There was nothing out of ordinary to alert us as to what was in store for Lenny and I yesterday. Waking up as normal, I stretched and climbed out of bed to go and see mum who is the gravy bones dispenser. My tongue was duly crossed with the brown bones of tastiness and I sloped back off to my bed for a snooze. I think dad was pleasantly surprised there was no kidney pounce. In any case breakfast for Lenny and I was taken in the Utility Room once the parents had decided to get out of bed.
As soon as we realised it wasn’t raining we were quickly on our toes and pulling our respective parents along the road. Suddenly we were turned around and marched back towards home. We had hardly started our walk. What was this sorcery? Dad opened the car and we were cajoled into our travel crates. Lenny and I looked at each other quizzically, what was going on? It wasn’t time for the v-e-t visit, surely? Then we were off the driveway and headed down the road, turn right and then turn right again after a mile or so. The road went left and then right, we were getting lost now until we pulled up at somewhere familiar. When the boot was opened, a scent filled our noses that told us we were in for a fun time.
Make sure you check all ways for squirrels
I flew over that water stuff
It was the seaside! I could hear the wind, and the waves as they gently crashed upon the sandy foreshore. Come on Lenny, let’s go. As we tried to leap out of the boot, we were swiftly caught mid boing, harnessed and told to be good. How bothersome of our parents to cut short our attempted shenanigans. We crossed the road and pulled our parents across the stony section of the beach toward the softer sandy section. We had visited this place before but we hadn’t been on this part of the beach so we were in for a treat.
Of course you can trust me to behave.
As we wandered along the top of the pebbles we saw the seawater tempting us away to our left. Mum and dad had little choice but to go to the edge of the water so Lenny and I could find dead crabs, seaweed and cuttlefish pieces washed up along the sand. This was fun, we walked along with grins on our faces and the wind in our ears. The scent was high and Lenny was taking it all into his scent factory. Behind us another beagle strolled past so we took the chance to bay. Loudly. Very loudly. So loudly in fact that people on the promenade heard us and started smiling. Further along the sand Lenny found a dead crab and picked it up. He suddenly realised that seawater tastes disgusting so dropped it immediately and went to grab some seaweed instead. He spat that out too. We strolled along, saying hello to people who all kept their distance from us, so keeping everyone safe whilst the quarantine is still in place. The another beagle came strolling toward us and we met him in customary fashion, proceeding to tangle our leads and try to play bitey face with him. Duly embarrassed at our uncouth behaviour, mum and dad continued to walk away whilst apologising to the other beagle owner. He just laughed. We walked all the way along the beach to a river which we couldn’t cross so we returned to the car, all the while running in circles, tangling our leads and generally making mum and dad laugh. When we got back to the car something strange happened. Dad told Lenny to “Hup” into the boot and he did so immediately. Lenny doesnt like travelling in the car as he still gets some travel sickness but he had just leapt in freely. My brother was so happy from his walk that he had apparently forgotten about his travel sickness. I followed him into my crate and we both laid down for the return home which was nearby. What a morning we both had.
Ooh, dead crab. Tasty
Yuck, seawater.
It was as much as we could do to raise our heads later in the day to eat our food. Ok, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration but, we were tired and happy. We had been to the beach, we had been sensible when we encountered people and we had a good time. Hopefully everyone follows the rules and Lenny and I can go to the beach more often. Maybe even get an ice cream.
After I had experienced the theft and then return of all my toys, beds and food, it was apparently time to settle in to my new home. I call it my new kennel but my parents insist it’s a home. In any case it is warm, comfy and very different to my previous kennel, sorry I mean home. For a start its on two levels and has these strange things called stairs. Lenny and I have wasted no time in chasing each other up and down these strange stair contraptions that take us to another place called “upstairs”.
Lenny and I also wasted no time in taking our parents out to explore the local area to try and sample the delights it has to offer. So it was that dad woke up with a beautifully executed beagle kidney pounce nice and early on the first full day and he was dispatched to make a cup of tea. We don’t want him slacking now, do we? Within a short time we were exploring the village and met a beagle who lived close by. He was very well behaved and wasn’t on a lead which was both surprising and disappointing. Surprising that he was well behaved and equally as disappointing that he wasn’t up to shenanigans. I suppose we will have to make up for his polite behaviour. Not yet however as we still had to scent where the local critters lived. We went down the road, across a road, up a road, across another road, under a bigger road, over the bridge, along another road and then found another road to walk along. All the while our noses were no more than 5 centimetres (that’s 1.9685 inches to old money aficionados) off the ground. We had to take in all the new smells that the village had to offer us. We had to be careful though as street lights were in different places to those we were used to and we found ourselves too regularly almost upon them. We returned home and rested whilst mum and dad did some unpacking of their belongings. Our stuff had already been unpacked and put away in cupboards, so it was good to see them get their priorities right. We went out a couple more times on the first full day and fell into our beds for a long lazy snooze. In fact I was so tired that I snoozed on Lenny’s bed which was a bit dangerous as he is a bit of a vampire. I think he was equally tired so didn’t bother trying to attack me.
Hope Lenny doesn’t notice!
The peace and tranquility was shattered on the first Sunday we were here however. We went out across the fields and were having a great time exploring and seeing new places to enjoy in the future. Suddenly Lenny was pulling and jerking on his lead whilst all the time baying at the top of his voice. Whatever could have possibly caused this commotion. As I looked up, there were seven Roe deer prancing through the field in front of us, maybe 100 yards away. It would have been rude of me if I hadn’t joined in the general commotion so I duly obliged mum and dad by doubling the volume of baying. I am not sure they were all that impressed as we were swiftly turned around and we walked a different path all the time listening to mum and dad muttering something about “why didnt we get Labradors or Poodles?” Then we went out on our final constitutional of the day and a fox must have wandered past the front of our home a short time before. We managed to bay, pull and jerk for the entire walk around the block whilst conveniently forgetting that we had “things” to do. We were quickly reminded of our duties however. Apparently it’s lucky we don’t have neighbours yet.
To be explored.
Then, during the week, we found the lane which leads to the path which leads to the pub which isn’t open yet. Mum and dad seemed happy to have found the path to the pub.
Lenny, that’s not the pub.
We have behaved ourselves really well so far, even if I do say so myself. There has been quite a bit of disruption to our daily routine. There has been so much unpacking and moving things about that we sometimes didnt know if we were coming or going. We haven’t yet been allowed out into our garden as the turf and soil need time to bed in apparently. It is tantalisingly out of reach for another week or so.
