The first really positive news in 6 weeks - black lab running around fields at the Barton end of the Green Lane (the same old place) this morning - reported by Jane who owns 7 border collies, has seen him more times than anyone else (from her house), and has a bitch on heat at the moment. He came sniffing up to the fence where the bitch is. Although Sky is neutered, the experts say that he will still be semi-interested in a bitch on heat.
Ffion scrambled from work yet again. No sign.
On arriving there (me, Geoff from down our road, Pete from along that bit of lane and Ann the dog warden) we discover Andy the farmer who'd seen him twice this morning - once when he was on horseback and described him as timid, running for cover by the hedge, and running off as soon as he saw him. Then a while later when Andy was putting fertiliser on the field with his tractor, saw the same dog in the same place running around. Nearby was a council worker doing something with the road who'd also seen him running around.
The description was medium build, and not close enough to see a scar on the back (or not). The council worker thought he had something blue around his neck but neither Jane nor Andy saw this. We know from experience how unreliable collars etc are, so that didn't get us down too much.
Ann stayed out all afternoon and called upon 2 dog wardens from neighbouring boroughs who have no responsibility to this area but have the bit between their teeth! They also stayed out all afternoon, for which we are very grateful.
Meanwhile Pete and Bren's bananas in the dog bowl have disappeared for 6 nights on the trot.
So putative plans are:
1. Get a motion sensored camera up on the bowl to see what's eating the food (we captured a badger there before, but it always left the banana). If it's a black lab, we can try night after night enticing him towards the house / their dog kennel / a trap.
2. Take Jane's bitch out for a walk to do some scenting in the area - Ffion will do this tomorrow afternoon
3. Patrol the area some more. Ann and the other 2 wardens can do this on Wednesday, aided and abetted by Pat our housekeeper who has Ben, who was a friend of Sky's. Ben can do some tacking and scenting
4. Consider "flushing out" the area with 10+ people lined up, walking the 2 miles almost in a line, including the various copses. High risk strategy - may frighten him off. Probably won't catch up. However may mean that with binoculars we can confirm if it really is him.
This is all very encouraging, yet exhasting. With Tim working till 10pm tonight I rang Jon & Shelley (with missing Bracco Jacob) for mutual therapy. Their saga is dragging on, for the possible "man with Jacob" in an area an hour from their home. I think we all felt better after a chat!
I also had a lovely email from someone who's friend's dog has just turned up in very similar circumstances, having gone missing 7th Jan. I have emailed her back to ask permission to publish it for you all to read and be cheered up by. I am awaiting a reply.
All for now!
Ffion
Monday 30 March 2009
Tuesday 24 March 2009
Groundhog day
We arrived back home in Britain Sunday night after a lovely holiday. It was the total escapism we really needed and we had a lovely time.
We were sad not to be greeted by a big, licky, hairy, black thing jumping all over us though.
Geoff & Angela had done a sterling job manning the phones and logging all events, although calls were few and far between, and not very promising.
Still we felt refreshed, ready in some ways to "move on", spring in the air, resigning ourselves to the idea that we could get a call from a vet or rescue centre at any time to say they'd scanned a microchip and it was Sky.
Yesterday morning we were setting off to work 07.15 and the first call came in - Battram Woods where Sky went several times a week, near the car park. Reliable informant - dog walkers. Ffion said a hurried goodbye to G&A who looked on sympathetically, half wishing (I'm sure) that the call had come in the day before.
Into the Jeep, Satnav on to do handsfree mobile, flyers at the ready, work high heels switched for wellies. Then just as I was pulling into the car park, another call this time from Market Bosworth - a black lab on the loose near the primary school.
Tim set sail - quick goodbye to G&A (!) - but neither of us came up with anything apart from 1 other sighting in Battram, a mile away and too soon after the car park sighting, which Ffion thinks belonged to another dog walker (having accosted several on her rounds).
I felt guilty for my feelings of "oh no, here we go again" and felt like I was betraying my little boy, as we hurried (late) to work where 100s of emails, piles of post and lots of patients would be waiting.
Didn't get home till 8pm - having required 4 coffees and a Red Bull to get through the afternoon's jet lag!
Just now, another call from the same area of Market Bosworth, from yesterday evening. A black labrador cowering on a lady's drive, wouldn't be approached, and described as slight and timid. She didn't recall a scar when she noticed our poster this morning which reminded her about Sky. The dog had no collar - but Sky can wriggle loose of his (deliberately so he doesn't get tangled in things).
So I'm off out again, just before my late shift. The suitcases remain half empty on the floor and the pile of post mostly unopened.
