Tumble Home!

Getting old! Harrumph! I don't think so! How very rude indeed!

We have been assessed. The Guide Dogs Mobility Instructor (Obey Me Or Else) came! Well...two of them actually! They're ganging up on us! Haha! Actually, it was a manhuman called Wayne and a ladyhuman OMOE in training. They were very nice humanpeoples!

This morning, I took Mum out for a play on the field. It was great! She did a lot of telling me to 'sit' 'lie down' 'stay' 'come' and then, when I did all that I got yummies! I also got a good game of ball-launcher fetch too. I was totally good and totally devoted to Mummy (well.....the yummies anyway), but, when a bouncy little cockerpoopuppy came along I simply had to show him the way into the stream didn't I? It would have been neglectful for me to not teach him something so vital! I'm somehow not entirely convinced that Mum was all that impressed with my teaching skills! Heehee! Oops! It got me a good towelrub session though!

Shortly after game-over, visitors arrived. This was the OMOEs. I greeted cheerfully then retreated politely to under the table. Two hours of yacketying went on - all about me! OMOE Wayne was asking all about the beastiebrute that attacked me a little while ago. It seems there are no real concerns as long as I don't get cross with other dogs. After all this pretending to snooze while they yacked (they think I wasn't listening.....), it was out time! Yippee! The OMOEs walked across the field with us and then pretended to go the opposite way to us. They really think I'm daft don't they? I knew they were following us, but I didn't let on. I did my job for a good workywalkies around some back streets and then through town and back to the park. That's when the bestest bit happened! My buddy Harley arrived! A freerun with a colleague is the bestestest! We had a fab few minutes of hooning about together! Wayyhaaayyy!

I even got to freerun all the way back to floatyboatyhome. That meant I got the perfect opportunity to demonstrate my swimming skills. I wizzed over to the slopy-into-the-river bit and sploshed in. OMOEs didn't come to watch! Huff! Mum didn't seem over delighted with me either.

I have a sneaking suspicion I heard something about a return visit to work on obedience and recall.......Uh-oh!

In all the yacketying there was stuff about me slowing down. That was when OMOE Wayne said I am getting towards being old! I'm 6 and a half! Middle aged at most! He said something about a bit less mileage. Hmmmmm not sure what I this..... I did like the bit where he said that I am in good shape and condition though!

I must have done alright. I got a yummy new bone to enjoy gnawing whilst lying out relaxing on the grass.

This evening, I took Mummy around the park so I could download. There was a manhuman wobbling all over the place as he tried to cross the field. He was wobbling in all sorts of ziggyzaggies and tumbles and rollings. He wobbled all the way to the boat beside us and kind of tumbled onto it, then laid there on the back deck making all kinds of strange blurred rumblings and grumblings. Then he kind of wobbled up again and got the door open, then tumbled inside. Mum was a bit concerned about him but he seemed to say he was OK. He had a funny little white stick in his mouth and it smelled really odd.....

Photo of me lying in longish grass, very relaxed with a marrowbone between my front paws.

FIVE Dogs???

A relaxing, lazy day after yesterday's mega adventure? Errrr......Nope! It has been nice though.

I took Mummy workywalkies to Specsavers to collect her new eyewindows. Then, after a brief wander in town, Dad picked us up in the car and we went off on a little drive. First we stopped at a familiar place by the canal where I got a brief sniff around while Dad filled up a big rolly barrel with water from a squirtysnake. Then it was back into the car for a bit more of a drive. When we stopped, we were in a car park by a pub. I took Mummy workywalkies again in this never-before-visited place. It was really nice to work in a completely new place. It was a walkies just for the pleasure of doing it! We only went up the road, across a bleepy crossing and back again down the other side of the road, but it was just good to be doing it. Mum was really pleased with me!

Next, humanfriends Enid, Peter, Nigel and Liz arrived in the car park and we all went inside for humanyummies. I laid under the table and kept some human-back-paws warm while they all munched and, of course, yacked....and yacked......and yacked.......

We returned to our floatyboatyhome again after that, but not for long. I allowed Mum to groom me then took her outside for a bit of a game of ball-launch fun on the field. As I ran to fetch the ball for the umpteenth time, I spotted humanfriends Ann and Pete coming towards me. My tail wagged itself silly! I haven't seen them for aaaaages! I may have got a bit carried away with my excitement and I .....errrr.....may have......err......ruined all Mum's efforts in grooming me! You see.....when my tail wags so hard, it makes my head waggle too......that means that I don't hear commands quite right.......I'm sure Mum said 'Don't keep out of the water'.......

Well.....it got me another good massage - this time with a towel! Heehee!

Dinner al-fresco was followed by another workywalkies into town to another human yummyery. The yummy-server-manhuman threw some big crunchy disks on the floor and they crumbled there. Well....I couldn't leave that mess unattended could I? I'm sure I heard them being called Poppadogs - that means they were meant for me surely?

