Good morning world. Just in from our walk. She’s off making coffee so I thought I’d warm her chair up for her. It’s a bit of a grey, drizzly day out there and all the rain yesterday made things a bit muddy, so we stuck to the paths today. Mostly. Well, she did. I don’t mind mud. She keeps muttering about baths again though…I did try and help there, but she wouldn’t let me in the duck pond….

We had a wander up to the Manor grounds. I quite like it there, as there is a lot of space to run and I like running. Usually a few pheasants to chase too. In summer there are sheep and tourists which puts it out of bounds. I’m not allowed to chase them. I only want to play though!

The enemy

The trees are still bare and there are not a lot of flowers yet, but you can tell it is changing. You can sniff the Spring in the air… well I can…I know you humans are not as well equipped in that department.

So I know she is all springtime too. Even though it is silent and still here apart from the clatter of her keyboard and that dratted song she keeps singing… I mean, I’m a dog, and even I know the words….the house is buzzing, electric.. enough to make the fur stand on end like I’ve been rolling on a nylon rug.

She has that same feel about her. She’s hobbling round groaning at bruises still and wearing the steel things on her wrists, yet she feels like the ground as the snowdrops are coming through.

Springtime

It’s quite odd really how differently you seem to appear to each other. You dress in funny clothes instead of just your own fur, pretend to smile when you are sad, and hide the joy you feel in case anyone notices. You are complicated creatures, aren’t you?

Now, we dogs, we just observe and sniff and we Know. You can’t hide from us. I know who I have to guard her from and who I can just jump on and get hugs. I know when she is pretending to be happy or when she is going to burst with laughter. I know when she is absently reaching a hand down to stroke me, all preoccupied, or when she is really here with me.

‘Course, if you saw her when we play, you’d probably think she was as daft as me. Maybe I should rephrase that? No… it’s pretty accurate. She gets down on the floor and we growl at each other, looking deep into each other’s eyes. Sometimes I think she can speak dog. I’m not sure she understands the whole panting thing though and it puzzles me when she does it. But she chases me round the table. Or curls up and hides her face so I have to dig her out then we roll around the floor in a heap. We laugh a lot.

It is those moments when she puts the world aside and is just here with me that are the real ones. She can’t hide and doesn’t try. I never do… there’s no point. I’m a dog. We are always here and now.

Oohoo…. Excuse me! She’s putting my toys in the toy box and she’s got the hoover-monster out!   Can’t have that… Next time, people!

Much love,

Ani x