BEST NEWS EVER !!!

Gosh I am simply beside myself with joy!

I have just learned that, before we went on holiday to Germany, Gail submitted an email to her boss. Although Gail has not revealed to me the precise text, I believe that the gist of it was as follows:

"Dear Boss,
This is to give notice of my plan to retire from my job at the end of the year. My retirement plans include spending more time with my dog, taking him for lots of long walks to interesting places, going to visit his favourite friends, home-baking him tasty, liver-based treats, sitting patiently as he sleeps cuddled on my lap, playing tuggy-toy with appropriate growling noises, gently rubbing his adorable ears and allowing him to lick my hand or foot for as long as his little doggy heart desires...
No doubt the company will somehow manage fine without me. As they say, the graveyard is full of indispensable men (and women)...
Best regards, Gail."

Perhaps my friends have some further ideas for how Gail might use her new found freedom?

PS from Gail: The first sentence in Bertie's imagined version of my email above was at least accurate! 

A perfect day

Gosh I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Gail's friend Carol.

After all, without her intervention, it is quite possible that I would have ended up spending all of Saturday inside, watching Gail watching replays of a certain Rugby World Cup Semi-Final* on her laptop, and missing the opportunity of a fine walk around the Braes of Gight in the late October sunshine.

But fortunately Carol had earlier in the week suggested an outing to this lovely corner of Aberdeenshire, and held Gail to the plan. So late morning, after the rugby game had finished, we drove out to Methlick and then spent a magical few hours exploring the ancient woodland along the banks of the River Ythan. The humans even claim to have spotted an otter casually gliding down the middle of the river while we were all enjoying our picnic lunch (I'll admit I was too busy chewing my pig's ear to notice it).

I'm not saying that Gail resisted turning on the rugby highlights again when we got home...

*England 19 New Zealand 7

Companionship

photo by our friend Michael in Germany

Though the path may be rough

We walk together.

When the going gets tough

We walk together.

Side by side through life's worst

We walk together.

In friendship and trust

We walk together.

Superglued to the sofa...

So Gail and I arrived home in Aberdeen on Saturday evening, after ending our big trip abroad with a pleasant couple of days staying with friends in Yorkshire.

Over the past two weeks I have travelled on or in the following:

• 24 trains* in 3 countries 
• 2 ferries (Stena Line, from Harwich to Hoek van Holland and back) 
• 2 cars (in Bavaria and Yorkshire)
• 2 urban metros (Hoek van Holland to Schiedam and back) 
• 1 cable car (Breitenberg Bahn) 
• 1 bus (no. 46 York to Pocklington)

At all times I was a good boy and was never sick.

I think I now deserve some sofa time...

*The trains were: (1) Aberdeen to Newcastle, (2) Newcastle to Newark North Gate, (3) Newark Castle to Nottingham, (4) Nottingham to London St Pancras, (5) London Liverpool Street to Harwich, (6) Schiedam to Rotterdam, (7) Rotterdam to Utrecht, (8) Utrecht to Köln, (9) Köln to Mainz, (10) Mainz to Darmstadt, (11) Darmstadt to Augsburg, (12) Augsburg to Buchloe, (13) and (14), Buchloe to Biessenhofen and back, (15) Landsberg am Lech to Kaufering, (16) Kaufering to Buchloe, (17) Buchloe to Augsburg, (18) Augsburg to Düsseldorf, (19) Düsseldorf to Utrecht, (20) Utrecht to Rotterdam, (21) Rotterdam to Schiedam, (22) Harwich to London Liverpool Street, (23) London Kings Cross to York, (24) York to Aberdeen.