Pyoing-Pyoing-Pyoing

The quacking featherballs were doing a weird thing this morning; They were kind of semi-walking on water and semi-sinking into it. I watched them with my head tilting in all directions but I just couldn't work out what they were up to.

The grass was all white and crunchy under my paws and the mud was no longer squishy-slippy for Mum. The water was all kind of flat and not moving. It was most peculiar. Where the trees were moulting, the 'furs' they were shedding were kind of bouncing and skidding across the top of the water. 

All this meant that Mum and I just went for a pleasure workywalkies instead of going straight into team-towpath mode. Apparently, it is not a good idea to move our floatyboatyhome through solid water unless really necessary. It clearly wasn't necessary this morning! So, after a pleasant walkies, it was back to snooze by the warmth of the glowing hotbox.

A bit later though, we did set off and conquered 11 locks in total. It was a tad chilly on my botty when I had to sit and wait while Mum did all the hefting and winding stuff, but it was good to be in action. When we were cruising aboard our floatyboatyhome, there were some stretches where the water was still quite solid on top. In these bits, there was a loud 'pyoing-pyoing-pyoing' and lots of crunching noise. I was a little bit worried about this to begin with, but Mum and Dad seemed relaxed enough so I just settle down on the back deck to watch the strange flat water go by in slices.

Photo shows Mum and me workywalkiesing along the towpath. There is a floatyboat beside us, which is ahead of Dad on our floatyboatyhome. We shared most of the locks with this one.

A Nice Selection!

Mummy's hairy hero! That's me apparently!

We've been working locks together again today - 12 of them! It has been great! I've had lots of edible backup to Mum's praise! I think it means I'm doing a good job. The last few locks were the best though; I got to enjoy a freerun while Mum did all the hefty windy-uppy-windy-downy-pushy-pully-stuff. It all started when a couple of playful pooch pals came by. Mum was nice to me by taking off my harness and lead and letting me 'Go play'. It was only a brief play as they were only passing, but it was a little time of fun anyway. Then, because the light was good and that bit of towpath was really clear and good for Mum, I got to 'freewalk' the rest of the way with her. She says that it is easy to find her way on a gravel path because, if she strays from it, she doesn't crunch anymore! I just pottered around enjoying a sniff here and a weemail there.....and then walked down to the next lock with Mum, waited while she did her stuff then walked back up to supervise her shutting the previous one again after Dad had driven our floatyboatyhome out. We zig-zagged to and fro the distance several times over that way. That meant I got to double and treble check all the local weemail gossip on the way!

These locks have quite high up platform areas around the beams on the bottom gates (the bottom ones are the biggest ones). These have a level access at the top but a sheer drop at the bottom; kind of a wall going down to the grass below. One of them though had a step down even on the top side. I was waiting with Mum while she did her hefting stuff and, just as she was about to fall off this step, I managed to plonk myself across in front of her and prevent her from going any further. I am sure she hadn't realised there was a step there! I got lots of soppy hugs and fusses after that! And a nice selection from Mum's pocket too! Yummmmmm!

Super Sized Carrot!

Team Towpath par Excellence!

Just Mum and me and miles of mud! We did good methinks!

Mum dug out my scruffy old harness - the one that is reserved for working in yucky conditions. I'm very glad we didn't meet anyone! The shame of it! That harness is soooo tatty! Anyway, we set off workywalkiesing the towpath. The big glowball in the sky was super bright and kind of low down, and we were walking straight towards it, so Mum really couldn't see where she was going. At first it was OK; a bit squishy underpaw but not too bad. Mum was doing well on that. Then it all got squishier and slippyer and ickyer. Mum kept saying "Wowowowo". I thought she was trying to be a hound! After a couple of such baying sessions though, I sussed it! She was finding it hard to walk. Silly two-legs were slip-sliding all over the place. Sturdy four-legs had no problem! Once I had worked that one out though, I was ready to slow down and warn Mum with a knee-nuzzle when we came to such icky bits. That, apparently was very pleasing! Very good work! Work worth a yummy!

On some stretches, the path got really narrow and so Mum did her lead-through-harness-handle thing and gave me the command "Go ahead". I like doing this. It is a great opportunity for me to truly show Mum what I can do. It also gives me good chances to sneak in a bit extra sniffing of local weemail gossip! Heehee! Mum can't lift my head up when we are working in this mode! She can biff me up the bum though! Huff! There were a few icky patches in our 'go ahead' stretches, so I slowed right down and looked back at Mum to make sure she got the message and was careful.