Our thoughts also go out to Jon & Shelley, who are having a difficult time at the moment - more details on their blog
http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com/
We were sad not to be greeted by a big, licky, hairy, black thing jumping all over us though.
Geoff & Angela had done a sterling job manning the phones and logging all events, although calls were few and far between, and not very promising.
Still we felt refreshed, ready in some ways to "move on", spring in the air, resigning ourselves to the idea that we could get a call from a vet or rescue centre at any time to say they'd scanned a microchip and it was Sky.
Yesterday morning we were setting off to work 07.15 and the first call came in - Battram Woods where Sky went several times a week, near the car park. Reliable informant - dog walkers. Ffion said a hurried goodbye to G&A who looked on sympathetically, half wishing (I'm sure) that the call had come in the day before.
Into the Jeep, Satnav on to do handsfree mobile, flyers at the ready, work high heels switched for wellies. Then just as I was pulling into the car park, another call this time from Market Bosworth - a black lab on the loose near the primary school.
Tim set sail - quick goodbye to G&A (!) - but neither of us came up with anything apart from 1 other sighting in Battram, a mile away and too soon after the car park sighting, which Ffion thinks belonged to another dog walker (having accosted several on her rounds).
I felt guilty for my feelings of "oh no, here we go again" and felt like I was betraying my little boy, as we hurried (late) to work where 100s of emails, piles of post and lots of patients would be waiting.
Didn't get home till 8pm - having required 4 coffees and a Red Bull to get through the afternoon's jet lag!
Just now, another call from the same area of Market Bosworth, from yesterday evening. A black labrador cowering on a lady's drive, wouldn't be approached, and described as slight and timid. She didn't recall a scar when she noticed our poster this morning which reminded her about Sky. The dog had no collar - but Sky can wriggle loose of his (deliberately so he doesn't get tangled in things).
So I'm off out again, just before my late shift. The suitcases remain half empty on the floor and the pile of post mostly unopened.
Our thoughts also go out to Jon & Shelley, who are having a difficult time at the moment - more details on their blog
http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com/
Wednesday 18 March 2009
A quiet time
Little to report. Geoff and Angela are mannning the control centre, but no new events to report. Feeding stations still untouched and no new sightings to track down. Once home, we might have a another round of general publicity in the weekly newspapers, perhaps covering a wider area, in case Hot Zone dog is leading us up the wrong path.
Our friends who have emigrated here to new Zealand have a collie and a greyhound, so we are getting a good fix of playing on the beach with Fly (their collie, named after Sky, and who was his best friend) and Bella - trouble is I keep calling 'Sky' instead of 'Fly' and making Ffion sad.
Anyway, we were swimming with dolphins yesterday, so Ffion had a great big smile on her face all evening!
Back home on Sunday night.
Our friends who have emigrated here to new Zealand have a collie and a greyhound, so we are getting a good fix of playing on the beach with Fly (their collie, named after Sky, and who was his best friend) and Bella - trouble is I keep calling 'Sky' instead of 'Fly' and making Ffion sad.
Anyway, we were swimming with dolphins yesterday, so Ffion had a great big smile on her face all evening!
Back home on Sunday night.
Tuesday 10 March 2009
3 little factoids
Tim & Ffion here again, logging on for the first time in NZ.
Geoff & Angela, Pete & Bren are doing a sterling job in our absence. 3 things to report:
Black dog with scar on back sighted in/nr Kirkby Mallory. In the end G&A took the photo of Sky showing his scar to show the informant, who said it definitely wasn't Sky.
A caller from Houghton on the Hill, describing a blue collar. Said she'd keep an eye out and call again if another sighting. G&A rightly took the decision to just wait and see on that one (it was pretty vague and many miles away).
Then yesterday 4 black legs seen through a hedge on the edge of Pete & Bren's paddock, by their neighbour, coinciding with their own dogs barking a lot. However there's apparently a black fox in the area, so not sure on that one. P&B are leaving food out anyway but it's not gone so far.
NB to all the local Sky Army:
One thing we forgot to mention just before we left - a person called Roger kindly phoned to say his black lab has just had an operation on its back, and he often walks in the Sutton Wharf area. He had already been accosted several times, poor man, but at least had the common sense to let us know!
That's all for now.
Ffion and Tim
Geoff & Angela, Pete & Bren are doing a sterling job in our absence. 3 things to report:
Black dog with scar on back sighted in/nr Kirkby Mallory. In the end G&A took the photo of Sky showing his scar to show the informant, who said it definitely wasn't Sky.
A caller from Houghton on the Hill, describing a blue collar. Said she'd keep an eye out and call again if another sighting. G&A rightly took the decision to just wait and see on that one (it was pretty vague and many miles away).