At the next table a ladyhuman came and sat down and I knew that she needed me. She had a white cane. I managed to commando crawl nearer to her but couldn't quite get close enough. I just lay there keeping her within my watch. When it was time to get up, get harnessed and leave, I then got chance to meet and greet her. It turns out that she is a floatyboatyperson too! And I am sure I heard her say something about 5 dogs......I think I need to get to know her more......

Phew! What a Day!

"Giddup horsey" That's what the minihuman said as she tried to climb onto my back. Just previous to that, Mum had ushered me away from all the yummies that this minihuman had been scattering all over the floor of the shoppyplace. I was miffed not to get to do the hoovering but I was very glad Mum didn't let her carry on trying to ride me. The ladyhuman who was with this little 'cherub' was busy the whole time tippetytapping on her talkybone. I think my mummy was a bit miffed. I could feel it!

Mum asked the little pup to stop climbing on me and explained that I am not a horse but a working dog who is doing a very important job. She called Mum a 'horridble lady' and ran away. Phew! I thought! But it wasn't over yet; A few minutes later, we met again with them both. The ladyhuman said something like 'Sorry but she really loves animals and is a bit bored today'. Then the little puplet gave my Mummy a big smack on the bum then pulled my tail before running off out of the shop. That tug made me growl! I didn't mean to be scary but it just escaped from me! I don't like having my tail touched and a hard tug is definitely not welcome!

The rest of our epic trip was largely uneventful - apart from getting lost a few times. Well - Mum was lost. I was just following her directions. I think she was trying to take directions from her talkybone but it wasn't being very helpful. We did eventually get to the right places. It was a huge big adventure day though! Workywalkies to Newbury bus station, a looooong bus ride to Reading, then lots of workywalkies around various bits of the outskirts of Reading to find various shops. One was called The Range where I found a very good aisle but Mum wouldn't let me linger to investigate the shelves! They were laden with all sorts of yummies for doggies! Hufff! The minibeastiehuman was in a shop called Hobbycraft. in between the minihuman assaults, I did a lot of lying down in there while Mum did a huge amount of that browsing thing.

It was all rounded off with another long workywalkies back to the bus stop and then a megamegalong bus journey home. It was all stoppy-starty for a long bit of it so it took much longer than it should have done. This meant that I was eating myself from the inside when we got back! It was nearly two hours past my dinnertime! I think I just about staggered back across the field to our floatyboatyhome to get my nosh!

Sofasnuggles now very very welcome! Phew! What a day!

Is There an Imminent Froth Attack?

Yackety-yackety-blimmin-yack! It took forever to go workywalkies this morning! I even tried to demonstrate to Mum the proper way to communicate; a group of five doggypals on the field - quick bum sniff each, an ear chew here and there and all done! Mum just failed completely to get that message. I had to stand there in full harness, just waiting patiently while the humans just yipped and yacked for aaaaaaages!

Finally, we got on our way, over the bridge, along the towpath, into town, across town, then along the towpath on the other side of town. There, we found our humanfriend Graham on his floatyboatyhome. Once again, Mum failed to remember my attempted lesson. Once again, I stood waiting. Then I lay down waiting, then I sat up waiting. Then I stood waiting.........even a session of singing the saddest song I could muster failed to get her moving!

Eventually, we set off on the rest of our long workywalkies. At least she allowed me to guide her into Pets At Home. But even that didn't go quite right. All we did was to go into the little room at the side where I got my froth attack once or twice before. Then we left. I rather suspect I now have a date with the froth-trough sometime soon......

Mini Morsels...

Wayhay! I got a swim this morning! I somehow get the impression that it wasn't on Mum's plan though. I suspect it was to clean me up after I got into a bit of a tiff with a husky who was all muddy and soggy and slobbery. He was nasty to me and all because of some yummies that I was trying to clean off the park. No damage done but I was miffed that Mum wouldn't let me finish the clean up job! There were bags all busted open by the bin and the spilled-out contents really needed to be hoovered! Huff!

It all meant that workywalkies was a bit delayed because Mum says I need to dry off before having my harness on. She says that a soggy doggy doesn't look very professional!

When we did go workywalkies it was into town and around Tesco and back again. I got to spend most of the rest of the day snoozing while Mum and Dad did a whole load of yacketying with Henry and two other visitors. They did have lots of yummies too and Bess and I did manage to persuade a couple of morsels of chicken to head our way. It was yummy, even if only just big enough to taste!

No Problem!

SPLOSH! It wasn't a big squishy blue cushion in Debbi & Ryan's garden! It tried to eat me! It had a bobbly top that went down underneath me and I got very wet! It was a huge blue above-ground puddle! Apparently this was hilarious! Huumph!

