Boxing Day walk - South Downs, Hampshire

Eight mile Boxing Day walk across bridleways, footpaths and open farmland with sister Alison, her family and their friends and children. Started off in icy rain which cleared soon after. The Hursley Hambledon Hunt passed while we had sandwiches standing beside a farmyard barn for protection from the wind. Brilliant....

Christmas Day - Southsea, Hampshire

Ella and nephew Edward on Christmas day morning at Southsea. Ella and I had already been for a morning walk to the seafront - other dog walkers and joggers we met were so welcoming and friendly, it has to be the best day of the year for appreciating all those around you - anyway great day and lunch with family, after which we went for another walk to Southsea common and seafront.

Christmas Eve - Old Portsmouth

Here we are walking round Old Portsmouth and Gunwarf Quays at dusk on Christmas Eve 2009. At the end of the walk we met family and friends coming out of the crib service at the Cathedral and all went for a couple pints of the guest beer in The Dolphin pub, which was a really healthy start to our Christmas break!

Hatfield Park - walk in the snow, long winter shadows

Still on our lunchtime walk in Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire...she loved it... and far better than sitting in an office erh!

Hatfield Park - walk in the fresh snow

A beautiful lunchtime walk in Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire in fresh snow.

Winter evening in, chilling

Enjoying the arm of the sofa, a relaxing evening in on a cold wet winter night.

Birthday Girl...

Ella's first birthday was on 29th and we went for a 4-mile walk through Rothamsted Park and across the countryside bridleways and the Nickey Line (disused railway line). We had heavy icy rain and very muddy underfoot but we loved it. She was a true hound and could have gone on longer, bless. The afternoon was home chilling in front of TV with the Sunday papers and hot cup tea. Card by Edward.

Ella has Campylobacter

Finally, after 2 months, have a diagnosis. Ella has Campylobacter and is about to start a 10 day course of antibiotics. She also has a hormone imbalance which is being treated separately. All being well she will be back to full health within a month. The infection could easily have come from boiled chicken which I use to add to her meals, but just as easily from foraging when we are out walking, as we'll never know. This past week of blood, stool and urine sample sent off to the labs got to the bottom if it and the news is better than was expected.

Therfield Heath, Hertfordshire

Now at 11months old, this Saturday we had a sunny 3 mile Autumn walk over Therfield Heath on the outskirts of Royston, Herts. I took a heavy fall walking uphill on uneven ground, landed on my right shoulder and was on the ground for a couple of minutes to get my breath back and assess the immense pain. It's taken until end November to fully recover and was a wake up call about taking more care over rough ground far away from others!

Chasing sheep...

Early morning Autumn walk on the Hatfield Estate in heavy rain.... Ella comes across a field of sheep and decides to join them for a run around.... not good, estate worker came across her and rightly was not amused!

Ella - Isle of Wight ferry

Bright sunny Autumn morning heading out of Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight with sister Alison on our way to visit an old designer friend for the day.

Clyde - Ella's dad!

Here's Clyde (CH Chantalle Sablier), father of Ella and a champion in the breed.... fine looking chap. He's a well balanced tri-colour which ella inherited however with less 'patches'. Mother was a black and white as was most of the litter.

Ella - more YouTube Hatfield Park autumn walk

Early morning in the autumn leaves and a bouncy dog... we'll be pacing her for the next fews days as she's on medication and a special diet... Bless her!

Ella - 10 months old, early morning autumn walk

Ella at 10 months walking sunny autumn Sunday morning in Hatfield Park Estate, Hertfordshire. She has not walked much for the past two days due to sickness, so this is us seeing how she does.

She's bit under the weather!

Ellas coming up to 10 months in a couple of days and generally doing well, although the past three weeks we've had sickness and stomach upset that has required six visits to the vet and two courses of medication and most recent a blood sample for her red cell count... she's not anaemic, however she is reacting to something and we're going to change her dry food diet brand once her medication is finished.

Grafham Water

Ella just out of the water at Grafham Water, having had her first swim, good girl!

-- Post From My iPhone

Grown up girl...

Ella is just coming to the end of her first season at 8 months. She's been really good, however a few very humid days this week tired her out where she wasn't eating or wanting to walk. We visited the vet for a checkup and although temp was high end of normal she is doing just fine... a bit hormonal and fed up maybe. Her weight is just on 15kg, so nearing full adult size now. the next morning she was running across open fields after a flock of foraging Canadian geese; when they took flight she didn't give up and was last seen running at full stride and baying until she could no longer keep up, so she's back to her normal self then!

