Monday 16 September 2019

Monday

Here are the Autumn Crocus (Colchicum) in the garden opposite where I live.   I love them and had some in my previous garden.   You forget all about them and then, suddenly, one morning they are there - all flowers and no sign of a leaf.   A sure sign that Autumn is on its way - and it is a lovely Autumn day today to prove it.

I had to go into town this morning on business and then to buy one or two things because I am cooking for friends tomorrow evening and I want to experiment with my Slow Cooker.   I called in our usual cafe and had Scampi, Chips and Peas for my lunch - lazy I know but I had had a busy morning and walking around town for me is very tiring.   Now  I am home, the basics of my base for my Cottage Pie are cooking on Auto in my slow cooker and my friend has rung to say we will not meet this afternoon but leave it until later in the week - so all pressure is off and soon Tess and I will have a wander.

Now that the children have gone back to school our little town has been taken over by bus-loads of Pensioners leaving their touring holidays until there are no hoards of children around.   The cafes are still full but few, if any, children around (lots of dogs though,as there always are).   Almost all the Holiday Cottages up here take dogs as we are in hilly country - ideal for walking and ideal for dogs.   We get a huge variety.   Many of them these days are of the mixed variety (no longer called 'mongrels' but given fashionable names as they are a straight cross - ie Labradoodle (Labrador/Poodle;)  Cockerpoo  (CockerSpaniel/Poodle); and even Jug (Jack Russell terrier/Pug).   Sometimes I do wonder if we might be storing up health problems with some breeds for the future - although we have a Labradoodle (Smarty) lives near to us and he is a darling I must say.   Do you have any views on the matter?

19 comments:

Sooze said...

We have a mixed breed dog, she's a Bull-Pei - half English Bulldog (father)/half Shar-Pei (mother). We bought her from a licenced respected breeder, who has been breeding selectively for several years to reduce the health problems both full breeds can suffer from, eg eye and breathing problems caused by excessively wrinkled faces and short noses. Our dog has none of those problems, thankfully.

jinxxxygirl said...

Here we call them 'mutts' instead of mongrels although i have heard that term too... I personally prefer an AKC registered dog. That used to mean quality to me... i read recently how they add so many new breeds a year.. I used to think it took quite alot to add a new breed to the AKC ranks.. but maybe not.. In my experience i've owned two AKC registered dogs in my life.. A rottweiler and a golden retriever. Both excellent dogs. I've also owned a few mutts.. I found them much more difficult to train. But they were all loving and well loved. This is just my experience. I know people who will only have mutts. Hugs! deb

angryparsnip said...

I have always loved the Terriers group Mixed breed (our rescue Agatha) Scotties and my Border Terrier. Smart smart gud dugs.
I think mixed breeds are healthier because they are not over breed with the health problems of one breed. Backyard Breeders are the worst as they breed for money only and really don't care about their sweet dogs.
parsnip

Heather said...

I met a young Cockerpoo this morning, a dear little pup. I wonder if these odd sounding blend of breed names are just a ruse to charge as much money for a dog of mixed breed as for a pedigree - or am I being cynical? To me there are pedigrees or mongrels. Having said that I know nothing about breeding dogs, I just love them all.
The autumn crocus are such a lovely sight. Thanks for taking the photo.

Derek Faulkner said...

I think that Heather has got it right as far as the money side of it goes, gullable people are paying a lot of money for "cult" breeds. I've always had Jack Russells all my life and they come in all shapes and sizes but none of this pedigree stuff with in-bred health problems. "Autumn on it's way" - seems a long way off, here at the moment and our countryside is one huge dust bowl of drought.

Living Alone in Your 60's said...

I saw lots of crocus in a garden last week and I thought I was seeing things. I even told a friend who thought I was quite mad. Glad to know I not mad.

RunNRose said...

We went through the heart-breaking loss of our AKC Yorkie in February. Supposedly Yorkies' life expectancy is 12 - 15 years.
Strange thing. This sweetheart had inoperable cancer at only six years old. And we got him at six weeks old, soon after the death of
our first AKC Yorkie. We had him put to sleep before his ninth birthday. He had cancer in several areas, and was suffering.
There was no connection between the sources of the two dogs. It does make one wonder about the value of AKC registration.
.

the veg artist said...

I don't have any opinion on dog breeds other than I suppose I prefer smaller dogs, say, below knee height. Probably because I had an uncle whose party trick was to put his head in the jaws of a German Shepherd - put me off big dogs a bit! I just like them happy and waggy.
The crocus are lovely - it's so nice to see something fresh at this time of year. I've got some nerines flowering for the first time, and they make me smile every time I look at them.

Bonnie said...

The Autumn Crocus are beautiful, thank you for showing us a picture! I'm a cat person more than a dog person but I just like to see all dogs, mongrel or not, get a loving home. I think a mixed breed can be just as loving of a pet if it is raised with love and care.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I like Sooze's idea of selective breeding to lessen problems like squashed noses. I hadn't thought of it in that way before. I too love any dog - pure bred or not - I wouldn't be without my Border Terrier, Tess. I have had her since she was six weeks old and she is a great companion.

Tom Stephenson said...

A friend of mine has a Jack Russell/Shitzu cross. He calls it a Jack Shit.

Beverley said...

Cross breeds were called mongrels where I come from. I don't mind pedigree or cross breeds as long as they are a nice natured dog. I like the idea of dogs being bred so they don't have problems. The Kennel Club approves of German Shepherds with low rear ends but they get hip problems. Appalling.

Joanne Noragon said...

When your picture came up on my screen I said "How did she get some of my dad's crocus bulbs? It was just such a surprise. Glad you can see them every day.

Cro Magnon said...

I have a few Autumn Crocus here, but they are a darker blue. Our Border Collie (Billy) goes for his 'snip' this morning, my fingers are crossed that it all goes well.

Tasker Dunham said...

Autumn crocuses (croci?) are lovely. Always remind me of a very happy period in the eighties. But which is better: hoards of schoolchildren or bus loads of pensioners?

Helen-at-Horsehouse said...

I love the interesting crosses, but it is a shame that people use it as an excuse to charge a fortune. My son's little dog "Ted" is super, a Yorkie/Jack Russel cross. He hardly ever barks and has a lovely nature.
I too enjoy the Autumn Crocus, but it really does mean the beginning of Autumn.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Oh dear - Tom has lowered the tone!
Thanks to you all for your comments.

thelma said...

Well to add, a 12 year old very pretty (one breed) cocker spaniel to the mix. Lucy is a diva to boot, and sometimes I think rescuing rescue dogs are not for the faint hearted but she is lovely and everyone falls in love with her.

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