We made it! No slips. No mishaps. we got back aboard floatyboatyhome and I got the biggest carrot Mum could find! Yummmmy!

Bouncing Bum!

Ouchy leakysky!

I took Mummy and Daddy on a big workywalkies and busridies. We went to a floatyboatyvet place (our floatyboatyhome is not poorly though so nothing to worry about). I got to stay with a nice manhuman in the office while Mummy and Daddy went to see inside another floatyboat. After that, we walked to the bus stop, then went into Rugby again. First stop was the Post Office (big triumphant bum bounce just inside the door when Mum told me how clever I am to 'Find the Post Office'! - clever enough for TWO treats!). Second stop was the Opticians (I found that too!) where Mum got her new eyewindows. Then a humanyummyery where i simply had to lie down under the table and dream of the bacon I could smell. Huff!

Third stop was the talkybone shop again. Thankfully we didn't stay long this time. Just long enough for Mum to get something sorted out on her new talkybone and for me to get a few fusses!

After a bit more wandering around Rugby town shoppyplace, in and out of a few other shops, we caught another bus and then workywalkiesded to a foodyshop called Aldi. That was fine, I directed Mum successfully around there and she did the right thing by getting a big bag of carrots! It was after we left there and were walking back to our floatyboatyhome that the ouchies happened. The sky started to leak. At first it was just about tolerable (I don't like workywalkies with leakyskies but when it is just a bit damp I can put up with it). Then it started to get soggy enough to be running off my nose. That makes my head hang low. I don't like it! But it got even worse when the sky started flinging little tiny ouchy white balls at us too! That was just not nice at all! Hooooowwwwwlllll!

Thankfully, it didn't last long and we made it home to get a good towelrub to make it all better again. The sofa has been a pleasant, warm, dry place to snooze away the rest of the afternoon!

Cheesecake!

A good Sunday today!

Workywalkies to a new church.

New humanfriends to meet n greet. (and pose for one-eyed-clickybox)
New hoovering territory - it seems that something called cheesecake goes a good splat when it is dropped on the floor but it was delicious to help with the clean up operation!

Workywalkies back, via a park for a freerun - Yippeeee!

Three locks to work with Mummy (well, actually two with Mummy and the last one with Daddy because it got too dark for Mummy).

Then Bone time! It is finished now so there's only one thing left to do to round off a good day; Sofasnuggles with Mummy! Mmmmmzzzzzzz......

Photo shows Mummy and me posing in the middle of the room where church was this morning. A nice ladyhuman is poining her talkybone at us to take a photo.

All Fussed Out!

My minions did good! All calendars ordered so far are now on their way! I supervised their packing by Mum, the squiggles on the white rectangles by Dad, then I escorted Dad to the Post Office to ask the ladyhuman there to send them on their way.

In the rest of life: Visitors! Doggy visitors! Yippeee! Max and Tizzy came to visit. We were only allowed to play on long leads just outside on the towpath but it was great to do that. Oh.....they brought their humans with them too so I got to clean Pete's ears out for him again!

That was only a brief visit before workywalkies to the bus stop, then into Rugby town. More workywalkies got us to a few shops including one where Mum got new pawcovers, and one where I got some lovely fusses! Oh....and Mum spent forever playing with a talkybone. Eventually, she came out with that talkybone in her pocket! By this time, I was all fussed out by the nice manhuman workyperson in there, and I was starving too! It was almost my dinnertime! I had to do more workywalkies and bus stop finding first though - then the journey on the bus. I eventually got my picnic dinner in a corner in Tesco's! I just about survived long enough to guide Mum there!

Then, I had a smidgen of energy to fuel me to guide Mum to the next adventure. First of all, we went up the hill and over the bridge, so I tried to guide Mum to where home used to be; beside the little parky area. She said 'No. Not today. Straight on'. I did, but I had to give her the nuzzle on the knee to check. The nuzzle that says 'Are you sure? I'm not convinced this is the right way!'. Then she gave me the clearer direction; ' Let's go find Jasper'. Well......THAT was a good instruction! I knew exactly which way to go! Around the corner, follow the pavement around, then cross the road at the crossing, turn right, find the tunnel and go through it, then through the twitten and follow round to the left! Yesssss! It was very dark so Mum had to trust me. I didn't let her down! Well....I wouldn't want to miss a meet up with my buddy Jasper!

