Happy New Ears!

Fizzpops and wizzbangs are going off all around outside. I'm safe and snug here on Mummy's lap on the sofa though. The bestest place to be after a day of workywalkies. Well - maybe not a whole day - but quite enough. It was Mummy's first venture into this Dudley place, so I had to strut my stuff to keep her safe and find the way around. It was just over four and a half miles in total of 'Straight on..... find the crossing.... find left..... find right...... straight on..... find the door left..... find Wilkos......' etc etc etc. Some of it was around a flappy-walls shoppy place where there was a huge pile of carrots on one bit. I did give the manhuman my bestest pleading look, but he didn't get the message! Huff! Mummy loved me though; when we got home, she gave me the biggest one she could find! Mmmmmm......

Mummy says that we have to have Happy New Ears tomorrow..... but I am very happy with my old ears!

Twigs Rescued!

I swimmmed! Woohooo! Wayhayyyy!

Today started with a workywalkies to church - oodles of bellyrubs and eartickles, and carpet for a good face massage and a snooze through all the humanhowling. I got a bit of something called 'com you neon'; only a tiny morsel, but at least it was a nibble!

Then it was workywalkies back to floatyboatyhome again for humanlunch.

Next came the fab bit of the day; a lovely long freerun - along the towpath, over a bridge, then a bit of a street walkies on lead, then we found paradise.... well.... actually Mummy said it is called Victoria Park. It was a lovely big park with oodles of space to run about, do zoomies, sniff and exchange weemails with the locals, and there was a huge puddle in the middle! I thought about going in for a swim but decided against it and settled for just a paddle around the edge, but then I err.... changed my mind.... well.... something like that anyway..... I kind of went in..... sideways! Oops! How very undignified! Oh well..... once wet, there was no point in bothering to stay out so I went in a few more times for a good swim! I even rescued a twig or two from the hissing and quacking featherballs in the middle! I got Daddy good and proper with a superb bigshake! Heeheehee!

3 photos:

 

Me standing at the edge of the lake with my paws in the overflowing water.

Bringing my first rescued twig ashore - hefting myself up out of the water.

Second twig rescued - it was hard work scrabbling up onto the rim under the water.

Calendars now HALF PRICE!

An easy day today. I took Daddy walkies to a posty office, then guided Mummy around the Black Country Living Museum; now very familiar territory but it is good to come back and explore again. Mummy was a meanie though - she wouldn't let me hoover the yummy yellow sticks that were dotted around on the ground. She says dropped chips are not for Oaklies! I dispute that strongly!

There was a big clip-clop beast going around pulling two humans in a wheeliewagon thing. Mummy told me I was a very good boy for not shouting at the beastie. I made sure I got edible proof of my goodboyness! (Sadly it was only one of the tiny morsels from Mummy's pocket - not a yummy yellowstick, but better than nothing!).

Now, we are all cozy back aboard floatyboatyhome. We still have a few calendars left that need homes. Mummy says it is a bit tight on time now to get them to you before we get to a new ear, but, if you order very soon, we will get them on their way to you very very soon. Maybe a mug or two (we don't have many of them left!) and a coaster and keyring too?....

CALENDARS NOW REDUCED TO HALF PRICE - £5

All shinydisks will go to my fundraising to sponsor another puppy in training to change the life of a Vision Impaired Person like my Mummy.

www.guidedogoakley.org.uk/shop.html

To-and-Fro and Up-and-Down!

Mummysnuggles - the bestest start and end to the day!

It all started with a 'Morning Mummy' snuggle on the bed. That was after I had taken Daddy out to do what simply has to be done first thing in the morning, then he had given me my breakfast and made that hot black waterstuff they seem to need to become functional. Mummy was still zzzzing so I snuck up to snuggle on top of her. I'm sure she didn't feel me arriving! I only stood on her for a moment before I found the right place to whump down!

This evening brings me my favourite pillow; Mummy's backlegs on the sofa. The only right way to be after a day of working 11 locks - to-and-fro and up-and-down and back again to open them and shut them and let floatyboatyhome in and out again..... then a walkies with Daddy to give Mummy space to stroke the floor.