I noticed something strange happening a while back, maybe in late November. Whilst Lenny and I were snoozing or running around the garden like a couple of hounds possessed, things were going missing in the house. A little freaky but I thought I would keep an eye open in case it kept on happening. Which it did, and I thought I should investigate.
During the course of my attempted reconnaissance I was unceremoniously shooed away by both my parents when they were hiding things in boxes, including our toys, leads, harnesses and some treats which would store for a while so they wouldn’t need them. This only raised my suspicions even further but every time I went to investigate I was told to go and lay down and stop being a trip hazard. Apparently humans cannot see very far when they are carrying boxes and crates around the house. I had no idea. One of the rooms in the house looked like a storage warehouse which was concerning as its a house and not a storage warehouse facility and I am banned from snooping around the boxes.
The weekend has passed and the box numbers have increased. Plenty of stuff is now being put into boxes and then carefully stacked in the rooms that Lenny and I are not allowed to play in. My parents are numbering and labelling everything and more rooms are now being filled with boxes. I never realised they had this much stuff.
My parents seem to be getting more excited, or is it agitated, over the increasing number of boxes which are appearing in my house. These infernal things are starting to block the race tracks that Lenny and I have had around the house for some time now. This is grossly unfair. How am I supposed to chase after him?
The latest weekend has finished and it has snowed so my focus has been on watching Lenny enjoy himself in his first taste of snow. Sadly I have not persuaded him to try yellow snow but I am working on it. In any case a number of boxes have been added to the packed ones stored in the bedroom that Lenny and I are not allowed to enter, let alone play in. This is getting very strange indeed. I will get to the bottom of this mysterious parental activity.
Yawning as I awoke from my slumber on a rainy Thursday morning I am surprised to see the parents already out and about, with more boxes being added to the already groaning stack. Suddenly knock knock, arooooo bark aroooo and we are once again shooed out of the way, put onto our harnesses and kept quiet whilst three men come and steal all our belongings and put them all on a big lorry. We’ll be back tomorrow to get the rest of the stuff, they cheerfully tell us as they leave. I searched around the house and could only see bare rooms, bare walls, bare floors and everything echoed. What was this trickery? I had no time to think about it as my parents were quickly into their stride and cleaning and dusting and making the house look spick and span, whilst all the while being empty. Ok, I will sleep on this and try to work out what has gone on. I was rudely awakened once more on a rainy Friday when three men returned to remove the rest of my belongings. Dad was busy helping them steal our stuff whilst mum held on tight to Lenny and I. We just looked confused at each other. The house was empty, utterly bereft of anything except walls, floors and ceilings. And a roof, of course it still had a roof. A final whizz around with the vacuum cleaner and the lorry doors shut with a clank. And that was it. We were hurriedly bundled into the car and off down the road we went. Two hours later we sat outside another very smart looking house whilst my parents spoke to a man about the house. Then the guys who stole all my belongings were giving them all back to me. I had very confused ears and three hours later, Lenny and I sat in a new house surrounded on four sides by boxes. Mum and dad were there thankfully as they finally explained to us that we were now going to live here, in a new kennel that they had purchased. I had to explore as I wanted to make sure that my treats pennies had been wisely spent. Having wandered, sniffed and nosed about in every place I could find, I think they have spent my treats pennies wisely so I approve.
Lenny and I took the parents for a stroll to have a sniff and to investigate our new local surroundings. Mum and dad were of course extremely grateful that we made sure they walked us whilst it rained and we all got wet and had fun. There are so many walks that we will find here that I am looking forward to checking out the new area. It’s going to be fun as we had already found the muddiest track really close by so that’s a bonus for us. There are plenty of other dogs around here and we even saw a fellow beagle on our first full day. He was very friendly, as you would expect, and was very well behaved, which was a bit surprising.
Hopefully I will be able to explore more places and find more fun things to do. I am looking forward to this, the new chapter in mine and Lenny’s life. We have to wait for the garden to dry out before we can go racing around out there like a couple of possessed hounds. Apparently the turf is very new and the soil is very squashy so we need a dry few weeks. The garden is frustratingly out of reach.
Firstly however we need to find out where all those pesky squirrels live so we can do some serious bothering.
As promised I continue my thoughts on the strange year just ending. It’s a sad, frustrating year, yet it had some bright sparks now and again.
July.
Lenny and I had been set the task of trying to recreate all the photographs on a calendar we sent to Raffa’s mum last year. According to our very kind pals the pictures we were in were better than the originals. Then on Raffa’s birthday there was a little tribute where many friends painted a rock and took it to somewhere that Raffa would have loved to go. We went to our garden and tried not to squabble whilst the picture was taken. It didn’t last long. Sadly I heard that a long time friend called Seb the BT was due to go to the Rainbow Bridge. He had such a wonderful heartfelt send off that it made me proud to consider that I had known him and woofed with him over his time on Twitter.
August.
My nanny died. Dad was very sad as she had been ill for quite some time and he had been half expecting the phone call for a while. When it came though it was still a nasty shock. Lenny and I did our best to behave in an appropriate manner. Lenny then celebrated his birthday and I allowed him to beat me at bitey face. Later in the month we went to see our remaining grandad who said we should all go to the seaside. Lenny had never been to the sea in the UK and he was in awe at the wind and waves. In fact he was so much in awe that he fell asleep. He didn’t try to lick the seawater like I did in the Lake District a few years ago. Everyone had a nice time and mum even got saltwater spray all over her face as she forgot to take her sunglasses. We didn’t laugh, honestly.
September.
Knock knock, who’s there? Arooo, its auntie J. Raffa’s mum was going on holiday and diverted to come and see us in our natural habitat. She was rubbish at hide and seek although quite good at starting bitey face games. We were still under some restrictions but they seem to be easing once again. Not that it made any difference to Lenny and I, as we still got our walks, food and beds. We could feel the seasons changing toward the end of the month so we got ourselves ready to bed down and hibernate for the winter months. The squirrels were much more active. Lenny and I managed to catch one but were told in no uncertain terms to DROP IT.
October.
Time for trees to fall down in front of us. This stick was too large even for Lenny and I to take home with us. The rain returned with a vengeance, causing the ground to be saturated and the tree roots to give up completely. Luckily we weren’t underneath it when it came down. Lenny is looking up to me a bit now. I think he has accepted that this is his forever family and he’s relaxing enough to want to know what else we can get away with.
