An Early Evening Walk

My parents returned home yesterday morning having been down to stay for a week. 

 It's great when my mum comes to stay as I can go to work and there's a meal ready for me when I get home! No cooking for a week - bliss! The only problem is that it always feels as if I've added a few inches to my waistline - roast dinners are her forte! My parents enjoyed seeing Our Daughter go off to school for her first day in Year 6 and my mum especially enjoyed coming with me to pick her up from school. Living so far away they do miss out a lot.

When I was growing up my mum used to work full-time. I was one of those latch-key kids from the 1970's. I shudder now when I think back to the days when I had to catch the bus - just an ordinary bus, there wasn't a school one! I was only 8 years old. I would then have to walk from the bus stop to our house about a quater of a mile away - I used to hate this in the Winter!

 Our cat, Blackie - christened so by me at the age of 7 - who incidentally was all black, you'd never have guessed, would you? He would be waiting for me on the doorstep - come rain or shine! The house key would be under the mat by the front door - were we stupid or was the world a safer place then?

In Winter especially when it was dark by 4.00 p.m. when I got home I would pick up the cat and having unlocked the door I would walk into our hallway and say in a great big booming voice "If you're a burglar, you'd better scarper as I've got a tiger!" As if a real burglar would have been scared by a srawny little girl carrying a black cat!

Anyhow, I digress - after my parents had left I stripped all the beds and put the bedding in the washing machine and did a bit of housework, etc. By 6.00 p.m. I needed a break and as the dogs hadn't had their walk I thought that we could kill two birds with one stone as they say and take the dogs for a brisk walk in the fields.

Near to our home there is a public right of way through barley fields. The barley had been cut which at least meant that we could see Charlie at all times! He is a standard wire-coated dachsund and can sometimes be lost in tall grass! He loves his walks and loves playing with sticks. George, our spaniel - he just loves to copy Charlie!

"I might only have little legs but I'll get that stick off you, you mark my words!"

"See I leap up, I use my front paw to bring the stick down and before you can say "Hey, presto!" I've got it!"

"Give me that stick!"

"Where's that stick gone, I'm sure it's here somewhere?"

The hedgerows were full of colour.

Bright red hawthorn berries.

Charlie and Our Daughter near one of the stiles.

"If he can have his photo taken on that stile - what about me!"

One exhausted pup.

When we got home, Milhaus was sitting on the path near to the front door - it reminded me of Blackie!

The dogs were so exhaused they didn't even try to chase the cat!

Once home we fed the dogs and whilst we were eating our dinner we put the dogs in the garden. When we came to call them indoors - George came at once but Charlie wouldn't come to us when we called him. In fact he was behaving in a very bizarre way. When we eventually got him into the house - his face was all wet as if he'd been salivating heavily. Initially I thought he may have hurt his tooth on one of the sticks he'd been playing with. An examination of his mouth did not reveal any damage to his teeth or gums.

We put him in the kitchen and began to observe him - he started licking the kitchen walls and the kitchen floor! He then licked George till his poor face was sodden!

Charlie didn't look ill - he ate a treat that was offered but he wasn't quite with it! He looked drugged! He reminded me of Neil in "The Young Ones" - "Hey, man - cool!" This situation wasn't funny though!

The only thing to do was to separate the dogs for the night with one in the utility room and the other in the kitchen. Charlie was slightly better in the morning but was more concerned with staying in his basket than saying hello - which is unlike him!

An appointment with the vet was arranged for after school - the result - there's nothing wrong with him!

The Other Half reckons that he might have eaten some magic mushrooms during our walk and the way he was behaving it wouldn't surprise me!

Until next time,

June.

P.S.   Just noticed I have a new follower - "Hello!"