Saturday 28 July 2007

OH I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE

They took my stitches out after about 10 days, and by then I was raring to go, but Martin said 'No!! Restricted exercise only!' - but what to vets know ?

A few days later when Dad came home at tea-time - he said to Mum, 'I'm taking Thalice to the beach.' I could tell Mum wasnt happy and said I was in escape mode at the moment and would run away - anyway I was supposed to be on restricted excercise. He said he would be careful and anyway I would obey him (?). I smiled sweetly...

I normally get to go out in Mum's dog car in the cage at the back, but Dad lets me go in the footwell of his lovely new clean and very smart car. This is really nice and I like it very much because I can touch his hand with my nose and he strokes my head.

We went to Prestatyn wher all the holiday makers go and as it was a nice day there were loads of people about. I just couldnt resist it - there was a big pool of my favourite murky brown water - even better because it was the consistency of slime. Oh what a fabulous time I had ! Out of the corner of my eye I could see people falling about laughing - but my Dad wasnt one of them - I dont know why ? Then I saw him leaping up and down shouting. Oh dear, I dragged myself out unwillingly and looked down at myself - I looked like a rather thin and dripping chocolate labrador.

Well, Dad wasnt happy to say the least - out came the lead and he marched me off down the beach for miles and miles until we got to Rhyl and he took me to a petrol station. I was hoping for a sandwich because I hadnt had my tea yet, but no he got the power wash and hosed me down trying to get all the slime off. Then he marched me all the way back to the car and took me home. I slept well that night, but I didnt get any tea.

The next day, Mum took one look at me and said, 'As if I havent got enough to do !' and she took me upstairs and gave me a bath. I hate baths and I hate being dried and she wasnt happy with me or my Dad. Still, at least I get my dinner when she is home.

I dont know how I manage to put up with these fickle humans.....I cant seem to do anything right.

APRIL AT THE VETS

I know Mum's been worried about the lumps on my tummy for a while, and another one appeared a couple of months ago in a rather private place. I had a test and they said it wasnt troublesome, but it started growing again so Mum took me in to have it and another one from my tummy removed. Now I dont normally mind the vet, but this meant not having any breakfast and thats no good. However, I like Martin the vet - he was very kind to Poppy when she was poorly.

They looked after me well, but I was so pleased to be collected by my mum. I didnt fell very well for the first few days and had to be taken back to the vets again and again. I think they were quite worried about me. They said I had been spayed at the same time and I was to have restricted excercise - Ha ! - Thats not my scene at all, now is it ?

About 6 days later, I still had my stitches in but was feeling much more like my old self, but they would only let me out in the yard and that is not really suitable. So I set to with my teeth and peeled back the fence. What a wimpy lot ! Only Sapphire would come with me - not in season this time though. I could hear them shouting my name but I couldnt be bothered to go back. I had a look in the pony field - nothing in there then I mooched past all the back gardens, cutting through a few of them. Then I though I would nip off to the Golf Course but who should be blocking my way - Dad ! 'A fair cop', I thought, I was a bit tired anyway.

When I got back, Sapphire had only gone straight round to the front of the house - she's obviously inherited the wrong genes...

Better luck next time, eh ?

SWIMMING IN THE ESS ESS ESS EYE

I ike going out with Dad because we go to different places - Mum just takes us to the Topfield - not that I'm complaining, but it means I have to explore further afield - the more fields the better is what I say !! So when she thinks I have run away and keeps shouting me , I am only making things more interesting for myself where she cant see me and wont get upset....
She decided earlier this year to take me swimming at a dog swimming pool. She took Sapphire first because she was supposed to be getting fit for showing, but Sapphire didnt like it and it wasnt doing her coat any good, so unfortunately it was my turn. Now I do like proper water - the sort that is a nice brown colour with an earthy smell, but this was green with a horrible smell. Well I knew I wouldnt like it so I kept trying to make for the edge and get out. I splashed really hard and mum got soaked. On the way home she said she didnt know why she bothered and wouldnt be taking me again - whew !!

Anyway, Dad said he wanted to walk up Moel Findeg and did Mum want to come too ? They put me, Flash and Sapphire in the car too and we went and parked up at the entrance where there was a big sign. I saw mum reading it and muttering something about EssEssEssEye. Flash and Sapphire are Goody Two Shoes and always come back when called - they dont know what they are missing ! I lulled M and D into a false sense of security by staying fairly hany for a bit, and just as they werent looking - I legged it ! I could hear them shouting me and Dad saying - 'Put them on a lead' - Hee hee, I am naughty and they get put on leads !!

