heavily features Bigfoots. Please share! Download it for free here… www.worldofmoose.com/pages/2025-b...

Dottie has been resting these last few hours and has now had her probiotic medicine to help her digestive issues. She seems more settled and relaxed after the visit to the vets, so here’s hoping she’s feeling better. Poor old thing.

The husband has been doing DIY things and we have now got a smart heating interface and thermostat. This is the first step in getting more control of the heating in this big old house, and once we’re happy the system works for us we’ll be getting some smart thermostat valves for the radiators […]

Okay. Vet was super helpful. She's hopeful it's just a minor bug but antibiotic and anti-sickness injections have been administered, and a full check up done. She said we'd done the right thing taking Dottie through as her immune system is compromised, so a small thing for a regular dog can be a […]

Vet appointment secured. Other morning appointments cancelled. Let's see what the vet can do for Dottie.

Managed to get 4.5 hours of sleep between letting Dottie outside and making sure she was comfortable. My plans for a walk with my big brother are being shelved because it’s pretty rainy weather, and of course Dottie comes first. Going to call the vet at 8 to get an appointment. I may have to […]

Had a lovely afternoon in Leeds and have come home to Dottie being out of sorts and having rather severe diarrhoea. Taking things easy with her tonight and planning to sleep on the dining room floor again in case she has any urgent toilet needs. Have to admit I feel worried as she’s not a happy […]

Off to Leeds today. Some work, some lunch, sone drinks, and some browsing of the Christmas market are all planned. Travelling by train so it’s a bit of a flashback to my days commuting to my job there as a website developer/manager between 1999 and 2005. Crikey that’s a long time ago.

Friday 28/11/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured streetlight shining softly through the last leaves on a tree, music from an open window drifting down the lane, early staff arriving at the brightly-lit high school, and a neighbour at the bus stop waving as she heads to work.

A neighbour (older than me, bald, and grumpy) gets really irate if anyone parks outside his house. It's on the main road into town with no parking restrictions so people can and do park there. Just saw him have a go at a guy who had been parked there legally, and the guy responded in the […]

There are loads of people on here who I would love to meet in real life to have a coffee, walk the dog, or just shoot the breeze for an hour. I'm thankful for the connections, the insights into your many and varied hobbies, the pictures, and the insights into your everyday lives. These things […]

Happy Thanksgiving to those getting involved. Also, an abundance of ill-wishes and bad karma to nazis, conservatives, and their enablers.

Last proper working day for this week completed. Tomorrow I'm in Leeds with other team leaders from our district for a morning of planning, followed by lunch and then a few drinks. Which is rather a nice thing.

Thursday 27/11/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured warmer winds blowing over soggy fallen leaves, a tawny owl calling from a branch above my head, wheelie bins on pavements waiting for the strobe-lit truck, and a cyclist on an e-bike singing quietly as he goes.

Today's gathering was a resounding success. Senior manager who attended was impressed, and I had a good conversation with her about a few things. The technology worked, so remote staff were a part of the event, and all in all I'm VERY pleased with things. I can also report that being in […]

Off to Doncaster today to be with all the teams from our district. Senior managers are dropping by to join in for a while, which is always interesting. Hoping that the day goes well as we've put some effort into planning and preparing it all!

Wednesday 26/11/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured cloudless starry sky over freezing valley air, a cyclist in heavy clothing speeding down the road, fields of grass glinting white while crunching underfoot, and windscreens on all vehicles painted over with ice ferns.

*wanders off to feed Dottie*

I also bottled 4 lots of sloe gin I created as they're gifts for some of the other managers I have respect for. It's too good to share with less pleasant people, naturally.

Work was pretty full on, but I finished at 4 and took Dottie for a walk before hitting the shops for stuff to add to a buffet at work tomorrow. Got all the district teams getting together and we're doing a buffet lunch; everyone is bringing something different to share, I also picked up 15 silly […]

Tuesday 25/11/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured threads of sturdy robin song pouring from hedgerows, shreds of cloud scudding across silent starry sky, two horses and their riders all decked out in safety lights, and a man with wayward labradors struggling for control.

We have walked Dottie and taken to our bed. It’s cold outside, but cosy indoors and that’s a good way to end a Monday. In other news we’re in the early stages of planning a visit to Worthing to catch up with some chums over the Christmas holidays. I’m already getting excited.

Me, in elevator just now. Two kids get on, push the 6 and 7 buttons (we were already past those floors), yell "six seven" in unison, and look to me for a reaction, which, because I am an old sourpus, wasn't forthcoming. No one won. It was a stalemate.

Replying to Anon Opinion posts / Fesshole posts though. 👀

Busy day, and one in which I began mentoring a new manager. Came home and did a 6km walk and I'm about to prepare a curry for dinner, though the sauce is from a jar rather than made from scratch. I'm not entirely superhuman you know!

Monday 24/11/2025. #morningdogwalkfeatured still valley air over rain-soaked muddy fields, tawny hoots echoing from trees up on the hill, laughter from two cleaners in the doors of the high school, and a portion of spilled take away food lying in the road.

Log burner lit. Jacket potatoes cooking in the oven. Just had a hot shower. Cosiness levels are comfortingly high. *sips wine* Cheers all.

Just been and waked 4 miles in torrential rain to get my steps in and road test my new waterproof walking trousers. They're a resounding success, meaning the runoff from my jacket runs off the trousers too instead of leaving me with soaked legs. Hurrah! Winter's inclement weather walks are now […]

Husband has been on a tidying mission, and we now have reclaimed space in the basement. It’s the stone slab which was used to keep things cool in the pre-fridge times when this house was built. There’s also free space beneath it which is handy. It had all become cluttered and really rather […]