Wednesday 20 January 2016

Raising money for Guide Dogs

This is such a late Happy New Year to you all. Since Christmas our family at home has expanded and now we have six adults, two little ones, four years old and an 8 months old, a small dog and the occasional guide dog puppy in training.... My time is no longer my own everyday and I am in training as a full time granny.... loving it but rather too tired to write the blog at the end of the day!

But today I have something other than quilt making to tell you about. Daughter Katie is cycling on her bike. It is 10pm here and she is still cycling. It is so cold and foggy and she is still cycling just now. And as her mum, I am worrying, as Mums do, so I am writing this blog to let out some of that worry.

Katie is a student Guide Dog Mobility instructor. Her second year of training involves a move from Lancashire in the west to Lincolnshire in the east and, to raise money for guide dogs, she is cycling with her own dog Nemi all the way home.... Here she is before the day she started....


Katie and Nemi practicing for her bike ride
She has a special dog seat so Nemi can sit in front when she is not running along...and a coat for her if she gets cold....
Nemi
Nemi is a lovely dog who was rescued from just outside Rome.... she is a Dashund crossed with something else and a very brave and fast runner....

I am not sure Nemi will need her sun glasses....

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This the bike route of 120 miles... in January.... in the dark some of the time....but with lots of bike lights and a friend to follow her.... and Nemi's collar with flashing lights too...

Katie and Nemi's cycle route from Atherton to Lincoln,
She has lots of experience and is a competent and capable young woman and I am so proud of her. If you would like to see the rest of her story, just follow this link www.justgiving.com/lancstolincs/ and you can see lots of other pictures.

Tonight she has cycled 85 miles in one day and tomorrow she will cycle the rest of the way to Lincoln. We will be there with champagne, balloons and a big banner at the end of her journey to celebrate. So far she has raised £778 pounds, and this will go to training a puppy to be someone's eyes next year.

But tonight as her mum I am just worried for her safety on cold icy dark roads. 

Katie and puppy


Please think of her tonight,
Thank you,
Sue