A word about Radha

For some reason that I can't fathom, I haven't posted about our lovely new dog, Radha. She was a gift from friends, Matthew and Ayananda: they loved her dearly but could not take her with them to Norway. So now she lives with us (note well: unlike Chicco, she's not a 'rescue' dog: she had a good healthy upbringing and was much loved).

She's about a year old and is a cross between ... bull mastiff? foxhound? greyhound? Who knows. But she's a gentle, beautiful and very playful dog.

"I can beat Briony at Cathedrale. I'm sure I can"

Mmm, snuggling in front of the fire. Mmmmmm!

Here's a word from herself - "A morning in the life of Radha" (PS: Sunny and Inkling are cats)

6.15 am: From my nest next to the humans’ bed I wake up, sit up, stretch, and shake head to flap ears awake. Put head on the bed and look imploringly to tell my humans that I’d like to go out and do a pee. Keep looking at the humans and sighing occasionally until they get the picture. Good humans.

6.30 am: Wander outside together with Sunny the cat. Have the usual polite non-verbal discussion as to who gets to walk down the stairs first. He always says he will, even though I know I could jump straight over him while he does it …. but I won’t, ‘cos Sunny has pointy bits at the end of his paws and might like to use them if he gets a surprise.

6.35 am: Come inside much lighter in body and spirit and find my friend Inkling. Inkling weaves around my paws and gives me some head-bonks and makes soft growly noises which means he’s happy. I suck on Inkling’s ear. It’s just our thing.

6.45 am: Sit under the breakfast table and decide to generously give various humans my toys. John can have Mousie, Mieke can have Ball and Yarrow can have StinkyRope . Hm. Yarrow doesn’t want StinkyRope. She says it’s “Eeuwgh go away Radha I don’t want your StinkyRope”. How can she not? She has no taste. Then again, she is a teenager.  Console myself by sucking on Inkling’s ear for a bit.

7.00 am: Time for John to go to work, which means walk time for us Dogs. Wake Chicco up and launch myself out the door and down the stairs in a single leap. Lie in wait for Chicco so I can pounce on her as she reaches the bottom step. Romp happily and chew on Chicco’s hind legs while she tries to walk in a straight line. Not a hope Chicco!

7.50 am: While breakfast is being made for us Animals, I entertain myself by chasing my tail. Eight times in one direction and thirteen times in the other. Finish up feeling slightly wobbly and stagger around a bit. Tess laughs: obviously a happy teenager, she must have seen something funny. Wonder what it was.

How to befuddle your dog

You take some planks and some bits and pieces ...

Then you mix and stir (while adding a cup of tea, of course)

Then you move it somewhere else ....

 

... and befuddle your dog.

Visitor in the woodshed

You could be excused for thinking of Ada Doom here (from Cold Comfort Farm: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!"). But it's only Charlie our local python. I must say, he seems to have grown a lot these past hibernating months.

He was a bit camera shy: so you can't see his pretty face ;-)