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

Wednesday April 25th 2018

On Monday Isis and I walk to the park on our own. This feels like a huge achievement.

Wow! I’m part of the world again.

I worry intermittently about what I’ll do if the sun pops out and stays out and Isis is too frightened to move. I can’t carry her to a ‘safe’ spot further along the road, and I can’t manhandle her either.

Fortunately, the sun mostly sticks to the weather forecast’s predictions and the morning is ‘mostly cloudy’.

Three or four times the sun plays ‘now you see me, now you don’t’, and Isis has to be persuaded to walk forward. On the way back she does a couple of five minute no-goes. I explain that there are only two options: carry on walking or stay on the pavement all day. She is unmoved and unmoving. But I am bigger than she is – nasty bully – and eventually she walks.

Poor Isis.

As usual, she is very happy while she is in the park,

and as soon as she is released from her lead,  trots at a brisk pace along the little winding paths by the railway line, up along the fence past the old T.V. gardens now run by the Thrift charity, and on to Poo Forest. Here she prances and twirls and snuffles and dances to her heart’s content.

Then off we go to the Colour Garden where she races gleefully around her shrubbery.

I get to say hello to the gardening team, which is good, but sadly, I don’t get to meet any park mates.

Then, just as we’re leaving the Colour Garden, I spot J., Ba. and Ja. going down the slope to the old bowling green with Ben, Ebi and Jess. It’ll be lovely to talk to them and make a fuss of the dogs, I think. But naughty little Isis digs in all four of her heels and refuses to allow me to follow them.

Little toad.

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