Well I had my fun and decided to go back to them and they sat on a big stone next to the pond - the sort that is a nice brown colour with an earthy smell - just my kind of water ! Well, I just dont understand it ? They were shouting at me and saying S.S.S.I. No idea what they were on about - it was a lovely place to swim - I stayed there as long as I wanted - it was heaven. I had to laugh - poor Flash thought the green part of the pond was grass and he tried to walk on it and fell in !! Even Sapphire had a paddle.

Mean time Mum and Dad were pink and shouting. We all got our leads put on and were taken home....

THE GREAT ESCAPE -MUM'S STORY

Fleet kept coming to the gate and rushing off again - it took me a while to twig what he was trying to tell me..
After my neighbour had towed my car out of the mud, I hastily thanked him and drove off to continue the search. I went up to the 'topfield' and checked the various access routes but there were no new paw prints so I had to assume they had not gone that way. So I moved on to the golf course - which is a massive area. I flagged down some workmen and asked if they had seen two dogs, and they said, 'Grey ones ?' - my first positive sighting. They pointed me in the right direction, but the sighting was nearly 2 hours old. I made a search and did a lot of shouting - no response. I was desperate - I had to leave for work soon.
I went home and there was a message on my phone - from the dog warden reporting a sighting in the next village - someone had tied them up for long enough to read their collar tags then they had escaped again. I rang back for further information but there wasnt any. I had to ring into work and beg for an hour off to go and investigate this sighting.
I parked up in the next village and asked a lady with a labrador if she had seen them - she said 'No' but took my phone number. I spotted another lady with a Westie and asked if she had seen them. Oh yes, about an hour ago - heading towards the playground. I went to the playground - noone there had seen them, nor had the chap up the ladder or then man collecting his daughter from school. I was despondant and drove in a big loop following the direction I had last been given, but they were nowhere to be found. I reluctantly went home and checked my phone again - there was a message from the labrador lady saying she had cornered them in someones garden - I quickly rang her back - they were still there and I rushed out to meet her.
They looked and smelled like they had been swimming in slurry - black and sticky up to their eyeballs ! More embarrassment - they were in someone's garden as just as I was about to retrieve them the owner came home - I gave her my phone number and offered to make good any damage. They jumped into my car and were safe at last and I disolved into tears.

I took them home and had to leave them all smelly with no dinner as I was already late for work.

Thalice roused herself momentarily and dropped off back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

I wonder what she dreams about......?

Friday 18 May 2007

THALICE - FEB/MARCH 2007

It's been windy this week and some of the fences have blown down in the garden, so we dogs have not been allowed out of our yard until they have been fixed. So when Mum let us back into the garden I set to - trying to find the bit she missed - meanwhile she was oblivious to this as she was scrubbing the yard and washing our beds. It didnt take long and I just worried away at it and the fence gave way - Yippee !!! Sapphire and Rhian squeezed through the gap with me - I could see Delyth wanted to come too, but the boys - Pah ! Scaredy Cats. Fleet said, 'I'm going to tell Mum!' and rushed off to the yard gate to tell her - but she obviously couldnt understand.

Next doors garden is OK but the next one is better - they have two gingery kitties and vegetables growing. Sapphire and Rhian were so giddy they rushed off towrds the golf course so I had a mooch round looking for the kitties.

Then I could hear Mum groaning, 'Oh NO!' Fleet must have got through to her and she called in Fleet, Flash and Delyth. The next minute she was marching past the kitty garden with an armful of leads and a pocketful of biscuits and I thought it judicious to saunter out of the garden and head for home as if I was going that way anyway....

Now I could tell Mum was upset - I wonder if it was because Sapphire was in season ? Or perhaps because the sheep were down from the hills for lambing, or if she was about to go to work, or if she thought they might get run over ?

Mum went out in the car - she was all pink and said she was short of time and needed to get to work and could do without all this, Madam ! I went to have a nice snooze on the settee.

I could hear her shouting 'Sapphire' and 'Rhian' long into the distance.

I was fast asleep when she got back - funny I didnt hear the car. She went to check the phone but there were no messages, and I heard her ringing Dad - she said her car was bogged down in the mud and she was waiting for the people in the kitty garden to eat their dinner before they would come and pull her out.

I rolled over on the settee to sleep on my other side......

THALICE - A DOGS BLOG

Thalice is a nine and a half year old English Setter who's life is one big adventure. She thinks she's normal - we are not so sure. This is her Blog - a continuation from her original blog found on her website - www.pewterspeare.com She can be contacted there.

She would be interested in stories confirming her normality as she thinks that she behaves exactly as an English Setter should. However, her children and grandchildren are nothing like her and would seem to prove the opposite.