Scotland, Mexico, and Best Wishes for 2019

To celebrate Gail's return from her Mexico holiday, I took her yesterday for a walk through farmland near the Deeside Gliding Club.

It was a excellent opportunity to remind her why she should be pleased to be home in Scotland. 

In case they're not obvious, let me list some of the reasons:

• Walks are more fun with your favourite WFT for company.
• The air in the North of Scotland is clean and free of pollution. 
• The ground is soft beneath the paws/feet.
• There is no danger of dehydration.
• Pale and freckly skinned humans can venture outdoors without slathering themselves in Factor 50 sunblock.
• We have 'right to roam' laws throughout our beautiful and uncrowded land.
• There will be a nearby café selling tea made in a proper teapot, and you don't have to ask for milk.
• Your WFT will bounce up on your lap for a nice cuddle when you put your feet up at the end of the walk.

Oh yes, and finally, you can go for dip in the river Dee without fear of encountering any of these guys...

Wishing all my lovely readers a Happy, Peaceful (and crocodile-free) New Year! 

Bertie's Christmas Message

Ahem!

I don't see why the Queen should have exclusive rights to the Christmas Message business. Do you?

Well it has been quite a year, 2016, I must say. What a funny old world this is. And not always in a good way.

For me, it has been a time to expand my horizons, and I want to tell you about a couple of the people I met on my big tour of Europe back in October.

It was late in the evening at the ferry terminal in Harwich when we came upon a bus-load of British Asians heading off for a weekend in Holland. A elderly, sari-clad lady tottered across to us, accompanied by her daughter. While the older lady made a big fuss of me, daughter acted as translator, telling us how her mother had owned a wire-haired fox terrier when she was a wee girl, and how seeing me would probably be the highlight of her trip.

Then there was the nice-looking young Argentinian in the hotel lobby in Amsterdam, who ran over the minute he spotted me and, struggling to hold back tears of emotion, explained how much he was missing Lupe, his beloved WFT, whom he'd left behind in Buenos Aires.

So you know what? It seems to me that humans all over the world, whatever their backgrounds, must have lots of things in common, if only they would take time to talk to each other with goodwill, and kindness in their hearts.

With that, I wish all my friends in every corner of the globe a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

Reconciliation

I know I’m a bit late with this, but did you watch the Queen’s Christmas Day message? 

No, me neither, but I gather the theme this year was ‘reconciliation’.

So being a loyal subject (and still, Your Maj, hoping for that invite to spend the weekend at Balmoral with the corgis...) I am going to tell you about my own personal efforts at reconciliation, which took place a few days ago, on New Year’s Eve and were, by and large, successful.

We were back in Scotland, but not at home in Aberdeen. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t quite sure where we were heading, as Gail drove up the A9 then through Inverness and several miles beyond.

I must say it all looked rather promising when I saw this sign through the car windscreen and Gail said, “Nearly there Bertie".

We finally arrived at an unfamiliar house, but the moment I set paw on the front doorstep I picked up an all too familiar scent.

Imagine my horror when who should come galloping down the drive but my nemesis, flat-coated retriever Jake. Yes, he who inflicted those horrid wounds on my shoulder last September.

Jake’s master Neil quickly grabbed him by the collar and I nervously edged past them and into the house.

It turned out we were staying the night and celebrating the New Year with our Aberdeen neighbours Neil and Yvonne at their Highland retreat in the woods near Kiltarlity.

I have to say I was feeling a little tense at first, and stayed close to Gail. I noticed that Neil was keeping his hand near Jake’s collar, which was reassuring.

As the evening progressed, the humans relaxed as they emptied a bottle of Prosecco, then a bottle of Merlot, and then, as midnight approached, the Glenmorangie appeared. Jake and I caught the increasingly mellow mood, and when Gail suggested Yvonne take a group photo I only growled a little at being made to stand closer to Jake than I would have preferred.

(I fear Gail is looking just a teeny wee bit squiffy here….)

Next morning, we all went for a walk in the woods, Jake and I both off the lead, without incident.

So, not exactly best buddies yet, but there was at least some sort of a rapprochement.

Happy New Year!

Yes, Happy New Year to all my lovely friends. May you all have a simply brilliant 2015!

I wanted to list all the resolutions I have suggested that Gail makes, but, well, you know, she is not cooperating with this endeavour and is even telling me there will be little time for blogging over the next few days.

Not a good start to the year, in my opinion.

Well gosh, I must admit it, all this Christmas and New Year business has been quite exhausting for both Gail and me.

I think I shall take a wee nap. See you in few days time.

Zzzzz.

Post-Hogmanay Aberdeen

It is after nine a.m. on the 1st January 2014 and Gail finally rouses herself to take me for my morning walk.

Such tardiness is highly unusual in this household.

I heard a lot of loud bangs last night while Gail was out. She had told me not to worry, the noises would just be fireworks, but it turns out she was wrong.

I can exclusively reveal that a neutron bomb has hit my home town.

How else to explain that the buildings are still standing but human life is absent this morning?

As I enter Duthie Park, I finally spot something moving, unsteadily. I suspect a zombie but Gail insists that it is alive and human and tests her theory with a cheery "Happy New Year". The creature covers its ears with its hands and mumbles that it needs to take things quietly this morning…

Then something even more extraordinary occurs.

I am allowed to walk back from the park along the streets without my walking string attached! Gail responds to my quizzical look by pointing out that, with the complete lack of traffic, she thinks it a good time to test my compliance with the 'heel' command. I decide to stick close to Gail's ankle, hoping to lull her into a false sense of security which I can take advantage of on a future occasion.

Later in the day, we go for the traditional New Year sandblast promenade along the city beach, and I have to concede that my neutron bomb theory may need modifying.

I am now thinking that a miasma of some poisonous substance descended on Scotland in the night, from which the citizens took time to recover.

Using my forensic expertise, I have deduced that a chemical weapon, code named C₂H₅OH, was responsible.

Happy New Year!

New Year Dreams

Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers!

Don't forget to pursue your dreams in 2013...