To insanity and beyond ...: My mate Sebastian.

My mate Sebastian went to Doggie Heaven on Friday ... Carol wasn’t ready to let him go but Sebastian knew it was time. He knew that pic I took of him on Thursday was going to be the last one I’d ever take of him and he made sure it was memorable. When I looked through my photos on Thursday morning before posting my blog I was blown away by the light in his eyes and how wonderful he looked ... who would have thought it would be his last outing to the village.

He was the most dignified of hounds .... and the MOST loved of any hound I’ve yet to meet. I will never forget watching Carol walk up and down the hill every day with Sebastian in tow, taking him for his daily constitutional. It was

always done at his pace .... with no hurry .... this was “Sebastian time”.

Whilst Friday was a sad day, it also held many beautiful moments ... sitting with Pete and Carol as they reminisced about their hound and the joy and happiness he’d bought

to their lives was special. I felt privileged to spend that time with them and to be there when Sebastian breathed his last. What a huge hole he’s left in their lives.

Taking photos of empty beaches in the Eastern Bays for Dog Friends ... for

Okahu Bay ... empty ... and it's a glorious day

the hearings Coucil is holding in May .... has taken on more significance. Because of Sebastian’s age and the length of time it took to come down the hill, he was never able to access the beaches during summer. I took several photos of empty beaches on Friday and have posted them to

Mission Bay

Dog Friends site for inclusion in the submission. Council have received over 10 000 submissions for the proposed changes to the Law ... I’m hoping the majority are in the hound’s favour.

Having to share my sandwich with the hound!!

Glen Dowie Boat Club

It’s wonderful that Friday was such a beautiful day, from a weather perspective that is, as empty beaches on gorgeous sunny days will have a lot more impact than empty beaches on overcast and rainy days. We truly live in an awesome spot and driving around taking all the

photos on Friday was a timely reminder of how magnificently scenic this island is. Gareth and I took advantage of HAVING to go to the beach and found a lovely isolated beach to have our lunch at .... the hound got to swim too ... but don’t tell anyone!!

My land of birth did me proud this morning .... getting up at the crack of dawn .... 3.30 am!! .... to see Wales defeat France and take the Triple Crown and 6 Nations honours was memorable. Listening to them sing the National Anthem gave me goosebumps!!

Gav came down at 4 to watch the Sharks take on the Reds but ended up watching the rest of the Wales/France match first as it was so exciting. Flipping between channels WASN’T an option!!

Fortunately my Sharks managed to pull off a win against the Reds too so, all in all, a brilliant morning of rugby here at the arse end of the world .... a lazy afternoon/evening elsewhere in the world!

My hound is the grateful recipient of two new rugby balls ... an “unchewed” South African one as hers is really looking the worse for wear ... and a new WELSH one. She very proudly took the Welsh one to the beach this morning and enthusiastically showed it off to all those souls doing “Round the Bays”. I wonder how long it’ll be before this one looks as chewed as her old South African one!