It was a fab evening of doggy snogging and fun and ear-chewing and...well....doggy play stuff! I think the humans enjoyed their noshing and yacketying too....I guess so anyway......I can't say I took too much notice really.......Jasper fun was much more important! Oh....and a bit of hoovering duty under a microhuman in a chair on sticks! I shared that duty with Jasper. We did a thorough job between us!

Photo of me enjoying some super fuss time with the workymanhuman in the talkybone shop.

Kerbs.

'Back to basics'. That's what Mum called it. 'Yummy work' was what I called it!

It seems that today is a day of having nowhere to go. A rarity for us. So, this morning, Mum and I left Dad at home to do his clicketyfingersy stuff and we went off to remember some of the streets around this Hillmorton place. It wasn't a long route; maybe a couple of miles or so. Mum made me work really hard though. She said it would do us both good to remember some old basics of our working. So, we stopped firmly at every kerb, I had to wait for the 'forward' command before taking Mum across the road. (I have got into a bit of a habit of telling Mum when to go - apparently she is supposed to be in charge! Hmmmm.....not sure what to think about this....), I didn't get away with any sniffing (HUFFFFF! But there are sooooo many strategic weemail hubs around here!), and I had to take Mum to kerbs and stop before making any turns around corners. (Kerbs are reference points for navigation).

Every time I did good I got a yummy and some praise! It was a worthwhile 'reminder'!

The rest of the day has been hard work - on my jaws! A new bone!!!!! Yummmmmmm! Now it seems that Dad needs a walkies so please excuse me - duty calls!

Hoicked!

Bleugh! That snack was good when I found it but not nice when it reappeared!

I managed to find my way out of floatyboatyhome and through the hedge. There are some baa-ing four-legged clouds there and I wandered in to say hello. I found some very yummy nuggets on the ground and managed to snaffle a few before Dad spoiled my fun and hoicked me back. I don't think Mum or Dad were too impressed with me. Oooooops! :(

We had visitors; two growed up humans; Simon (with lots of fur on his chin - rather like a Schnauzer!) and Esther, plus two minihumans; Livvy and Noah. Livvy is a bit like Mummy; she has eyesight in need of a me! She says she might have a me one day when she gets a bit bigger. Of course, all this meant ooooooodles of human yacketying going on and they had something called 'cake' to munch too. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself though, so I want and laid down in a dark place! That was when my tummy turned the wrong way and emptied onto the floor!

I am OK again now though. The pictures of me in my 2018 calendar are all nice happy healthy photos! If you want a handsome boy on your wall then get your order in very soon as they are selling fast. That means we are raising some good shinydisks to sponsor another puppy to train to be a 'me'. Maybe one that could be for Livvy one day soon.....

https://www.guidedogoakley.org.uk/shop.html

Felt a Bit of a Prick...

He stabbed me! I thought he was a nice vetman. He started off nice with fusses and tummytickles. I rolled onto my back for the bestest effects. Then he got a shiny spike and stabbed me in the neck! Hooowwwwlllll!

I took Mummy workywalkies on a nice route to Tesco this morning - the long way round - via two stretches of pathways with no roads. Nice big clear pathways with big bright white line along the middle that Mummy could see to follow. That meant I got to FREERUNNNNNN those bits! Yippeeeee! Only shortish freeruns - with workywalkies in between to get Mummy across a big beastie road and along a stretch of pavement - but freeruns nonetheless!

When we got to Tesco, I managed to guide Mum straight to the carrots! Yess! She didn't even need to ask me! She says she wasn't actually planning on getting carrots - well, that was a mistaken plan that simply HAD to be corrected! My bum bounced quite spectacularly when it triumphantly whumped on the floor to declare my expert work! Mum DID get some carrots; some nice big juicy carrots! Error of judgement corrected!

After that, a nice lie down on the back deck to watch the water glide by was welcome, and a new garden is always good to explore! We are now in a place Mum says is called Hillmorton. I remember it. Mum says we were here nearly four years ago when we first became floatyboaters. I remembered the way to the shoppy street though! That was when we visited the vet. Mum says that is me all sorted and safe for another year. How can a stab in the neck be 'safe'? Huh??

The yummies that Mum gave me helped to take away the ouch and the terrors! I think I forgive her.....and I did manage to give the vetman a waggytailed goodbye.....

Photo shows me lying on my back on the floor, legs in the air, with the vetman giving me a bellytickle.

