We are at odds

Elegant hunter at rest

My pack leader and I
are at odds.
Our walking preferences
are diverging.
And he thinks he has the right
to take shorter walks in the dark and damp of winter.
No! He is just a human while I am a noble lurcher
and I love the dark and damp.
Hence we are at odds!
It is not whimsy
My olfactory sense loves the dark and damp,
Creatures come out in the dark
when they might hide in daylight.
And, when all is said and done
I am a finely honed hunter where pack leader is
a staggerer and not to be taken seriously
in the domain of the wild outside.
So it is incumbent upon me
to convert him.
A painless way to get my way
and to stop us being at odds
otherwise it could become unpleasant
for my human and I don’t want to upset him too much.

A dark night

Sunday 6 0 clock, February pitch black. Off to the park.

I like the dark evenings the smells change different animals are at large and I get strong smells of the fox – my favourite. One day I will catch him.

We get to the stone balustrade and pack leader (in his imagination only you understand!) looks over as usual to see if he catch a glimpse of the heron on the little promintory.

It’s gone, completely under water, and no heron.

The little wooden bridge normally 7 or 8 feet above the water has it lapping against it and beyond the big meadow looks a dark lake just shining in the moon.

I must check this out – it’s only shallow. Time for some larks a flat out sprint straight across it  – water splashing up my sides.

Fantastic!

Then the eccentric woman with the five red setters appears and we all sprint around like crazy things (not the woman though she is definitely not a sprinter she progresses in a more stately manner).

So much fun. So wet, so hungry, so strange.

Open Day at the Ark

The Ark, if you have been paying attention, is where I came from. There are lots of kind people but even more sad dogs and cats – all waiting to be rescued.

Well it was quite sad because the place is totally full – no room for even a single dog or cat. I don’t know exactly what happens to those that can’t get in but I think it isn’t good.

If you don’t live near Ashbourne or cannot have a pet please send some money. My pack says you can do it through the website – don’t forget please! The picture is Tigger. He is a lurcher like me and he is great BUT he has been in the Ark for nearly a year and he is depressed and very unhappy.

I’m going to nap now but I am not too hungry.

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Another dog?!

When we were at the Ark for the Gala Day 1 and 2 went to look at the dogs who needed re-homing. They saw a dog called Tigger a 12 month old lurcher who is very handsome (NO not as handsome as me!). He has stripes like a tiger and is the same sort of dog as me.

I must say I was quite worried – what will happen to me? I didn’t want to be homeless.

But I needn’t have worried – 1 and 2 were looking for a pal for me. Someone to run with, hunt rabbits and squirrels with, someone to dive in the river with, someone else to put muddy footprints all over their nice clean bedding, to streak mud on their leather sofas …. I am so glad they can’t read!

I’m sure I left a bit of pigs ear somewhere.

Gala Day at the Ark

What a lovely day – cool and breezy – may not suit the bipeds but keeps me nice and cool and ready to run.

Early walk round the park – some deep sniffs around the perimeter and to check out the other canines.  Hearty breakfast then off to the Ark in Ashbourne . As you know this was my home for nearly a year and  now I don’t live there I love to visit.

But…what a cock-up……too late for the “most handsome dog”  competition – it was in the bag!

Still I met lots of my old friends who were lovely to me when I was there – just one glitch – a slip of the tongue revealed I had an Asbo for a time for being a little disruptive. I noticed 1 and 2 discussing it and giving me a quizzical look – remember to be extra cute for a few days.

It was ever so busy so they did really well. We were there past closing time and they both went into the dog part and spent a bit too long looking at those in need of a new home.

A quick snooze on the way home a nice walk and tiffin and then a snooze. They must have forgotten the Asbo because I got a pigs ear – delightful!

Time to sleep.

Ambleside Games

Image via Wikipedia

Last Thursday in July it’s the Ambleside Games – I wake nice and early. The rest of the pack wake but amble through the morning in a fairly indolent way.

