This and That Sunday

Gosh, Autumn is such a lovely time of year, don't you think? Gail took me for a walk in Blackhall Forest yesterday afternoon, and the colours were so pretty, despite the heavy rain and biting northerly wind.

As you can see, I'm not one to let a bit of bad weather crush my natural bounciness.

I'm in extra good spirits just now as Gail just told me that my poodle cousins, Percy and Coco, are coming to stay with us in Aberdeen for a few days next week. They are bringing Gail's brother and sister-in-law too. Won't that be fun!

I believe that Percy and Coco have never before been to the seaside, so I am thinking of organising a special beach walk experience for them. I mean, it wouldn't be right for a dog to go through life never ever having had the chance to roll in decomposing fish, or dead seal blubber, now would it.....?

You might remember that Percy and Coco are HUGE poodles - Percy especially. But don't worry, I've been practising fraternising with the Big Boys in Duthie Park recently.

Do you like my new friends?

At the other end of the spectrum, size-wise, I have a brand new next-door neighbour, a cocker spaniel puppy, Stroma (named after a little island just off Scotland's northern coast). She's only ten weeks old and we don't have a picture of her yet. She's a pretty pale brown colour and what I like about her most at the moment is that she's making me look like a model of perfect manners. Yes really! Apparently wee Stroma is driving her humans to distraction, keeping them up all night, whimpering loudly if they ever leave her sight and pee-ing and poo-ing everywhere except the back yard where she's supposed to go. 

Of course, I was never like that! Were you?

Good news from Human Granny

Can you believe that we came all the way down to Nottingham and a certain person failed to bring with her any sort of a device for taking photographs?

And when I complained about having no pictures to illustrate this post I just got a lecture about how I was supposed to be focussing today on Human Granny, who doesn't like having her photo taken anyway. And how nobody's world would come to an end for having to wait a few more days to see new images of my handsome phizog (or should that be phuzzog?)

So. We went to visit HGY in her nice new 'care home'. Gosh I thought Gail was skating on thin ice when she greeted her mother by saying, "Hi, you're looking well, I think you've put on weight".

Now we all know that etiquette is a sensitive and complicated issue, where humans are concerned. Being a dog, I can't pretend to have mastered more than the basics, but until today I was pretty sure you were ABSOLUTELY NOT supposed to tell a lady she has got fatter (even if she has). Only now I learn it's probably OK, if and only if, said lady has recently been very ill and had shrunk to almost nothing.

Well it's certainly true that HGY seemed jolly pleased to see both me and Gail, although apparently she had been a bit alarmed earlier in the day when Gail's brother and sister-in-law pitched up at the home with my two standard poodle cousins, Coco and Percy (he's HUGE). 

I need hardly tell you I was a big hit with all the care home staff and residents. As, I'm told, were Percy and Coco.

Well, OK, one old lady did look a bit grumpy when I trotted past, but Human Granny later told us "she's a right old misery, never happy about anything".

Oh how lucky we are that there is nothing of the 'right old misery' about HGY. She seems quite bright and cheerful, enjoying having time to read books and write letters to her many friends and not having to worry about cooking and housework. Really she is doing so well making the best of her new and more constricted life. I feel very proud to have such a brave Human Granny.

Gail, I hope we going to see her again soon?

Scenes from Christmas Day

Dawn walk near the River Trent

Quiet time remembering Human Grandad

Visiting the poodle cousins in Derbyshire

Present opening excitement!

The natural reaction to a poodle wearing antlers...

Ending the day beside new octopus friend

Remarkable events past and present

I know you've been all agog to hear about my stay with Human Granny.

Did you know that HGY was evacuated to Canada during World War Two? What an adventure that must have been. She was only nine years old when she left, and didn't see her parents for the next four years. But unlike many evacuees, she was treated with kindness and generosity by her adoptive family and has happy memories of her remarkable experience. She does admit she was a bit frightened of 'Aunt' Florence's bulldog at first, although I can't imagine why anyone would be nervous of a creature so closely resembling my darling, beautiful Addi….

I am telling you this 'cos I am learning that Human Granny is still stoical and resilient, and she still enjoys getting out and about despite her arthritis and deafness, both quite severe now. Gail says it is 'real' deafness, and not the selective variety that I suffer from, although I don't quite know what this is supposed to mean.

Well anyway, last weekend, Gail and I took HGY on a trip to see Gail's brother and his family in their lovely farmhouse home on the edge of the Peak District.


You will remember my poodle cousins Percy and Coco.

They haven't got any smaller. Or less bossy.

I was banned from paying a visit to an even larger resident whose name is Susie.


Wasn't HGY brave to stand so close?

Anyway, we had a super day out. So I was bouncing with excitement when I learned that there was to be another excursion to Cambridge three days later.

Just my sort of place, I hear you thinking. All those intellectual types, world famous scientists etc. Perhaps we might bump into Professor Stephen Hawking? I was so looking forward to a serious discussion about the latest findings on gravity waves.

It was not to be.

Turns out Gail was taking HGY to a funeral, off limits to pups, so I was left at home, alone with my dog-eared copy of 'A Brief History of Time'.

Too soon, it was time to return to Aberdeen.

As I think I've explained before, the train journey from HGY's house to Aberdeen is complicated. At Newark-on-Trent we have to walk a mile between stations.

A most remarkable event occurred as we passed though the market square in Newark. We encountered a photographer who ignored ME and was only interested in taking pictures of the bloke under the purple and yellow umbrella. Yes really!


All over Newark there were swarms of humans festooned in these 'UKIP' badges and in fact none of them seemed to appreciate my good looks.

Gail thinks my mixed black, brown and white colouring might not be to their tastes…

Well of course we also stopped again in Edinburgh. Here I was forced to spend ages standing around in the rain, just so Gail could take this photograph, which she insists records a noteworthy event. Can you see anything remarkable about it?

Me neither. Perhaps someone will enlighten me?