The day started off with a nice workywalkies all across the park, then up through town to church. Henry and Lin came with us and, as we were setting off, they asked Mum "Which way do we need to go?" "Just follow Oaks" she said.. "Let's go to church Oakie". I think they were impressed! I found the way straight there. No problem!

It was quite nice to lie down on the cool floor during all the humanhowling and yacketying.

Straight afterwards, we set off in the car and ended up at Debbi and Ryan's huge garden. I loooooove that big grassy space! I'm not so sure about that big blue puddle thing though!

Rosie and James and little Hallie were there too. We all went workywalkies again to a human yummyery. I think that visiting anywhere where minihumans get to throw their yummies on the floor underneath their chair-on-sticks is worth going along! I got quite a good minifeast! Heehee! Workywalkies again took us back for more playtime in the garden. I also got my picnic tea there.

Now we are back aboard our floatyboatyhome again and it is most definitely sofasnuggles time. I am shattered!

Tuftysticks.

Mummy is so mean! There was serious hoovering duty to be done in Wilko's this morning and she wouldn't let me do it! There was a very loud, shouty, wizzyabout minihuman in there who was throwing yummies at me. This minihuman seemed to appear at just about every turn we took and was carrying a bag full of something Mum called 'Pic n mix sweets'. Apparently it was hilarious to throw them at me! It provoked great hysterical shrieks and squeals, especially when I got a direct hit from one of the missiles. I did manage to snaffle a couple of the chewy gooey things. They were really rather tasty! It seems that Mum was less impressed though.

Before we went into Wilko's, we met Pauline outside. She stopped us to say hello. She is normally INSIDE Wilko's! We didn't recognise her in the wrong place! It was nice to have a little fuss from her!

After the avalanche of forbidden yummies, Mum asked me to 'find the checkout'. I did, but there was a long queue. We waited patiently. After a few moments, I spotted a ladyworkyhuman opening the cage door from across another checkout. Mum had no idea this was happening. I gave her a hefty tug on harness and dragged her to be first in line for the new checkout! I got some good praise for that - and she called me Smartybum again!

That workywalkies was a 4 and a bit miler in and out and around the town, then back home again. The rest of the day has been a lovely chillout time. I have spent most of it sofasnuggling with Mum while she did some strange thing; she had a pad of floppy rectangles, a tray with round disks of all colours on it, and some little sticks with tufts on the ends, plus a see-through little bowl of water. She kept dipping the tuftysticks (one at a time) into the water, then rubbing it on the coloured disks, then stroked the floppy rectangle with it. It left marks all over the surface. She says she is making the most of a good eyes day. All very odd, but the sofasnuffle time was lovely!

Swimming Ban? What Have I Done Wrong???

Another 6 miles of workywalkies today, in two sets. The first was to the humanvets. Mum showed the humanvetman the big red splotches on her back legs and he gave her a little floppy rectangle. He gave me a nice ear-rub too! The next bit of workywalkies was to the other end of town to 'Find Boots'. In there, while Mum was dealing with the workylady who swapped the floppy rectangle for a bag full of boxes, I got to meet and greet Banjo, the golden retriever who was a puppy when I last met him. He is now an autism assistance dog, so allowed into shops like me. We had a brief meetygreetysniff session while our humans did a bit of yacketying.

This workywalkes finished off going to the floatyboatykennel where we lived for some time. Dad was there with our floatyboatyhome. The squirtysnake was squirting into the hole on deck and Dad was busy to-ing and fro-ing with bags of rubbish and the grey boxes that get swallowed into the cupboard under the human spending bowl.

The second workywalkies was doing our thing - towpath, locks and swingbridge! Yippee! We went downstream one lock. Mum and I waited by the bottom gates while Dad took our home out, spun it around and brought it straight back into the lock. Then we had to do the whole lock-filing thing all over again. Well....OK....I admit.....Mum did all the windy-uppy-windiy-downy-pushy-pully stuff. I sat and watched and absorbed a little fuss and admiration from passers-by! There was one more lock and the swingbridge to deal with then back to our glorious huge 'garden' here on Northcroft Park again. My old buddy Bess was waiting for me as I guided Mum across the field.

I haven't managed to get in any swimming today. Mum seems to think I need to stay clean and dry for a while. She also burbled something about 'a little discipline'..... I am rather wondering if this has anything to do with all the yacketying she was doing to her talkybone on the way to the humanvets this morning.......

Hmmmmmm...... I do need to sort out this clean and respectable nonsense though. She launched a major attack on me with the grooming kit and a bowl of frothyslosh with a flannel in it! Hooooowwwwlllllll.......

Smartybum!

Back on track. That's what Mum said we needed to get today. Well, it's a blimmin good job I knew which way that track was!