November.
Here we go, back into a partial quarantine. Will it work, will it fail and will we ever get our dinner. This year the service has got worse as the days and months pile up. Maybe we need new parents as the current incumbents clearly aren’t up to the mark. Lenny and I are bonding far more. We are taking time to do things that don’t always include bitey face games or chasing each other around the garden. In fact we managed to steal socks from dad and were referred to as “International sock thieves of some distinction”. We remain quite proud of our abilities.
December.
As I write this missive we are in Tear (yes I did mean to spell it like that) 4 of restrictions which means that the pubs and restaurants are closed, and only the essential shops are open. We cannot see friends from other households over Christmas and we still wont be able to go to the pub. This quarantine is like the hokey cokey. We’re in, we’re out, we’re in again and then we’re shaking it all about. Christmas is likely to be quiet with just ourselves to play together and amuse ourselves.
I am not sure how to sum it all up really. We lost some well loved and revered furs this year. Raffa, Gracie and Seb the BT amongst too many others. Sadly life and death were ever present as usual. The pandemic spread fear, death and misadventure throughout large swathes of the human population which was sad to see. Many people got on with their neighbours better than they had for a long time. Some people even found out that they had neighbours which was a bonus. This lockdown brought the best and, sometimes, the worst out of people.
I did learn something in the past year that will stick with me for some time. I realised that many of my friends live in beautiful places around the world. As we were all restricted in one way or another, I got to see friends local areas when they tweeted about their daily lives. Often because you are familiar with your local area, the beauty of it passes you by. I have also learned that Lenny is settled, he is happy and likes living here. This makes my heart sing as, despite what I may say about him sometimes, I do love him and want him to be happy.
And we move on to 2021. I cannot begin to wonder what it holds for us all. Hopefully vaccines are developed and provided so the virus recedes and some degree of normality returns to swathes of the worlds population. I hope so as this will allow us to get out and about more often. We want to see friends and family to try and resume some degree of new normality. Is there to be such a thing as normality? There is only one way to find out.
I know many people do a review of the year passing or passed. Where shall I start without using the C word? Ok, I shall take this month by month and try to explain why this year, which will pass into history very soon, was seemingly one to forget but also contained some little gems.
January.
It’s on its way everyone. 2020 was starting on a chilly and cool note although January was surprisingly dry for us in Chesham, where it is usually soggy, drizzly and really rather damp. Lenny is getting used to the incessant photography, however he has yet to master the art of the silly grin. I’m working on him so please bear with us.
February.
It’s arrived although not yet in huge numbers which we will soon suffer. Raffa went to the Rainbow Bridge and many, many people were very upset at the loss of a fine and wonderful friend. The days were getting a bit longer, the mornings were misty and made Lenny look thoughtful. I spent much of the first few weeks wondering why pals aren’t here any more, why we have to go to the Rainbow Bridge and generally having a good think to myself.
March.
It’s here. Just before the quarantine took place fully I had the chance to travel briefly into London. I was intent on finishing the postcard for Raffa. She had missed the Beefeater and I thought it was only right that I get the picture for her. Then it struck and we were all locked away for a while. People panic bought toilet roll, bleach and pasta (I do not need that recipe) and we made sure we didnt make contact with anyone in the hope that this might slow down the transmission rate.
April.
Flowers bloomed in my garden. Lenny and I helped to water them as the sun grew warmer and the colours burst back to life. Out of quarantine at the end of April but it made no difference. We were living like hermits and avoiding as much contact with other people as possible.
May.
Now it was beginning to get a bit boring. We still got our walks. We still got to arooo in the garden. We still got to chase each other around the garden playing bitey face. However we were a little restricted on where we could go for walks outside the garden. Fortunately we were able to walk in places that not many others knew about so we often had the lanes to ourselves.
June.
We were still under restrictions so had to behave ourselves in and out of the garden. It had the advantage though of showing Lenny that I didn’t want to be bitten all the time and often it was nice to just chill out instead of running at 100 mph around the garden. We became more accommodating of one another as the restrictions wore on. It got warm and we became lazy or lazier depending on who you listen to. Early in the month we learned that another friend, Gracie, also passed to the Rainbow Bridge. This was another time for sadness and reflection as she was a good friend.
Here ends todays missive. The final part will be published soon. I am not sure if the year got any better to be honest. However you’ll just have to wait to find out.
I saw something like this recently posted by another blogger and wondered what it would be like from a canine (that’s me) perspective.
A – Ashridge Estate. I love going up onto the common so I can stroll through the long grass, get far too many scents in my nose and then get back to the car with a happy smile on my face. It isn’t far from me so quite easy to get to.
B – Beds. I have seven of them. I have to share my day time snoozing beds with Lenny but we have an unwritten code that we just go onto a bed and don’t hassle each other when we are sleeping. I have my night time bed whilst Lenny has his night time cave bed and never the twain shall meet.
C – Chesham. Where I live. I like the town with all the friendly people and other fur friends I have made here. It is surrounded by open fields and countryside so I get to walk the highways and byways to sniff out squirrels, rabbit and deer to my hearts content.
D – Dad. I have the safety and security of parents who look after me and make sure I am ok. One of them is my much maligned dad who, I must be honest, loves me to bits and who worries about me far too much. I am his first dog and he does some silly things which we all laugh at. But his heart is in the right place. Lenny and I know that he would always do stuff to make sure we are safe, loved and happy.
E – Exploring. I am able to explore for quite some distance locally and nationally. All the paths and byways near my home have been walked. I have also visited many places in the UK and always enjoy seeing new sights and exploring new scents.
F – Friends. What would I do without them? Life would be so much less interesting if I had no one to woof with on Twitter and on here. I always enjoy listening to my friends when they have good or bad news. It is nice to be friends.
G – Grandad. He is my only grandparent so I always have a fun time when we see him. Since he first met me, I have shown him that I am a friendly lad and he need not be worried about me. He is getting much better at tickles and I am going to take credit for that.
H – Home. A place where I can live in safety and security. I am fortunate to have a home now. I remember when I was in kennels at the nice rescue centre. I always wanted a forever home and now I have one, I will always feel lucky.
I – Icy cold weather. For some reason I like it when it is chilly. Maybe its because I can wear my warm coat and that the scents are close to the ground. I always seem to have great fun slipping across icy fields in pursuit of the next good smell.
