Dog attack

I took Ned for his walk last evening. He only has two or three a week because of my feet problems.

We were nearly home when a large dog (probably a German Shepherd cross) charged down the driveway of his owner's house and grab Ned around the head/neck area. Well, Ned wasn't having any of that. He clamped his mouth on the other dog's front leg. The owners of the other dog came running out and told their dog to go around the back, which fortunately it did, with a limp. Their side gate was open because they had been out and had just returned home.

By this time, my heart felt like a lump of lead in my chest. I picked Ned up to see if he was OK and he appeared to be no worse for wear, just a bit moist around the neck from the other dog's mouth. I think collar and harness plus the two leads I had on him stop any damage from occuring.

Two nights previously, in the same street, another large, white dog charged out of owner's front yard and across the road to have a go at Ned. I had time to pick Ned up and held him so my back was to the dog and Ned couldn't see it. I didn't have time to pick Ned up last night.

This is the third time in the four years I've had Ned that a large dog as "gone" him. The first one was a German Shepherd. No wonder he doesn't like large dogs anymore. Ned is a Jack Russell cross, but more Jack Russell that anything else, I think.

A photograph of the squares I have finished so far for the Friendship Blanket appeal for Victorian bushfire victims. I have two more on needles.

Friendship blanket

I've finished six squares so far. One crocheted, the others knitted. I have two more on needles. I had a couple of castrophes with two and had to undo a few rows and reknit them. One of the partly completed squares - well I spilt ice coffee on it. Rinsed it out in hot water and it's OK. Of course, I had to start another while I am waiting for the wet one to dry.

To get back to some of my other projects, I may cut down the number of squares I do to one a week. I want to sew what I have done and am doing together as well.

Luncheon and accident

I went to lunch yesterday with some friends that were members, as I was, of a now defunct caravan club . We meet on the third Wednesday in each month. It was the usual good lunchtime meeting. I really enjoy getting together with old friends.

On the way home, I called into a shop to get a black ink refill for my printer. Left the shop and about 500m away I realised that I had left my clip-on sunglasses behind. Return to the shopping complex and parked the car. Then I check my purse one more time to make sure I didn't have the glasses tuck down in a corner somewhere. Next thing - bang. My car had rolled back and hit the bumper bar of the car behind me. I FORGOT TO PUT ON THE HANDBRAKE!!! How many years have I been driving? Only about fifty.

Naturally it had to be a BMW on the receiving end of my car. No damage to my car that a bit of car polish won't remove, but I put a small horizontal dent about 20cm long by 0.5cm wide in his back bumper bar. Of course, the whole bumper bar will be replaced. Wouldn't like to hazard a guess on the cost. Fortunately, I'm insured, but it still cost me $400 excess. So, it turned out to be an expensive day out. Feeling a bit depressed about it today.

On the Friendship Blankets - almost finished another square. I handed out some flyers yesterday. Most to those I had lunch with and one to the hotel that is also having a Bushfire appeal.

Friendship Blankets

This evening at the knitting group I'm in I receive my first square from one of the members. I'll take a pic. tomorrow and post it here.

I, also, passed out the flyers and I believe some will go to a local community centre and another to a Guild group. Fingers crossed I will received some more squares in the next few weeks.

I'm about 2/3 through my third square. I may have to take some time off tomorrow to do some h*******k.

We had a little bit of excitement tonight at the hotel where we meet. One chap knock out another person with just one punch to the face. The puncher took off with a mob of men after him. He jumped in his car and took off, but a number of people took his car number. It was so easy to remember, a place name plus one number. I'll sure he will get a visit from the police.

The person on the receiving end of the punch was out to it for several minutes. He was taken away in an ambulance, but by this time he had come around. Police were at the hotel for quite awhile. Taking statements, I suppose, and viewing security tape.

Then, blow me down, when I went to the local supermarket, a woman had had a fall and the ambulance was called to her, too.

Square 2 for Friendship Blankets

I finished the second square yesterday. The patterns top and bottom are supposed to look like boomerangs, but I think a good imagination would help. I made a mistake working out how many rows I had to do before and after the pattern. It was clear when doing the top pattern that it was going to be too long, so I undid some rows from the base of the square and re-knitted them.

Granddaughter's blanket

Today I'm adding the blanket I finished in time for it to be my granddaughter's 2008 Christmas present. It's the saffron cables pattern from an Interweave magazine with arms added.

It took 18 months to knit as it was too heavy and warm to have sitting on my lap over the warm months of the year.

A couple of things I would do differently, but I won't go into details here.