Stoke Works (Buddy’s blog)

The other day I said I couldn’t write a blog if I didn’t have pictures and my eldest daughter, Sophie, disputed this.  Thinking about it she is right as the blog she wrote for her students when she did her PhD hardly ever had pictures in – funnily enough it did feature Buddy more than once but I doubt I would have had the faintest idea what point Sophie was trying to make at the time.

Apart from a bad selfie that I took in Hobbs in Leamington Spa yesterday I haven’t taken any pictures for the last two days so Buddy said he would write the blog for me to ease me into the idea of a picture-less diary.

• It must be a weekday as Karen is showering at 5.30 in the morning – she just doesn’t realise that I need to sleep from 5 in the evening until 9 in the morning to look this good.

• Must be nearly time to get up as Neil is having his second cup of coffee outside whilst getting the tomato plants out of the cratch and onto the roof.

• He’s back in now, having his second breakfast, but has been disturbed by a knock on the door.  It’s those funny people, Murray and Lyndsey, that he met yesterday and spent ages talking too when we could have been walking and chasing sticks.

• They’ve gone at last but I don’t understand why they asked if they could have pictures posing in front of the boat.

• Ah good, it looks like we’re off for a walk as Neil’s put his boots on.  Oh no, he’s putting the tiller arm on – we must be having a cruise – I don’t know why he thinks I like cruising – it’s a bit too close to the water for my liking.

• What’s this, we’ve moved about 50 feet and he’s stopped already.  I get it, we’re at a water point.  They don’t seem to realise that if they didn’t shower and do the washing so often that they wouldn’t need to keep getting water.  Mind you, how often do they wash my bowl and coat?

• Good, the water tank’s full so now we can get going again.  I hate that long green thing as it sometimes sprays water over me so I feel a lot happier once its curled back up and in its bed.  But what’s happening?  He’s only reversing back to where we came from so no cruise after all.

• A walk at last and it looks like we’re doing that circular walk that takes in a couple of railway footbridges.  I love those as I can show how agile I am running up and down the steps really quickly.  Trouble is there are those stupid stile things at either end that have wire across the gaps so I can’t leap through.  It’s such a song and dance being lifted over these things - it’s even funnier when both of them do it as they try and pass me over without dropping me.

• I’m glad the sun is out as we are obviously going to the butterfly meadow but, oh dear, I can see its been mown.  Neil is not happy as he does not see a single butterfly – a few days ago it was teeming with them here.

• It’s the afternoon now and I know I don’t get fed until 5 but I pretend I’m hungry from any time after 2.  It’s great fun seeing how early they will give in to me.

• It’s Wednesday morning and for some reason they are both up early.  Neil must be taking Karen to work which is bad news as it means he will have the car for the day.  I hate the car and they do realise it as I make myself sick to try and stop them but it doesn’t seem to work.  I wonder where he’s dragging me off to today?

• Oh goody – we’re off to the vets at Leam – I get lots of fuss and treats there!  But wait a minute, it’s the annual check up and I hate having that kennel cough vaccine up my nose even though I know I’m getting a treat afterwards.

• It looks like Neil is going to do some shopping afterwards which is always good fun when he manages to get me into shops.  It’s amazing who lets us in – once we were allowed into a Pret a Manger in Oxford – so many crumbs on the floor!   

• Oh well, he’s left me in the car instead.  At least I can catch up with some sleep.

• Home again and Neil’s got those playing cards out again.  He must be preparing the hands for tonight’s bridge evening in Stratford.  At least I’ll have some peace and quiet for the evening.  It’s so funny, as they don’t like leaving me and Karen always insists on leaving a light on for me when all I want is the dark and to quietly sleep on my own.

• Hmmm.  I’ve just realised what may be happening.  The visit to the vet was a bit last minute – I heard them talking about getting the jabs up to date before they go to San Sebastian this weekend.  That must mean I’m going to one of those hotel places.  They’re Ok as I get to meet lots of new dogs but they are so noisy at night that I don’t sleep properly.

• No doubt I’ll be dropped off on Thursday and I’ll do my normal trick of looking really excited and not even turning around to say goodbye when I’m led to my kennel.  It’s such a laugh ,as Neil and Karen get quite upset about leaving me but are in two minds as they know I’m happy.