2 photos:

 

'Morning Mummy! I wuv you!'. Me snuggled on top of Mummy - lying on the patchwork duvet giving her my bestest soppy-eyes look.

Sofasnuggles zzzzz - close up of my head and front paw draped across Mummy's backlegs on the sofa.

 

Weirdness!

Mooching.

Today has been mostly about mooching. I've been mooching around the whole of the inside of this floatyboatyhome cage place. It is quite a big garden to mooch around and it has lots of interesting smells to sniff out. It also has things to chase: hissing furballs, tree-scampering skitterjitters, featherballs of various kinds, and even one of those red pointy-eared-bigfluffytailed dogish things!

While I've been mooching Daddy has been walking of the roof. He cleared all the stuff off the roof of floatyboatyhome and then got up there and stroked it with a long whiskerstick, then squirted it with the squirtysnake, then stroked it again.

Mummy took the long boxes of growy things and removed all the brown twigs and bits, and put them into the giant bin.

Daddy then removed the flappywalled kennel thingy off the back deck (the one that folds down when we are cruising, and goes up when we moor up to make an extra room.). Then Mummy took this into one of the buildings. As I was free to mooch, I was able to go check up on her from time to time. She was inside a warmrain room, using the squirtysnake and a whiskerblock and a bottle of froth. She was stroking the flappyroom really really hard and making lots and lots of froth and mucky slosh. When she then squirted it all again, it was all clean and light grey coloured again. I was very careful to stay just outside to watch. I did NOT want to be stroked that hard with that froth! Ugh!

I took Daddy for a stroll to escape the craziness for a while. We were safer out of the way! When we returned, Mummy had finished her berserk turn, including having squirtysnaked the whole of the inside of that warmrain room. She says she has left it cleaner than she found it and it smells all nice now. Hmmmm... I'm not too sure about the 'nice' bit but she seems pleased with herself!

The weirdness seems to have subsided now and the flappyroom is back up on the backdeck, the long boxes of growythings are back on the roof and Mummy and Daddy have both been in the warmrainbox (clearly Mummy hadn't had enough of that yet!). Now, I think it is sofasnuggles time. Hopefully I won't catch the weirdness.....

Froth and Flannel!

Two buddies came calling for me! First it was little Jess, the terrier mess, then came Marley the big choccy lab mixed with something huge. With Jess, I enjoyed a gentle potter about and a little game of chase, but then, when Marley arrived, Jess had to go, so Marley and I got to play proper big boys rough and tumble stuff.

Marley's jowls seem to be very leaky and I ended up rather soggy, so, after he went home, Mummy attacked me with a bowl of froth and a flannel. How very un-macho!

The rest of the day has been all about snoozing, except for taking Daddy for a gentle wander around town this evening. Well, he said he needed a bit of exercise. I was happy to escort him!

Vejjyballs.

Santa Paws must've come. I didn't catch him though, despite my bestest efforts at pacing the length of floatyboatyhome at various times through the darktime. He must've snuck in super quietly, so I didn't get to greet him with my waggy kisses! He did leave me some prezzies though!

I got a cuddly Christmas Pudding (well, that's what Mummy says it is anyway - I just think it is a squishy thing that is great fun to toss about!) and a honking duck. They were both extra to the yummies that made me rip into the wrappings, there were chicken twigs and beefy chewsticks inside. Strangely they didn't last long though!

My dinner was a bit of a yummilicious treat too: it wasn't my usual dry nuggets, it was a scrummy-yummy tin of turnkey and vejjyballs or something. Oooooh! That was good! Can it please be this Christmas thingy everyday? I like it!

This morning, we set off walkies and Uncle Tim and Aunty Lindsay came with us. It was quite a long walkies across town and we ended up at churchish. It was a bit odd - it was familiar humanpals but in a different building. Apparently this is their new home. It was lovely - it had CARPET! Great carpet for a good face rub and back massage! Oooh! that was a welcome rolypoly!

After a bit of human howling, all the minihumans went up to the front and showed off what Santa had brought them. I joined in and showed them not only my Christmas Pudding but also how to play with it! It was fantabulous fun!

