• Living Between the Lines,  Puptales

    GroundDog Day

    July 4th -15th 2019 – (thanks to the wonders of CCTV) GroundDog Day The Boss has gone away! 10am Flossie: Well, I don’t know what’s going on but she’s gone, she’s definitely gone. I mean, normally, she comes back quite quickly. “Just going to the shop, won’t be long,” she trills as she grabs the jangly things that she uses to lock the door and start the metal monster. This time I don’t think she said she wouldn’t be long. Maybe she did. No, she definitely didn’t…but maybe she did… Hey, Charlie, did she say she wouldn’t be long? Charlie: Don’t ask me, I’ve been sitting on this toy box…

  • 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…

  • Living Between the Lines,  Puptales

    Home is best…

    Honestly, the Boss makes far too much fuss about the most ridiculous events. Take today for instance. All she has to do is take Charlie and me for our boosters oh, and I need another blood test. Ah, did she not tell you I have been ill? I can’t say I am surprised, she rarely seems to know which way is up these days. To cut a very long story short, let me just say that a slight stomach pain, that caused me to stretch and walk backwards (I got very good at navigating the entire living room and kitchen in this way) took a sinister turn when the Vet…

  • Living Between the Lines,  Puptales

    A Tale of Tails…

    Flossie here, I thought I had seen the last of this contraption when I was a mere one-year-old pup! The Boss surely threw it away long ago. Hence, I felt quite safe when we went into the Vet’s waiting room, ready to have my tail looked at. A sore had appeared and despite my numerous lengthy licks, it had not got any better. I am sure it bothered the Boss more than it bothered me but I went along with her plans to have the Vet look at it anyway. I find it best to humour her. I got into the car without any trouble. I got out of the…

  • Puptales

    Biscuits and kind words …

    The waiting room at the Veterinary surgery, is empty. Flossie and I cross the threshold together. Except we don’t. Flossie takes a backward step and I have to give her a gentle tug to coax her into the room. She twists round on her lead and makes the whole procedure somewhat difficult but, we are in, eventually. Why are we here? Simple really. If you have read A twist in the Tail, you will know that Flossie recently had a traumatic experience involving a hedge in which she got firmly entangled. Having emerged, apparently unscathed, it transpired that, unbeknown to us, she had sustained a scratch below her ear. Charlie,…

  • Living Between the Lines

    We’re Going on a Pear Hunt…

    Yes, it is that time of year again. The tree that was festooned in blossom in early Spring and provided shade all summer, is now ready to let go its fruit. This would be good under normal circumstances. The tree is rooted just yards from the back door and the pears it produces are invariably juicy and sweet. There are far too many for us to use ourselves so we give lots away. We have already handed out bags to hairdresser, daughters and work colleagues…other years have seen us putting boxes of pears outside the barn , on the roadside, for passers by to collect. This last ploy has always…

  • Puptales

    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…

  • Living Between the Lines

    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…

  • Living Between the Lines

    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…

  • Puptales

    Impressing the boys

    Flossie here. It’s been an exciting couple of weeks. First, little Doris (now not quite so little) came to stay for the night. Doris and I are still best pals and although she can’t run as fast as me, or corner very well, we get along like a house on fire. Alas, Doris was only here for the night. Last month, she stayed for a week and I quite thought she had moved in. Doris does get special privileges when she is here. Apparently, she is so well behaved on the lead that the little human, William, can take her for a walk! There is a video to prove it,…