J – Jerky. Beef Jerky. We get this as a treat sometimes and it is very tasty. I am not allowed too much of it as it can upset my tummy a bit.
K – King sized bed. My bed for sleeping at night time. It is big sturdy and heavy. It has high sides and is fully padded on the base. I get another bed within it for extra comfort. The best bit is that Lenny isn’t allowed in there, and he doesn’t try to break that rule.
L – Lenny. My brother who isnt actually bloodline related but we are the best of friends now I have got used to his nefarious activities of trying to bite my neck, ears and ankles at every available chance. After a turbulent start we have settled into a daily routine and have now got to the stage where we more than tolerate one another. In fact, I wouldn’t be without him.
M – Mum. The best mum of all. I know everyone will say they have the best mum but, in my case, it is the truth. Someone kinder and more thoughtful toward me I cannot think of. She always look out for me, looks after me and I look up to her.
Thinking of things I like. I suppose I should include Lenny.
N – Night time sniffs. Before I go to bed, I am allowed out into the garden to do “my business”. There are often many scents lingering from the nocturnal creatures who inhabit the tress around my garden. I get to smell them before I go to my bed. I may be in the garden for some time.
O – Outside, as in, out in the countryside. To see trees, lakes, rivers, big skies, rainy skies even, is to be free in mind and spirit. I am lucky to have some countryside on my doorstep as well as visited some wonderful places further afield.
P – Pednor. Probably my favourite walk around here. The views from most parts are lovely and I can see for miles. The roads are usually quite quiet so we can stroll along at our own pace without the fear of being run over. Also the hedgerows and paths allow me to scent way too many creatures.
Q – Quiet times. Sometimes Lenny gets to walk with dad whilst I go out with mum. We aren’t in competition for scents or territory and the walks are therefore quieter and we can have a chat without having a young beagle nose suddenly pushing me out of the way. When I first arrived I had the walks to myself and enjoyed them. I think mum and dad appreciated that, and try to ensure I still get some down time away from the playful lad now and again.
R – Relaxing after a hard days work. Always good to chill out when I have had a hard day of chasing, sniffing and avoiding sharp vampiric teeth.
S – Sunpuddling. What a treat. Finding the shaft of sunlight coming in through the window, on a cold day, and lying there allowing my fur to soak up the warm rays. We tend to sun puddle close to one another but without encroaching. It is probably my weary bones that need the suns rays the most.
T – Tube trains. I get to use them when I travel into London for exploring the city. I thought I would be scared when I first saw one, let alone boarded it, however once on board and moving I enjoy seeing the world go by. Even going around the actual underground sections doesn’t worry me, usually because I am accompanied by mum or dad.
U – Up on the sofa. I was allowed up on the sofa soon after I arrived. They were covered with throws so I could try and chill out after a hectic day. Now I can take up one sofa, whilst Lenny stretches out on the other. Not sure where our parents will sit but, hey, I am sure they will find somewhere.
V – Vegetables. I know, it’s a strange one for a canine. However if they are mixed sufficiently with my meat food, I can hardly tell they are there and I know they do me good.
W – Walks. They are the best. We always get to walk and explore with our parents. Walks are a vital part of our beagling armoury and help to keep our scent and sight skills up to scratch. Fresh air and wonderful scenery abound locally.
X – being e(x) – rescue. The feeling of safety, security and love all the time makes me content to my very core. To have been rescued and homed is a wonderful feeling. Add to that the fact that my rescue freed up a kennel for another fur, then I am doubly happy.
Y – Young at heart. I feel young when I am happily running around the garden with the sun on me. Chasing my brother is always a bonus. I like to feel youthful as I think it is important to stay young at heart for as long as possible.
Z – Zooming around the garden. Running at full tilt around the garden is fun, especially if I am chasing Lenny. We tire ourselves out whilst having fun. I suspect there is an ulterior motive in there somewhere.
These are my first thoughts on things I like, what are yours?
I have been very busy with one thing and another. As a result I have failed to let you know about some shenanigans that took place last Saturday and which were wholly unexpected. Sometimes they are the best ones so I shall seek to remedy my omission now.
We had heard mum and dad last week hoping that the weather at the weekend would stay reasonable, however we couldn’t quite find out what they needed good weather for. We were out on our paws early on Saturday last week which was a bit strange but a walk is a walk after all, whatever time it was taken. Upon our return we had a quick breakfast and found ourselves bundled unceremoniously into the car and off we set. To where, we knew not. Around the motorway and down the road, around the roundabout and across the cross roads. Up hill and down hill we went, on our merry way. It was only when we pulled across the driveway of grandads house that I realised where we were. Maybe the fact that I slept most of the way there didn’t help with my navigation skills. Lenny seemed eager to see this new place, despite him being here in December last year.
Having been released from our travel crates we went to explore the local playing fields and then the inside of grandads house. We remembered from our previous visit the best places to play which included but weren’t restricted to standing at the top of the stairs and baying at each other followed by running up and down the stairs. According to mum and dad this isn’t acceptable behaviour. Who knew? Anyway, we got a bit bored after a few hours of playing indoor snout jousting so it was decided we would get back in the car and go to the beach. Fortunately it wasn’t too far away so we only had to put up with dads driving for a short time. When we arrived at the beach it was windy. Very windy. I knew how windy it was as my ears were flapping behind my head like a world war one fighter ace. Tally ho, off we go.
Great ear flips Lenny. Pardon?
We strolled with the wind at our backs and watched as the sea crashed upon the shingle of the beach. Lenny and I were each harnessed to a heavy parent so we wouldn’t float away, which was quite possible. We went up to the edge of the waves and I stupidly forgot that seawater tastes awful. Lenny just laughed at me. We wandered along smelling all the new scents for a mile or so and then were told we would return to the car which sounded very boring as there were still many scents. However this is where the fun really started as we were now walking into the wind which was whipping up the sea spray and blowing it all over our faces and fur, even into our eyes. Mum was the only person to forget her sunglasses so she suffered quite a bit with “sea spray eyes”. Fortunately we could walk behind some shrubs which had established as a windbreak along a section of the beach and thus gave us some respite. When we got back to the car we were all covered in a salty film of seawater spray. Lenny and I were able to shake most of it from our fur and then lick ourselves clean. The humans accompanying us on our adventure were not quite as fortunate. A short drive later and we were back at grandads house. We ate our dinner and then for some unknown reason felt very tired, almost as if we had just had an adventure along the beach, all the while pulling and scenting.
