The Pet Shop

Today we have been to Town. Now I am in the boot room and The Owner is miaowing at me which I think is very childish and immature! It is that time when my food bin requires refilling and because he created a fuss at my favourite shop of all time, about the labelling of the prices on the shelves not agreeing with the prices on the till, we are unable to buy my food from there ever again. Together with the garden centre and several other shops locally. So we went to Town to find another food shop and I have to say I reeeeeally liked this one. He put me on a lead when we got out of the car which usually means we are going to the pub and I was a little concerned that this far from home might be a problem if he had too much to drink and we had to walk home. But I needn't have worried! After a short walk through Town, where there were lots of lamp posts to wee up and stuff, we arrived at Pet Shop and went in. It smelled really good in there but The Owner was particularly interested in the shelf above my head height where there was lots of things for dogs, including dog whistles (we have three already) and it was then that I noticed that along the floor at my head height were lots of bins with interesting things in. One bin with pigs ears in (thank you very much, just the one then), then we moved along a little (loose Bonio's, one for now and keep one for later thank you). Then we moved a bit further and there was loose Shapes biscuits (just a couple then). Next move, chewy sticks (ok then, if I am quick). The next bin had something I had never seen before and proved to be my undoing. In it was this grey stuff, quite fine and powdery I thought, so I had a quick chomp of a sample. It was then I started to cough and it attracted the attention of Pet Shop Hoomun. It would seem that K9's aren't meant eat cat litter apparently! Well how was I to know!?!?! The Owner had to pay for the rest of my lunchtime snack which Pet Shop Yoof had been noting on his pad, which brought on an attack of the vapours, together with my bag of food. With the extra expense, he dispensed with the other things he had picked up to buy, including another dog whistle, but he had to resist the temptation to refer the whole process to Watchdog on the BBC as there aren't any other Pet Shops around here that he isn't banned from. So now, every time he passes the boot room door, he is miaowing at me. Hoomuns can be so childish sometimes. Well, The Owner can be!

The Clean Kitchen Floor

The Owner has a new best friend, and whenever he gets a new best friend I manage to find myself in trouble. After his particular insensitivity yesterday to my predicament with the icy pond and then his subsequent taunting me with that ruddy Dyson, I was feeling a little less than charitable towards him. Then this morning, from the depths of his shopping bags that he didn't get around to putting away yesterday, he produced a pack of floor wipes. I had slept on my lack of charity towards The Owner overnight, aided more than a little by The Owner allowing me to sleep inside and not in that cold and draughty boot room and so was feeling a lot more forgiving. After coffee this morning he takes his new best friend and attacks the kitchen floor, although I couldn't help but feel he may have been better off starting at the far end and working his way to the door rather than the other way around. After much hard labour he sat in the only corner left uncleaned looking generally pleaased with himself. Now I had noticed that when Lady Chocolate Lab Owner used to visit and The Owner had worked hard or achieved something worthy of merit she would give him a hug and then slobber all over his face as hoomuns tend to do, I have noticed. She, being not a fixture here any longer after he got a little unsteady on his feet one night at the pub on a business meeting and knocked the stool over and upset Vic R, I thought I ought to at least go and reward him with a fuss. Well I had absolutely no idea there was mud on my paws! And anyway, it was only a little bit of mud. Not worth the fuss I thought! I may not have spent last night in the boot room but it appears I am going to make up for it today and I am feeling less than charitable towards him again now. I have managed to find his jacket he wears to meetings and dragged it out and on to the floor. I'll give him muddy paws!!!!

Frozen Ponds and other Cold Stuff!