When we did the walkies back again, Aunty Tim and Uncle Lindsay came aboard our floatyboatyhome and Daddy did all the choppy sizzly steamy stuff, then they all sat for aaaaaaages noshing at the table. I kept out of the way most of the time, but I did patrol the table area on and off to check for hoovering duties. Sadly there was little work to be done!

A gentle wander around the inside of the cage that we are in was a nice way to finish it all off after they had left us. Now it seems apt to settle down for sofasnuggles while Mummy and Daddy stare at that squawkybox square thing on the wall.

Waggy Christmas everyone!

3 photos:

 

Me with my cuddly Christmas pudding and honking duck toys (sorry but the yummies didn't last long enough to get clickyboxed).

Playing with my new toy with Uncle Tim and Aunty Lindsay in church.

Upfront with all the minihumans showing off what Santa had brought.

Santa Paws.

Daddy went out without me! How dare he? I had to stay and snooze with Mummy! It was a tough job but I think I managed it!

It seems that Daddy went shopping and was expecting the shop to be super crazy crowded but he said it was quieter than usual. When he came back, he made bacon butties. I got no bacon! Hufffffff! I did get a delectably stinky fishyskin cube though! Mmmmmm! Well... they tormented me with the smell of bacon - I got them back with the pong of fishyskin! Justice methinks!

We then all set out for workywalkies to the shops. 'Find Lidls', 'Find Boots', 'Find Asda' and finally 'Find the petshop'. Well I found them all, no problem, but the last one was most definitely the bestest!

When we got back, Mummy did something really peculiar; she wrapped each of the things we got in the shops into packages with shiny, crackly, flappystuff. Another oddity of human behaviour!

This afternoon, my buddy came to call for me; Isaac the huskyish! We had a fantabulous time running and chasing and hooning about together. We managed a pretty good job between us of leading the humans about the bushes too! We played hide and seek with them. We hid and they tried to seek us but we snuck about behind the bushes and came out the other end! Heeeeheeeheeee! Who says dogs have no sense of humour!

Now, another strange happening; a huge long tail of tiny colourful twinkly lights has gone up all around floatyboatyhome, and there are some fluffy tails of sparkly stuff dangling around the windows too. Mummy says that I have to be a good boy tonight so that Santa Paws comes to visit. Well, if he does, I will be sure to give him my bestest waggy greeting and plenty of kisses too!

My Favourite Tree!

Hoooooome! Yayy!

After the walkies back to the humankennelblock, we just collected bags and then set out to workywalkies again. This time we just went down into a maze of tunnels and came up the other side of the mega-busy road just to 'Find the bus stop'. Then it was a very bumpety bus ride to another busstop, then a short workywalkies to another busstop, and another bus ride (this one slighly less uncomfortable) to the train station. Marley's Bone Station. I dutifully watered my favourite tree before we went in to find our train. I was ready for a snooze on the carpet under the table! pturned mouths. I like those! I like the fusses I got too!

After the walkies back to the humankennelblock, we just collected bags and then set out to workywalkies again. This time we just went down into a maze of tunnels and came up the other side of the mega-busy road just to 'Find the busstop'. Then it was a very bumpety bus ride to another busstop, then a short workywalkies to another busstop, and another bus ride (this one slightly less uncomfortable) to the train station. Marley's Bone Station. I dutifully watered my favourite tree before we went in to find our train. I was ready for a snooze on the carpet under the table!

The next thing I knew was that we were back in Bumingham. Outside, we waited for a few minutes then there was a beep-beep from a car and, when it stopped just around the corner and we walked to it, Uncle Tim got out! He had very kindly come to give us a ride home. I got to snuggle down on the back seat with Mummy and so took full advantage of a bit more zzzzzing!

I got my dinner, then had to take Daddy out to find MummyDaddyDins, while Mummy unpacked everything.

Now we are back aboard floatyboatyhome, the hotbox is glowing nicely and we are all comfy cozy again. Now Mummy - shove over a bit and lend me your back leg please, my head is heavy!