Wonder what time we get dinner around here?
We knew our adventure was over when we were returned to the car for the homeward journey.
Snooze.
We slept most of Sunday, our brains and paws overworked with sights and scents. We were dreaming of another escapade and hoping it would come soon.
It was a day of freedom of sorts. We had been able to do shenanigans for the first time in a while and it felt good.
We jumped on dad at six to make sure he couldn’t sleep in. We watched as mum woke up, gave us a tickle and a kiss on the head, and then disappeared to put the kettle on. After all this excitement we wandered out into the garden for a spot of squirrel bothering and returned to the kitchen door to find dad wandering around making tea and generally mumbling to himself. Nothing different thus far.
Lenny went out with dad and I went out with mum. I am going for shorter walks over the last few days as I have been limping a little on my front left paw. The consensus is that I have strained my wrist through shenanigans in the garden, thanks to Lenny. Anyway, I am ok but I only need a shorter walk of three miles or so. We bumped into Lenny and dad whilst we were out on patrol, although they walked on further than we did. I had an inkling from listening to mum and dad that there was something different today. I was to prove to be correct.
On our walk today in the lovely countryside
When they returned Lenny had the usual silly grin on his face as he had eaten fox and bird droppings and was quite proud that dad hadn’t seen him. However, dad had seen him and wasn’t impressed. Nor was dad quick enough to retrieve said items from Lenny’s teeth which seems to be why Lenny was so happy with himself. We had some breakfast and then went off for some snoozing. After a while we heard dad on the phone saying “Yes he’s fine, we cannot think of anything that he is suffering from, no illness or injury, he just seems really healthy and happy”. This could only mean one thing, and I was keeping my muzzle shut so it would be a nice surprise for Lenny. I knew I was right when the harness made a reappearance and Lenny was duly clipped up and taken out of the door for another walk. I need to hand over to Lenny at this point as he can tell you what happened next.
Wotcha everyone. I had a great walk around Pednor this morning and then I got harnessed up again for another walk. Sadly it was with dad, but you cant win them all, right? We wandered off up the hill and I was being cajoled to keep a reasonable pace. It was almost as if there was an appointment which needed to be kept. What could it be? Where could I be going? Anyway, up the hill with all the traffic whizzing past us way too fast and then a little diversion through the woods at the top of the road. I wanted to smell squirrels and chase rabbits but dad decided otherwise. Come on he said, we’ve got somewhere to go. Into the town and down a small road I wandered, eventually finding myself in a carpark outside a building. There was a bench with a crate on it, and a lead tied around a bike rack. Dad was asked to attach me to the lead and a very nice lady in a blue uniform came out to greet us.
“Hello” she said. “You must be Lenny” and I got a head scratch. Dad reminded her that I sometimes snatch at food so “if they are going to distract me for injections, do it with an open hand”. Hang on, injections, what is this place. I was whisked inside and saw dad outside waiting for me. I was weighed (13.1 kilos) and then prodded, poked squeezed around the ribs, had my teeth checked and to cap it all had an injection. I don’t know where I was jabbed as I was being distracted by some tasty food. I will tell Dex that it was a huge javelin and I was really brave and didn’t squeal. Apparently he squeals and wriggles if he knows there is a tiny needle coming his way. Before I knew it, I was back outside and the vet told dad “He was so polite when we distracted him, you’ve clearly been working on this at home” Dad said thank you and he was pleased I was a good boy. I don’t think he’d seen the fees for it yet!
So there I was, strolling back through the town and thence through the woods. We detoured down a nice quiet road with some very nice houses with lovely big gardens which were probably full of squirrels. We didn’t stop! As we got closer to home I was flagging but perked up when I saw the house. In the front door, and I had so much to tell Dex. He was aghast and agog at my bravery when challenged by the huge javelin sized needle. I need to hand you back to Dex, sorry.
When he arrived back Lenny told me about the massive spear that he had braved at the vets. I told him I had known where he was going and he said that he had to return as this was only the first booster and he needs another. I think he thinks its going to be another fun trip. To celebrate, we whizzed around the garden and then collapsed into heaps in our beds. He was snoring as his head touched the side of his (my old) bed.
Ssshhh, sleepy pupster
He’s very brave is Lenny. I would have squealed and wriggled at the sight of the needle.
He must be expawsted
I think I will let him sleep it off. He’s had some adventures today, walked eight miles, had breakfast, dinner, two training sessions and been to the vets. Phew, I need to go and lie down as I am exhausted thinking about it all.
I am lucky as I have a large number of friends on Twitter. In fact it is difficult sometimes for mum and dad to keep up with all the tweets. My friends and I all have fun together, look after each other and give each other a shoulder to cry on, or paw of comfort, when needs must. It’s nice sometimes as we feel like a big family and we know that, despite not meeting the vast majority of those friends, we hope we can still count on each other as pals.
I had already met Raffa, one of my best pals, when I was on holiday in the Lakes. This was in my previous blog. She was so nice and friendly, and even made me blush when we nose bumped to say good bye. We had great fun. I then heard from another pal, Charley, that there was a large gathering due to take place before Christmas 2016. I gave my humans those eyes that only dogs can give and a plan was hatched with Charley and, his brofur, Boot. They told me the annual gathering was somewhere near Sheffield. When people were there, baubles were hung on a special tree to commemorate those furs we have loved and lost over the years. Charley’s mum said it would be fun if we could go along and to keep it a surprise for the other furs, all of whom I woof with regularly. It is quite a long journey for us so we thought about it, and I continued to give mum and dad the “eyes” to persuade them. We said we would try to come along and agreed it would be a surprise for everyone else who was there.
Fortunately the weather was set fair for the particular day so we set off very early in the morning to try and get there on time. The sad thing is that we had just lost another pal who had gone over the Rainbow Bridge in the week prior to meeting up so we knew that it might be a bit emotional.
Having arrived 5 minutes late, we strolled nonchalantly towards all my pals who were being readied for the stroll around the reservoir. I am afraid I might have given the game away by arooing rather noisily. Charley’s mum wondered aloud “Oh, there seems to be another Beagle here, I wonder who this could be?” Everyone seemed quite happy to see us, and we were happy to see the rest of my pals and their humans. We think it was a nice surprise, we certainly hoped so. Auntie Sarah, who had lost her sweet beagle Boo the week before the tweetup, got leaky eyes when she saw me. She also told me that my messages for her were lovely and had helped her with her heartbreak. I managed to give her leg leans to reassure her that what I had tweeted was a true story. I did have to woof to her to stop giving me tickles and making me feel sad and get leaky eyes as well. Did she not realise I had a rufty tufty image to maintain here.
