It sure was a bad week.   Bad enough losing Barney on Tuesday, since when we have been back to the veterinary hospital to collect Barney`s ashes and hand in yet another claim form on his insurance.   

That was the second claim in a matter of a few weeks and I had a bit of bother with the insurance company over the first claim we made following Barney`s illness which began in January.  Hopefully that might now be resolved but we wait to see.

It`s been a long winter with more than a few hiccups along the way - in just the last few weeks we had to buy a new fridge freezer, a new tap for the kitchen and a new vacuum cleaner - the old one conked out following a few years  hoovering up dog hairs (the new one doesn`t have that problem - yet.) 

I had a visit to the local hospital following damage caused to my hand as a result of yet another senior bungle on my part, which left me seriously impressed with our NHS service.  Seems to me you only hear about the bad things concerning the NHS - all the media are anxious to report alleged `failings`, targets missed, that kind of thing and we don`t hear enough about the good things, of which there are many and for which we should be more grateful than we are.

And to end on yet another troublesome note on my malum sabbati (the Queen had an annus horribilis but I`ll settle for just a bad week), the Saints have continued their downward spiral out of the Premier League - yesterday conspiring to lose 3-2 to Chelsea, having been 2-0 up after 70 minutes.   That constituted the fourth league game in a row where they have conceded three goals and survival hopes now seem dim.  Having won just one league game in the last 20, they are now expected to win at least three in the last five.   It ain`t gonna happen, to be fair, but at least the sun is shining today for a change.  But will it last?

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE..

About five years ago, we were on holiday in south Devon , mainly walking the coast path and one day we walked the Revelstoke Drive in and around Noss Mayo.  It`s a quite spectacular walk around the banks of the River Yealm and along the coastline with tremendous views of the open ocean - on a clear day you can just make out the Eddystone lighthouse on the distant horizon.  

The last part of the walk is pretty much all down hill back to the village of Noss Mayo but if you turn off the main path down to the left opposite the old coastguard cottages, you can find a hidden beach which is quiet, peaceful and isolated.  We made our way down the steep slope to the rocky shoreline and decided to have our lunch there whilst taking in the tranquility of our surroundings.

And it was there that I took this photo of Barney who, like us, was glad of the rest after the long walk.   It`s one of many photos we have taken of Barney over the years, not only at home but also at all the places we have been together - Cornwall, Devon, the New Forest and here in Kent and wherever we have been, Barney has been a quiet, peaceful, faithful friend and companion.

So you can imagine how devastated we are today that Barney was put to sleep yesterday afternoon following a series of medical problems in the last few months.   Yesterday he became very ill and his prospects were not good and so we took the difficult decision to say goodbye to him, knowing that it was the kindest decision to make for him, although it has left us in bits as a result. 

Our grief is a mixture of heartfelt sorrow for ourselves that Barney has gone, but coupled with real sadness for him that he has had so much to contend with over the recent past and that his life could not have been even longer and happier.  We should be used to it by now - Barney was our fifth golden retriever - but if anything it gets harder. 

On the right hand side of this post and down a bit, there`s a list of `labels` and if you click on the one `barney` there are 41 posts which form the chronicles of Barney over his nine and a half happy years with us.  And that`s what I will remember - a happy dog and a gentle, loving, loyal friend.