Six and a half mile of workywalkies, most of it plain and straight forward. I took Mum into town, first of all, to 'Find Specsavers'. I took a snooze under the table while a ladyhuman fixed Mummy's eyewindows (apparently eyewindows don't like being stood on!). Then it was 'Find Boots'. In there it was 'Find the counter'. Then Mum got a bit narked with the ladyworkyhuman; Mum asked her for some stuff to help sort out the big red dots she has on her back legs. She says they are bites (NOT from me!). The ladyworkyhuman walked off and got some things from a shelf, then came back and made a fuss of me. Then she just put the two boxes on the counter in front of Mum and asked 'Which one?". Mum asked "What are they?" the reply was simply "Well, there's this one or that one". Mum had to explain that she couldn't see them. The workyladyhuman just gave a big huff and said 'This one has anti hissed a mean, and stair rods, that one doesn't.' It seems she has no idea of visual impairment!

It all finished off with a nice cool wander around Sainsbury's, where I got a good few fusses and admirations from the workypeople. I also got a cheer and paw-banging from a manhuman who spotted me doing a 'get the button' at the crossing.

The bit where Mum tried to go off track was after a time in a shop called Peacocks. I quite enjoyed a few lie-downs on the cool floor in there while Mum was feeling and finding some fursubstitutes. After I'd done a 'find the checkout' Mum then asked me to 'find the way out' I did of course. As we approached the door, she said 'Find left'. I did and we started going along the corridor of the indoor shoppyplace. Then she said 'Let's go find Sainsbury's'. I gave her my "Errrr.....are you sure?" look and slowed right down. She got the message! She said 'Are we going the wrong way?' I just turned us around and led us the right way!

I think Mum was rather impressed by me! I got loads of praise and she called me 'Smartybum'!

What a Busy Day!

Mmmmmmnumnumnumnum! Mummy made me an ice lolly!

The day started with a serious grooming session - that had to mean that something was on the agenda. It also meant no fun in the river on the way across the park. Huff! It was workywalkies all the way! Actually, that is not a complaint really! I like my workywalkies......but across the park? Really? Well, it led on to a plod through town to meet Dad in the car. It was nice an cool in the car as Dad had the chillyfuffer going full blast. That was welcome! As was the drink of water Mum had for me.

We rode to a big car park, then workywalkied again around some big buildings. The same buildings where I took Mum a few days ago. This time, instead of me being the only Guide Dog there being meeted and greeted, there were loads of us! It was fabulous! I was the only working dog there. The others were all puppies in training. It was great fun! We all got to do a bit of kanoodling but Ellis, a 10month old giant black lab x retriever joined me after a while at my fussing-duty-station and we got to entertain all the humans with some serious ear-chewing and rolling around together. I rather like Ellis! I am sure I heard some mention that he lives in Newbury - and some mention of getting together for a freerun.........I blimmin well hope so.......

After a good admirations session, some other colleagues arrived - including my buddy Henry the big black fluffpot. He did bring his human charge, Karen with him so Mum got to do a bit of yacketying with her too! I suppose that is only fair! Shortly after they arrived though, we had to leave.

Dad dropped Mum and me off in town and I took her workywalkies into a few shops. We did seem to linger quite a while in the ones that had chillyfuffers huffing, but that was nice relief from the hot outside. When we then set off back to floatyboatyhome, Mum made sure we were walking on the coolest side of the pavement, where the shadows made the floor cooler. Then, when we reached the park, I got to freerun all the way back to home. I raced straight across to the nearest access point to the river and enjoyed a very lovely cooling dip.

When we got to the other side of the park and Mum opened up the doors and windows of the boat, she changed into some different fur substitutes and then joined me in the river! At last! She has some sense! It was lovely having Mum in the water with me. We stayed for quite some time so I was all swimmed out by the time we got out again. A snooze in the shade of the flappyroof that Henryhuman had put up was just the job!

After a little while, Mummy got a kind of oblong dish thing out of the chilly white cupboard and brought it out onto the grass. It was an Oakley-Icelolly! Yummylicious! It had loads of my treats in it but they were all locked inside hard water. I had to munch and crunch and lick loads at it to get them out! It was soooooo good!

This evening, I got to swim and chase and play with Lilly again. She came to visit, bringing her humans with her. I think the humans all gathered to eat. There was a stinky huffyhot thing puffing away and some rather yummy smells too. Lilly and I were way too occupied to bother much with all that though. I have to admit though, that I had to go seek the safe sanctuary of the floor at the back of home when the stinky huffyhot monster was puffing hard. I ventured out again when it calmed down.

Photo of me enjoying my ice lolly (blue oblong tray with treats frozen into ice).

 4 photos of today's meeting, greeting and admiration session at Vodafone HQ

Loadsafun...

Lucky escape! Mum was burbling this morning about going out workywalkies into town. I suppose that would have been OK, but what actually happened was MUCH more fun! A whole bunch of pooch pals turned up beside out floatyboatyhome. There was only one thing to do: Go join in the fun!