Well, morning patrol is over and I am gainfully employed finding a comfy square of carpet to lay upon near the fire (when The Owner can be bothered to light it), together with imaginative ways of avoiding the ruddy Dyson. Which, incidentally, is still throwing all the dust it sucks up out through the vents and depositing it on the furniture, but The Owner clearly feels it makes a difference. I can still hear The Owner's laughter ringing in my ears at the look of confusion and befuddlement upon my face when I got to the pond a little earlier. I was feeling a bit frisky this morning as we strode purposefully out of the cottage and down the icy path where The Owner couldn't be bothered to clear the snow and just packed it down as he walked on it. I had a quick wee up my tree for good measure and launched forth from the gate and came face to face with Postman who was clearly as surprised to see me as I was him, judging by the way we both slithered a little and then fell in a big heap on the frozen puddle. He recovered himself and gave me a particularly hard stare which I felt was a little uncalled for and thrust some brown envelopes in The Owner's hand, which I suspect will mean more of his head in hands "How Much? mantra later. The Owner, with his collar up and hands stuffed firmly in his pockets, shuffled off down the road whilst I ran like a demented badger surveying my territory. There is an interloper at the moment called Jack Collie Dog who occasionally wee's on some of my posts but I am faster than him and I can wee higher, so no damage there then. We soon came to the pond, and the cause of my ire this morning. As I said, I was feeling a bit frisky, so I thought I would launch forth into the water and make a big splash. Well I didn't know it was going to be frozen!!!!!!! I was sailing through the air, paws out-stretched, waiting for the splash when I made contact with ice and left a series of score marks from my claws in the ice as I pirouetted across the surface and came to a halt under the tree. Where, after a strange cracking sound the ice gave way and deposited me very unceremoniously into the water. The Owner laughed loudly at my predicament and pointed a lot as I clambered out of the ice and up the bank by the tree. I'm afraid all friskiness had departed my spirit at this point and I skulked home and left The Owner to finish the patrol alone. I think he walks like a camel anyway, and if he'd stop laughing long enough for me to get close I feel sure he would smell like one as well!

Another Cozy Night by the Fireside

Another cozy night by the fireside.

Last Will & Testament

Nothing more I can add.

The Squirrel's Nuts

I think The Owner may be having a strong word with Squirrel when he next emerges from his hibernation which, judging by the temperatures out there already this evening, ought not to be for some while. So maybe The Owner might have forgotten about today's little discovery by then. I have noticed during the late summer and autumn how Squirrel fervently hides little heaps of nuts all over the garden in case he wakes during the winter and fancies a quick chomp. Indeed last summer three chestnut trees appeared in the middle of the lawn as a result of just such an activity. They were doing well I thought and nearly high enough to have a wee up when Small Boy cut The Owner's lawns for him. Today, being another chilly morning in The Owner's world he went upstairs for an extra jumper before venturing outside. Grabbing last years favourite fleece to put on, a large quantity of hazel nuts, chestnuts and acorns tumbled across the floor, presumably deposited there by Squirrel during the summer and autumn. I am thinking that maybe The Owner might not be so keen to show off by leaving his bedroom window open in all weathers now.

Rushing Water

Today I will be keeping mostly out of the way! We had a bit of a thaw overnight and this morning, much of the snow has turned to slush or disappeared which made morning patrol an uncomfortable affair. But at least my water bowl seems to stay mainly liquid which is a bonus for me! So, morning patrol and all associated grumbling about the weather, the cold, the damp and the fact that they didn't have his normal Sunday paper this morning over and done with, he made himself a coffee and selected a particularly nice looking Bonio from my tin to give to me (I hope) and we went and sat down. Have I mentioned that I am particularly fond of the odd Bonio or two? Mid way through a heavenly Bonio chomp I heard an unusual noise, like rushing water, coming from the loft. Well it wasn't me as I have never been allowed up there, as dogs don't do step ladders. Well, this one doesn't anyway! Moments later, water wasn't the only thing to be rushing as The Owner ran outside and reappeared soon after carrying his step ladder. I thought "He is about to trap his fingers again and leak round his eyes." I was right! He did trap his fingers in the step ladder and run around with eyes leaking whilst holding his fingers! Sometimes I even surprise myself! Moments later after a quick trip into the loft The Owner reappeared, clearly having not found the source of the problem, (although I could clearly hear a lot of water rushing up there) he was running around the house, banging and shouting a lot. I couldn't help but wonder if all that water rushing out from under the boiler may perhaps have had anything to do with it, although I am no plumber. Clearly I was right as when he removed the covers the water sprayed the distance of at least twenty Bonio boxes laid end to end, after it had first soaked The Owner. I did once lay twenty Bonio boxes end to end and nobody seemed in the slightest bit surprised, but that has nothing to do with this story. The Owner rushed around with spanners and an air of authority, getting very wet until all the water from the tank, if it wasn't over the floor, was over The Owner! He is now sitting in a sodden heap in the middle of the lounge carpet with his cold mug of coffee and making MY square of carpet in front of the fire very wet indeed! I mean, where am I going to lay to toast myself???? Usually when such disasters befall The Owner it somehow transpires to be my fault and his mood looks very black indeed so I am not going to attract much attention to myself for a while.