Ian takes to the skies

As part of Ian's extended sabbatical, he has decided he wants to use the time (and cheaper options!) to learn to fly. It helps that Rolls-Royce provides a partner education allowance that will contribute towards his lessons. So this week, after finally getting his clearance to fly (being an alien and all that) he finally took to the skies.

The photo shows Ian and "his" plane, a Cessna 172. The plane that he's using is a bit older than the one that Cessna is depicting on the website, but it achieves the same objective - that is getting him into the sky and back down to earth again - safely!

Ian's instructor is the same guy that took him for his taster flight last year, although now he's with a different flight school, so at least they already know each other. On Ian's first lesson, Terry was very impressed with his progression and even had him doing lesson 2 maneouvres on his first time out. The visibility was pretty poor as it was a very hazy day, so Ian lacked a horizon to pinpoint his movements, but he did very well all the same. The skies were much clearer for Ian's second lesson, giving him more visibility. However this lesson's challenge was the strong winds that buffetted the little plane. Still, he held his own and is advancing well. It's hard to wipe the smile off his face at the moment.

The week held a surprise in store for us when, on Monday, one of Annalie's friends from UTC offered her a free ticket to see the Yankees vs Red Sox at the new Yankee Stadium. As we'd been looking for an excuse to go to the new stadium, this seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Ian promptly found himself a ticket on Stub Hub and we made preparations for our Thursday night out.

As we were planning to come back to CT the same night (the others were staying downtown) we had the choice of train part of the way or driving to NY. A quick look at our usual parking service on Manhattan showed that we were better off driving into NY to park for the princely sum of $22! The train would cost us $60 plus station parking and would take a lot longer too. So the decision was easy.

So off we trotted to NY in the hope that we could see the Yankees beat the Sox for the first time this season (going in the score was (0-8). Our first visit to the new stadium proved to be extremely successful as the Bronx Bombers trounced their nemesis 13-6! It was a great game with an exceptional 4th innings that saw the Yanks score 8 runs.

Our observations on the new stadium are that it is a very nice ball park but the cost of anything inside is excessive. Annalie bought a hot dog, packet of crisps and a beer and paid $23! Maybe we'll take a picnic next time! Or definitely eat elsewhere. And stick to soda - although that's still $5 a pop! Worse than Old Trafford or the Emirates ;o)

With such a high-scoring game, it went on quite late. We left after the 8th innings but that was still going up for 11pm. We had to catch the subway back into Manhatten and then pick the car up and drive home. It was gone 11.30 by the time we left the car park and just over two hours later we arrived back home. Not great for a school night! But Annalie had a lie in until 7pm before getting up to walk Maddy.

Speaking of the pup, she is coming on well and still an absolute sweetheart. But we did hear her bark for the first (and currently the only) time on Friday night when we visited the local Wethersfield Dog Park. In CT dogs should remain leashed so in some towns they have specific dog parks that allow you to unleash your dogs for play and exercise.

We knew that Maddy wasn't too fussed about other dogs and seemed to be more interested in people but this just went to prove it. While all the other dogs were getting to know each other and playing together, Maddy just wandered around introducing herself to all the other owners and getting lots of loving! On two occasions there were friendly dogs introducing themselves to her and she started to growl, which has been known. But then she barked as well, which came as a total shock to us as we weren't sure that she actually knew how to! Still, it was good to know that she can when she wants to, although it might not always be necessary!

Having Maddy is doing us the world of good because it makes us get out and walk and also to explore some of our local area. On Saturday we headed up to Castle Craig in Meriden. We'd seen the castle from the road on a few occasions and thought it might be worth the walk. So looking it up in our hike book, it said the trail was "moderate, with a few challenging sections" - well, that was an understatement! As the castle is about 1,000 feet above sea level, it was a bit of a climb. Maddy had to do her best impression of a mountain goat on a number of occasions, but managed it with enthusiasm.

The views from the top of the castle, and from the route along the way, can be seen in the new album (for those that don't realise, the photos in the top right of the blog that says "View Gallery" will take you to our new photo website where we will be storing all our photos from now on). When we arrived up there we found an almost double for Maddy, just a younger version. A 2 or 3 year old male beagle mix called Chase. The resemblance was fairly uncanny but it made for a good introduction! He was a lot more hyperactive than Maddy though, but maybe it's something that comes with age!