Soggywalkies...

Five miles of soggy workywalkies! Ugh! Actually, it was more workyploddies. I hate working when the sky is leaky. It makes my head hang low, then the drips run off the end of my nose and I have to sniff every leaf on the way to find out if any fellow pooches are as miserable as me! The towelrub when we got home was good though, then the cozy sofasnoozy afternoon was worth having.

Then I got to take Daddy on a leisure walkies but only to a really boring place called Wicks. NOTHING even vaguely edible or worth sniffing in there! Then, on a very brief trip into Tesco, I was tugged, protesting, straight past the aisle with the doggyuumies in it! Not Fair!

I shall cheer myself up by reminding you all about my calendars. They are selling fast, so please do hurry up and get your orders in. ALL the shinydisks raised from these will go toward my fundraising to sponsor another puppy to train to become as awesome as me! Well...maybe nearly....
www.guidedogoakley.org.uk/shop.html

House Arrest!

Jasper! My long missed buddy!

I first met Jasper when he was a diddy pup. He came to visit us aboard our floatyboatyhome. It has been forever since then and we have missed each other sooooo much! Today we were reunited and had a great time getting reacquainted. Jasper is a little Staffie x Frenchie. The poor boy is on something called 'house arrest'. He isn't allowed out at all except to weemail in the garden. That sounds horrific! His humandad said it is because he has a poorly back and is confined to quarters on vet's orders. I did my bestest to cheer him up today. We had a great ear-chewing, kanoodling, rolling session in his lounge. Jasper, I hope you get out of prison soon! I wanna go play properly with you buddy!

In other news today: It was a long workywalkies to church this morning and the grass was all white and crunchy! When I watered it, it hissed and huffed at me! We didn't return by the usual route though - so no freerun! Humph! Instead, it was another long workywalkies to a human yummyery. After a little lie down there, some long missed human buddies arrived! Jan and Lizzie and Adrian Yummyears Hartopp! Ooooooh! that was a lovely waggytail-earlicking-doggykisses reunion! After that Adrian got up and greeted Mum and Dad too!

It was a long under-the-table snooze session but afterwards, I got to ride in the back of their car with Lizzie. That was nice to have company in my space in the car! We went to their house and that was where the bestest reunion happened! That was where Jasper came dashing out to meet n greet me!

Two photos of me and Jasper kanoodling. Jasper is a white-with-grey-patches Staffie x French Bulldog.

 

Three Bus Rides and a Train Ride!

Home again - all cozy and dozy!

That London malarkey is exhausting!

Three bus rides and a train ride all had my head getting heavy. Now, back home aboard floatyboatyhome, with the hotbox glowing and Mum sharing my bed on the sofa, I really don't seem to be able to keep my eyelids open either.....zzzzzz.....

2 photos;

 

Dozing on the bus.

Curled up all cozy on my bed on the sofa.

Aunty Debbi is now a Master!

Second attempt to tell you all about the strange day yesterday. I tippetytapped it all but it all went on a huff and wouldn't puplish.

The day started with a nice challenge of a workywalkies - all on completely new territory. I even had to take Mum on an 'offkerb' because a tree was blocking the pavement!

We arrived at a hugantic building and went inside. There we found Ryan and Debbi. Everyone was covered in posh fursubstitutes, including Mummy and Daddy (a rare covering!). Like lots and lots of people there, Debbi not only had posh togs on but also a big floatyflappy black fursubstitute with blue and grey bits on it, and an upside-down dogbowl on her head!

All the people wearing these peculiar things went up onto a highfloor, jiggled paws with some other manhumans who were up there, also wearing strange things. While all this was going on, the people on all the seats did endless lots of front-paw-banging-together. Then we spent ages in another part of the huuuuuge place where the humans all had long skinny bowls on sticks, with bubbly water inside. There was a few tiny morsels for me to hoover on the floor, and loads and loads of fusses and admirations to enjoy!

After all this and loads of one-eyed-clickybox posing, we set off on another workywalkies ending in a lie down under a table in a human yummyery. Then another workywalkies to find Ryan's car. I got to ride in the front, between Mum's back paws and we went to Debbi Ryan's house - and that wonderful huge garden! Yippee! That was a very welcome game of ducking and diving and rough and tumble with Ryan was fabtabulous! After a snooze on the carpet while loads of yacketying went on, and a close encounter with a hissing furball, we got back into Ryan's car and he delivered us back to our humankennelblock. This gave me the opportunity to polish off my lovely bone. I just about managed it before my head became too heavy to hold up any longer!

