OCTOBER 2025

I hope you all had a good summer.  I traveled a lot and swam a lot.  This summer I also sunbathed and as you can see – I have a lovely tan….

It was good to explore my second home again, sniffing all the boundaries and playing with my other toys that I had forgotten about.  I did slip away once as I picked up an enticing scent on the air which my instincts told me belonged to a lady dog who might welcome a bit of company. However, I was not successful and my escapade ended with an impromptu meeting of all the French neighbours in our little hamlet, instead of my dream of a romantic interlude. After travelling around the immediate area with my nose in the air trying to catch that scent I hadn’t gone very far when I heard voices calling. Unfortunately my French is a bit limited and I didn’t understand that they were calling me.   When I was eventually collared by Monsieur Louis and his wife Yvonne who trotted me towards home we came across all the neighbours who had been out looking for me – I didn’t realise I was so popular!  The Boss and the Mrs were relieved to see me and I had to sit and wait while they all had a jolly good chinwag.   Alas I never did find the lady dog with the enticing perfume – that’s why I probably look a bit sad in this photo…….

 

SEPTEMBER 2025

Football – one of my favourite games.  I am very attached to my football, so much so that even when the Mrs plays footy with me I don’t willingly let go of the ball.  She has tried to tackle me when she thinks I am not looking only to be disappointed when I pounce quickly and snatch the ball from her carefully aimed kick just before it makes contact.  Once clenched in my jaws she finds it very difficult to get it off me with the normal rules of football and often has to resort to devious means with another ball to play with, a chance to retrieve teddy from where he has been lobbed or, on the rare occasion, with a biscuit treat……….I must admit I have fallen for the latter on the odd occasion….

Having watched football many times on the TV with the Boss, among every other game involving a ball that he watches, I have learnt some mean moves.  Keepy Uppy is a trifle difficult sometimes but I have finessed the art of throwing the ball in the air.  Sometimes I can catch it and occasionally score a volley, but with others I chase it madly around the garden until I can clamp it with my paw and throw it up again.  The Boss will pass me an assist but then calls me a poacher or fox in the box when I retrieve the ball from the penalty area, namely the Mrs’s flower beds.  Mostly I play defender to stop the Mrs from getting the ball and making a chip shot over my head.  Sometimes she does a dummy run to try and fool me but I’ve yet to see her do a bicycle kick…….