When we lost our dear "Ikon of Hilltop" two years ago, I promised myself, that he would get a special successor. After a few sad months without a dog, I started to look around. My "dreamdog" is still an orange roan and therefore I checked pedigress and contacted different breeders in Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and - of course - Great Britain. Three litters seemed to be interesting and also the dates of birth matched to my time-table. But - damned! No orange dog in all these litters - 28 puppies! I was really frustrated, but thought - "just let's have a look" - and ordered a video-tape. When I saw the "Lochdene" boys, colour didn't matter any more. A very lively blue pleased my eye and I asked Mrs. Shaw if he would be availiable for me. He was! As Patricia didn't need to keep a dog at this moment, I could have the "pick of the litter". We arranged, that I would fetch my puppy at the weekend 25th/26th March. I had to plan a lot, e.g. to look for a flight and how to get to the Shaw's. It would be a very exciting, strenuous weekend!

After a pleasant flight an two hours break in Heatrow I arrived in Edinburgh at exactly 12 o' clock. A short lunch at the airport, then I went by bus to the railway station right in the middle   of Edinburgh. I only had a few minutes to take some photos, before the train brought me to Dundee, where Mr. and Mrs. Shaw  waited for me.

Ravensby Hall is a wonderful little castle, decorated with lot of pictures of successful Cockers and also horses (Mrs. Shaw also was very well known in breeding and riding horses). The Shaws showed me my bedroom (suite would be the better name) and after a short refreshment we visited the dogs.

The Lochdene Cockers are living in a area of their own and every famliy owns her own little wooden house for living and sleeping in. All dogs are groomed and the area is perfectly cultivated. The dogs were too pleased to have a new visitor and ran barking along the fences. Mrs. Shaw told me "to pick up my puppy". Would I be able to find him? Patricia was really surprised, that I had no problems to find the right one. It was love on both sides! She permitted me, that I could take "Piper" with me to get familiar. After a short time we fell in sleep - it had been too exciting for both of us!

At 7 o' clock p.m. I brought Piper back to his siblings and Mr. and Mrs. Shaw took me to a phantastic restaurant, where we had beef, smoked Salmon and many other Scottish specialties. We had some very interesting discussions about life in Scottland and Austria and - of course - about the dogs. I learned a lot.

On Sunday I had to get up very early to go to the airport. After playing with Piper's orange-roan (!) sister I packed Piper into his travel-bag and the journey home began. Two hours at the motorway right to the airport. But - oh dear! Just at this day the only connection between the Shaw's residence and Edinburgh airport was under road construction. Diversions and lots of traffic around the airport! Half an hour before my plane took off, we arrived! We went to the check point and the security personal was getting rather complicated and wanted to ask the crew if my special permission that Piper was allowed to go with me into the cabin, was correct. Time ran and ran! Five minutes before the take-off I got the o.k.! A kiss from Patricia, a shake hands and "good luck" from Peter Shaw and I had to hurry up, guided by Security personal. My plane just warmed up.

After some small problems with a lady who "didn't want to sit next to a dog" we had a nice flight in the bussiness-class, sharing the chicken.

Now Piper has been living living in Austria for two years  and I can say, that he's exactly what I expected.

 Gertrude Lukezic, March 2000