4 photos:

 

Me posing with Debbi and Ryan in their posh togs. Debbi is also wearing that strange black floaty thing and the upside down dogbowl on her head.

Debbi on the highfloor jiggling paws with another strangely clad manhuman. There is a huge Debbi on the wall behind them too!

Debbi posing in her upside-down-dogbowl and floatygown. Behind her is a wall with squiggles on it. Mum says those squiggles say 'University of West London'.

Me in the front of Ryan's car, snuggled between Mum's back legs.

Eat Your Heart Out, Ralph McTell!

Have you seen the Guide Dog
Who walks the streets of London
Guiding his Mum
with his harness on?

He’s no time for plodding
He just keeps right on striding
Weaving his Mum
through all the crowds

So how can you tell me I’m naughty
And say for me that I’m wearing out?
Let Mum take me by the handle
lead her through the streets of London
Show her how I still work my paws off!

Yep! London again. Workywalkies, train, workywalkies, bug red bus, workywalkies, big red bus, workywalkies, big red bus, workywalkies........and now.....bone munching relaxation in a humankennelblock!

Cleaning Job!

Yummy manhuman!

After a fairly mundane workywalkies with Mummy (it seems The Range in the new Dullelm! and this time, she managed to resist my attempts to get her to the good aisle!), I got to take Daddy on a leisure walkies to a red and white striped shop. It was a GOOD trip! Not only did I get bones, but I also got to make a new humanfriend who had seriously yummy front paws! He said something about needing to go and give them a good wash before going back behind the counter. I don't know why - I thought I did a superb job of cleaning them for him!

Photo shows me inside a butcher shop, enjoying a wonderful fuss time with the butch man who is bending down with his hands by my face. He is wearing a white fursubstitute and a stripey long bib, and a white hat.

Sooooooo Good!

YaaayyHayyyy! I had a playdate!

It all started with workywalkies to the bus stop, then around town. First came 'Find Specsavers'. Done! No problem! That seemed to be a quick visit just for Mum to collect a little white rectangle called a 'priscispshun' or something. Anyway, I managed to attract some nice fusses so that was all good!

Next came a bit more workywalkies around to a different bit of town and 'Find the optician'. That was the little shop with the step outside and nice fuss-giving humans inside - oh - and lots and lots of racks of eye-windows! This visit got me a lie down on the carpet while Mum yacketyyacked with a nice ladyhuman who, it seems, is getting Mum sorted with some new eye-windows. This made Mum's mouth go up at the corners! The ladyhuman mentioned some numbers that made Daddy's mouth go down a bit in the corners though! This seemed to have something to do with a little rectangle thing that got fed into a bleepybox. I just enjoyed some more fusses and admirations!

Next, came a longish workywalkies to yet another part of town; a rather appealling part of town; the big huge ginormous Winfield Park! Yippeeeeee! I thought.......but......HOWWWWWLLLLL! We went straight past it! On the wrong side of the road - despite my bestest efforts to steer Mum to the crossing! Instead, we went to a pub! I had to just lie down on the hard floor while Mum and Dad 'enjoyed' some bubbly clear stuff.

They did come to their senses though and finally allowed me guide them both to the right place! Over the crossing and through the yellow gate! There, I found my buddy colleague Guide Dog Slipper! Yippeeee! Very soon, our Mum's removed our harnesses and leads and gave us that fantabulous command 'Go Play'! We had a fabtastic time running big zoomies together - all around the whole expanse of that wonderful huge park! We found a couple of diddy Labrador puppies to have a brief play with too!

A whole hour of such fun was a bit tiring but OOOOOOOHHHHHH it was sooooooo good! I may have been a tad ploddy back on workywalkies duty after that! The work wasn't finished yet! I had to guide Mum back into town, then into a pawcovers shop. That gave me a chance for a lie down while Mum put various pawcovers on her back paws, Then there was one more lie down in a human yummyery while Mum and Dad had hot brown drinks.

I would have had a lie down on the bus back home too, but it was mega crowded so I just had to sit up and rest my chin on Mum's knee.

Now, back home aboard cosy warm floatyboatyhome, I seem to be having a bit of trouble keeping my eyes open.......zzzzzzzz,,,,,

4 photos:

 

Me and Slipper enjoying a leisurely mutual sniff about in the big park.

