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

Wednesday May 9th 2018

Yes! On Sunday at last we return to Highbury. No doubt in Hairy One’s mind. Out of the car she pops.

As she walks nicely across the flower meadow on her lead, Ji. and I reminisce about how she used to be when all she wanted to do was spin; and how Ji. hurried out of the way while she jerked me this way and that, tangled herself round my legs, attacked her tail ferociously and flattened herself on the ground any time another dog approached. Walking wasn’t very much fun then.

She sniffs and marks, sniffs and marks as we make our way up to her favourite Highbury place: the pine avenue.

I love it in the park, but I’m not sure exactly where I am.

The light’s all spotty ……. but it smells like somewhere safe.

It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s my pine trees. Whoopee!

After a good half hour leaping among her pines, she doesn’t protest when I lead her over to the bench by the edge of the beech wood. Here, I release her again and she heads off to the marshy area where the rosebay willow herb grows so profusely. She loves to play among the plants. They grow so densely that you can only keep track of her by watching their tops moving as she plays. When they stop waving for more than a minute, it’s time to go over and locate her.

But today she seems strangely hesitant. Her tail drops.

Oh dear.

But of course, the plants don’t come up until summer is estabished. Poor Isis is confused. I think she’s searching for them!

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For over thirty minutes she seems to be trying to locate the plants. Then she lies in a nice, cool, marshy pool.

On the way back, Ji. goes to the car to open the doors so it won’t be too hot for her, while I take her to the stream to wash her legs. She doesn’t like this very much, and lifts up each paw in turn. Perhaps she hopes this will protect it from my ministrations.  but she is very good and stands quietly until all the mud is gone.

What a good girl.

What a lovely day.

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