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Oh dear.

It seems I now have a favourite in the litter of pups.

Things are not looking good in the resisting temptation stakes.

And should I really be preoccupied thinking about sheepdog names?

It's all the puppy's fault anyway. He's far too adorable and really shouldn't keep sitting on my feet looking up at me with those endearing puppy eyes.

I knew this would happen.

I'd been quite stern with myself before they were born, saying I wouldn't be able to have one.

For starters I live in a town and have a full-time job. Corrie doesn't live with me for these very reasons.

Is having a puppy enough of a reason to move house?

Of course, I'd say yes - I'm not so sure about Lee's take on it.

I'd love to get back to country life, but there's the small issue of getting an even bigger mortgage ­ and selling our house in a recession. Hmmm.

While I'm flicking through the pages of our newspaper's property section, here are some new puppy pictures to amuse you.

 

Right, let's clear one thing up: No, the plane wasn't for me! 
For anyone who wasn't at the International and hasn't got a clue what I'm talking about, let me explain. 
On Saturday a plane flew over the trial field with a banner trailing behind it with the words: ‘Lisa I love you, will you marry me?' 
And it flew over twice for good measure. 
Since then people have been asking if it was meant for me. 
But alas, no. 
Lee had already asked me to marry him on Christmas Day last year. It was a few weeks after we'd been involved in a car crash and I think it made us both realise this isn't a practice run. 
And besides, he told Kevin he'd never have spent that much money on a proposal. Ahhh, ever the romantic. 
Coincidentally it was Lee's first outing to a sheepdog trial. Bit of a baptism of fire; sitting in a field, watching dogs for three long days, but I think he enjoyed it! And if you're going to go to a trial you might as well go to the International. That's what I told him anyway. 
In case you're wondering, my answer was yes. We definitely need to win the Lottery now if we're ever going to buy a smallholding AND have my dream wedding.

There are six new arrivals in the k9tales kennel and mother and babies are doing well.

Mum's red and white bitch Ruby whelped three weeks ago, producing five black and white dogs and one red and white bitch.

With eyes wide open the pups, by Kevin Evans' Mirk, are now exploring their surroundings and chomping on each other's tails.

Now the fun really begins.

Who needs TV when you've got puppies around? I could sit and watch them all day.

I love puppies -­ whatever breed they are -­ they're so warm and cuddly and cute.

Lee's been threatening to search me every time we leave mum's, just in case I've smuggled one into my pockets. That would be far too obvious a hiding place though.

Maybe I have a cunning plan...

Things seem to be conspiring against me competing at sheepdog trials at the moment.

And this isn't doing me, or my dog, any good. I think we may both be going a little stir crazy.

With the Nationals, August has been and gone with lots to keep me busy on the k9tales site.

Unfortunately, being at the Welsh and Irish Nationals meant no trials for Corrie and I.

Then I had a date with Bono for the U2 gig at Cardiff, so that was another weekend missed.

So last weekend I was really looking forward to walking to the post, with lots of trials to choose from.

Only problem was I caught a cold and spent two days under a blanket on the sofa, surrounded by tissues and Sudafed.

My nan called it a ‘summer cold'. I'm not sure where she's been but I'm still waiting to see any sign of summer. I'm thinking about taking a boat with me to the International in Cumbria next week, just in case.

Bank holiday shifts in the office don't help either.

Work does tend to get in the way of pleasure during the summer months. Next year I'm going to try to take the whole of August off.

August, as well as being inundated with trials dates, also happens to be my newspaper's busiest month of the year - our county show week (feared even more than Christmas week), exam results, carnivals, summer guides etc etc.

I can't wait to see my boss's reaction when I hand in that holiday request form.