A brief playtime with two tiny Lab pups.

Zoomies together - me and Slipper.

A bit of a rest - for a moment - Slipper lying down, me standing waiting for the next burst of energetic zoomies.

Magnetic Nose.

Calendars!

Workywalkies. Carpet snoozes at church. Delectable bellyrubs from the lovely minihumans Livvy and Noah plus friends. A freerun on the way home. Visitors - Chris and Adrian who have comfy backpaws to curl up on. Snoozy Sunday afternoon. Leisure walkies with Daddy this evening and return to find all my paw art removed from the floor!
A good Sunday. Happy Oakley.

Here comes the big announcement..........
ORDERS CAN NOW BE PLACE FOR CALENDARS! YIPPEE!

www.guidedogoakley.org.uk/shop.html

or click on the 'Shop' link on my Facebark page

Front cover of my 2018 Calendar!

Yacketying and more bloomin yacketying!

Oooh! It is good be home. Nothing beats a cozy sofa snuggle after a mega day!

It all started with Daddy leaving us. I then had to workywalkies Mum to the other side of town. She wasn't too sure of the route and was a bit hesitant. I sorted her out though and we arrived without going astray and we found Daddy there!

We had been to this place once before, but this time, it was full of loads of my humanpals that I haven't seen for ages. My tail nearly fell off with all that wagging! They were all floatyboatyfriends! Mum says it was the Boaters' Christian Fellowship Ayjyem. To me, it seemed like a fest of yacketying and yummies! A whole huge table loaded with all sorts of yummies! Oooh! it was torture! A couple of people were nice to me by dropping things that had to be hoovered! I like those friends super especially much!

There was loads and loads of carpet snoozing to be done while they all did endless amounts of yacketying. Mummy was one of the ones who got up on the highfloor and did yacketying into a lollipop. I went with her to make sure she was OK. I wandered off to the back of the highfloor -just to get out of the way of course! It just happens that I found a bag there.....with a very enticing smell coming from within......Mum was mean though, she heard the bag rustle and stopped my explorations! Huff!

There was also a session of humanhowling. This included Daddy howling into a lollipop and wagging his front paw up and down on his multi-whiskered noisebox.

I just laid down and waited for it to end. Well....I was so weak with hunger.....it was at least 10 minutes past my dinnertime by then! I did eventually get my picnic dinner there. Somebody got totally the right idea - that this was just a light snack to see me through until I got home and had my dinner! Mum told him this WAS my dinner! I'm sure he was right and Mum was wrong and mean!

On the workywalkies back home again, we stopped by two manhumans who were sitting on the floor in town. They were all wrapped up and had yummies in bags. They needed some Oakley-love. I was happy to oblige and Mum yacketied with them while I enjoyed some good ear rubs! Mum gave them some shinydisks and we were off again to finish our journey home. It was super dark so I really had to strut my stuff guiding Mum. We made it safely back though and the sofa very soon grabbed me and made me all sleepy on Mum's lap.

3 photos

 

Me lying in front of the highfloor with Daddy and Peter behind me, both humanhowling and wagging their front paws on whiskered noise boxes (Mum says they are called guitars - Peter's is a six-string and Daddy's is a 12-string).

Me mid big yawn.

Sofa-snuggles - me curled up on the sofa with my head on Mum's lap.

Hot Cupboard.

Peculiar goings on.....

Dad has been stroking his 12-whiskered noise box, plus humanhowling, (sometimes with his mouth shut - how weird is that?!!), then he tippety taps on his clicketyfingerstoy, then more stroking and howling......He says he is writing cords.....I just don't get it.....I kept out of the way!

I actually had to keep a close eye on Mummy today. She needed me! She has had one of her really bad bad-eyes-days and so has been doing lots of stroking and patting everything with her front paws. I think this is how she finds things. I don't know why she doesn't just use her nose like I do! She has been doing all sorts of what she calls practical jobs. She spent a while down on her knees with her front paws inside the black cupboard that gets fed when it gets hot. She was using some frothy stuff and a funny shiny squiggly scrunched up scrubby thing to groom it ever so harshly. Then she used cloths to stroke it over and over and over again. These strokings started off by making the cloth all black, but it gradually faded with each stroke and slosh sequence.

