Living Between the Lines,  Puptales

Nine years later…

It’s been a while since the Boss and I braved the common for our early morning walk. This morning, we decided to throw caution to the wind and head down there.
Charlie, who is undoubtedly better on the lead than he used to be and especially good when out with the Dave man, was not invited. Apparently, the Boss is not yet quite as relaxed about taking him out as she professes to be. She says it is difficult to take both of us.
I am not feeling too sorry for him. It was his fault I missed my walk yesterday. Yesterday morning, The Boss had decided that she would take me for a stroll round the fields but feeling sorry for Charlie, who was not on the guest list – again, she decided she’d wear him out with a game of ball first.
Now, the Boss and the Boss people like to fire tennis balls down the garden using a tennis racket. Charlie hares after them. However, Charlie, who will put a ball in your lap if indoors, Charlie, who will drop a ball at your feet when you least expect it, becomes so excited that he begins barking and yapping as he soon as he sees the racket. (A racket for a racket, maybe). He chases after the first ball and races back but refuses to drop it, which means the Boss has to find another to hit. He then races after that one but instead of picking it up, he runs back with the same ball. (Wierd) Yesterday, she could only find two. This meant that she spent as much time as Charlie, running up and down the garden to fetch the other ball – up and down the slope at the far end too. (It is a very long garden).
Charlie flopped down on the grass, panting, eventually, and the Boss, feeling she had been on an endurance test, decided a cup of tea would be better than a walk.
So, when she made it clear that it was only I, who was invited to the Common today, I did not feel one bit of guilt.
We parked the car a little way from the Common and set off.
The treat of all treats, once on the Common, was that the Boss unclipped my lead and Halti and I was free! I cannot begin to explain how that felt but the Boss captured the feeling on her phone…

Flossie running free
Flossie – running free

I was reminded of those other times we had been to the Common, in my youth…here I am as a pup:
Just let me lie here for a bit...
Just let me lie here for a bit…

You can read a little about my escapades here: Flossie and the Juicer and here: Welsh Woman and all I got quite emotional re-reading these posts as Ol’ Keano features in them, my dear old friend.

I am no spring chicken myself as I had a birthday this month; I became 9 years old on the 9th of March. How did that happen? The Boss is similarly perplexed since this means that her blog has been running for 9 years as well. Who’d have thought it? I should mention that this birthday, in dog years, makes me just a tad older than the Boss. She had best watch out!

It seems, according to the Boss, that I have gone from this fresh-faced little rascal,

Flossie - Sitting on a sand dune
The windswept look is so very ‘now’ – Photo courtesy of Rhys McCarthy
to this stately lady:
Flossie aged 9
Flossie aged 9
in a blink of an eye. I was rather cute I have to admit.
Well, as I was saying before I got side tracked by a trip down memory lane, we strolled round the common for several laps. I met a few dogs to sniff and one even licked my face (without so much as a by-your-leave!) but none looked familiar.
I spotted a nice looking man with a little white dog on a lead and because he did look a little familiar, I trotted over to say hello. The Boss sighed, but she needn’t have worried, I just let him pat me and then ran back to her side. I have outgrown those tendencies I had of bowling people over. I was a little disappointed that none of my old adversaries appeared, but the trip was without incident. In fact, I acquitted myself well, and I rather think the Boss intends taking me there again…
Come on then, what are you waiting for?

I am an Author, wife to one, mother to five and grandmother to six. I live in the English countryside in Hampshire, UK, with my husband and two dogs and am a non exec Director for Glow www.theglowstudio.com.

6 Comments

  • patricia60

    Have been following Flossie’s stories for 9 years now Wow how time flies as one is enjoying the moments. Zip will be 9 in September and I have forgotten how long I have been blogging. She is an elegant dame and how lucky to go on her own with the Boss. I can not walk our Lorax at all these days – too hard and I think I will fall. Zip will only chase a small ball with feet for a few minutes, but he loves to be chased in the garden or around the house. He too loves to greet all the people on our walks – still a bit challenging towards other dogs. Hope Spring is happening you way. It has been glorious here after our deep freeze. Happy happy

    • Debbie

      Patricia, of course Zip is almost same age as Floss! Still challenging to other dogs eh? Charlie is the same though we see improvements especially if Dave takes charge of him. 🙂

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