The English Paysanne

Today it has been a year since we had to say good bye to Franklin. His thought of each day with ten years of Franklin antics that's a lot of memories and photos.

It has been a week now that we had to make that hard decision that comes to pet owners when their animals are ill, when is the right time to say goodbye. And last Saturday was that day we said goodbye to Franklin. After 14 months with his battle for cancer he took a turn for the worst in the morning and was clearly in pain. A quadruple dose of pain killer helped his last couple of hours until our vet was back in the surgery. It's now so quiet indoors no barking for breakfast or tea that was far to slow in coming. No barking to go outside or come in again. No barking for Sorrel's chew as he had finished his in double time. No more barking to get into the lounge and on his spot on the settee. And no more barking for no reason apart from being Franklin, the dog who barked and liked the sound of his own voice. He had me well trained. Now reunited with his two mates the three amigos are back together, running free.

Ten years ago we drove to Rodez dog refuge picking out the quietest skin and boned pup named Franklin. Since then his not shut up barking, soon putting on a few pounds and settling into a happy life. Time has passed with his friends passing too, his back to skin and bone due to his diabetes and the very large tumour on his back leg. He can hardly see and for the past few days decided he no longer wants to go out for walks. At around 11 years old he has now reached old age. He and Sorrel enjoyed the doggie cake, Franklins slice was gone in one huge gulp. With a special tea of beef heart, kidney and tongue he is now driving us made by guarding his gotcha day chew, he wont chew it but no one else is to go near it either, it my be a long night unless he can be distracted by cake.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie In Franklin's words "It's torture living here". Now the cooler weather has arrived Fizz has been evicted from her feeding spot on the window ledge. The only place the dogs cant get her food is on the table (not sure where she will be eating soon once the table goes away too). Franklin is finding this new eating spot torturous, especially as Fizz is a grazer so a bowl of food uneaten is just not what dogs understand  around here.

It wasn't me, I wasn't there, she (Sorrel) egged me on, how can you tell ? Franklin has been back to his old ways of counter surfing,well not so much counter although he was caught lifting a half bag of sugar of the side -not good if your diabetic. It has been more like surfing around the kitchen looking in open cupboards and under worktop storage. Yesterday he had a packet of beetroot half eaten by the time I got to him, he didn't realise there would be tell tell signs of pink juice on his paws - caught you in the act Franklin. Today I came into the kitchen to find the big bag of flour which sits at the end of the isle counter had been attacked, bits of torn off brown paper around it. Now I would of blamed Sorrel and Franklin would of let her be blamed if it wasn't for the white tell tell signs. now when you add flour and saliva you get a kind of glue like substance which requires lots of licking, the photos show as his head kept moving. better luck next...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie After watching the Great British bake off Franklin gets inspired to bake.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie It has only taken Franklin 9.5 years to become a lap dog.

 Now we are in February the weather has started to change into mid winter weather, a flurry of snow, sleet, rain, wind and damp weather has made everywhere look a bit drab. Mud is everywhere, the cows are grounded to a small bit of the field and hanger as there big hoofed would rip the fields up making them no good for grass this year. Pigs keep digging, hiding their troughs under mud, four were moved after there was nowhere left to put there food troughs or for them to stand. I keep getting stuck, a small group of four managed to push me over in  their eagerness for food tonight. mud managed to get through my overalls, in my boots, inside my rubber gloves and up my sleeve. Then it started to snow, thankfully by the time we had got back to the house it had stopped. Franklin was back at the vets for a check on his stitches, a couple were removed for his leg to drain. it has had to be manipulated and sprayed with blue antiseptic spray twice a day thankf...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie If only Franklin could speak cat Fizz would not be on his chair.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Going soft in his old age this is the first time after 8 years of being blessed with Franklin he sought out a cuddle.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Waiting

How hard can this knitting lark be?

Farmer J's younger brother and two boys came to stay for a stop over before heading to the Pyrenees. Tuesday afternoon a picnic was packed for a trip to the river at Garde Viaur. This is where we send our gite guests, it's a lovely spot with shallow banks for paddling and deeper parts for swimming. The water is very clean with shady spots on the green bank for relaxing. The cows finished eating down our top field and small hay field where an electric fence was rigged up for them to pass between the two, making feeding the pigs a bit of a assault course climbing under the electric fence. Now moved over the road and happy to be on new pasture. Franklin has been sleeping a lot lately as well as drinking loads of water and weeing, a trip to the vets he was diagnosed with diabetes. He spent Wednesday in a cage having his blood levels checked regularly and is now having daily injections until Monday week  when his booked in again or a re check to see if the ...

Franklin was a brave dog this afternoon. Farmer J was a brave remover of bumps. No human or dog were hurt  when a quick insert of a hypodermic needle was inserted into Franklin's growing cyst. It enabled the fluid to flow out and flow it did all over farmer J`s hand and the patio. Copious amounts of dog biscuits kept him from worrying (the dog that is) not a growl or bark was murmured, far different from the lancing of the cyst the first time at the vets.