Visitors, and MORE shopping.....

Woohoo! Another visitor! Ryan came! Yayyyy! Apparently he has come to stay for the night before taking Debbi away tomorrow.

That was after another day of guiding Mum around the shops. We went into Wilko's where I got loads of fuss and admiration, then on to that Marks n Sparks place again. This thing of going into one of those tiny rooms to remove her fur-substitutes and try on new ones seems to be becoming a habit! She says it is for something called a wedding. I guess all will become clear.......

After that, we carried on around to the other side of town - that meant my favourite! Pets at Home! And I did get to take Mum in there this time.....but not to the yummy hoovering department! frown emoticon instead, we went into a room where lots of doggy pals were up on tables being stroked with whiskersticks and fufffffed with noisy fuffing machines. Another one was howling in a back room. He sounded like he was being tortured! I didn't go any further than the front bit. I had to sit and wait while Mum did a load of yacketying to a lady. Maybe I had a lucky escape?

A quick trip around Lidl's and then we were heading back to the boat. However, we didn't go back to where we left it. We went a different way. Dad and Debbi had moved it! So we now have a new garden again!

I took Dad out for a walk this evening and I managed to escape from the boat when somebody forgot to close the front zippy door! Heehee! Well, I couldn't ignore that other black Labrador that walked past could I?

Big Fusses

We've had visitors! Yayyyy! I like having visitors! Especially ones that make big fusses of me! Mark and Catherine made BIG fusses of me. They can visit again! I also like it when Mum does extra choppy-slicey-peely stuff in the kitchen for guests. It means I get extra carrot trimmings and cucumber ends! Yummy!

This was all after several trips out today. The first was to take Dad to get some things for the big rumbler, then I took Mum and Debbi to the market. This was torture because we went to two yummy stalls and I didn't get anything. One had a huge pile of big juicy carrots, the other had loads of meat of all kinds. It all made my mouth drip. I did try to persuade Mum to let me carry the bag of meat for her but she told me to get my shnozzle away from it! Huff! I was only trying to help!

The next walk was a nice gentle stroll with just Debbi. She needed a break and some fresh air. I was delighted to help with that! She did make a very peculiar face though when I did what a dog has to do! She was clearly not impressed with bagging my offering!

We then rounded off the day with another stroll this evening, including a little bit of a freerun, to show our guests around the area. I was most miffed to discover that the magic door at Pets at Home didn't open! I couldn't go in! Humph!

Shopping and More Shopping!

I don't know. Dad drags me round the shops first thing this morning. We come back, they have their breakfast (I had mine before we went out, although I think I should have had extra for all this exercise!). Then, Mum takes me out around the shops again. I will tell you more about my day later.

Dad says something about getting some bits to service the engine. He found a shop called Motorist Discount Centre, where he got lots of filters and oil. He seems to be happy. Apparently they were cheap.

Shopping, Stripping and Snoozing

I've had to work today - guiding Mum all by myself around town, with nobody else to tag along. Dad and Debbi stayed on the boat while I took Mum to town. We went into a place called 'the bank'. There were two lovely ladies just inside the door who greeted us and made a lovely fuss of me (after asking Mum's permission first). One of them asked Mum if she could help her and Mum handed her a few floppy rectangles and some other flat things. This lady went off and did whatever it was she needed to do with those things. This left me in charge of getting some super fuss and admiration from the other lady. I think I like that bank place!

After that, I guided Mum all the way across town to Sainsbury's. We did get a few edibles on the way out but first, we went upstairs to where there were loads of human fur-substitutes everywhere. I had to stand and wait loads while Mum scanned around to find things she liked. Then she took a load of items and we had to find something called a fitting room. We were shown into a tiny room (apparently it was the big cubicle especially for disabled people). It was just big enough for me to curl up in the corner while Mum stripped off her own fur-substitutes and put the new ones on and off again. I realy didn't understand what that was all about. I did manage though, with one swift whap of my tail, to swipe Mum's own fur-substitutes onto the floor. That gave me a much more comfortable bed to snuggle down onto!

