Leaves have started to fall.

Sat in our cosy cottage, aromas of a spicy  chicken dish wafting through, 7 dogs all relaxing or casually chewing a toy, or another dogs leg, the heating is on and outside the wind and rain are battering the windows, and for the first time we have leaves blowing around the garden. This time last year it was 30 degrees and we all got sun burnt at Chippenham show!!! At this precise moment I am not even certain that the show will go ahead but if it does we will be there for our last weekend in Walter before we shut him down for the winter. Where did the year go??
At our last show 2 weeks ago, Twiggy had 2 3rd place trophies and a 5th, Cove had a 2nd and a 4th, and Georgie a 5th and a 3rd!!! Twiggy is the boss in our house, and the cheekiest, noisiest of the lot. Georgie has suddenly become a young man and all his skills are starting to come together, and Cove is now 3 years old and a regular consistent performer. Life passes by scarily quickly. 
We all spend so much of our lives working hard, trying to earn enough money to keep a roof over our heads, and food in the cupboards. In our family, there is no chance of any early retirement.............or even retirement full stop! Business is good, but we will never be rich.............but we are lucky to be rich in love, and lucky to share our lives with our wonderful dogs, and for that I am always grateful.
Recently friends have lost dogs, either to old age, or in freak accidents losing them way too young. I also have a close friend whose son has been diagnosed with cancer and has started chemotherapy this last week. He is our Ferns age. Where is the justice?
I wish I had a magic wand, or some super powers to make everyone happy but I dont. I am just grateful for what I have, and sometimes I just sit and look at Rog & Fern and smile :-) I look at Lily, who has never been an easy dog, but such a star in my eyes and I smile. I look at Olli, and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, Dave with his perfect smart sit and "rattle snake" tail, Stan with his whitening eyes, grey muzzle and wonky legs and I smile, Cove with his goofy look and his grin, George with his always happy enquiring face, and his wonderful "talking" and I smile, and most of all (and I know you shouldnt have favourites) I look at Twiggy, she looks at me and I feel like she is looking into my soul, and I wish I could look into hers and know what the first part of her life was like, then she nuzzles me making her unique little grunting sounds as she does and I smile. 
The world can be a horrid place, but appreciate what you have and your own little world can be special.