Travel Tips

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? We come back from a
grocery store with the most amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow.
They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! ----- Anne Tyler

Here she is in all her glory.... what a lil cuddly bundle she is....

This is a dog who knows a cuddle when she sees one, is fond of giving bright green frog toys a good pasting, likes squeaky toys and is a *biscuit person*. She also brings and throws her food bowls at you if she is hungry, tells you if she is cold and likes to get into the bed and play hot water bottles with legs.....

What a pain in the neck this lil dog is! He follows you everywhere, throws himself screaming at the bathroom door if you lock him out, growls at everyone, bites people and piddles everywhere....

He has no sense of size and will attack large alsatians and rottweilers, he chases and kills rabbits and defends the home with all his little body.....

Yes, they look innocent..... but not really....

for some reason best known to himself, Mickie 3 decided that he would get into the laundry basket... then he couldn't get out again....

sigh

Mickie is constantly asking for attention, to be picked up, cuddled, confirmation that he is doing what is required... none of my other dogs were this nervous....

Sparks was my First Dog. I came home early from a month long holiday to take this little puppy home. I waited years to have my own dog. The very first night we took home to Carlos and Raquel's for dinner and he curled up under my chair. The scene was set for him to be a Dinner Party Dog. From that moment on he was very sociable, listened to what people said, developed a life long love affair with pate and fine food, sat and talked to the children he encountered. He embarassed me no end at parties, once by appearing with a pair of my knickers in his mouth and galloping around the garden waving them like a flag!

He was sensitive, intelligent, vocal and caring. A wonderful sense of humour too. It was like having another person around the place. I would tell him my concerns and he would sigh deeply in all the right places.

He slept with his head on the hearth in front ot the fire, sucessfully said *no* to dog food for 17 years, went everywhere with me including to work, told me when he was ill, chased animals on the TV, tried to duke it out with a JCB to *defend* me, fell in the pond trying to eat frogspawn.

He is now buried in the garden, wrapped in his favourite blanket and with his toys. Chase as many rabbits and chickens as you like in your dreams Sparks, you've earned it. Mummy loves you so much. Go to sleep now, there's a good boy.

Carlos, my dear friend, I am so very sorry you died... I am so very sorry that I will never see you again, hear your laugh, hold you, talk down a bottle of wine with you, spend time with you. We have been friends for nearly all my life and we grew up together, shared successes and disappoinments, had holidays, had brilliant dinners and now I can't do that anymore. I miss your sense of humour, the music we played together, the times we sat and talked, disagreed and still had that warmth and caring only a true friendship can have. I miss singing for you, Mini Mog, measuring Sebastian's height in the hallway, taking the gentle mickey out of Raquel's accent, feeling like when I stepped into your home I was forever on holiday. I am so terribly lonely without you, mate... sleep well my friend.... All my love, Sue XXXXXX