Yipppeeeee! It was fabulous fun! Looooooads of swimming and running and chasing and more swimming...... So much better preparation for a day of snoozing through the heat than a workywalkies would have been! Mum says that trip into town can wait till another day.

This morning's funtime included Mum and one other ladyhuman going into the doggyswimming area. They went in to rescue a doggypal who got into difficulties. She was a little spanielish pooch. She went in swimming but ended up paddling frantically and getting nowhere. She needed human help to get back out again. Afterwards, she was all good and happy again, and went in for another swim but was OK that time.

It really was the bestest morning of fun for me!

A bit later, another floatyboatyhome came to our mooring and moored up with us. It is Bess's floatyboatyhome! Yayy! I have a buddy (albeit a very old and no-longer-playful buddy) in my garden!

This evening, we went on the big Bus of Hope again (I guess it must be Tuesday today). It was mega tongue-hangout-hot on there so Mum and I stayed outside with all the maximinihumans. I enjoyed just lying on the grass and chillin with everyone. Mum did loads of yacketying with all the humans of all ages and sizes.

When we got back from the bus, we found extra humanpals by our floatyboatyhome: Andy and Sue had come to join us all - that meant that my bestest-girlie-doggyfriend, Lilly was here too! Yippppppeeeeeeeeeee! Fun and games and run and chase and tug.........a perfect ending to the day! (And we both stayed out of the water!)

Silly Mummy Again!!!

"All clean and smart!" said Mum after a long grooming session. Well I soon sorted that out! Very shortly afterwards it was time to set off out. Well, as I told you last night, that means 'freerun' first - all the way across the big park. On the way is a lovely bit of river accessed via a lovely muddy slippybank. Well.....I was hot after jogging across the field.......Heehee!

Mum had to harness me up all soggy! Oops! It was only a short workywalkies to the car. A car ride was quite pleasant with the windows all open and the cool wooshy air coming through. The destination was great! a really cool big builiding - one of those with lots of big rooms with rows of seats and a big picture wall with huge humans on it moving around. I didn't really take much notice of the big wall. I just enjoyed the lie down in the lovely cool - and the hoovering of all the little crunchy clouds. Yummy!

The return journey was pretty much the whole thing in reverse - except it stopped before the repeated grooming. Mum says that soggy fur is not very groomable.

This evening, after my dinner, we set off out again. This time Mum was a meanie and made sure I couldn't take a cooling dip! Humph! It was a workywalkies to town where we met up with humanfriends. So that meant a snooze under the yummyery table. On the way back, we called in to my buddy Bess's floatyboatyhome. When Henryhuman opened the door, out came not only Bess but also Lilly, my girlie-lab-buddy! Oh what joy! there was much tail wagging.

We didn't stay to play for long, but I did have a brief play with Dudley, a passing terrier buddy. I then just 'happened' (ahem) to end up in the river! I did my bestest to dry off by rolling thoroughly on the towpath. I get the impression that Mum wasn't too chuffed with my efforts. She made me go swimming again when we got back to our floatyboatyhome. She kept throwing my toys into the river so I had to go rescue them....over and over and over again. It all finished off with a delectable towelrub session!

2 photos:

1 of me playing with Dudley, the little black Patterdale Terror

2 me all covered in towpath dust - a thorough coating of pale greyish coloured dust, standing beside the river.

 

Silly Mummy...

Oooh! I do SO love living here! Wherever I go - for workywalkies or to the car for an outing, I get a big freerun on the way! It is the ONLY way to get across this huge park!

This morning, Mum was so daft! She really thought she could get me across the park without getting wet! Such a silly thought! I lulled her nicely into a false sense of security - I didn't go into the river on the slopydownramp behind our floatyboatyhome. I trotted gently across the field towards the bridge and just as Mum was getting ready to spoil my fun by harnessing me up, I managed to slip neatly between the bushes and into the stream that runs behind them! Heehee! Oooooh! It was lovely and cool! Just delightful after that jaunt across the field!

It was so hot today that I was almost dry by the time we arrived at church. That gave me a nice cool snooze under the chairs while they did all that humanhowling and yacketying.

Then, of course, there was the freerun back across the field to floatyboatyhome again. This time, I simply HAD to go down the slopydownramp. Well, I was hot after jogging back across the park.....and I am a Labrador......and that water just lured me in.......I couldn't help it........Oooooooohhhhh! It was lovely!

I then went into hiding after a little while. Humanfriends Chris and Sally arrived and Daddy got a blue domething off the roof, filled it with black blocks and then made it all stinkyhuffy. Then he put sausages and other delectables on its cagetop and then put the lid on. Well...delectables or not - I wasn't going to hang around that scary stinky thing! I snoozed at the back of floatyboatyhome where it was coolest.

