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A Rumbling in the Jungle…
Good afternoon, Charlie Brown here, after rather a long hiatus… Listen – there is a rumbling in the jungle! I have overheard the Boss talking in excited tones about – a puppy?! If what I have heard is true, my position as Top Dog could soon be challenged. I can’t say I’d mind too much. You see, since my foster Mum, Flossie, left us, I have had to fend for myself. (Violins optional) I kid you not, remembering to ask to go out to ‘perform’ has been a trial for me. Since I was a tiny pup, I have not had to ask for anything. Flossie saw to that. She’d…
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Growing Golden Gracefully
It begins when I try to jump into the boot of the Boss man’s car. “Ooh, she won’t make it, she’s getting old!” they chorus as I place front paws on the boot floor and try in vain to haul my back-end upward. However much I scrabble, I cannot make it. Well, I don’t know about getting old, I think the boot is just too high. “She used to get in with ease,” they say, sadly, as I sink to the ground, out of breath from effort and not inclined to repeat the undignified performance. Charlie Brown has leapt up and out again several times at this point. “Easy, see?”…
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From bad to worse and back again…
I can only blame myself and yet… It began like this. Charlie Brown was limping on Saturday. On Sunday he seemed better…then he began licking his paw and limping again. Nothing for it, a trip to the vet was in order. Monday morning… My 93-year-old (“I’m almost 94,”) mother is staying with us. Lovely to have her here but tiring as her memory is going and the day begins with question – answer, same question – same answers etc.. There was the incident in the Black Dog where she asked what “WIFFI” was when reading it on a card on the windowsill. We explained that it was wi-fi. There followed…
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Charlie Brown – My side of the story
Hi everyone – Charlie Brown speaking. Yes, I must say, it is a rare privilege to be allowed on here. Flossie normally guards her domain jealously. Today, I thought it about time I redressed the balance between good dog and bad dog. I managed to persuade the Boss to give me some air time. It seems to me, I get a raw deal when it comes to the ‘kiss and tell’ stories that Flossie goes in for. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Floss to bits, she is, after all, my mum. (What do you mean we look nothing alike?) Truth to tell, this fact has not escaped my…
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Having the Right Tools
Sometimes, just walking up Twynhams Hill, feels more like climbing Everest. At others it’s a breeze and I don’t even notice it. It struck me today, as I almost sauntered up the incline with one of the dogs, that life is a series of hills that we have to climb. Sometimes they are steep, sometimes gentle and the same slope you climbed effortlessly yesterday can seem more difficult to get over today. Today, I took our four and a half year-old border terrier, Charlie, for a walk. When on the lead, Charlie has issues when he meets another dog coming towards him. He goes into panic mode and begins growling…
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Flossie’s Cunning Plan
I have a secret. You didn’t think dogs had secrets? Well, think again! There is a hole in the fence. I can squeeze through that hole. Exciting eh? I’d tell you exactly where it is but it’s my secret you see. I use it when I feel like going a bit further afield than the back garden. This morning, Charlie and I were let out to carry out our ablutions. Between you and me, I have decided that Charlie is a bit of a goody-two-shoes. “Come here Charlie,” and he’s there. “Leave, Charlie,” he leaves whatever it is he isn’t supposed to have. I should stress that this has not…
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Where did November go?
Well, really, where did November go? One minute I am watching my niece get married, on my birthday (the 1st of the month) and the next I am staring Christmas in the face. The last few weeks have been a blur and it gets no better as December moves in. The annual NaNoWriMo was barely attainable this year. Though I did manage to reach the target of 50,000 words – I do not feel a worthy winner since the first ten thousand had already been written. Still, as a personal goal, it was good. Next year I promise to give it my all. Could this little chap have had anything…
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Bang!
A slight frisson of fear ran through us just as we were about to take off from Gatwick. A lone passenger stood up and demanded to leave the plane. His sudden departure sparked an unscheduled search of overhead lockers – in case he was a terrorist and had left an explosive device on board, I presume. The airline staff opened every locker, matching each bag to the remaining passengers. “Why are they only searching half the plane?” hissed my worried friend, not realising that while one worked from the front to middle, her colleague was working from the back of the plane to middle. Dave did not move – he’d…