When she had finished that, she then got a big bowl and put various different dusts in it; some white, some brown. Then she added water and butter and twizzled it all with a shiny stick thing. Then it all made a big blob of gooey stuff that she biffed and squished and bashed and rolled. This then got put back into the big bowl and abandoned for a while. When she got it out again it was huge! It then got another bashing, biffing, scrunching and rolling session, then got cut apart and rolled again. It then got left to grow again into three blobs, before being fed to the hot cupboard.

It smelled delectable when it came out of the hot cupboard. I offered to test it for Mum, but she said it is for tomorrow. Huff!

Most of the afternoon has been spent lying at Mum's back paws while she has been doing that strange crowshaving thing with the little shiny hook stick and the mega long multicoloured tail. She has also had a tail plugged into her ear with a humanvoice yacketying at her through it.

Passed Out...

Three and a half miles workywalkies on an extended route to Tesco. Not complaining! Most of it was on nice(ish) path away from the road, some was along very busy roads (on the pavement of course!) and one very nice bit was free-run! Yayy!

I am pretty sure that the busy roady bit was wrong. Mum kept saying 'Hang on....where are we?.....let me get some bearings....' I tried to tell her. I tried to direct her. She had said 'We need to go to Tesco'. I knew the way, even from the longer route variation. She didn't get the message though! Eventually, she did say 'I think you were right Oaks. I'm sorry!' Never mind. It was a nice workywalkies anyway.
When we got back home there was another floatyboatyhome in front of ours. I wasn't sure if I recognized it or not. It seemed familiar but it has changed colour. I most certainly recognised the occupants though! Well...the humans and one of the doggypals. It was my bestie humanpals Pete and Chrissie with Tizzy my doggybuddy. There was a new doggybuddy too: His name is Max and he is awesome fun! He is a Beagle x Foxhound and he is only 16 months old. He isn't allowed off lead yet but he was on a super long lead so we were able to have a good zoomies session. Tizzy joined in too, but she is a bit senior and sensible! I did go searching for my old buddy, Shadow, in his floatyboatyhome but he wasn't there. Apparently he has gone for his forever freerun. Max has joined the family to make mouths go up at the corners again.

I was a tad tired after that workywalkies and then loony session so was happy to zonk on my bed while Mum and Dad did all their clicketyfingers stuff. Mum said I was snoring at both ends. She said I am unlikely to get another trotter to munch. I have no idea what she means but it was a bit niffy - I think I passed out at one point!

2 photos

Me with a very blurred tail, meeting and greeting Tizzy and Max, plus Chrissie and Pete.

Me passed out on my sofa bed.

A Day of Pampering.

Oooh! I like today!

A day of 5. I think I like 5

Mum says that today is our qualiversary. I have absolutely no idea what it means but she tells me it is the 5 year anniversary of our qualifying as a Guide Dog Partnership.

We celebrated by doing over 5 miles workywalkies into town, around some shops (including another eyewindows place for Mum), and back via Pets at Home - Yayyhayyy! I found some good hoovering duty in there and Mum got me some treats.

When we got back home, I got 5 treats - all of them yummylicious!

I got a super yummy dinner - not my normal nuggets but a big plate of something called Ocean Fish with Rice and Veg. It was super scrummy. That was treat 1. Treat 2 was that my dinner was dotted with all sorts of biccies. Treat 3 was a rice bone. Treat 4 was something called a Trotter - that was super scrummy and mega crunchy! Treat 5 was a hugenormous carrot!

All these yummies were enjoyed in utter luxury: on my new bed! Well, it seems that Mum thinks it is the new sofa (cushions) delivered today. I suppose I might manage to spare her a corner!

Mum says that I deserve a day of pampering after 5 years of life-changing hard work, looking after her. I have just been doing my job, but I can happily accept and enjoy this kind of pampering! Yummy. Thanks Mummy.

 

2 photos: 

 

Me on my bed (a bath mat on the new blue cushions of the sofa) enjoying my huge carrot.

Me the other way around on my bed (Well - my front paws are on it anyway - the rest of me is lying along the sofa) with my super yummy dinner on a big oval white plate in front of me, trotter and rice bone beside the plate.

Oh Buggle It!

Soggy Doggy - twice!

The sky has been leaking non-stop. That meant two lots of lovely towel rub! Heeheee! Much better than Mum's choice - she removed all of her soggy fursubstitutes and put on different ones. A good game of towel rub is far superior!