After the stinkyhuff had stopped huffing I got brave and ventured back out again. It was worth the bravery! I may just have got there in good time to do some washing up! Mum was too slow telling me to 'leave it'. I was already on the job! It seems that stinkyhuffer had made those delectables even delectabler! Well, if humans are daft enough to leave some then it would be so wrong for it to go to waste wouldn't it? It seems that I like something called gammon rind and also lambbones. They didn't leave any sausages for me though - meanies!

I got my dinner al-fresco too. I'm sure it was smaller than usual.....

This evening, I took another lovely dip - well I had to! Mum was doing her daftness stuff again - throwing my toys into the river so I had to go rescue them! Over and over and over again.....

Then I took Daddy for a walkies to dry me off. Well, that was a daft idea too! When we got back, my doggybuddy Jimmy arrived again. That could only mean one thing had to be done: More swimming! Yippee! There now appears to be a very soggy towel hanging in our bowdeck.......

Heeheee! Heehee! Heehee! Silly Mummy.......

Fabbydabbyday!

Swimming. Playing. Greeting buddies in my garden (well....OK it is the park but it is my garden while we live here!), Snoozing under a humanyummyery table. Meeting and greeting a new colleague on the block (huge yellow lab x retriever named Percy). A bit of workywalkies (some inside a nice cool Tesco). Playing. Playing. Swimming. Swimming. Swimming. And some more swimming.

It has been a fabbydabbyday! Did I mention I did some swimming?

Photos of my meetings, greetings, playings and swimmings in the river.

Me and Buddy the pointer swimming near the bushes.

One ball rescue underway!

Another ball rescue in action. Mum is so daft keeping on launching things into the water!

Another toy rescue. This time it was my orange three-ball-propeller thingy.

Dripping having rescued my ball yet again - this time I'm waiting to share it with another doggypal who is approaching.

Meeting and greeting Jimmy the fellow black lab.

 

New Home!

Wooohoooo! Wayhayyy! Yaaaaayyyyy! We have moved. We have cruised our floatyboatyhome. We are now on the bestest ever mooring! My garden is the whole of Northcroft Park again! I is one happy pooch!

Why do People Park on the Pavements??? Grrrrrrrrr...

Mummy's little hero! That's what I got dubbed today. Well, I was only doing my job but I am happy to receive praise!

I took Mummy workywalkies to a Guide Dogs meet n greet session (well, actually, it was a more of a Guide Dog Oakley admiration session as I was the only furry one there!). On the way, I had to do no less than three offkerbs around vehicles parked on pavements. The second and third were not too bad - just cars blocking the pavements on quiet roads. The first one, however, was a big challenge. There was a huge lorry parked on the pavement beside a busy road. It had cars on it's back and was completely blocking our way. I stopped Mummy a little way from it and she asked me to 'Find the way'. I took her to the kerb and stopped again. She couldn't hear much over the loud growling of the lorry on her right side, so she couldn't really hear oncoming traffic. She asked me again to 'Find the way', thinking it was safe to go. I had spotted a big van coming towards us around the lorry though, so I stayed firmly put, stopping Mum from getting squashed. After the van had gone by, I took Mum around the lorry. As we got towards it's tail end, I had to stop Mum again; one of the cars was coming down off the lorry's back and would have squashed us if we had carried on onto the pavement. This was a very nasty moment as we were in the middle of the road with nowhere to go. I waited untll the car had finished coming backwards off the lorry's back and had got out of our way, then I took Mummy safely back onto the pavement so we could continue on our way. Mummy was super pleased with me and gave me oodles of praise - and a yummy or two too!

The journey back home was much more pleasant and uneventful. We came back a different way!

Before we left this morning, Mum launched a major attack on me with the grooming kit. She said she could knit me a buddy from all the fur that came off me. I hope she does!

Me and Mum at today's meet n greet inside a place called Vodafone HQ. Mum is sitting on a chair in front of a big Guide Dogs banner. I am lying at her back paws. Beside us is a table with a blue Guide Dogs tablecloth on it and two ladyhumans behind it and lots of fund-raising items on the table.

Me on my mat on the sofa with a huge pile of my fur in front of me. I am inspecting it closely!

Screaming!

Phewy! It's been a tongue-hang-out day today. Thankfully, I didn't have to do any work until it was much cooler this evening, when Mum needed me to take her to Lidl's.

This morning I just took Daddy for a nice long leisurely stroll around town. When we got back, our floatyboatyhome smelled lots of that 'cleaning' thing that Mum seems so fond of doing. There was no fuffing of black fur along the floor, no spatter decorations up the wall, no paw prints..... this cannot last! I shall have to get myself nicely muddy somehow in order to replace my designs!

Now, Mum wanted to go to Lidl's for something called I scream. I don't think I do, and I don't remember Mum screaming but I think I need to know what this stuff is.......

Kanoodling Time!