For the route down we decided to take the slightly easier passage down the road instead! It was probably a lot quicker because it was a steady downhill, rather than the up and down of the original route we took, and it was a lot more stable under foot! Still a good 3-hour yomp though in total.

Unfortunately we've had one of the down sides to dog ownership as well. Maddy has been ever so good in the toilet department since we got her, so we knew something was wrong immediately when she had an accident in the house. When she had her second within a couple of hours, and with the appearance of what looked like blood, we thought a trip to the doggie doctor was in order. We'd already planned to take her on Monday for a normal check up, but we managed to get seen on Saturday morning to try and rectify her little issue.

The vet had been recommended to us by one of the other Rolls-Royce dog parents, and she was on the money with her recommendation. A great guy who is straight talking but with a sense of humour (which is remarkable for an American ;o). Bladder infections are common in female dogs so it doesn't appear to be much to worry about. He also did a quick MOT on her and found an ear infection that will also be easy to clear up with the ointment he provided - and probably nothing unusual considering she spent 7 months living in a shelter. Other than that she's a healthy pup. He was very complimentary about her behaviour though, claiming beagles aren't usually so easy-going. And he also thinks that she may be a true beagle because they come in so many different shapes and sizes, she just doesn't fit the breed standard for showing. Finally he confirmed her age as around 5, and also that she's lost a little bit of weight since being with us, so that's all good.

After a quick overhaul, nails cut and a good inspection, we left as relatively happy pet parents, although $150 poorer! ;o) Still, all worth it to know she's going to be just fine. We were quite nervous about taking her in as you never know what health problems a rescue dog will come to you with, so it was a relief to hear that she's not got anything major to worry about. So another lucky strike for Maddy.

A not so Windy City

Well, it seems like there's plenty to update you on this week, but then we have neglected the blog for a couple of weeks. Sorry about that but it's been a busy time!

As you can see, we've had to set up a new blog site as we've just found out that our old site is shutting down. So we're sorry to make you all register again. Hopefully it's not too inconvenient though.

The biggest, and best news, is that Ian has finally managed to get rid of his "Probie" label at the fire house after receiving notice that he passed his written exam with a score of 83% - well done Mr B :-) Annalie can now brag about her status as married to a fireman! So he's now fully fledged and a respected member of Company 2 Glastonbury Fire Department. Talk about making dreams come true!

Annalie has not got the benefit of finding out her formal result until September when the university exam board meets. However, her tutor has assured her she has nothing to worry about. Still, it would be nice to know what the final score is!

We managed to get away for a weekend to visit a place that we've both fancied going - Chicago. It wasn't such a Windy City this weekend though, with temperatures well into the 80s and bright blue skies. We flew out Saturday morning, arriving at Midway Airport at around 8.30am. We only had hand luggage so it was straight onto the Metro into downtown. For anyone who's watched a film or TV series based in Chicago, you will recognise the familiar image of the metro trains elevated above street level. Just the ride into town was our first activity ticked off the "to do" list!

We headed straight for our hotel to drop the bag off and get changed into some more appropriate (lighter) clothing and headed out to try and tick off some more activities. First was an architecture river cruise that had been recommended. All the tours had sold out for the day, so we bought tickets for Monday morning's cruise before we set off home. Then we took a walk to Millenium Park and booked ourselves a Segway tour for Sunday evening.

From there we walked to Navy Pier, a touristy location that draws in the crowds. We were in for an extra treat though as the Budweiser Clydesdales were in town. They dressed them up in all their finery and took the drey for a ride around the pier. We were equally impressed with the calm Dalmation that took a ride on the drey as well!

On Navy Pier we managed to get in a game of mini golf but we weren't tempted with any of the other rides. We then took a walk to the John Hancock Building. Instead of paying to go to the Observatory, we decided to cheat and headed to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor for a cocktail instead - getting a great view of Chicago into the bargain. The John Hancock isn't the tallest building in town, that's the Sears (sorry, Willis!) Tower, but most guide books recommend the view from the John Hancock as being better. And it didn't disappoint.