Wait for me, Nut and Oggy!
I got to meet Eddy, Tean, Nut, Oggy, Raffa, Charley and Boot. We all walked along woofing at each other, and enjoying all the sniffs and scenery in this lovely part of the countryside. The humans were chattering away too. I found out that Oggy is a rescue beagle from a laboratory in Hungary so he was very scared of many things. This was bad and I had leaky eyes when I walked next to him. We all tried to look after him as much as possible. At one point there were some motorbikes which were going to whizz past, and he had to be picked up and shielded from the noise and smell. I had worried ears for him, but auntie Sarah cuddled him so tight to protect him. However the further we walked, the calmer he seemed to be and we had a good woof as we wandered around, up hill and down dale. We unfortunately missed meeting Bryher, who is Teans sister, as she wasn’t very well and had to stay home. Eddy is a good lad too, bigger than me and pulls on the harness as much as I do. We woofed about life in general. Raffa was in her chariot for most of the walk, as she had damaged her cruciate ligament and was being told to rest up and be safe. Dad got the honour of pushing her chariot again for a while, just like in the Lakes. Charley and Boot strolled along taking in the scenery. I found out that they live in the countryside so they are used to having lovely views and scenery. We got to the tree, people hung their Christmas baubles and had their quiet thoughts to themselves and we continued our walk around the reservoir. It was a lovely place and we chatted for a long time.
The Memory Tree.
A very special friend remembered.
We all ended up at a cafe and the humans had cakes and buns and coffee. Apparently it was a bit cold for some of them, and I must say mum did look a bit blue and frozen. Then the final surprise was that I got some cards and presents from my friends which was very nice, and very unexpected. I didn’t have anything to give them in return and I had guilty ears about this. But they woofed that, because I had come a really long way to see them, they would forgive me. I knew immediately that these were good friends and would be friends forever.
Raffa, Tean and Oggy
Ahem Boot, are you supposed to be on the table? asks Charley
Dad drove home and I slept for most of the way, even when the trucks and coaches were driving so close behind us, that I could read their number plates.
What a great day, what great friends. I had so much fun I wanted to do it all over again. I would have to sleep on it though.
I have been telling many (read ALL) of my friends and pals that I have never had a holiday. We furs sometimes call them holibobs but I had never been on one. Indeed I had been sent to prison a couple of times whilst they went off enjoying themselves in Edinburgh and London, and I didn’t like it at all. You might have noticed my distaste for kennels from the previous chapter.
As such when, one evening, I saw my parents packing a bag I felt a bit depressed to be honest as I thought I was going to prison again. Then some of my toys and dinner foods went into my toy crate, and this gave me suspicious ears. I had heard them talk previously of somewhere called “Morgan’s Place”. They had been there before and thought I might like it. I didn’t connect in my mind what this meant for a second. I knew of a Morgan through my Twitter pals. He lived somewhere that sounded really lovely. That night I slept wondering what mum and dad were talking to each other about. I had no idea I would be getting a holiday. A real, actual holiday.
The next day, dad was still there in the morning. This gave me suspicious ears as he usually went to school on the smelly tube to London. The bags packed the previous night were still there, and my toy crate was also still full of my food, blankets and some toys. My deeply suspicious ears only worsened when dad said he was taking me out for a walk to “try and get some zooms out of my system”. We went to the park, the hill and through the town. It was great as I get to try and pull dad about but he’s strong and I end up being quite tired. Little did I know this was all part of their masterplan. When we got back home, the bags were put into the car and then I went into my travel crate in the boot of the car. Now I travel well but I hadn’t really been anywhere further than a couple of hours away in the car with mum and dad. We went on something called a motorway and it was really interesting to see the scenery go by. We stopped so I could stretch my legs after a while and then continued. As we got further away from my home, the other cars and lorries on this motorway got more and more and we were in something called a “traffic jam”. This made mum and dad pfftt and harrumph quite a lot. I just stayed out of the way in my crate enjoying this new experience. We stopped twice more as it was a really long journey and we arrived later than expected in a place called Patterdale in the Lake District. It suddenly dawned on me that this is where Morgan lives, with his mum and dad and they have a really nice holibob cottage that I’ve been allowed to stay in. I didn’t meet Morgan when we arrived, as his mum said he can be a bit grumpy and I’m quite bouncy. I don’t believe he’s grumpy, but I did hear him growl and bark the first evening. He sounds quite big.
Once the bags had been unpacked and my beds put down on the living room floor, dad took me for a quick stroll. My eyes could not believe the sights I saw. There were hills as big as mountains, sheep the size of, well, sheep, so many green trees, beautiful rivers, big fields, lovely hills and lakes. This was beyond my dreams, I was somewhere I couldn’t comprehend and my brain was tired just trying to process it all. I decided I would have to sleep on all this. Mum and dad were hungry and wanted to go to the pub. This worried them as they really hoped I wouldn’t aroo and mess about in there, and get kicked out as a hooligan dog. So we entered the White Lion with much trepidation. Dad asked if it was ok for me to come in, and was told of course, that’s not a problem. Phew, first hurdle over. Settle mat down, but I was too tired to mess about too much with the other furs that were in there at the time. It was great fun seeing new places and new things. Even when I arooed there were lots of people saying “what a cute dog?”. Clearly I have to work on my rufty tufty image a little more. I tried to think more on this whilst I slept.
First day of holiday.
I woke up early in the Lake District. I wondered if the hills and lakes would still be there, or was it all a dream? When I nosed around the curtains in the living room, I was so pleased that it was real. The hills must be high though, as they were draped in clouds which made me wonder more about them. Once mum and dad had bothered to get out of bed, we went for a quick walk to the shop for some supplies and then had breakfast. I kept on checking to make sure the hills were still there, I couldn’t believe that I was actually here.
After breakfast, I was harnessed up again so I knew it was time to explore this wonderland. We went across the beck which I think is what describes a small river. It looked more like a normal river to me. We went through gates and then past drystone walls. I was allowed to stroll through mud and then stood in the water running off the fells. The paths were quite stony and we were going up and down hill. It was great fun. We stopped on a grassy knoll and the view was brilliant all the way back across Ullswater to Glenridding.