I must have done a good job of working today. Mum said, as we set out this morning, that she was going to work on my discipline and get in some good working practice. I proved to her that we needed no extra discipline or practice. I just got on with my job! Well......maybe she did need to remind me a couple of times that I am not supposed to sniff while I'm working - but there was some very important news on some lampposts and corners that just HAD to be checked out! I have to make sure there are no enemies around!

When we returned to the boat, I was glad to snooze for the afternoon before taking Dad out for a much needed walkies. He needs to be dragged away from his clicketyfingers toy for what he calls a screen break. I am always very happy to oblige!

Sponsored Walk Update

Although we have passed our original target, we are still continuing to raise money for Guide Dogs. We have chosen to name our puppy "Raymond", in memory of Tim's dad, who passed away during the sponsored walk. By continuing our fund raising, we will be able to contribute more towards the overall costs of Guide Dog Raymond.

The costs of a Guide Dog do not just stop with training. The overall lifetime cost of providing a Guide Dog are estimated to be around £50,000. Please continue to spread the word, and help us to raise even more.

https://www.justgiving.com/tracey-clarke2/

Bras, Bouncers & Nutshells

Yaaaayyyyy!!!! Daddy is back again! And, it seems, he is staying now. There seems to be some talk about us all going away in a few days though.....I shall wait and see......

I celebrated Dad's return by walking him off his paws this afternoon! Heehee! I took him for a lovely long walk all around this Newbury place. That was after walking Mum and Debbi into town this morning. I had to take them to a shop called Marks and Sparks to do something called 'bra-shopping' for Debbi. She bought a white thing but it didn't look much like my bra! No yellow handle or front strap for a start! After that, we continued on through the town to Lidl's - that meant we had to go past Pets At Home.....welllll....I couldn't possibly walk straight past could I? I took Debbi in to show her the fluffy bouncers that she loves! We went into another  section of the shop too where there were hissing furballs! Ugghhh! Thankfully, we didn't hang around there for long! I didn't manage to drag Mum and Debbi to the area that always needs a good hoovering! Huff! I had to content myself with the nutshells on the floor in Lidl's instead.

We walked back via the towpath and Victoria Park but I didn't get a freerun. Mum said something about me doing way too much scavenging in Victoria Park. I don't know what she can possibly mean. There is surely no such thing as too much hoovering!

Black Fur and Sugar Flowers

A somewhat more sedate day today. Dad left us this morning to go back to Bournemouth again. So I had to look after Mum and Debbi. (Ryan had to leave yesterday later afternoon, then Rosie left a while afterwards, taking my pal Pilot with her.)

This morning, I took Mum and Debbi into town and they did loads of that wandering-around-looking-at-things-in-the-shops stuff. They bought a few things too. I just did my duty, keeping Mum from bumping into things and guiding her to kerbs and crossings etc. I really don't understand this human behaviour of shopping. They don't even sniff things! They just look at them and occasionally pick them up and put them back down again! Most odd! Never mind, I do get to enjoy the attentions of some admirers while Mum does this weird stuff.

Back on the boat this afternoon, and after human lunch and my carrot, Debbi went zzzzzz so I snuck out again with Mum to go to Tesco's to get something she needed for dinner. I tried to steer her to the carrots but she said we don't need any more! Well, I strongly dispute that! We always need lots of carrots! She just got a round white thing with green outsides. She says I can't have any because it will make me parp! Huff!

After we had all had our respective dinners, I took Debbi and Mum for a nice long walk along the towpath, through some backstreets, into town, then around Victoria Park, before returning along the towpath again. I have then spent the evening snuggling with Mum whilst she and Debbi have been playing with some squishy stuff they call sugar paste. They said something about making flowers for a wedding cake. I have no idea what that means, but it seems that Debbi didn't appreciate my contribution: a few generously donated black hairs! Huff! I think my fur adds a beautiful extra touch to anything!