Today has been the bestest day for ages!
I shall do my best to stay awake long enough to to tell you about it:
It started off a bit odd. Well, it us odd not having Dad around fir a start! I took Mum for a bit of a walk up the road, but then her talkybone howled, and we turned back. When we got yo the boat we found a friend there; John, it seems, was today's Dad-replacement for driving the boat. So, off we set, but Mum and I were still aboard! Not walking! Mum says that we will ve going back at some point yo do that stretch of the MegaWalk. She says that with Dad away, we have had to change plans a bit.
Anyway, as we were going along, John called down from the back deck and, all if a sudden, it seemed Mum was gathering my harness and lead and we were rushing to get off the boat. John carried on without us and we met some very special people on the towpath. Well, errmmmm.... I may gave been a bit carried away at first with meeting and greeting Andy, a 10 month old golden Labrador guide dog puppy. I did then notice the humans.....oops! Ahem! The humans were Sue and Mike; my puppy-parents! Rowley, the Springer Spaniel was there too! Ohhhh! Happy Oakley!
We set off for a wonderful freerun along the towpath and Andy and I had an absolute blast! Rowley just bumbled along being a Spaniel, minding his own business, doing his own thing. He fund join in a bit of the fun though. Rowley found a deliciously stinky rotten dead duck and rolled in it to get himself perfumed up! Andy and I didn't get chance to indulge as the humans stopped us before we even started! Huff! However, it did lead to some super fun, because Mike sent Rowley into the canal for a swim to freshen up. Well, Andy and I weren't going to miss out on that bit of fun, so we went in too and had a fab swim about! A little further down the towpath, we found a lovely sloping bit down the other side and into the river. Well, we simply had to sample the delights of that water too! That wasn't so deep, so we couldn't swim, but playing chase in water up to our shoulders was fab fun!
We both got the humans with a few good shakes. That was a bonus! It seems they weren't too keen on having three soggy doggies in their car, so, when we got back to our starting point, we went into the garden of a pub calked the Dundas Arms. The humans sat and drank hot stuff whilst we dogs continued the important work of some serious kanoodling. That apparently dried us off well enough that we were ok to get in the car. Andy and Rowley went in the boot and I rode in the front between Mum's paws. That gave me a comfy knee to rest my snoozy head on.
When we stopped and got out, I recognized where we were. It was Victoria Park in Newbury. Mum harnessed me up and we walked along tge park, with Sue and Andy (Mike drive off to find somewhere to park the car and came later, along with Rowley to find us again.) we met up with another Guide Dog. A black Labrador retriever named Bracken with his blind lady, Janice. We then all set off across the park. I led Mum because I remembered the park from when we were here before. Sue and Janice, with Andy and Bracken followed on behind. Across the other side if the park, near the canal, we found a Guide Dogs flappy-roof thing with loads of other guide dogs there! It was paradise! Sooooooo many pals to kanoodle with! Apparently, at one point, there were twelve of us! It was fabbidabbydoo!
It was a special day for Sue and Andy because they had Andy, their current puppy, plus Bracken who was their last puppy, and me who was their first guide dog puppy. Andy and I really hit it off and we spent most of the day playing and mouthing each other! We did join in and play or at least meet and greet the others too of course! I did get a bit of a chance to be myself when Mum let go of my lead. I managed to catch a funny disk that some humans were throwing to and fro. I ......errr.....don't think that was entirely the right thing for me to have done! I had to give it back! Oops! Andy got into a little bit if bother too when he went for a swim in the giant puddle with the little pedalboats on it! Heehee! He thought it was great fun!
After a while John arrived with our boat and Mum helped him to fasten the boats leads onto the rings on the ground. Then ?Mum disappeared, leaving me with Sue. I didn't mind of course! When Mum came back, she was wearing different fur substitutes. It seems she didn't appreciate my big-shake-river-water-and-mud decorations!
After an exhausting afternoon of sooooo much kanoodling, I had a little snoozelet while Mum helped Rob to pack away the stuff and collapse the flappy roof thing. Sue and Mike disappeared to take Janice and Bracken home. Mum and I went back to the boat, and, a few minutes later, Sue, Mike, Andy and Rowley came back! They came aboard and, while the humans were yacketying, we dogs had another good play. Then we all got our dinners together too! I gobbled mine extra quick! I didn't want to risk any competition!
After that, we al, set off along the towpath and into town, where we went into a human yummies place. We went into the outside bit where Andy and I got yo do a bit more kanoodling while the humans had their dinners. Then we went back to the park for a bit more freerun fun! I don't think Mum was too pleased with me when I cleared up some rubbish that had been left on the ground. It was yummy though! A tad chewy and difficult to get through but worth the effort. Mum said something about plastic wrappers not being edible. I don't know what she was burbling about.
I think I redeemed myself a little when I nuzzled at something on the ground. Mum was going to tell me if again for hoovering, but then realized that it was a talkybone I had found and I was showing her! She picked it up and later used it to yackety to someone. Shortly afterwards, a lady came to get it and gave Mum a floppy rectangle to say thank you. Mum has put that in the MegaWalk fund!
Of course, all good things have to end. Today's fantastic fun is no exception, but it really has been absolutely superb! I am one VERY tired, but VERY happy Oakley!