Paw Banging!

Help! I'm a dog. Get me out of here!

These humans are completely bonkers!

There were loads of them on the highfloor (well, actually, it wasn't really high because we were way up above it, with the seats in curvy rows around it). They were all covered in big, bright, weird fursubstitutes. They were humanhowling and doing some crazy paw-prancing stuff. There were all sorts of peculiar things going on. All the humans on the seats (including ooodles of minihumans) were banging their front paws together and humanhowling and barking things like 'Oh no it isn't' and 'it's behind you' and 'Boooo...'

Debbi and Ryan were there but Debbi disappeared. Apparently she went up into the roof to tickle the black and white teeth on her noise box. Ryan sat with us though, so I got some fusses and loves! I was glad I had space on the carpet to stretch out for a bit of an on-and-off-snooze.

Getting there was great: It included a longish workywalkies and a freerun around a rather lovely big park! Once we reached the shoppy area, Mummy said 'Let's find a coffee'. I spotted a Costa and steered Mummy straight to the door! Heehee! Next stop, after a bit of wandering around, was a human yummyery where we met Debbi and Ryan. It was a very nice human yummyery - not so nice that I got anything yummy, but the workyhumans were very good at ear rubs and they brought me a nice bowl of water to slurp while the human noshing went on. Then we all set off to the insanity of the day.

We walked some of the way back again, but it was way past my dinnertime and so Mummy and Daddy took pity on me and we got on a bus that brought us almost to the door of our humankennelblock. Starvation alleviation was very welcome! It is a little different though - both breakfast and dinner today have been served all over the floor of the warmrainbox. Mummy says this is because she forgot my bowl! I don't mind though. I still manage to hoover it all up in a few seconds! 

 

Photo shows me with Mummy, Debbi and Ryan outside the crazy humans place, called the Questors Theatre Ealing.

Necessary Visit.

Bags packed.

Walkies with Daddy.

Ride in Puppa's car.

Forrrrrreeeeeevvvvverrrrr under the table at a human yummyery - Puppa, Daddy, Mummy, Ryan, Debbi, James, Rosie, little Hallie and teenyweeny Theo. A few minor morsels fell my way but it wasn't the best dining experience. They just non-stop yackety-yackety-yack-yack-yacked!

Another ride in Puppa's car.

A train ride with built in fusses from a not-so-minihuman.

A bit of a walkies in London - but not the usual big long one. First stop was the little park for a very necessary visit, but the gate was locked! I had to leave my comment on this matter on the gate post! Well, when a dog's gotta go......

A bus ride, then another bus ride.

Now we are in a human kennelblock.

Another walkies with Daddy.

Now Mummy snuggles!

I think this will do for tonight!

Hissing Furball!

I saw it off! All it took was a few good woofs and its tail grew all fat and fluffy, and it scampered off up the fence. That hissing furball was trying to come in to Rosie's and James's home. I made sure it didn't get to come to interfere with the minihumans. Hallie was ripping all the colourful rustly stuff off of some boxes and other things. She was all happy and excited about it all, so I didn't want that hissing furball spoiling things.

Mummy didn't seem too impressed with my defending work. She said that Elsa should be welcomed in her own home! Well I don't think so! Elsa is a hissing furball. Hisisng furballs are for chasing off! Huff!

Fusses and Earrubs.

Fitting room. Apparently that is what it's called. Well, I fitted into it!

Mummy had the one next door all to herself so I thought I would try this one for size! Daddy was sitting on a chair just outside and Mummy closed the flappy wall and opened it several times. Each time, she looked different!

This all came after a workywalkies and bus ride on familiar but good-to-be-back-again territory. We walked to 'Find the bus stop' (about a mile), then rode on the bus into Worthing. From there, we workywalkiesded again all through town. It seems the main mission was to get Mummy some new fursubstitutes and paw covers. I can't say this is my favourite occupation as it seems to involve a heck of a lot of 'Wait', 'Forward a bit', 'Wait', 'Back a bit', 'Wait', 'This way', 'Wait'...... and I seem to get lots of stuff flaffed around me too! I did manage to invite myself for some rather good fusses and earrubs from passing humans though, so it was worth all the waiting. 

