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 cruel trap

Rio caught in a box trap!

All I was doing was to check that the pack were doing proper recycling. You know making sure that everything was in the right place e.g. cardboard in the cardboard bag. So I smelt a dog biscuit box and dipped in my head to make sure none of my precious biscuits had been thrown away inadvertently. But quelle horreuer it was a booby trap – it grabbed my head!

I was caught, backed out and stumbled tunnel visionally round the kitchen.

I knew number 1 was in the lounge, so I stumbled my way there and gazed pleadingly out of the end of the box. And what did I get? Hysterical laughter from him and number 4; “hang on while I get my camera” and 1 peering into the end of the box and sniggering at me. I was utterly and totally embarrassed and it was almost a minute beforte I could eat the treat I was given to make me feel better.

Hummmmpppphhhh!

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.

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.

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!

The Lakes

Numbers 1 and 2 are lovers of the Lakes. The Lakes are a long drive from our house so when I was taken for my first visit it was up at dawn and routemarched round the park. But I then got a hearty breakfast so not so bad.

In Windermere 1 and 2 went to Booths for breakfast – a tradition – what does that mean? I think it means bacon and eggs and sausage and stuff.

Then we drove into big hills – which means big walks and runs. Slightly handicapped by lambs; I wanted to run and play with them but I was advised that this was a bad idea and at times “robbed” of the fun I deserve by the great long windy lead.

Came down to a place – Ambleside – and went on some great big fields that led right into the lake. Apparently there are the remains of some ancient – yawn yawn – Roman Fort – Galava.

More importantly I could sprint headlong into the water! Then two labradors appeared and we ran and ran until “they” were completely knackered. Al fresco tea, crashed out and slept all the way home.

Sweet dreams!

The Boss (or the day I was abandoned!)

It was a nice sunny Sunday and pack leader woke me a little too early and dragged me out!

Anyway lots of sniffs and squirrels soon resolved my humour.

When we got back the young ones were getting up. Very strange for a Sunday – I began to smell a rat. My name was being mentioned non-inclusively. Then one of them came back with granny – who stayed and sneaked me a couple of illegal treats – while they deprived me of a trip to Hyde Park to see Bruce Springsteen.

It was Hard Rock Calling June 28th 2009.

Apparently it was brilliant, a beautifully sunny evening in London and the Boss was awesome.

They were full of it when they got back. They took me for a late night walk in the park – moonlight and sniffs – heavenly. And so nearly got a big fluffy cat that is a little cocky when I am “chained” to one of the humans.

Time to dream of the next time!