Posting days: Sunday and Wednesday and, sometimes, maybe, extra ‘news flashes’!

Wednesday August 31st 2016

Over the holiday, Isis and I have guests. N. my nephew comes first for a sleepover on his way to Devon. It’s good to see him again and we catch-up over spinach balti and dahl. I advise N. not to touch Isis, just to let her sniff around him. He is a gentle and quietly spoken person and, although Isis is suspicious of this strange man in her house, and after breakfast next morning decides to return upstairs to bed,  we have no problems. N. and Isis are politely cautious around each other and all goes well.

Adopted Niece texts me on Sunday morning that she is leaving home in five minutes. I reply that I’d better get up then, have a shower, go to the Co-op and take Isis to the park. ‘You have two hours’, she warns.

But the journey is faster than she expected and when she texts her arrival, we are still chatting to Gr. and Sa. and admiring Kasey. The sky is looking quite grey now and we hurry to the car park.

But where are the b. keys? I search all of the twelve pockets in my new dog-walking gilet and the four in my jeans. Guess what? When I press my nose to the window, I spot them  just poking out from under the blanket on the back seat.

I text A.N. the instructions: get my spare keys from my neighbours, search for keys in drawer in back room.

‘Again?’ she replies rudely. Then, of course, the heavens open. My attempt to retreat under the trees for shelter is sabotaged immediately by Isis who, naturally, can’t understand why we are standing next to her car but not getting in. Even the availability of lots of lovely rain flies fails to impress her immediately. Until, needless to say, she has been herded into the sheltered space, whereupon the rain flies become very attractive. She leaps in and out of the cover of the trees so we both get wet anyway.

When we reach home, Hairy One twirls her way down the hall towards the back room, sniffing and fuffing, fascinated by the scent someone has left in her house while she’s been out.

A.N. has met Isis before. It was soon after I adopted the Hairy One. Now, before anyone begins to visualise a very hairy niece, let me assure you that A.N. is anything but hairy. In fact, she is almost bald, having recently responded to the McMillan Cancer charity’s ‘Brave Shave’ challenge. She has raised over a thousand pounds, so we’re very proud of her.

Isis obviously recognises her and is calm and settled.

We spend happy hours in Highbury Park on Sunday and Monday A.N. enjoys walking, and is interested to see how much the park has changed since she was last there. We explore some of the new paths which have been opened up.

Isis has a lovely time and I decide to include this little video despite its joltiness and my inane conversation.

(How do you switch the sound off when you’re taking a video on your phone?)

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.co.uk