Actually, I have no idea why I just said that. I read it somewhere. I think it was on Fidopedia from a nursery rhyme – ‘Christmas is coming, the turkey’s getting fat, put a penny in the old man’s hat’. Well, I can tell you it is all a bit silly. I have grabbed his hat and there isn’t much in it … regardless of whether his head is in it or not! Actually, I think I may have mentioned this before, but he isn’t all that bright … the turkey voted for Christmas, if you get my gist. Anyway, the thing is, I have been busy preparing my Christmas cards recently. I have tried to paw deliver them but some are just sooo far away (there are some addresses that are even further than Reigate Hill!) so I have had to resort to posting a few.
This post lark is quite interesting actually. You stuff them in a red box – a bit like a poo bag bin but with no lid – and then they seem to arrive at the address you have put on the front of the envelope. Clearly a human thing but actually one of the better human inventions. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, him. Well, I had decided that I would paw deliver my card to my friend Charlie in France so I had a woof with him and started to make plans. I had it all worked out, get up early, get in the c..c..c..car (there is always a bit of a downside) and pop down to Folkestone to get a quick Le Shuttle across to France and then pop down to see Charlie. I had even worked out the timings to get my worming tablet from the vet before we went. Then he remembered that I have an appointment with my personal surgeon, Bonito de la Puerta, on the 20th December and that until then I am not allowed any running, no off lead, no excitement, no playing. He said that I would want to play with my friend Charlie and that it was too high a risk. So, as usual, he spoiled all my fun. He has promised that I can go and see Charlie in January when I am given the all clear for a bit of fun – I shall hold him to that!
So, since I last put paw to keyboard, I have been getting a bit more exercise locally. I have been walking up Bay Pond path quite a bit, although because it has been fairly muddy we have been avoiding Green Lane and tending to walk all the way to the end of Church Lane and down Oxted Road. I have also been exploring some new routes that don’t involve anything too muddy. It isn’t that I mind much but he is always complaining (actually, just leave it at that … he is always complaining) about me coming home covered in mud and spreading it around the house! On Sunday evening Bren and Mrs Cheese came for dinner. I was very well behaved (which I made up for the next evening!). I had to pop up and say hello on the sofa. I’m not sure that Bren looks all that pleased, but Mrs Cheese is always pleased to see me and she smiles a lot. Actually, I’ve noticed she smiles even more if she has had a couple of glasses of something white, but I’m sure that’s just my charm and good looks!
On Monday it was cold again and I almost had to drag him out for a walk! He was moaning as usual that it was cold and slippery and that if I pulled him too much he would fall over. I would have laughed my paws off if he did. When we were on our way back down Oxted Road it did start to snow a bit and it was a bit of a cold wind. He seemed to be in a bit of a rush to get back – I couldn’t work out whether it was because he was cold or whether there was another reason. It transpires he was going to see a man about his shoulders/neck/arm pain. (It turns out he has a couple of prolapsed discs in his neck but that isn’t going to change my life, so I’ve lost interest already.) When he returned from his trip to see the man about his pains (wimp!), he only announced that he had to go to London to meet some Belgians! Nice. Don’t worry about me then! The good thing was that I got to spend the afternoon having some quality time with Richard which was nice. Simon was also in decorating the lounge, so I had good company! In the evening we went round to Bren and Mrs Cheese for rack of lamb (well, they had that … I had already eaten). Apparently it was lovely but since I wasn’t getting any and I had been very good on the previous evening I decided that I would be a bit naughty (well quite a bit naughty actually) so he decided we were going to have to go home after they had eaten. I have a feeling this may result in more teaching me to be on my own so that they can go out without me!
By Tuesday the weather had cheered up a bit. It still very cold but the snow had all but gone and the sun had come out. As we visited my favourite spot on Bay Pond path I noticed that there was ice on the water, so it was obviously pretty cold. I must admit that since Richard decided to join him and work from home it has been nice that both of them come out for a walk with me. It is nice because I don’t have to put up with his moans and grumbles all the time. By way of example, I had just produced a steaming two bagger on Bay Pond path (I still haven’t got around to leaving Angela her present yet) and what did he say? “Cor blimey! You need a strong stomach to deal with this end of him!”. How rude! He has always got something he is moaning about.
In the clean crisp air I have noticed that some smells seem to carry more than others. (That is no excuse for the way he talks about me sometimes.) As we take our morning walk (he doesn’t take many photos in our afternoon walks as it is often dark) I have found all sorts of new things to sniff. Not only that but I have noticed that the cologne of other animals smells much stronger. For example, I have noticed that the horses could do with a bit of a hose down. They are a bit whiffy. Actually, talking of getting a bit of a bath, I am off to see Chloe from Waggies of Godstone tomorrow for a bit of a wash and brush up. I sort of regard it as a bit of a spruce up in time for Christmas. I shall be returning to hydrotherapy and my personal therapists Emily and Katie very soon and getting a slot for a bath in between is quite a challenge because I have to be careful about the shampoo that I use because it could contaminate the water.
Actually, I should have been returning to my personal therapists, Emily and Katie at Hydrohounds next week but they have the builders in for a spot of refurbishment. I didn’t like to tell them that we had the builders in last May and he is hopeful they might finally get the house straight for Christmas! So it won’t be long until Christmas. My Auntie Jo is coming, so is Grandma and Nana and Grandad and Zena and Simon and Jake – I am going to be soooo excited! I think I overheard him saying something about turkey too, so I think that maybe he is looking for a fat turkey like the rhyme said. I know he hasn’t got one because I would have sniffed it out by now.
So, next week I will visit my personal surgeon, Bonito de la Puerta, for a proper examination (I go to sleep so I don’t mind) and, assuming that he is happy with my x-rays, I will be able to start doing the things I like to do again … run, jump, play, see my friends … it has been a long haul but I think things are looking promising. That said, I have sneakily been doing quite a lot of jumping up recently which he says he is going to have to speak to my personal trainer, Amanda from Happy Buddies, about. I secretly hope he does because I haven’t seen her for ages! Tomorrow we are having new carpets fitted so I am going to have to try and keep even more clean. No pressure then! Oh well, life in this house is never dull. Anyway, I’m suffering from paw ache now so I’ll wrote again soon, for now, must paws … ????