'Let's go out' turned out to be a short workywalkies to the bus stop again, followed by a long wait. Eventually, the bus arrived and took us into town. Daddy abandoned us and went off to do his own thing while Mum and I went into a yummyery where we found my colleague Slipper. Oh...she did have her humanmum, Lyn with her too! Of course, this meant a lie down under the table while the inevitable yacketying went on, along with drinking of hot brown stinky waterstuff. It was OK though. Lying under a table is always much nicer with a buddy! Mum was very pleased with me for not doing any kanoodling or elephant-seal impressions. I think I need to try harder in future. I think I let myself down!

The rest of the day has been largely cozy-snoozing aboard floatyboatyhome. Daddy is still working on my calendar. At one point, he used some funny tail-thing to connect his clicketyfingerstoy to the talkylightscreen on the wall. Then a whole succession of different pictures of me appeared! Apparently this was the choosing process. Now Dad is click click clicking and, a couple of times, has said something like 'Oh buggle it' and 'it crashed'! I didn't hear any loud bang or crunches so I have no idea what crashed into what but I don't think Daddy was too happy. He assures me though, that the calendar is now 'coming together'. These humans do yip weird things sometimes!

I met my Daddy Again!!!

A bit of Father-Son bonding time today!

Yessssss! I got another playdate with my doggydaddy Dixon - in that ginormous park! Woohoooo! It was fantabulous!

It all started with a long lazy morning - mainly waiting for Mum and Dad to complete their clicketyfingersing stuff. A big boat with no lid came alongside and the manhuman used a growly squirtyhose thing to give our floatyboatyhome a big drink into its bum end! He also gave us some big bags of those black lumps that get fed to the hotbox, and a big red clangy round thing that went into a big hole in the front. This was swapped with the one that came out of that same hole. The bags of black lumps made Daddy huff and puff and walk funny when he was carrying them.

Once this peculiar episode was over and the topless floatyboat had gone, we set off out. It was only a short walk to the bus stop so I was a bit miffed when we stopped and waited there. I sang a very sad song to Mummy but still we stayed there. Eventually, the bus arrived and on we hopped. It was a shortish ride, then a very exciting workywalkies. I knew where we were and the route was leading to one of two possible good destinations: the first one was the freerun track we went along yesterday. When we got to the gap in the fence at the top of that path, Mum said 'Not today. Straight on'. For a few paces I registered my protest by plodding, but then cancelled that protest in favour of an urgent gallop towards the second possible destination. I was right and just couldn't get there quick enough! Humans are blimmin slow! Mum wanted positive guiding. I delivered VERY positive guiding! What thanks did I get? "STEADY!!" "Oi! That's enough pulling!!". Hufffff! I can't do right for doing wrong! Waddoyamean... wrong reasons? Going to the park is the perfect reason for getting a move on!

"Find the crossing right" was perfect confirmation of the destination. That crossing takes us to the yellow gate into the park. I just about managed to pause long enough to "Get the button" and then wait for the bleepycrossing signal. But that was the end of my patience. Mum said I was more like a bucking rabbit across the road! Oops! Ahem! Well...we made it safely anyway......

Just inside that gate I managed to contain myself just long enough for Mum to remove my bra and noseband/lead and then I was off! There were trees to check out and grass to romp around on and...and...and....Oh....boo....no doggypals like last time! Mumph! But then.....a thunderous set of paws came bounding around the corner! It was my doggydaddy Dixon!! Yippeeeeeee!!!! We wasted not a moment in getting acquainted again, then it was zoomies and loonies for a fab long route all around the whole park!

On our way back we were briefly joined by a big golden Labrador called Shanty. We all three enjoyed a few moments of chase and roll, but then it was back to just DaddyDixon and me again.

I got to share his carboot space with him for a short ride to a human yummyery, where we both got to kanoodle under the table and share dropped morsels and a nice big tub of water.

All too soon it was over and I had to switch back into workywalkies mode to get Mummy and Daddy back home, via a couple of shops. I really hope we can do it all again sometime soon. DaddyDixon and I have a lifetime of notes to compare and it seems we are very alike!

4 photos:

 

Me and DaddyDixon doing a quick 'Sit' pose - both looking to the left of the picture where Mummy was holding a yummy.

Meeting Shanty. Dixon and I got either side of him to check him out.

A quick game of chase with Shanty.

Another quick 'sit' pose.....well DaddyDixon posed and faced the camera but the contents of Dixon's humandaddy's (Malcolm) pocket was much more interesting. I'm sure the back of my head is just as handsome though!