Then yesterday 4 black legs seen through a hedge on the edge of Pete & Bren's paddock, by their neighbour, coinciding with their own dogs barking a lot. However there's apparently a black fox in the area, so not sure on that one. P&B are leaving food out anyway but it's not gone so far.
NB to all the local Sky Army:
One thing we forgot to mention just before we left - a person called Roger kindly phoned to say his black lab has just had an operation on its back, and he often walks in the Sutton Wharf area. He had already been accosted several times, poor man, but at least had the common sense to let us know!
That's all for now.
Ffion and Tim
Sunday 8 March 2009
Hello from Japan
This is Tim and Ffion in Narita airport, Tokyo! We have had no mobile access for 2 days so had to log on to check the blog and say hello Geoff and Angela - we are still alive. We are about to leave for Auckland where the phones should work.
(Note from Tim - the operation to get Ffion onto the plane went well. Only two securuty guards and one stewardess got wounded in the process, so I think that we all got off pretty lightly.)
In Tokyo the only dogs are lap-pooches, so we thought we were safe. However there's a poster up everywhere with a black labrador on it. Tim pointed out that Rachel or Tori must have got here before us ...................
All for now.
Ffion and Tim
(Note from Tim - the operation to get Ffion onto the plane went well. Only two securuty guards and one stewardess got wounded in the process, so I think that we all got off pretty lightly.)
In Tokyo the only dogs are lap-pooches, so we thought we were safe. However there's a poster up everywhere with a black labrador on it. Tim pointed out that Rachel or Tori must have got here before us ...................
All for now.
Ffion and Tim
Wednesday 4 March 2009
Handing over to Geoff and Angela
OK - time to get a holiday!
We are off in the morning. Geoff and Angela are staying at our house, in case we get any calls.
They have been drilled in the Sky Response! Maps at the ready, checklist of questions for callers, and contact numbers for the Sky Army. All we ask is to keep track of possible sightings, so we can rethink strategy on our return.
We will keep the food fresh in the kennel off the Lount, just to see if we can attract the mystery black labrador back, to stay for a while.
We did in fact have another sighting today - also in the Hot Zone. This time back up near Brook Cottage just north of Odstone. A horse rider (again) saw a black lab going from the disused railway into the maize field, scene of the very first Hot Zone sighting, and 2 others since. This is all about 2 miles from the Lount area (which was a week ago). As ever - running, and too far away to see whether or not it had a scar. Same old story! With sightings as infrequent as this, all we can do is hope the lure of the food will finally work, or some fluke like a farmer catches the dog in an outbuilding.
Fingers and paws crossed!
We will update the blog while we're away, every so often.
Thanks so much to everyone who supports us and reads the blog, and all those who have trundled the countryside by foot or by car. We really appreciate how brilliant everyone has been. Good luck Jon & Shelley - we'll be following your blog while away.
Ffion and Tim
We are off in the morning. Geoff and Angela are staying at our house, in case we get any calls.
They have been drilled in the Sky Response! Maps at the ready, checklist of questions for callers, and contact numbers for the Sky Army. All we ask is to keep track of possible sightings, so we can rethink strategy on our return.
We will keep the food fresh in the kennel off the Lount, just to see if we can attract the mystery black labrador back, to stay for a while.
We did in fact have another sighting today - also in the Hot Zone. This time back up near Brook Cottage just north of Odstone. A horse rider (again) saw a black lab going from the disused railway into the maize field, scene of the very first Hot Zone sighting, and 2 others since. This is all about 2 miles from the Lount area (which was a week ago). As ever - running, and too far away to see whether or not it had a scar. Same old story! With sightings as infrequent as this, all we can do is hope the lure of the food will finally work, or some fluke like a farmer catches the dog in an outbuilding.
Fingers and paws crossed!
We will update the blog while we're away, every so often.
Thanks so much to everyone who supports us and reads the blog, and all those who have trundled the countryside by foot or by car. We really appreciate how brilliant everyone has been. Good luck Jon & Shelley - we'll be following your blog while away.
Ffion and Tim
Monday 2 March 2009
the countdown begins
Yikes - departing for Japan and New Zealand Thursday morning, not packed, not on top of urgent things at work, and need to set out Sky strategy for Angela and Geoff who are staying at our house, with the back-up Sky Army (as someone else described it, and sounds reassuring to us).
No calls today. No food gone from the kennel, still, but Tim is sure that this is the right strategy so if mystery Black Lab has a large territory and roams with infrequent sightings, then at least if he finds food at a crossing point one time, he may return, then frequent sightings can take us to laying a trap and finally solving this mystery. Therefore we will ask Angela & Geoff to keep refreshing the food while we're away.
