The Origin of the Golden Retriever

Those sweaty Italians are getting hotter by the day. I blame it on all those Fiat Pandas they drive around. I am pleased we did not have that extreme weather, our stay was near perfect, with no rain, no wind and no real problems with the exception of those complex Italian car hire companies. I do feel for them now, can you imagine trying to sleep when the temperature is around 37 deg C?

The Origins of the Golden Retriever

Deep in a Highland glen 155 years ago the world's first golden retrievers were born.

The puppies - Primrose, Cowslip and Crocus - were part of businessman and Liberal MP Sir Dudley Marjoribanks' attempts to create a supreme hunting dog.

He wanted a gun dog suited to retrieving game - such as grouse - in the rugged hills and cold rivers and lochs of his sprawling Glen Affric Guisachan House estate, and wider Scottish Highlands.

The first litter was born to Belle, a liver-coloured Tweed water spaniel, and a yellow wavy-coated retriever8 called Nous.

Some histories of the breed say there were four puppies, but it is generally understood to have been three - two females and a male.

Marjoribanks, also known as Lord Tweedmouth, would oversee further litters with the mating involving other breeds, including Bloodhounds, Irish Setters, St John's water dogs and flat-coated retrievers.

The breeding would lead to a dog "purpose-built" for the Highlands. It had a thick coat - which today can be gold, cream or red in colour - and even webbed feet for swimming.

In 1913, the breed was officially recognised by The Kennel Club.

The weather is unpredictable at the moment and you are never too sure if those are just clouds or bringers of rain. Maybe we should look at clouds the way Joni Mitchell saw them. The ice cream castles and the feather canyons with wisps of angel hair. Now they only block the sun and rain on everyone. Maybe let’s look at clouds from both sides, they change as we marvel at their beauty and look there is a bear or rabbit! It is just another show and we can smile.

She wrote the song after she and Graham Nash split up. In the song she sings of looking at love from both sides, the give and take and comes to the conclusion that she really does not understand love at all.

When we break up we always have some friends who act strange, they say we have changed, we have, and we are no longer a couple but now an individual person with our own individual opinions. So you might think everything is lost, but it is not, we have gained ourselves again.

I've looked at love from both sides now

From give and take and still somehow

It's love's illusions that I recall

I really don't know love

Really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud

To say, "I love you" right out loud

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds

I've looked at life that way

Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange

And they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed

Well something's lost, but something's gained

In living every day

Cameras can bring out the best in us, not sure what is going on with the Dickens formally from Wallalong, now I believe they have relocated to Illawong. Maybe this is a sing-along? Is it just me or are they all in their pyjamas?

One thing has come to my attention, on this day, 18 July 2016, Michael had his graduation day. Never the one to do things in a small way, he had the whole university come and celebrate with him on this very important date in his life cycle. That was 7 years ago and he has done quite a bit since then. Travelled the world, stayed in Australia and survived but came home at the first opportunity, had the proverbial big, amazing wedding in Italy and now drives a fully electric car and plays golf. Keep on living my boy, it is a joy to watch and I do it with a little envy.

Peter Fay is in Wales for his birthday, this is a big birthday, 60, in all honesty, he does not look a day older than when we saw him in Italy. He is going on a zip-wire ride.

Mika is cooking tonight, yep, we do live life on the edge. Sweet and Sour Chicken with Rice, I am sure it will be very tasty. Gertrude and Henry are squabbling on the fence and England is playing Australia in the Ashes series. I am enjoying some anti-pasta, there is another name for it, charcuterie board, that’s the one. Can life get any better?

The women’s ashes have turned out to be the highlight of my cricket summer. Do not get me wrong, the Australian women’s team are very good and have retained the ashes but our girls stepped up and drew the series. I do believe I am more into women’s cricket than men’s at the moment. Tammy Beaumont, Beth Mooney,

Breeze VW have approached me with an offer to buy an ID4. They are offering me £ 500 over the market price on my car as a trade-in. Just to put it into context, that is 1,597,120.00 TZS, that is Tanzania shillings. I did a little research and with the help of VW UK, I have established it is not economically viable to buy an electric car at the moment. The image below tells the whole story, maybe I should be going for a diesel engine vehicle?