Intelligent human. That is what Mum is supposed to be! How can that possibly apply though when she can't even get the name of a gathering right? She called it a 'coffee morning'.....No....No....No! It was a kanoodling morning! The evidence is irrefutable! It is here in this photo!

Harley and me, fellow working Guide Dogs, lying side by side on the floor under a table. I have my paw on Harley's shoulder.

The Love of my Life has Left me!!!

We have said bye-byes to almost all of our floatyboatyfriends today. The worst bit of this is that means no more Lilly playtimes in the park! Hoooooowwwwwwllllllll! Booooohoooooo!!!!!

So the day has been spent with several workywalkieses, an under-the-table time while Mum and Dad munched bacon and sausages.....Humph!, and a bit of snoozing. Our floatyboatyhome has moved a tiny way - Mum and Dad pulled it by it's tails!

One of the workywalkies outings was to a big building where we met with two manhumans who were wearing black and white fursubstitutes and had squawkyboxes on their shoulders. They were nice manhumans, they did good ear rubs! I got to snooze on the carpet while Mum yacked to them all about the nasty dog who beat me up on Friday. I'm OK now but it seems that these manhumans want to try ot make sure it doesn't happen to any other doggypals.

I've also taken Mum to Lidl's but she failed to follow my attempted guidance into Pets At Home on the way. I did get to clean up a spot of spilled yumminess from the floor in front of the chilly shelves with all the pots on them! I also found Jerry's checkout so got a bit of a fuss from him!

This evening, Daddy went out and left us, so I had to take Mummy for a nice long workywalkies around the big block - just for the pleasure of going walkies!

Now it is time for sofasnuggles and dreams of Lilly.......come back Lilly......please......I love you Lilly........

Hot Dogs!

Back in action again today! All good!

It was a great workywalkies to and from church this morning. Not only did I guide Mum, but also three other humanfriends too! We went the route that goes through a road that goes nowhere for cars and then on through twittens. Humanfriends Graham, Henry and Lin asked 'Are you sure we're going the right way?' Mum just said 'Follow Oaks. He knows the way'. Well, of course I do! I think they were impressed! Heehee!

On the way back, Mum did exactly the right thing. She actually allowed me to guide her into Pets at Home! Yayyhayy! I got new toys! And Mum got some for my Lilly girlfriend too!

The afternoon was spent all in the park again, with gazillions of humanvisitors at the floatyboatyhomes. There were a few pooch pals to meet and greet too, including a Guide Dog Puppy, Hattie who was very enthusiastic in her meetings and greetings. I got to spend quite a lot of the time just chilling on the towpath by the bridge while Mum held onto the boats' leads so humans could get on and off to go for little trips on the little boats.

After all that was done, we went over to a different bit of the park, where there is a raised floor area with a lid on top. Daddy was up on there with his dumdumdum noisestickbox, as well as some others with various different noise boxes and a manhuman with bangy boxes. Of course that meant there was a load of human howling and yacketying going on. It was OK though, Hattie and I just sang to each other across the expanse of grass that was between us!

The grand finale of the day was the bestest bit though! Lilly and I got to have a fantabulous playtime on the park with our new toys. Squeaky burger, squeaky hotdog, squeaky squishy balls and big tennis balls with launcher. Mum is getting good at using that launcher. We had a lot of running to do!

We are all very very ready to inspect the insides of our eyelids now!

Henry Thinks He's a Dog!

Park! Aaaaaalllll day! And Aaaaaallll evening too! I think maybe it was getting mugged! I've had a fab day to 'recover'!

It seems that Mummy was worse than me after yesterday's little incident. She visited the spending room quite a few times this morning and I found her one time with the wrong end over the bowl. She was kind of growling at it too! She is OK now though, and so am I.

Today has been full of gazillions of humans and quite a fair number of pooch pals too. The park was full! There were flappy-buildings and tables all over the grass and loads and loads and loads of people visiting all the floatyboatyhomes. One of the groups on the grass was a bunch of Guide Dogs people and a couple of my colleagues too! I got to kanoodle with Henry, Spring (a very bouncy puppy), Bobby and Harley. Ooooh! that was good! I needed that time with buddies.

It was a crazy day in a relaxed kind of way - mainly just wandering around with Mum getting fusses and loves while Mum did endless yacketying. There was a stinky puffy sizzly thing going on - a big box on legs that was huffing hot stuff into the air. I didn't like that and I tried to keep Mum away from it but she was most insistent. I think I might have rather liked the sausages and flat yummy disks that were sizzling on top of it! I didn't get to find out though. :(

After my dinner, I got to snooze on Aunty Carole and Uncle David's floatyboat. I snuck off to curl up in their bedroom while Mum and Dad noshed and yacketyied.