After a pre-dinner cocktail it was back to the hotel to check in and freshen up before dinner. And being in the Mid West, there's nothing more appropriate than steak! So we headed to a well-recommended steakhouse and had some fabulous filet mignon.

Sunday saw us head over the road to the West Egg for breakfast where we were forced to choose from one of the most extensive, and elaborate, breakfast menus you've ever seen! Then we wandered up to the oldest fire house in Chicago to have a nosy at how the real guys live. And finally, it was time to scrub one of Ian's wishes off the Bucket List. We went to a baseball game at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. We got there early to soak up the atmosphere and watch batting practice. During the course of the practice, Ian managed to snag a ball that was hit in our direction - a feat he is most proud of as he beat the guy next to him who was wearing a glove - while Ian was bare handed! So now it is one of his most treasured possessions! The Cubs won 5-2 against the Cincinnati Reds.

We left the game after the 8th innings to try and beat the crowds and make sure we got back downtown in plenty of time for the Segway tour. We had time to spare, so we took a walk to Garrett's - a renowned popcorn maker. We were obliged to purchase some (of course!) but there was too much, even for us. And besides, we weren't sure how the Segway ride was going to go, and didn't need anything to induce illness!

And off we went for our tour. After a bit of instruction, we were left to learn the ropes. Annalie took to it really quickly and Ian got there eventually. But it has to have been one of the most fun things we've done in ages! The machines travel no faster than 12 mph (they're limited) but because you're balanced precariously on two wheels, it feels strange but liberating. We whizzed around Millennium Park, Grant Park and then down to the Museum area on the waterfront. We both enjoyed it so much it is tempting to get one, but for the same amount we could buy a motorbike! But we wouldn't need a licence for a Segway!

We didn't finish the tour until around 9.30pm and still hadn't eaten, so we headed out for another Chicago tradition - deep dish pizza. At the ball game we happened to sit next to a couple who were staying at our hotel and they recommended Gino's East. So off we headed. The pizzas are that deep that they recommend only two slices per person, so - probably for the first, and only time - we ordered a small pizza to share. On top of the fabulous mozzarella sticks we started with, even a small pizza was too much at that time of night! Unheard of, we know!

Monday morning we headed down to the river tour. Chicago's architecture is extremely varied with old and new sitting side by side, seemingly in harmony! The tour itself was extremely informative and interesting to hear how Chicago had developed and grown as a city. It is nearly 200 years younger than Glastonbury - which seems really odd, but completely logical when you consider that the Mayflower landed not too far from us here.

Back home Ian had a trip down to New York to pick up his passport, complete with Chinese visa for our trip to Beijing next month. He has also been out kayaking with his mate Andy again. This time it was Salmon River, a short way south of here. Annalie doesn't know quite what they were up to but the Wrangler came back looking like a true off-roader!

Annalie had an bonus Girls' Night Out with the Rolls-Royce crew. This time someone had suggested, for a laugh we hope, going to the Cadillac Ranch - a line dancing club! It was more an opportunity for a giggle to be honest, although most of the girls at least attempted some moves! No one opted to challenge the mechanical bull though! Probably for the best!

And finally...we'd like to introduce...

Madison. Or Maddy for short. After a long walk around West Hartford Reservoir. She's a beagle mix aged about 5 or 6 we are led to believe. We adopted her from a shelter in Arkansas which, if you know your US geography, you will know is a long way from CT.

We had planned to get her in May, but just before we were due to adopt her, she was diagnosed by the shelter vet as having heartworms. Not having this disease in the UK, we decided to do some research on it before we decided whether we would still take her. After a lot of soul searching, we decided to get her treated by the shelter before taking her when we got back from New Zealand. The treatment for heartworms is pretty hard on a dog and they need around 6 weeks to recuperate from the treatment before they can do much.