I might be happy to be here
We kept strolling around the edge of Ullswater, and I even got to sniff in the ferns and the trees around the path. Sometimes the path went down quite steeply and I had to be good and walk to heel. This was quite difficult as I was really excited and I wanted to explore everywhere and everything. We seemed to go for miles and it was great. I still couldn’t believe I was here. On a holiday! In the Lake District! We kept on stopping to enjoy the views. Even I could appreciate them.
Wow. Just wow!
I was getting tired but I still had excited ears. As we were wandering back we met a BT called Buster who was 13 years old. He said he had been here before, walked something called Striding Edge, but liked the lower paths now. He was really nice, we woofed for ages. We came off the hills after some considerable time and decided we would go to Glenridding for some quick noms for mum and dad. We wandered about and found a nice spot to eat a sausage roll. It should be noted that I got no sausage roll. We sat by Glenridding Beck, which sadly flooded in winter 2016 and caused a lot of damage to the town. We wandered down onto the edge of Ullswater and I went for a paddle. It was great, I loved the cool water on my paws and that it tasted nice too. There was a spaniel playing fetch the stick from the water. She was having great fun, she said I should try it. I explained that I’m not allowed off lead as I’m rubbish at recall and would run away.
We got back to the cottage and I fell asleep on my bed. Apparently I was twitching in my sleep and snoring quite a lot. I don’t know what mum and dad were talking about, I didn’t hear anything.
Grisedale.
Yesterday was so exhausting, even for a fit and healthy Beagle Harrier like me, that I let mum and dad sleep in a bit. It rained overnight so everything was a bit more slippery when I went out with mum for a quick walk. We couldn’t get to the little shale area of Goldrill Beck as it was under the water from last night. We wandered about a bit and then we weren’t back long before I was swapped over and I went out with dad whilst mum pottered around in the cottage. We wandered a bit further than the morning and I could still feel the effects of my exertions from yesterday in my paws. It was nice to be out and about and I even met some other furs. Everyone is so nice here, all the humans say hello and the furs have a sniff of each other.
They were setting up the cricket pitch so I made sure dad and I had a snooter around before heading off up a road we had never been on before. This isn’t surprising as I’d only been here 1.5 days. I wanted to look over every drystone wall, climb every bank, look through every gate and smell every hedge possible. We wandered for about 2 miles and then dad thought we should return to see what mum was up to. When she found out where we had been, I think she had jealous ears as she said we should go back and see what it’s like further along the path. So off we strolled, me in the lead as usual, showing mum and dad the way. I was so happy to see all the hills and rivers and smell all the lovely scents. Then we were off the tarmac and onto the rocky path before I knew it and going toward somewhere called Grisedale Tarn. A tarn is a small lake in the big Lakes. We wandered past loads of sheep, some cows and lots of people coming in the opposite direction. They all seemed really nice again, and everyone commented on how handsome I was. We went on for ages and the path was getting closer to the misty clouds. This was another adventure, and it was great. I drank out of most of the becks on the way up and walked through most of the muddiest and boggiest parts of the path. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the Lakeland experience as much as possible. It started to get a bit steep and rocky so we decided that we would cross a bigger river and then descend on another path. I was leading the way as usual, my intrepidness coming to the fore. We came back down and strolled back past the sheep and cows again. I wasn’t allowed to say hello to them as they kept on running away. I was kept on a very tight lead by mum, which was clearly for the best. When we got back to Patterdale, I was allowed in the little village shop and the lady was really nice and gave me a biscuit. Mum and dad were a bit worried as I had really dirty paws, but the lady in the shop just smiled and said I was handsome. The biscuit was very nommy too.
I was tired, this place is great but it makes me feel sleepy with all the walking, climbing, splashing about in muddy puddles and general Beagling I have to do.
Ambleside & Grasmere
Don’t say anything to mum and dad but I was still quite tired this morning. Mum and I went for a walk of about 3.5 miles and I saw a deer and squirrels. Dad went off for a run, and we got back before him but he still looked very happy with what he’s done. We had a couple of big walking days so didn’t go out until later in the morning. For some reason my parents decided to try and go to Ambleside and Grasmere on a Bank Holiday. I tried to warn them, but what can you do. We got there and both towns were packed out. I tried to tell mum and dad that maybe these people were there to see me, but they weren’t having any of it.
Kirkstone Pass
When we got back to the cottage we decided that it would be better to walk to Brotherswater which was a fairly straightforward stroll of 3 miles each way. It was great, I met loads of people and other furs, but I wasn’t allowed to play “fetch the stick from the water” – again. There was a lady spaniel there and she was having a great time, but for some reason mum and dad thought I would run away. Would I?? Here in the Lakes?? We wandered down by the shoreline and then I decided it would be good fun to drag dad up a really steep bank. Not sure he enjoyed it as much as I did.
Brotherswater
By the time we were on our way back I was getting more tired and even dad noticed that I wasn’t pulling so much on the lead. But we went past a farm with some sheep and I got a second wind. He didn’t enjoy that either. But it was as much as I could do to flop onto my bed when I got back to the cottage.
When we went to the White Lion in the evening, I was recognised by the people behind the bar. I even got a tickle and a gravy bone. It’s always nice to know that my reputation precedes me. We had a table booked, apparently it’s so I can’t see other furs in the pub. I can see them, I can smell them but don’t have the heart to tell mum and dad as they think I can’t. To be honest I settled down really quickly until a very nice lady called Paula wanted a big snog off me. How could I resist her. She said she had lost her JRT last year, so it was clearly my job to show her that she needs another fur for company. I also reminded all the other peeps in the pub that I was back – aroooo. I think everyone loves me. They all seemed to like me, I hope so as I’ve been working hard on my charm. Have I mentioned I was very tired.
Pooley Bridge
I woke up with a pawly paw. So it was decided that we would take it a bit easier after 30 odd miles pretty much uphill and down dale in the previous few days. We chilled out for a while and then decided it would be fun to go to the most northerly part of Patterdale, a place called Pooley Bridge. This was where the bridge washed away in the terrible floods earlier in 2016 and there is now a temporary bridge there. When we got there, we parked quickly and were soon on our paws to the lakeside to explore the area. There are some great views from the waters edge, but there were also billions of little midge things that were attacking everyone. We wandered around the edge of the water and they took some photos with the boats on the water. It was very nice to see the area from a different place, but there were loads of midges.