 

Photo shows me in the fitting room, with red curtain and red carpet.

Botherations!

Soggy Doggy. Mini Humans. Mylo. Lots of snoozies. A bit of workywalkies and oh-so-close to a snack.

Yep! that about sums up today!

It all started with a snooze after breakfast - on Puppa's bed - by his invitation of course! Opposite the bottom of Puppa's bed is a cupboard with shiny doors. Inside there was another black labrador who was mimicking my every move. I watched him very closely!

Then, after the humans had been in warmrain room and then had breakfast, I got to take Mummy for a leisurely walkies to the park at the bottom of the road. We wandered around a couple of times (it is not a very big park) and I got chance to catch up on all the local weemail gossip. Then a buddy appeared: it was Mylo the golden doodle that I have met before! Yayy! chance for a brief game of chase! We had to do a sit together for a pose for talkybone-clicking. I don't think Mylo is very patient though. I know that if I sit nicely for long enough it gets me a yummy. Mylo didn't seem to get this idea though. Maybe he has a spring under his bum!

Playtime didn't last very long because the sky started to leak and then Daddy arrived in Puppa's car. We got in and went off to visit a humanpal we haven't seen for a very long time; Mr Richard. I was a bit miffed because I could smell hissing furball but wasn't allowed to go in search! I didn't even get chance to wash up the delectable-smelling little bowl on the floor! Huff!

Next stop was Rosie's home. When we arrived, Debbi was there but, after brief greetings, she left taking little minihuman Hallie with her. Tiny microhuman Theo was still there though - he was VERY much there! Tiny humanpuppies howl very loudly and Theo did a LOT of howling! Mummy and Daddy and Rosie and James did a huge lot of yacketying too. I snoozed, and had a brief wander around to inspect the garden, and snoozed a bit more!

Next came another car ride to go shopping. I soooooo nearly got to snaffle a big juicy lump of yumminess, but Mummy interfered just a fraction too soon saying 'Oi! Leave it! Beef joints are not for Oakleys!' Botherations!

We then met up again with Debbi and Hallie in a human yummyery. It was very tasty under that table! Hallie is a delightfully messy eater! Heehee! It was raining little green balls and few other tasty morsels too!

Soon, it was time to get back into Puppa's car again to return to him for my dinner, then Mummy did some choppy-sizzly stuff in the kitchen.

The day has been rounded off with a final workywalkies in the dark. It was soggy and huffety-fuffety too so I had to work hard to look after Mummy. Darktime is hard for her in itself because she really can't see anything at all, but the huffetyfuffety air makes it hard for her feeble human ears to hear what is going on around her. We made it though. I got her around the block and back again safe and sound - if a tad soggy! Mummy insisted on me doing a bigshake before going in the front door. How mean! I would have much preferred to decorate Puppa's walls!

2 Photos of me with Mylo. I tried to show him how do sit and stay but he couldn't keep his bum down for long enough!

 

Workywalkies!

Back to work today - big style!

Not just a bit of a workywalkies - one of my favourite sets of big workywalkies:

From floatyboatyhome to the bus-train thingy, a ride on the bus-train thingy, then another workywalkies to the proper train station. Next came a long ride on the train - a nice comfy one with good snooze=carpet and space!

That got us to Marley's Bone Station.

I totally knew where to go workywalkies from there! Mummy realised I knew and just said 'Find the way'. I gave her that look that tells her 'Leave it to me'. First stop was my favourite tree. Then I could properly concentrate on my job! So off we set through the streets of London. I may have kinda sped up a tad as we got near to Hidey Park! Thankfully, I managed to guide Mummy and Daddy to the nearest entrance so I got to freerun sooner and for a little bit longer! Heehee! Then it was back into harness mode again for the final leg of the London workywalkies to Victor Ear station and onto another train.

The final workywalkies was from the final station to Puppa's home.

Phew! It has been great to be back in action but I do seem to now have a huge need to inspect the inside of my eyelids!

Photo shows me making the most of the space and comfy carpet on the first train.

