Tom’s Barn Dog Parade

We have had our ‘annual’ (last one was in June 2010) inspection today. It is always a tense moment. There is quite a lot of work beforehand making sure the paperwork is up to date and that one has done everything one was meant to do after the previous inspection.

There is also that underlying nagging worry that a domestic disaster might occur immediately beforehand, like an overflowed bath or a particularly hairy dog but the only disaster of any sort was my ‘fake Bakewell’ which wasn’t quite up to the usual standard but was thankfully still reasonably edible.

The inspector herself was warm, friendly and extremely helpful so in fact the whole inspection passed very constructively and well. The final result we will not know for a day or two and of course we will announce the result…

Meanwhile, on a totally different note, we often agree, all of us here behind the Orchard Farm scenes, how lucky we are with our guests who are always so friendly, pleasant and appreciative – we couldn’t hope for nicer.

But tagging along with these lovely guests are some pretty super dogs. Darren and Tracey who left this morning have just sent a ‘thank you for having us’ email (thank you for coming!) enclosing this gorgeous photo of their Sid lying on the Tom’s Barn doormat. We can’t quite make out the expression – what is going through Sid’s mind?

And while we’re on the dog track, so to speak, here is another beauty, still very young; she has yet to pay her first visit here with Sam and Gary who normally come with their cat but she no doubt will when she has successfully ‘left the nursery’. Meanwhile, here she is with a cuddly toy considerably bigger than she is!

Both photos will look better if you click to enlarge them.