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

Wednesday March 22nd 2017

It’s raining again. Pouring, actually. Tipping it down. Great. I have to be up early. If there’s anything more dismal than looking out of the window at slashing rain at 8.45 a.m., it’s looking out of the window at slashing rain at 6.45 a.m.

Isis, of course, cannot wait to jump out of the car and bounce around in the car park. We don’t begin well. The driver door is locked, but before I slam Hairy One’s door shut, I check that the car key is in my pocket.

Bitter experience of walking home from the park with an indignant dog, retrieving my spare house key from my long suffering neighbours, and hunting through drawers for my spare car key before tramping back to the park to begin the park walk which Isis expects, has taught me to check I have the car key with me before slamming the door.

This morning I know it is in my pocket. I search all four pockets of my anorak while Isis twirls around catching rain drops. It’s not there. A particularly energetic Isis twirl dislodges a glove from under my arm. Naturally, it falls into a deep puddle.

I say very rude things and tie Isis up to the fence while I search my pockets again.

And again.

And once more as Isis leaps ecstatically in and out of the huge puddle at the base of the fence.

Eventually, I discover the missing key in my inside pocket and we set off.

One forgets how difficult it is to insert a cold, damp hand into a wet glove. I have just completed this challenging task when, of course, I have to withdraw the hand again to employ a poo bag.

Well timed, Isis.

But it’s hard to remain grumpy when Hairy One is so happy.

Today the park is virtually empty, so, for the first time, I release Isis and allow her to walk down the main path to the level above the old bowling green. She trots joyfully onto the grass where she runs wild, pirouetting, leaping and prancing for over an hour.

We squelch back home where Isis is dried and I change out of saturated anorak, wet sweater and t-shirt.

Donning waterproof – ha! – number two, I depart.

Back at lunchtime to take dog for a short road walk. She wears her mac and I waterproof number two.

To be fair, she doesn’t walk too badly considering it is still raining steadily.

When I return home late in the afternoon, it’s pouring again. I now have two wet anoraks. I choose the least soaked and we set off to the park again.

On her extended lead Isis spins energetically on the main field. She is delighted. She looks as though she can’t believe her luck – three outings and the rain flies are still here!

But wonder of wonders, slowly, slowly, the sky lightens, the rain drops dwindle, and the sun sneaks out, smoothly spreading itself against a pale grey and blue sky.

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