Rumbling Nose!

My Friar Pup patch seems to be fascinating! Lots of minihumans at church this morning gave me lots of fusses but they all poked and scratched at my back-of-head-window! It feels funny when they stroke it!

Of course, I made sure I steered Mummy and Daddy onto the correct route home - via that park for a freerun! Well.... it has to be done on a Sunday!

When we got back into the cage where floatyboatyhome is, my buddies Isaac the huskyish and Jess the terrier mess came to play! We had a fantabulous time playing chase and ball fetch and just hooning about together. I like this mooring. It is safe and has lots of grassy bits as well as hardfloor areas - perfect for sniffing and playing and chasing. Aunty Lindsay, Uncle Tim and Aunty Wendy (Jess's Mummy) came too. Of course, it was lovely to meet and greet them but it was much more important to get on with doggy play!

I seem to have found a certain heaviness in the eyelids this afternoon. Mummy says my nose has been rumbling too. I don't believe her. I didn't hear it! 

 

Photo shows me having belly rubs from Aunty Lindsay - with her new golden Labrador head fur.

Headfur.

Yawwwwwwnnnnnn!

Nothing much better to do today than snooze.

Well, OK, I did take Daddy walkies this morning to supervise dispatch of some more goodies and to get some strange blue drink for the growlermonster under the back deck.

Aunty Lindsay came for cuddles too. Her headfur is growing back (she had it all buzzyboned off a while ago to raise shinydisks), but it is now Yellow Labrador coloured! I hope my Friar Pup patch doesn't do that!

I managed to fit in a brief meet n greet and play with little Jess the fluffy terrier mess, but the sky was big bad leaking so Daddy hoicked me back in again. I ..... errrr..... may..... perhaps..... ahem have wandered off for a bit of a catch up on the neighbourhood gossip! Oops!

Going out when the sky is so leaky has got me two lovely rubbadubs from Mummy upon return. There's only one other thing to do when it is yucky outside though - SNUGGLE SNOOZE!

Just a quick reminder - today and tomorrow = last chance to order my calendars, mugs, coasters and keyrings for assured delivery before Christmas. I will personally supervise dispatch on Monday morning to make sure they get on their way.

www.guidedogoakley.org.uk/shop.html

Return of the Towpath Team!

I is back!

Mr Michael, the Guide Dogs manhuman is very nice but he took me on a long ride in his car to a vetplace where I got all sorts of things done to me. He did bring me back home to find Mummy and Daddy though, so I think I like him......

At the vetplace, I got poked and prodded and stabbed and wiggled and watched and all sorts. They've used a buzzybone to give me some funky fur patches too. Mummy is calling me Friar Pup and says I need to go into a monsterary or something. It seems this has something to do with the chilly patch on the back of my head. Apparently, the chillypatches are all where they stabbed me with sharp shiny spikes. There is one on the back of my head, one on my front leg and one on my back leg too. I do seem to remember a shiny spike ouching, but then I feel asleep and woke up in a cage! Mummy says that while I was asleep they looked inside my head with an Emmar Eyes Can. It seems that all they found was a big brain. Well, of course they did! Duh! What did they expect to find? There's no room for anything else is there?

Anyway, it seems that all this was to try to find out what has been causing my darktime funnies and that seas year. They didn't find the answer though. So, after oooodles of yacketying between Mummy & Daddy and Mr Michael, the plan is apparently for me to go back to work, but on lighter duties, and for Mummy and Daddy to do something called 'monitor' me. I'm not sure if this includes going to this monsterary place. This is all aiming towards this retyrement thingy, but not yet - just gradually. I think I am liking this concept.

Back home aboard floatyboatyhome started with a flight of locks. Mummy started to practice my 'light duties' thing by letting me freerun some of the way. Yep! I AM liking the concept!

Now, if you will excuse me, I am rather glad to be back to my own bed, so I think it is time to make the most of it!

4 photos:

 

 

My Friar Pup shaved patch on the back of my head.

My designer patch on my back leg.

Staying close to Mummy while she heaves the big heavy lock beam.