Sometimes I think my patience is wearing thin with these humans and we need to set up a more disciplinary regime! Anyway we get on the way eventually. Nice day – bright but not too hot.

The games are great with sprinting and cycling on grass tracks and all sorts of groups running up the fells and then Cumberland wrestling.

Number 1 gets really excited – he has joined the Wainwright Society ! I really haven’t a clue what that is  – further enquiries reveal that it is to do with AW (picture on the right) – the man who did the Guides to the Lakeland Fells – all crafted by hand with amazing maps and drawings. To be honest I was just listening in and picked this up – I’m not big on books.

However there was some brilliant cumberland sausage that really did impress me.

We met a lurcher man who told us he had a dog shop in Waterhead – a little spot very close to heaven at the top of Windermere. So we went on the way home and guess who got a fancy new coat to keep the nasty rain off me!

And following a bright sprint round the park and the water-meadow a wholesome snack and a nice snooze all the way back home!

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Nice and cool and breezy

Image via Wikipedia

What a lovely day – cool and breezy – may not suit the bipeds but keeps me nice and cool and ready to run.

Quick set of sprints, dip in the river followed by a nicely balanced lunch with good quality protein and then a nice long sleep full of dreams of hills and woods and tasty rabbits!

I stink

I t has been a dry spell and quite hot – so hot I have taken to bathing in any water I can find. Sometimes as a special treat I like to lower myself chest first into cooling mud and cess – delightful.

And today I found a beauty and I stayed concealed in it for ages while Number 2 wandered round and round searching for me.

She was delighted when I reappeared and then she smelled me – idle talk of banning me from her car and leaving me tied to a tree till Number 1 came and got me. No worries I am too irresistible to tie anywhere.

Bit of a blow though – straight under the shower when I got home and endless shampoo and rubbing.

Almost put me off my breakfast – but not quite!

It’s the end of the first week of the Tour.

just a little luxury

I can’t ride a bike. Now that may come as a surprise to those of you who know how smart a puppy I am but sadly it is true. What I find most difficult is the seat – it just leaves my feet dangling way above the pedals.

Pack leader is not happy – Lance Armstrong has had a bad day and lost too many minutes. He thinks now is the time for the Radio Shack team to be taken under his wing. It could be the end of an era – but he is larger than life and Livestrong is doing brilliant work for cancer sufferers.

It’s been a little hot for me today so I am expecting just a gentle mad dash around the park and one or two quick dips in the river.

I’ll just have a little rest to ready myself for my next walk!

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holiday in the lakes

Image via Wikipedia

what a pose

Things are looking up! They found a nice dog friendly hotel at Waterhead which they tell me is at the northern end of Lake Windermere. According to Hunter Davis there is only one lake in the Lake District and that is Bassenthwaite so we are on Windermere! Hunter Davis wrote a popular book about the Lakes  – The Good Guide to the Lakes – with lots of facts and lists. He also wrote a biography of A. Wainwright – the awesome author of the Pictorial Guides – which Number 1 says  are the best guides in the world ever. A little susceptible to hyperbole me thinks! And he wrote about Wordsworth, Beatrix and Eddie Stobbart – all with Lakeland links and more later.

Educated or what! Surely this is the best dog blog in the world ever.

Anyway the hotel was Regent by the Lake which Numbers 1 and 2 really liked. They spent a lot of time in the shower anyway. And breakfast is served until midday so the hotel is very popular with lazy people.

I must say I enjoyed the food  – there was some gammon and Cumberland sausage. It was great for morning walks because there is a park just round the bend which leads to the ruins of Galava a Roman fort from 79AD and a wildflower pasture that was under lots of “mere”.

We visited Nick and Myra some old friends of 1 and 2 and apparently they had a nice lunch – I just recall a half hearted walk in the rain.

On the last day we went to a forest – Whinlatter. It was fantastic miles of wild space and not a single sheep to upset!