A few people have mentioned national or at least regional press / TV. Probably not a good idea when we're just about to depart, but certainly worth considering once we're back. We still refuse to think he may be lying somewhere, unfound. At the end of the day all parts of Leicestershire countryside are fairly well patrolled really.
We still miss him so - every mealtime, morning, arriving home at night, working in the garden - all the time really.
No calls today. No food gone from the kennel, still, but Tim is sure that this is the right strategy so if mystery Black Lab has a large territory and roams with infrequent sightings, then at least if he finds food at a crossing point one time, he may return, then frequent sightings can take us to laying a trap and finally solving this mystery. Therefore we will ask Angela & Geoff to keep refreshing the food while we're away.
A few people have mentioned national or at least regional press / TV. Probably not a good idea when we're just about to depart, but certainly worth considering once we're back. We still refuse to think he may be lying somewhere, unfound. At the end of the day all parts of Leicestershire countryside are fairly well patrolled really.
We still miss him so - every mealtime, morning, arriving home at night, working in the garden - all the time really.
Sunday 1 March 2009
3 months in
God, 1st March. 3 months since Sky disappeared. Anyway Happy St David's day / Gwyl Ddewi to all my fellow countrymen.
So on to today's events. Private Detective Tori crawled the Merrylees Lane early this morning looking for Man With 3 Dogs One Of Which Is New. Nil points. Rachel and Ffion therefore took Charlie for a walk in same territory mid-afternoon and didn't see MW3DOOWIN but chatted to a farmer Tim and Ffion met yesterday who said that said man was Mick from the 2nd house down who's looking after his daughter's black lab. Well at least that was sorted.
At 18.10 Ffion got a call from a lady in Sheepy Magna (great placename) who'd just found a black lab and thought of us straight away with all the publicity plus so-an-so who knows so-and-so who's married to Emma, a nurse who works with us. Described as timid and ribs sticking out, Ffion just had to go, although there was no scar or grey on muzzle. Tim is in work and still doesn't know all this BTW. So Ffion met Jet (as he turned out to be named) who looked just like Sky did 3 years ago. He devoured a bowl of food and the lady's husband through a series of phone calls tracked him down as missing, while we were preparing to ring the Council to get Ollie the out-of-hours dog warden (who's lovely by the way - 1-man band who covers night in night out for the whole of Leicestershire. Deserves a knighthood).
So Jet, working gun dog on his first proper outing today, was reunited with his owner. When I explained how I was involved the young lad said "oh you mean Sky?". Even out there, Sky is famous.
So Ffion returned, a bit sad, checking the kennel on the way back (in the dark). We saw a hare there this morning. This evening Venus is at its brightest for many years apparently. It certainly looked bright to me. The moon and the Plough guided me to the kennel, with its food untouched.
Bren & Pete's dog food has gone 2 nights in a row but the banana was left. This is probably Mr Badger, as caught on camera previously. Sky would never leave a banana.
So on to today's events. Private Detective Tori crawled the Merrylees Lane early this morning looking for Man With 3 Dogs One Of Which Is New. Nil points. Rachel and Ffion therefore took Charlie for a walk in same territory mid-afternoon and didn't see MW3DOOWIN but chatted to a farmer Tim and Ffion met yesterday who said that said man was Mick from the 2nd house down who's looking after his daughter's black lab. Well at least that was sorted.
At 18.10 Ffion got a call from a lady in Sheepy Magna (great placename) who'd just found a black lab and thought of us straight away with all the publicity plus so-an-so who knows so-and-so who's married to Emma, a nurse who works with us. Described as timid and ribs sticking out, Ffion just had to go, although there was no scar or grey on muzzle. Tim is in work and still doesn't know all this BTW. So Ffion met Jet (as he turned out to be named) who looked just like Sky did 3 years ago. He devoured a bowl of food and the lady's husband through a series of phone calls tracked him down as missing, while we were preparing to ring the Council to get Ollie the out-of-hours dog warden (who's lovely by the way - 1-man band who covers night in night out for the whole of Leicestershire. Deserves a knighthood).
So Jet, working gun dog on his first proper outing today, was reunited with his owner. When I explained how I was involved the young lad said "oh you mean Sky?". Even out there, Sky is famous.
So Ffion returned, a bit sad, checking the kennel on the way back (in the dark). We saw a hare there this morning. This evening Venus is at its brightest for many years apparently. It certainly looked bright to me. The moon and the Plough guided me to the kennel, with its food untouched.
Bren & Pete's dog food has gone 2 nights in a row but the banana was left. This is probably Mr Badger, as caught on camera previously. Sky would never leave a banana.
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