Rottweiler wrangling is my speciality

Yesterday was just like a normal Thursday. Water aerobics in the morning and dog walk after lunch. On that way up the hill on my way home I could see my neighbour Carol flapping down the road like the Pied Piper of Hamlin shepherding her kids and a few others that she collects from school shouting get Buster in the house quick there is a mad Rottweiler on the loose.

I pushed a rather indignant Buster through my front door and went to investigate as my son has a Rottweiler and although strong they are usually gentle creatures. I gently called the dog to me and let him sniff all over me and tentatively put out my hand. I was instantly bowled over with love. He jumped all over me licking me to pieces as if to say at last a friendly person. He was panting and obviously needed a drink so I gave him one and he was my instant friend. He had no collar and so I looped Buster's lead over his neck and then the wrangling began. I was trying to phone the local police to see if anyone was missing a dog whilst he was busy trying to chase every bit of flotsam and jetsom that was blowing down the street and all the neighbourhood cats. Trying to hold back a 7 stone ( well it felt like 7 stone) over large puppy whilst taking pieces of plastic bag out of his mouth (he almost choked) and speaking to a not very helpful copper on the phone takes a lot of strength and my poor back was protesting enormously.

Another dog owner neighbour, Karen, came up the street and volunteered a collar and chain lead as the poor dog was choking on my lead and her daughter offered to hold him for a while until I summoned some kind of help. He was obviously a pedigree and well looked after so I wanted to know if he had been reported as missing. He had already been hit by a car (witnessed by my neighbour) and although he seemed unhurt I wanted him checked by a vet. The police were no help and offered me a dog warden number which turned out to be out of date! We decided to see if he would walk us in the general direction of his home. No such luck - he was a puppy and wanted to go up everyone's path! We met another neighbour who said he had seen the dog around 2pm on another road a mile away so we gave up the local neighbourhood trawl after that. My dog lead neighbour then had a brilliant idea to phone the local vet and thankfully they knew who he was and the owners were contacted.

They arrived later but Preston (that was the dog's name) was totally unconcerned about them apart from a hand lick and a bottom wag (no tail) preferring the dog biscuit treats that were in my neighbour's pocket to them. They said he had escaped through the fence and had broken it down once before. Hello people - wake up - waveylap wood fencing and a Rottweiler do not go together if you are going to leave him loose whilst you are at work. They were a very young couple so I do hope that they look after the dog properly. I have never seen Preston before on Buster's dog walks which is unusual considering dogs from local and miles away get walked in the woodland where we walk. We see the same dogs over and over and get to know their names.

Buster was watching a lot of this through the window and was not amused at mum playing with another dog. When I came home I was sniffed from head to toe and he sat on my feet for the rest of the evening as if you to say you are MY mum not his!

The photos are of the dream catcher that Ambermoggie sent to me. I am a rubbish photographer as I line the shot up and then my hand shakes it off line when I press the shutter. I tried dreamcatcher in the window. Lovely shot of my old banger and the rest of the street but not much dreamcatcher. I then tried dream catcher in the plant and chopped off it's feathers. I then tried card and crystal on the window bottom and missed the crystal off altogether but I did get the elephants in! So I setted for an uninspiring view of the crystal on the window sill which isn't good as it is dark brown and dulls the colours. The last photos is of a stained glass wind chime that my niece Kath bought for me whilst she was teaching English in Poland a few years ago and has hung in my window ever since. It catches the light in the sunshine and send pretty colours all around the room. The dream catcher must have caught the bad dreams last night as I had an untroubled sleep and although I did half remember a dream when I woke it can't have been a bad one.

Not as much crochet done last night due to the couple of hours I spent wrangling Preston. I finished Anne's shawl but it needs some kind of blocking to flatten the edging. I am not going to steam it as it is 100% acrylic and it goes rather limp. I will try to dampen it and pin the edge somewhere large where Buster will not try to lie on it Not easy finding that place! Wish me luck. I will photograph it tomorrow if I manage to block out the edging.