A post should appear every Sunday

Monday June 12th 2023

Hello from her and hello from me.

We regret the long gap between the last post and this one. I have been in Yorkshire spending time with my nephew and niece. My nephew, who had Motor Neuron Disease, died a week ago. He will be very much missed, but none of us would have wished his suffering to continue.

My partner in crime has spent a very long time at Hollytrees Kennels, where she is contented and well cared for.

I am sure that I missed Isis much more than she missed me, which is comforting (one has to swallow one’s pride); nevertheless, there were pleased wags and obvious pleasure at being home again.

We were only reunited on Saturday morning, so she is still into snuggling behind my knees and being very co-operative during serious grooming. She also tolerates being patted and hugged every time she comes within reach.

She is not delighted with the metre high back ex-lawn, and elects to step only two dog lengths into the wilderness when instructed to take a pee.

She is unable to step onto the front garden at all, even if she wishes to: I converted it into a minature wildflower meadow last year, and the grass is even taller here, while some of the wild flower species are craning their necks to be seen.

My excuse is that I’m sticking religiously to the environmentally friendly advice to gardeners to observe a no-mow May. I’m all for observing no-mow June, July, August and September  too, but feel sorry for the pretty bird’s foot trefoil (lotus carniculatus, I’ve just learned, by way of being easily distracted by extraneous information) which is struggling to be seen at all.

Isis is very excited when we revisit Highbury and Kings Heath Parks, and these walks are mostly taken up by meticulous sniffing. I’m looking forward to taking her along the canal towpath again and to Clowse Woods and Earlswood Lakes.

There’s a challenge here though: this week it’s too hot outside for dogs to be out walking after eight a.m. or before six p.m., and Isis isn’t keen on evening walks, so Human really ought to must steel herself and arise at a horribly unappealing hour.

Come now, Human, remember how much you have missed your little hairy canine.

Isis came from Aeza cat and dog rescue in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@azea.org or go to http://www.dogwatch.co.uk.