My Easter house-sit in Fareham has started. Anne and Gordon are cruising the canals and tulip fields in Holland. The drive to Gatwick to drop them at the airport showed how bad the recent weather has affected the roads. Lots of pot holes, but more so how the tarmac has broken away in metre size sheets. Heavy rain soaking through cracks and expanding as ice has efficiently broken up the surface.
It wasn’t too far along the road before we saw the first accident in the rain resulting in miles of traffic queues, which look and feel a little more dismal in the drizzle and dark cloudy skies. 
All is good though as it makes the return to Spain in a week or so appreciated. 
My matey for the week, Shadow, has a few new routines. He has suffered a little dermatitis and has a couple of pills to take. The pills go in his treat of chicken pieces, and I’m warned he will try a trick or two to drop the pills so he needs a second treat with the dosage retry.
My sit with him last time saw him impress all in the park and the local as a big furry Newfoundland 
His new look with only furry face and tail is so different
Hopefully the medication works quickly to let him have his coat back.
I’ll meet up with Terry and Tina again, who live at the end of the road. A tea time catch up and match day on Monday – Portsmouth v Wigan. It’s a few years since I’ve been to Fratton Park. Pompey were a top division side then. The famous ‘Pompey Chimes’ 🎼Play Up Pompey ….. Pompey Play Up 🎼, just didn’t seem to have the same clout as Anfields ‘ You’ll Never Walk Alone’ .
The clubs claim to fame and a trivia fact I can remember (my brain is a trivia vacuum space when any quiz starts) is that they are the longest holders of the FA Cup.
Winning it the year World War broke out, it wasn’t contested until after the U.K. had saved Europe from itself. It’s nice now we’re all friends and the gratitude for sacrifices made is endless from our neighbours.
My neighbours up the road will be wearing a lot more than the t’shirt see had on at New Year in Puerto Mazarrón 
For now, I’ll settle in for a quiet and lonely Easter weekend, my company will be the Ardbeg Anne & Gordon left, Netflix, TV football and walks with ‘Leo the Newfy’ 
Geriatric Gap Years 