This is going to be a tough one! Yesterday Stonefly lay with her head in our laps and took her last breath. She was just five years old.
Her illness (suspected lymphoma) was horribly rapid and within days took away the vibrant dog we knew.
It’s fair to say we have been left in bits!
Stonefly was a force to be reckoned with on our smallholding – she was the instigator behind the October 2022 Great Escapes (x2), leading Sparrow (2 years) and Otter (her daughter, 10 months) round our neighbouring fields, woods and moors for several hours. She wasn't a dog to leave in the poultry paddock and her desire to watch the rhea chicks for hours on end was the reason we attached chicken wire to the stock fencing!!!
She also loved to swallow-chase, a skill she has passed on to her daughter well – watching them both (and Firefly) spring through the long grass in our fields as the swallows dipped and dived – deliberately, in our view, teasing the dogs – was an utter joy. If there were pheasant in the hedgerows, she’d sniff them out every time. If the corvids and pigeons needed flushing up, she’d be there.
Her all-time favourite activity was racing off through the gateways from one field to the next. She’d always want to be first and she'd always want to win the race to the other side (and usually did). She had no interest in hunt-the-kibble or agility – she just wanted the open fields and moor, and to run, and then to run a bit more, and then a bit more after that.
Back in the house she was highly skilled at wheedling her way past and through the eager-beaver Gordons, all clamoring for our attention, so she could position herself right by us and get those extra chuckles. She had the 'Irish Setter' lean down to a fine art. She was also not at all above turning herself into a lap dog – she was, at heart, a bit of a cuddle monkey!
In December 2021 she gave us the most stunning litter of ten Irish pups. She was a fabulous mum – all her pups were beautiful. Otter, the daughter we kept, is the most loving, sweetest, happiest pup we have ever had the pleasure to own. She was also adorable with Roxy's first litter of Gordons, bonding with Sparrow to form the most gorgeous friendship.
No longer having Stonefly in our lives, has torn our hearts in two. Otter and the others are doing a bloomin' good job of trying to fix them, and fix them they will... it may just take a bit of time.
We cannot bring ourselves to put away collars and feeding bowls just yet. Her medicines are still in the medicine pot alongside others still in use. We keep seeing her in the house, on walks, on the smallholding, and then catching ourselves when we realise that no, she is no longer here. It's going to take a while...
Give your dogs an extra cuddle or three tonight - their time with us is short and sometimes, a whole lot shorter than it should be.

The third Delmhies Puppy Party was just brilliant!! 18 two-leggeds and 12 four-leggeds had 'the' best time.
Six of Roxy's second litter were reunited and kept us all wonderfully entertained all afternoon as they ran, chased, posed, cuddled, slobbered, jumped-up and generally caused laughter, smiles and mayhem.
It's fair to say that David and I were a bit emotional at the start - but if there was ever a way to start healing from Stonefly's untimely demise - today's puppy party was a fabulous start!! Otter tried hard to steal the show (and quite possibly succeeded) and remind us that the Irish are just as wonderful as the Gordons. No arguments there.
It was pretty hard to tell some of the pups apart this afternoon - they were all carbon copies of their mum, and dad - with the sweet, loving temperaments that both parents have in bucketloads.
We couldn't be more proud of the dogs that our pups are becoming - thank you from the bottom of our hearts to each and every one of our puppy owners from all three of the Delmhies litters so far, for the love and joy you bring to these dogs' lives!!
Here's to next year!!!