Dog Days

Yesterday, folks, was a peach of a day! It was obvious there was something up since the vacuum cleaner and duster were in evidence early on - always a giveaway.

Hugh took me out first thing (Exercise No 1) and I was just snoring in my bed (essential when recharging the batteries) when my long lost friends arrived in force. I was fussed over and petted for hours. Louise and Frances had been prewarned so they had jeans on and no-one (except Lindsay - so what?) shouted at me when I jumped up at them.

We did a tour of the garden where H & L showed off the wee hens, the big hens, the polytunnels and willow fences and all that stuff, then more coffee and wine and a huge big buffet salady lunch and more attention.

And then a ride in the Land Rover - 6 humans, one dog (and let me assure you that I was in a front seat, not relegated to the back like L) - and then Exercise No 2 - a run around up and down a forest track and a bit of playing chase with my best pal Dougie.

Home for afternoon tea which included various home bakes and the biggest chocolate cake in the world baked by Frances - oh, and more games with Dougie as you can see from the stylish picture above. He was also quite good for slipping me the odd morsel of cake when no-one was looking.

Sadly, they had to go but L took me out for another walk in another bit of the forestry after my tea (Exercise No 3) before I collapsed into my bed. If only every day could be like this

..........................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Evidence

Just in case there was any doubt, here's the proof of that sorry state of affairs last week. This photograph was taken one lunchtime when we had headed up a woodland track to find a sunny spot. The thermos and coffee are all too visible, along with some paint bespattered legs, but do you see so much as a morsel for me in the back of the Land Rover?

Back from the brink...

Well, here I am again after a fairly traumatic time spent in the back of a Land Rover. You're already familiar with the catalogue of neglect and hardship visited upon me by the arty ones - well they have surpassed themselves this time. I was lulled into thinking WE were off on an adventure. We set off, loaded up with thermos and nourishments for humans and canines, and my lead and my bed, and we drove ... for all of half an hour. Then parked up at an unknown farmhouse. I was presented with some water and a dry biscuit and left, for several hours, while they disappeared to paint a stable. They returned. We drove to a nearby footpath where I was allowed a little exercise and another biscuit and then the whole story was repeated, on and off, for three whole days. Admittedly every time they returned there was more evidence of paint and more general rattiness so I don't think it was much fun (not to mention the collection of flea (?) bites amassed by a certain someone) and I know we have to keep the wolf from the door and all that but could I not have been allowed in? Hmmm? Think of the wasted sniffs and smells! Mental cruelty, really.

I tried to get some chick pix from the latest hatching but they were all out of focus and not worthy of posting here. Herself's vintage image will have to suffice for today. Meanwhile it's time the older lot faced the big wide world and so they'll be going outside to sleep in their own henhouse from now on, instead of in the shed with a big heat lamp for warmth. As long as they work out to take cover when it rains they'll be fine but, if they run true to form they will not work out how to go to bed on their own for at least a week. This means H and L out there at bedtime every night, on hands and knees in the hen run, catching the daft wee souls and walking them up the ramp and into the henhouse, till they finally get the hang of it!