... she's a real hound!

So she's coming up to 8 months... and being a small French hound she's starting to follow her nose. We walk 3 to 5 miles a day and much of that is on the Hatfield House Estate. Running free across the fields and woods, Ella has recently come back with a rabbit leg and a Magpie wing, not that she goes for the kill, just that her strong hound sense of smell finds any carcass that's left to ground. She also chases Crows that are foraging on a large hay field. They take to the air and hover, but Ella goes not give in and can be seem running around with her head uplifted toward the crowing birds! - Also she's into puddles... first for a drink of fresh rainwater then to run back and forth through, making for a very muddy hound, bless.

Brighton - Edward to stay

Nephew Edward, who is nearly 8 years, came to visit Kathy at Brighton. These were taken on our under cliff coastal walk from the marina to Rottingdean - it was a great sunny bright day. Ella is just over 7 months old now!

Sponsored Dog Walk - Ayot St Lawrence

Late June we took part in a sponsored dog walk that took in the farmland and bridle paths around the Hertfordshire village of Ayot St Lawrence. It was a wonderfully warm and sunny Sunday morning and most of the dogs were Spaniels which was interesting. If you look closely you'll see that Ella is rather muddier than the other dogs... she ran amongst the long early morning damp grass and brambles, bless!

nearing six months old!

Here is Ella at nearing six months in Brighton.

South Downs - East Sussex

Walking the South Downs at Ditchling Beacon over the May Bank Holiday weekend... fine weather and a happy dog!

Thorney Island, West Sussex

At the naming ceremony of Edward's Optimist dinghy... Karaboudjan! - we walked along the shore after and came back with a very dirty dog...

Ella - Hatfield Park walk

She's now off lead in the park and we're heading toward The Broadwater, a lake fed by the River Lea in Hertfordshire.

River Cam, Cambridge

Sitting amongst the fading daffodils by the river Cam, in Cambridge.

Tooth fairy...

Found two discarded puppy teeth so far on the living room carpet... soon after she has been having a good chew on a hide stick!

Shoreham West Sussex - farmers market

Goring-on-Sea

Ella and her cousin Holly

growing girl

puppy eats anything!

So whats the damage after 6 weeks?

1 pair sunglasses.

1 mobile in car kit.

1 glass vase (knocked over against a stone door stop!)

1 lambswool jumper.

1 shoe (wearable but noticable chewing)

1 handbrake lever (E' started chewing when she snuck in the front seat!)

1 rear centre seatbelt (failed mot and replacement required for re-test!)

Ella with her balcony view

Ella watches the world go by through the olive tree...

Ella at Dunwich, Suffolk

first beach walk...

the Brighton pebbles, a still sea and shallow undercurrent... great first stroll to the sea edge.

Ella and Kathy

Ella and Kathy in Brighton...

First walk in downtown Brighton...

Ella meets Holly and enjoy their first walk round the block...

Sleeping again...

It's Saturday, so Ella takes a nap while I'm doing house chores!

Arm of settee

Danish slumber bed

Goes rather well I think!

Sunday afternoon walk...

Tanya came on a walk up to the local churchyard. Snow still laying in the winter sun; first sign of Crocas, Snowdrops and Daffodils... and Ella's longest walk so far.

Ella - snow in Hertfordshire!

Here show is her first week with me an a fresh fall on snow, which stayed around for a week. She's not fully vaccinated yet, but here in the private gardens of the apartments she's safe and enjoying settling in to her surrounds!

Been a long day...

Arrived home safe, visit to the vet for a checkup... home, play, supper and now sleep.

Collection day!

Ella readying herself for her 100 mile drive home and her new life...

Ella

Ella will be arriving on 30th January from Lincolnshire. She was born at the end of November 2008 and one of a litter of eight. They'll be more posts once she arrives and showing her settling in.

Ella and shoe - 7 weeks!

Car crate

The RAC (medium) dog crate fits perfectly is easy to assemble and finished in neat dark grey epoxy paint.

Ella - First meeting at 7 weeks old, bless!

It took no more than a couple of minutes for me to choose Ella from the litter, you'll see here that she caught my eye!