Pooley Bridge pupster
In the evening we went to the pub, as we were all hungry and they wanted a drink. They had some dinner and we were sitting there chitter chattering (I was sleeping!!). What I didn’t know was that they had arranged to meet Raffa Beagle and her mum who had come up for the following day and were planning on doing some zooms with us. Before Raffa and her mum arrived, my mum and dad were talking to some ladies about something called the Coast to Coast walk of about 192 miles. This is quite a long way, even for a Beagle Harrier, so it was interesting to listen to them, in between me trying to sleep. When Raffa and her mum arrived I was still sleeping. I was awoken by a wet nose sticking through the balustrade. This was Raffa, in case you’re wondering. Raffa is very nice and her mum gave me loads of tickles and belly rubs, so I was very happy to see them both.
The lovely Raffa Beagle
Having said that I did go back to sleep after they had been talking for quite a while and so did Raffa. All the humans were very impressed with us being so calm and being able to sleep.
Grisedale walks with Raffa
We woke up and I knew that something different was on the cards. Mum and dad were fussing about and making sure I was ready to go. We met up with Raffa and her mum outside the pub and I greeted Raffa with an arooo and a nose bump. She seems quite nice. There was much chattering whilst we wandered along. Raffa and I sniffed and arooed at each other as we had never met before. I found out that she had a pawly leg from a week ago, so I was more gentle than usual when I meet another fur. I’m usually quite boisterous and like to jump and play. When Raffa said her shoulder was bad, I thought I should be gentlemanly.
We went up the Grisedale valley and I showed Raffa all the sheep and cows that I had seen a couple of days before. She was quite impressed and the views up toward Helvellyn were really great. We sniffed about on the grass and when the sheep were too near we arooed in unison to move them away. Teamwork all the way. We even managed to get one sheep that leapt over Raffa and her mum, when it felt a little penned in by a gate. We were arooing so much at one point that the farmers came out of their house to see what all the kerfuffle was. Fortunately we were both on very tight leads so we couldn’t get anywhere near the sheep. We didn’t chase them, just arooed at them. I don’t think the sheep wanted to play anyway. We seemed to walk for ages, and the humans were chattering to each other. Raffa & I just patrolled and sniffed about in the long grass. Raffa also nommed some sheep do-do’s which was horrible but apparently she said its quite tasty. I didn’t believe her so I decided against this little delicacy. We were quite a way up the path and Raffa told me she was getting tired so we turned round and wandered back. Raffa had a ride in her chariot so that she didn’t injure her shoulder any more, which wouldn’t have been good. My dad even helped push her chariot, I suppose thats what humans are there for really.
Accompanying Raffa through Grisedale
We went to the boat house coffee place near Glenridding for the humans to have coffee and buns, and Raffa had some lunch and I ate biscuit noms. It was really nice as there were loads of other people there, as well as many furs coming and going. The nice ladies in the the coffee place even put out the awning when it started raining. Raffa had a sleep as she had woofed she was a bit tired. Whilst Raffa wasn’t looking, I thought it would be a good idea to remind Raffa’s mum that she had promised me belly rubs and tickles.
Sleep well sweetie. Now, where are those promised tickles?
Once they had been administered, I went back to my mum to give me more tickles as well. I managed to sit on her lap to watch the world go by. It was great, apart from the rain, and the views are brilliant. I wanted to stay but Raffa had to go home, so we wandered back slowly along the road. I thought it would be polite to give Raff another nose bump which she gave back. I did blush a little, as my rufty tufty image was being dismantled. We are pals, which is good as I like being friends with other furs, especially Beagles. We said our farewells so that Raffa and her mum could go home again. I had a great time with them.
Once Raffa & her mum had left to go home, I had sad ears but I knew I had a new friend for life. Actually I had 2 new friends as I think Auntie J quite liked me. She certainly liked my arooing ability. We went to the White Lion and I got more gravy bones from the landlady. And Paula, the nice lady who wanted snogs earlier in the week was there, so I had more tickles and belly rubs to help me sleep more soundly.
Keswick
I still had a bit of a pawly paw, so after our early morning strolls around Goldrill Beck and Side Farm, we relaxed for a while before we all got in the car to go somewhere I had never been before. We drove alongside Ullswater and then took a fast road to a place called Portinscale, which is near Keswick. Mum and dad decided that we could take a walk through the woods and paths near the quieter side of Derwentwater. We went through the woods and along streams and trails toward a hill called Catbells. I couldn’t see any cats, and I certainly couldn’t hear any bells. I wonder who gives the hills their names? We didn’t climb the hill as I was getting quite a few scents and was pulling on the lead and harnesses. I have two bungee leads and a harness so I can sniff and wander around somewhat. We skirted round the edges of Catbells for a while and then strolled back along the road toward Keswick. It was at this point that I became quite agitated. It was only when mum & dad saw about a thousand grouse in the fields and road that they realised why my behaviour changed so quickly. Once we got back to Portinscale, the grouse were a distant memory and I was back to walking somewhat nicely. When we arrived in Keswick, it was market day. There were so many people there, that we were a bit worried that it might be a bit much for me. There were an awful lot of furs there, but I was a really good boy and many people complemented me on my good behaviour. I kept on looking in all the push chairs or strollers for Raffa, but she wasn’t there. I was disappointed as I wanted to walk with her again. I even nose bumped a small human child who was in the stroller. I think they enjoyed it!
Whilst we were in Keswick we went to the Dog Shop which sells plenty of things for us furry friends. We didn’t buy anything, as apparently I have everything I could want, but mum managed to step in ice cream on the pavement. She wasn’t very happy. Keswick is great as nearly every shop is dog friendly, which means we can go in and explore most places.
When we got back to the house we recuperated and then went to the White Lion for our last evening in the pub. We had our normal table so I could survey everyone coming and going. Not that it mattered much as I spent 99% of my time sleeping like a good boy. Sometimes when the door opened I looked up expecting Raffa to wander in with her mum.
Is that Raffa? Oh, ok.
She didn’t. I had sad ears as I was beginning to realise that this was my last night in the Lakes and Raffa had gone home. I managed to get one last tickle and snog from Paula who was also going home the next day. And, of course, a gravy bone was duly provided and scoffed with glee. My last night in lovely Patterdale was great, we really enjoyed it all. I wanted to stay.
The next morning we had to go home. So we packed all of our things into the car and headed south, down the motorway and back home to my house. I have been on a wonderful holiday to a beautiful place and met a great new pal. I am a very lucky Beagle Harrier.
Dexter 