Posting days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Wednesday

I hesitate to be over-optimistic, but think we may have the sun sussed. By 9.30 a.m. when we reach the car park, the sun is shining strongly but is quite high in the sky. Isis jumps  happily from the car and after a brief visit to the shrubbery, heads gaily, tail bobbing, towards the big field. The field is covered in sunlight but the shadows are minimal. Off she shoots and we enjoy a good mixture of racing on the long lead, sniffing jaunts and even two rolls on some interesting – but, I am glad to say, innocuous – scent.

A Wednesday Walk lady who is also a dog lover comes and talks to us. She remembers that Isis likes a gentle approach and Hairy One responds equally gently. “There’s nothing so good as walking with a dog”, she says. When her much loved rescue dog died, she couldn’t bear to replace him, but enjoys meeting the park dogs.

She’s right, it is uplifting to walk with your dog when s/he is as healthy and happy as little Isis is today. She only has one hissy fit and can be forgiven for that. A very persistent little male with very tickly whiskers spends much too long sniffing her rear end. I believe she thinks that someone or something is attacking her tail. She begins to growl and attack said appendage. Fortunately, I manage to divert her and we continue to run.

After an hour’s spree, she lies down on the grass looking very relaxed. She has not done this before. Usually, she only lies down in order to emphasise that there is no way that she intends to walk in the same direction as I am. But this time, I realise, she is just taking a rest.

I sit down beside her and stroke her. How lovely.

Isis came from the Aeza cat and dog rescue and adoption centre in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@aeza.org or  www.dogwatchuk.com