This evening has been fantabulous fun! I got to play ball and chase for ages with Lilly. Her humandad Andy is really good at throwing a ball a loooooong way! Lilly and I were both puffed out but couldn't help but keep going and going and going - running and running and running........Ooooooh! It was great fun! At one point Uncle Henry joined in too. He was daft enough to think that, if he got down on all fours with me, he could persuade me to give him my ball! No chance! Humans are useless on all fours! I could move a million times faster! It was funny seeing him trying though!

Photo shows me on a big grassy park area, next to a circular pond. I am standing, tail wagging, looking at Henry who is facing me, down on his hands and knees on the grass.

I was Attacked!!!

Eventful. I think that rather sums up today!

It all started off with a quiet little workywalkies to the little building across the canal. That meant a 'find upsteps, over the bridge, find downsteps' and then 'find the door and upsteps'. That was all fine. Carpet snooze time in the corner while all the humans did yacketying and human howling. The workywalkies back again was interrupted by a dash to 'under the bridge' when the sky started leaking really badly. A wait under the bridge meant we didn't get a soaking when we went 'upsteps' again.

Next came a loooooong workywalkies taking Mum along the towpath to Beeancue, then over the bridge and along more towpath before getting to the road and so on around the other end of town to Sainsbury's.

Once in there, the first port of call was the human spending room. The big one that I usually take Mum into, where I can fit in with her, was broken, so I had to take her into the 'ordinary' one. In there, I can't fit into that tiny cupboard where the spending bowl is, so I had to wait by the paw-frothing bowls. That was fine until Mum emerged from the cupboard and then the nasty huffyfuffy monster above started huffyfuffing all by itself! It blasted at me and made me jump! I scampered to the other side of the room by the door and sat down as tight against the door as I could get. Then the door opened and I got squished behind it! I was very glad to get out of there and to guide Mum around the shop. She did fail to allow me to take her to the best aisle though! Huff!

Most of the rest of the day has been spent wandering around on the towpath being admired and fussed, interspersed with a few bursts of lovely playtime with Lilly and a few other passing pooches. That was all lovely and very relaxed.

Then it all turned a bit horrid. I was leading Mummy (on lead not harness because this is all VERY familiar territory to her and because we were enjoying the relaxation) along the towpath towards our floatyboatyhome. There was a boat moored up between the park and the big noisy watersloshy bit (I think Mum calls it a wee-er). There was a big dog on the back deck who started barking all angry nasty at me as I approached with Mummy. The next thing I knew was that dog attacking me. It was really scary and nasty and a lot of my black fur went wafting across the towpath. I did try to defend myself a bit by barking back but it was all over in a flash. The manhuman from the boat had got hold of the nasty dog and got it off me. So I was able to take Mummy away to our safe floatyboatyhome.

Once safely aboard and with the doors closed, Mummy and I got on the sofa. I was all shaky and so was Mummy, but she used her pawpointers to feel me all over. Then we just had cuddles together for a while. Mum then tried to persuade me to come outside again, but I didn't want to. I wanted to stay on my safe sofa. After a little while, I had calmed down a bit but still didn't want to go out again. But then my little buddy, Lilly came onto our bow deck. I felt safe with her and we went and had a bit of a wander around the park together.

While we were doing that, Mum was using her talkybone. I think she was yacketying with someone from Guide Dogs HQ. Dad had borrowed a wheeliewizzer and gone zooming off down the towpath. Apparently he found the boat with the nasty dog and the manhuman aboard and he took photos.

As soon as he got back, we all went off in the car on a trip to the vet. She prodded me all over with her pawpointers, including in my mouth and ears. She found the ouchies inside my mouth. I have a cut on my tongue and on my lip. Apparently this means I am very fortunate. I think the yummies from the vet were VERY fortunate!

Mum was on her talkybone again telling someone called 'the po-leece' all about what happened. Apparently, the Guide Dogs HQ insisted she did this because an attack on a Guide Dog is very naughty.

We are all OK now. My mouth is a bit sore but that is all. Mum says this is miraculous!

This evening, we went to a pointy building where I got to snooze on the raised floor bit while Mum did oooooooodles of yacketying with a tiny lollipop stuck to her cheek! She was telling lots of people about how amazing I am! She also went on about how I have helped her to become the first ever Guide Dog Owner living aboard a floatyboatyhome. The bestest bit though was having a colleague to play with! Henry had brought his humanmum Karen along to hear Mum yack. Never mind the yacking - Henry and I had a fab time! We even got a little bit of a game of chase around all the chairs. Between us, we almost, very nearly, got to check out the yummies laid out on a table. Only almost though. Spoilsport humans caught us just a moment too soon! Harrrrumph!

Once we got back to home, I enjoyed a nice relaxed wander around Victoria Park before hopping aboard our floatyboatyhome for sofasnuggles. Much needed methinks.

2 photos of me lying on my back while the ladyvet checked me over. She did give some rather nice bellytickles!