Back in my bed! The one next to Mummy's bed. Comfy and cozy!

Mummy Update 2:

Mummy here again

 

Oaks' has a brain! And nothing else in his head! So MRI confirmed no tumours or anything else to explain symptoms. That is good news of course but still doesn't solve the mystery of his happenings. Vet did take Spinal fluid. Hopefully results tomorrow. Michael is picking him up and bringing him back around lunchtime.

Mummy Update 1:

This is 'Mummy' borrowing Oakley's login to post an update.

Michael, the Guide Dogs Care and Welfare chap came at 7.30 this morning to take Oaks to the specialist vet in Hereford. Oaks went off perfectly happily - just perhaps a bit miffed and bewildered at not getting his breakfast!!

I got a call a few minutes ago from Michael to say that the vet has given my lad a very thorough examination. He picked up on a few very minor things that add together to suggest something neurological going on:

1. His eyes were slightly slower than they should be in reacting to tests

2. Evidence of him scuffing the top/front surfaces of his nails on back paws indicating dragging

3. Sitting upright but almost nodding off.

4. Staring blankly into space for a few moments, then coming back to full attention again

So, the plan is for him to go under anaesthetic this afternoon for an MRI scan. If this reveals any obvious clues (brain tumour being perhps the most likely), then that will be conclusive enough and a plan can be formulated from that. If the scan doesn't show anything helpful, then, whilst under anaesthetic, he will have spinal fluid taken for analysis for possible infection or other abnormalities.

So, Oaks will be staying in hospital overnight to recover from the anaesthetic.

My hope and prayer is that he doesn't have to undergo the spinal fluid test. From my own personal experience, I know this is a truly horrible procedure that leaves a VERY nasty headache and other unpleasant symptoms for several days/weeks afterwards.

Hopefully, we will get another call later this afternoon with further news.

Ball Fetch.

Wooferhampton 21 locks. Well... I think that is what Mummy called them.... They certainly made this woofer happy! I got to freerun most of the way, except for the bits where Mummy thought the road was too close. I also got to have a fantabulous playtime with a passing buddy: a choccy lab called Buster. We had a superb game of chase and boxing and errrr...... piggybacks!

All this came after a rather nice start to the day - as I had hoped yesterday, I got to take Mummy to the parky area near last night's mooring. Not only did we go there, but we had a game of ball fetch too..... and I found a few pooch pals to play with for a few moments too.

It seems that 8km of walkies with Mummy, plus all that playing makes for very heavy eyelids, and Mummy says I've got to get up early in the morning to go on a special trip with Michael, the nice Guide Dogs manhuman, to have an Emmar Eyes Can or something. I hope it tastes nice!

Photo 1 - Playtime in the lovely park this morning - come on Mummy put that talkybone away and throw my ball please.....

Photos 2 & 3 - Labrador games - me and Buster.

 

 

Towpath Toddles!

Happy Barkday Bailey. 11 Woofs old and still up for a bit of a game of chase. You were a wonderful start to the day.

We got up kinda early for us, and Mummy kitted me up in my towpath harness. She then grabbed hold of the bent clanky bone that she uses to do the lock windywindy stuff. We were supposed to be setting off to work the first lock, but there were more important issues to deal with first: Well..... when we hop off of floatyboatyhome to find a fellow Labrador going by, that is a serious issue that simply cannot be ignored! The issue of a good playtime was briefly interrupted by an urgent need to do what a dog simply has to do. So that got the second issue sorted so I could get back to the first one again. In the end, Bailey came part of the way with us to the lock, so work and play blended nicely!

The next five miles were all about towpath toddles interrupted by stopping to work six locks. Then came a cruise before a short leisurely walkies to inspect our new neighbourhood. Actually, this is rather a good neighbourhood; there is a freerun parky area right by floatyboatyhome. I hope I get to make full use of it tomorrow!

I think I am getting to quite like this semi-retyrement thingy!

3 photos;

 

Me and Bailey, Choccy Lab, playing on the towpath.

Lock supervision from on high.

Supervising Mummy from the back deck. That growly monster underneath the back deck makes a nice warm place to lie down!