Monday 28th December:
Were doing Mondays journal on Sunday afternoon as its bank holiday on Monday. Sunday went well and we got everything done. The plans for Monday are: we have to collect fish so somebody will have to go to Killybegs. Were going to hunt pups, cut nails on all the hounds and probably changed the beds in the garden paddocks plus the everyday jobs of cooking, cleaning, feeding and letting dogs out of kennels.
ON THE OPEN RACES SCENE IN THE UK WE HAD ONE WINNER AT CENTRAL PARK LAST NIGHT NORMANSLANS FLYER WINNING KENT COUNTY HURDLE FINAL
Tuesday 29th December:
Were doing Tuesdays journal on Wednesday morning. We had supplies to collect. Thankfully the rain stopped as the ground is absolutely saturated. Were on the side of a hill and anybody on flat ground will have their paddocks destroyed. Everything at the kennels is going well and things are more or less back to normal.
Wednesday 30th December:
Its a cold morning and we have had frost overnight. If the frost lifts we will gallop and hunt hounds. We need a trip to the supermarket, the hardware and the vets today for a whole lot of bits a pieces. I just spoke to Ross Miles and he’s in the UK delivering hounds and there is no problem at the customs.
Thursday 31st December:
A very heavy frost so no galloping or hunting hounds today. Ill be surprised if it lifts at all. Were all prepared for the new years weekend as all our waste is away, all the beds have been changed, we tidied everywhere up and were well stocked. It will be a day for cooking, cleaning, feeding, letting hounds out that are in kennels for a minute and keeping hounds warm. Newcastle United got a massive point last night against Liverpool and that puts us on 19 points going into the new year. Staying up will be Newcastles aim and if you have 35 points this year I think we will be safe so were well on the way.
Friday 1st January:
We wish all customers, friends, family and the greyhound industry a very happy new year. Lets hope its lucky and successful. Were doing Fridays journal on Saturday morning. It was a dry day which always helps and we did the same routine as Christmas Day and it went well. We had all the hounds fed by 11 am and came back at 3 pm to let out hounds that are in kennels and did the same at 8 pm and fed the small pups again. I enjoyed the day. I havent had a drink for nearly 10 months now so it was a dry weekend.
Saturday 2nd January:
A very heavy frost and the roads are like glass as there is very little gritting done in Southern Ireland. Things will get back to normal today thank goodness. We need bagged powder milk and a load of supplies. We will get our waste away and it will be a day for keeping dogs warm and there wont be any hunting or galloping owing to the weather. We need the VAT done and a whole load of paperwork.
Sunday 3rd January:
Another morning with very heavy frost. There wont be any hunting or galloping today. Yesterday the frost lifted very quickly and we managed to hunt in the afternoon but it wont happen today. Padgie is off today a well deserved break. It will be a day for cooking, cleaning, feeding and letting hounds out just for a minute. The water buckets are just about frozen top to bottom so it will take an hour to change them alone. I will plan a busy week and there wont be much more we can d today.
ON THE OPEN RACE SCENE IN THE UK WE HAVE THREE RUNNERS TONIGHT. AT CENTRAL PARK: TOWSTAR ARNIE. AT SWINDON PIPAPIPAPOPS AND BRITANNIA WILL.