Oh a riot!

No, silly, of course I wasn't really involved in a riot.

But can you spot the anagram...?

Last Sunday was my long anticipated Deeside rendezvous with my wiry pal HORATIO.

He is the best company ever.

Horatio and his family (including golden cocker spaniel Tilly) were on holiday, staying in a house on the Queen's Balmoral Estate. We all met up on Sunday for a walk in the hills near Ballater. Here's a team photo taken at the finish.

Left to right: Amanda, Bertie, Horatio, Scott, Tilly, Sylvia

Gail persuaded me to dress for the occasion in my red tartan scarf. Doesn't it blend nicely with Scott's splendid socks?

By the way, we are NOT kissing in the above photo. Oh no. That would be girlie, and we are rather boisterous boys, even if Horatio does still need training in how to pee the manly way.

Talking of boisterous, does your human ever exhort you to "play nicely"?

It's a phrase I hear a lot.

The problem is, I've come to realise, humans and wire-haired fox terriers have different ideas about what constitutes playing nicely (as was clear in Durris Forest with wee Kate).

Well I'm delighted to report that Horatio and I are in perfect agreement that chasing around at top speed and jumping on each other, accompanied by lots of barking and growling is just the nicest sort of recreation. Oh we had a fine old time of it, even if it was Horatio doing most of the chasing and me the running away... And Gail claims she still has a bruise on her shin from when I crashed into her at full tilt during one of our games. 

However, the best bit of the day was lunch. (When isn't it?)

This wee video illustrates the peaceful scene.

I hope you noticed how well Horatio and I acted as a team, me as decoy whilst he raided the backpack...

After lunch, Horatio insisted on washing his paws in a ditch, which I found most extraordinary. Especially as, having jumped in, he couldn't figure a way out. 

Perhaps there is something in this idea that WFT's are crackers after all....

But come on, you couldn't possibly deny that we make a perfect pair? 

If only Gail would bring a brother home for me.

Oh, by now I expect you are wondering what happened to that promised leg lifting tutorial? Well to be perfectly honest, with all the excitement, I clean forgot about it. And then, when right at the end of the outing I did remember, my young pupil was too tired to lift even a paw.