Well, she was due to go to the town vet for her treatment on the 8th July. We rang the shelter the next day to find out how things had gone only to be confronted with some unusual news. The town vet had retested her for heartworms just to be sure he wasn't unecessarily treating her. That test, which looks for adult heartworms, was negative. So he did another test which looks for the heartworm larvae and that too was negative. So she wasn't treated and when we spoke with the vet he was very confident she was clear. So at that point we decided to get her to us ASAP.

Now here in the US, there is a severe overpopulation of dogs in the South, while in New England there is much more control. In the South they do not enforce spaying/neuturing laws as strictly as they do up here, and many dog owners believe that neuturing removes the hunting ability. So too many dogs are left free to breed. As a result, Southern shelters are overrun.

The outcome is that many Northern rescues are partnered with their Southern counterparts and ship dogs on a frequent basis. Also, if you live in the Northeast, you can search out these dogs on the Internet and coordinate adoption, as we did, directly with the Southern rescue. And there are several not-for-profit organisations that then transport the dogs on a weekly basis from the South to New England. So Maddy arrived on one of them and we had just over a week to prepare for her arrival.

At 9am on the Saturday morning, we were waiting with lots of other expectant pet parents waiting for the trailer to turn up. It arrived 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time, so we queued with the others, watching lots of cute fur babies get whisked off to loving new homes.

Then it was our turn. We gave our names and Madison's and were handed her papers, and then this rather confused bundle jumped off the trailer.

We'd been warned she was really timid, but in actual fact she is just very submissive. She came off the trailer and walked a few steps before rolling onto her back - a classic sign of submission. We then got her walking to stretch her legs and we went to meet some of the fellow pet parents. Maddy was so friendly to everyone, but a little wary of her surroundings and all the excitement.

She seemed to settle into the house really quickly, but we got all the trauma out of the way early on as she definitely needed an immediate bath and groom. So we bought shampoo and a fab comb called the Furminator! It was recommended to us and we can see why! We had a large ball of compressed fur once we'd finished - needless to say we did that on the deck!

We have been incredibly lucky with Maddy as we hadn't met her before taking her on, and, in hindsight, that's one hell of a risk. We'd spoken to the shelter manager a few times, but she's going to paint a rosy picture, of course. But we also spoke to her fosterer, who was equally glowing about her, and the town vet said she was very easy going. And she is. We have got an almost perfect puppy. She is possibly the sweetest dog you've ever met. She just wants to please you and her smile is already starting to get wider. She follows us around like a shadow and when she approaches, she sits down and looks up at you as if to say "can I do anything for you please?" She is totally adorable and manipulates everyone who meets her to fall in love with her. She certainly did that with Dan and Fi! And Carla. And Sirrah. Sirrah's mum. And Quag. And Roger. And Wendu. And Lisa. And Suzy. Etc, etc.

Maddy has already acquired her first units as a fire dog! Ian responded to a call that was looking for a guy who had got lost near the river. Maddy was hanging out with him already so she went along for the ride. For a hunting breed though, she's pretty useless! She does like to chase things that move though, and in typical beagle fashion, is pretty stubborn about wanting to go her own way! The CT laws state that dogs pretty much have to be leashed all the time, but with a beagle it's pretty difficult to let them off anyway. Maybe we need to work on that!

She has passed the "cat test" though! While we were in Chicago (we know, not great timing!) one of Annalie's team, Sirrah, agreed to stay over and look after Maddy. Her mum has a 9-year-old Yorkie and a 6-month-old Golden Retriever pup. Plus a couple of cats. So Sirrah decided to take Maddy over to her mum's for some extra socialisation. And when the cats decided to walk past Maddy, she just sat and watched them. That's one chilled out doggie we've got! We're not sure how Bodie and Doyle would react to her though! But just in case, take a look at the humourous addition to the "dog gate" that we've got!

We have already seen a huge amount of progress in the two weeks we've had her. Not that there was much progress needed as she's pretty well trained. But she's definitely grown in confidence. We had trouble getting her into the car at first, but now she'll gladly jump in the first open car door that she sees! She tried to sneak her way into the Girls' Night Out by jumping into Suzy's passenger seat! We think she's now got the message that a car ride usually means a nice walk and new places to explore ;-)

All in all, we couldn't be happier with our new addition. And we think she's pretty happy too!