Dog training and Christmas prep
We got off lightly with Storm Darragh where I live.
High winds and rain hit on Saturday, and we had to drive through a “ford” at the bottom of our road on the way to pup training.
The “ford” gets deep in heavy rain because the drains are useless. So far, it’s still passable, but if the rain keeps up, we might be stranded in the village or face a 20-mile detour.
Pup training was interesting. Only three of us showed up, so we joined a combined class with other groups.
Since the training field was too wet, we went on a walk with the dogs, practicing tricks and exercises along the way.
I thought we’d manage fine—our pup is used to twice daily walks—but the wind had him chasing leaves and pulling on his lead to follow the pup in front (a cute little female, no less).
Thankfully, the rain eased a bit, so we didn’t get completely soaked, but we were knackered by the time we got home!
Sunday morning, we went to church, where the priest’s dog hilariously barked at parts of the service—my other half joked it was critiquing the sermon.
After church, the wind and rain made outdoor work impossible, so we turned to cooking.
With pumpkins from our garden, we made a delicious pumpkin dhal to enjoy with naan and poppadoms.
Then we started prepping for Christmas.
The cakes and puddings are already sorted, so we moved on to gravy prep.
We love Jamie Oliver’s get-ahead gravy recipe, which uses roasted chicken wings, bacon, vegetables, and herbs simmered into a rich base. On the big day, we mix it with meat juices and a bit of cranberry sauce—game-changing!
Next job – Christmas cards. I know many skip them nowadays, but we still enjoy exchanging them with friends and family.
Have you started your Christmas prep yet?