Hi guys,

I thought I’d give you a little Ibiza update as I know lots of you (especially Ibiza lovers) like to hear about what I’ve been up to on this crazy island.

Halloween in Ibiza is brilliant – spooktacular in fact! There are so many organised events, you are spoilt for choice. I was meant to be going out but decided against it at the last minute as I was feeling a bit worn out, but there were meals and parties, even an organised ghost train ride, not to mention, as it’s Ibiza, after-parties for the adults!!! It’s seriously every lazy / frazzled mother’s dream … no traipsing up and down the streets in two degrees under to trick or treat!

One thing I really miss here in Ibiza is the seasons. I feel like life has been permanently summery since arriving here, which yes, is lovely, but I’m finding it really hard to motivate myself to cook autumnal-style food. I need to be inspiring you guys with recipes for pumpkin and stews when in reality, I’m still in grilled fish and roasted pepper mode, washed down with a watermelon juice! We had a week of rain and I absolutely loved it! That said Ibiza doesn’t cope well with rain: before you know it, roads are flooded causing chaos around the island. The other little problem with this warm weather is that I am still very tied to when I can walk the dogs, especially my Margo who finds the heat exhausting, snorting and snuffling her little squashy face off! The dogs! Onto the dogs!! Where to start???

It was my husband’s idea to get a second dog (isn’t it always the chaps that have the best ideas???) and I have really felt the pressure of having two dogs. I’m not embarrassed to admit that having a dog and a puppy is very challenging and silly as it sounds, the actual dog walking is the hardest part! Trying to control two big, strong dogs on their leads is a nightmare!!! I’ve got Margo digging her heels in because she doesn’t want to walk and Martha on the other hand, dragging me enthusiastically. Then they both decide to poo at the same time so I end up with poo all up my arm as I try desperately to clean up while still keeping a hold of both dogs. Then of course, I have to contend with all the boisterous dogs that are allowed to run mad, running up to my two who are on the lead. I then end up in a tangled mess of leads, with my two snapping, trying to fend off the unwanted attention!!! You get the picture! Not the relaxing and leisurely dog walk I imagined and certainly not how it used to be with just one dog! Luckily as the island gets quieter, the dog walking is becoming easier. Well, it was until Martha experienced her first ‘season’ at which time I had dogs left, right and centre sniffing her bits!!! Not forgetting that hardly anyone in Spain feels the need to castrate their dog so I need extra eyes in the back of my head as I really don’t fancy having half Bulldog half, half lion puppies on my hands!! Especially ones that don’t speak English!!!!

Martha’s favourite game is trying to catch lizards. While I was out with the family and my sister-in-law was puppy sitting for me, a lizard decided to go for a little swim in the pool and you guessed it … Martha jumped in after it. Luckily, my sister-in-law heard the plop, ran through the house and jumped in fully clothed to get her out. Fortunately both my sister-in-law and Martha were OK but poor Martha did sink to the bottom so as you imagine both of them were pretty traumatised by the event. I didn’t know that bulldogs can’t swim until this happened. Their heads are too big and their legs are too short to allow them to swim! (When you say it like that, it doesn’t sound like they have much going for them does it!) So, I am left eternally grateful to my hero sister-in-law for saving Martha’s life! I am now a very protective dog owner and won’t let the girls out of my sight when they are outside. The one thing good that has come out of this is that it has really made my family and I realise how much we love our dogs!

On top of all of this, Martha still loves to have a tip out EVERY night in the kitchen which is such a joy to come down to in the morning. So with the two Sky controllers that she’s ruined, two dog beds chewed to shreds and one dog bed thrown away owing to a big toilet disaster, that dog is not always in my good books!

Oh and I nearly forgot to mention that both dogs are currently limping as they have been constantly jumping up against the fence at the two dogs next door. They are covered in cuts and so I’m having to get a second fence put up to prevent this from happening!

Martha’s behaviour has been extremely testing and if I’m honest, I’ve had more then a few moments when I’ve thought I have ‘chewed off’ more then I can handle (if you pardon the pun)!!! There have been times when re-homing her with a good friend (who would really like her) has seemed like a very attractive option, but a dog is for life, and I know that I just have to get through the puppy stage with her. She is very attached to Margo and I wouldn’t give away one of my kids, troublesome as they may be at times (tempting as it is also!!!).

I hope that other doggy owners reading this will empathise with some of the more challenging aspects of owning a dog and for anyone considering getting a second dog, don’t do it!!!! I’m only joking of course. Owning a dog is a wonderful gift and the cuddle you get on the sofa every night (while listening to their snoring and inhaling their farts) is well worth the trouble they cause!!

On that note, I’m off to drag the naughty dogs away from the fence next door as I can hear them going bonkers!! Ggggrrrrrrrrrr!

Love Kate x