Week 65 - 69

10-Jul-2011

August 2010 Week 65 – 69 (Pictures to follow, Helen is off on holiday with Mum so she didn't have time, sorry)

Thursday 5th August

I was just full of life and everything in the world seemed to be so much better.

Saturday7th

We went to dinner with Gill and we took Brian and Steve. There is nothing like looking down on the canal barges below and barking at the dogs on the boats.

Monday 9th

I went to the vet this afternoon for what I was told was going to be my annual check-up.  Nobody mentioned needles and jabs. I am not  a happy dog, what an indignity.

Tuesday 10th

We went to Market Harborough today and saw Mick and Dorothy. We collected the family wheelchair and took it home as it has to be lent out again tomorrow.

Thursday 12th Week 66

Today we hitched up our portable home and went to Little Clacton, where we met a number of other people in caravans and motorhomes. One caravan had four dogs, Magic, Mystic, Bess and, whoops, I have forgotten the fourth one’s name. Anyway they were great fun and we played together quite a lot.

Friday 13th

We were up early and followed the bridleway next to our field. We met Zeus who is a Wymarana and the Viszler who lives with him. They were with a black Labrador who lives with Julie, and Polly who lives with Alan. We met them most mornings and we had such a great time playing and racing across the fields.

Saturday 14th – a good day – a walk along the beach at Harwich, which included a paddle and then a walk on the Naze.

Sunday 15th

Mum went off for Sunday lunch at the pub with all the others today, but when she got back we all got into the cars and went to Walton on the Naze.  Here we got on a boat and set off for the open sea. It was very windy, the sea was choppy and I was right at the front of the boat with the wind in my fur. The captain used me as a model to demonstrate the difference between the seals that we saw. Something to do with the length of my nose. We saw a lot of seals on our trip. We got quite wet as it was very choppy, but I just loved it.

 Tuesday 17th August

We moved the caravan again today to the Museum of Power at Maldon. We set up and it was tea and cake at 4.00pm. A promising start to this rally.

Wednesday 18th

We explored the site today. There is a very narrow railway track that runs round the site and occasionally there is a small train that runs on it, but not today so we could wander everywhere. There are large metal things all over the yard and piles of metal covered in tarpaulins. There are also large sheds with small gaps underneath as well as a river and lots of green areas. There are lots of rabbits on the site and as soon as I start to chase them they hide under these covers and sheds or get under the fence. They squeeze into holes so small that I cannot follow them. I cannot tell you how frustrating this is and I don’t think that they play fair.

Thursday 19th Week 67

It was so hot today that I just chilled out.

Fri 20th August

There are a lot of woodpeckers here. They make a lot of noise and dig holes in the grass. I thought that I would help them today, so I dug a hole just outside the awning. Got it wrong again!

Saturday 21st

We had a day out today. First stop was Bradwell on Sea and we walked to the chapel built by St Cedd in 654AD called St Peter on the Wall. Then after our picnic we went to Burnham on Crouch and walked along by the river from one end of town to the other, past all the sailing clubs and people wind surfing, and then back along the high street. After that we came back to Maldon and did some shopping and I went too. All in all a pretty good day.

Sunday 22nd

Mum went off for Sunday lunch today and I was left in charge of the caravan. I was told that I was on guard and should march up and down the caravan with my gun over my shoulder. I couldn’t stay awake all of the time so I had a nap and hoped she wouldn’t know.

Monday 23rd

We took the car to the front at Maldon after lunch and set off along the quay to the end. At the end, looking out over the estuary, is a statue of a man holding a sword in his hand. He was called Brythnoth and he fought a battle here hundreds of years ago. He looks very fierce.

 I was just chatting to two young ladies when it started to rain. Mum and I got very wet because there was nowhere to shelter; mum had a coat to put on but she hadn’t taken one for me, so I was wet to the skin. When it stopped we went to look at the Thames sailing barges that were moored at the Hythe and I was hoping for another sea journey, but the tide was out and boats can only move when there is enough water to float them, so they have to wait until the tide comes in.

What makes the sea come and go all the time? The answer is the moon. Do not ask me how, but mum says it is the moon and as she is the top dog in our pack, I expect she is right.   

Tuesday 24th

After lunch we drove to Heybridge Basin and off we went along the sea wall towards Maldon. It was extremely windy and I felt that any minute I was going to be blown off the wall into the mud. Mum kept saying ‘no’ every time I ventured down towards the mud, she said it was dangerous and I would get stuck, but I couldn’t resist it so down I went. I did not get very far as I sank in and it was very gooey, so I got out as fast as I could. I looked just as if I had black boots on when I came out and the mud was very smelly.

On the way home I was made to sit on an uncomfortable waterproof cover on the seat and then I went in the river to wash my legs.

Wednesday 25th

The Museum was having a special day today to launch a new bus route and there were lots of people and buses around. The press were there but I was not invited so no free lunch for me!

The weather forecast was wet for later on today and so late morning we set off to explore a new walk. Following the lane at the side of the museum we walked to the canal, the correct name is of course the Chelmer Navigation. We walked along the towpath for a little way and saw a couple of locks and then we turned off through the woods and made for Beeleigh Mill. This was burnt down a long, long time ago, but the remains are interesting. Then off we went again to Beeleigh Abbey, the Foyle bookshop family own the abbey and mum said when she lived in Maldon many years ago, Christina Foyle sometimes held lunch parties there.

Having passed the Abbey we tried to cross the river and return home by a different route but we could not find a way, so we stopped at the new main road and turned around. It took us over two hours to do our walk and we saw quite a lot of other people. Some were just walking like us, and some were fishing. There were two swans with four large cygnets that were not very friendly when I stopped to say hello, and a few dogs but nothing of great note. Ah yes, I did pop in the river for a paddle and a drink on the way home.

Thursday 26th  Week 68

It rained a lot in the night and everywhere was wet this morning. I was left in the awning after my morning walk and thought that I would extend the hole that I started the other day. Oh boy did I get a telling off. 

Friday 27th August

We tried the walk along the canal towards Heybridge today but it was muddy and overgrown, so we turned round and went home.

Saturday 28th

Our afternoon walk today was along the Chelmer canal towards Chelmsford, the weather was good and we did a couple of hours stopping for a picnic half way. Pleasant enough but nothing of note to report.  

Sunday 29th

I haven’t mentioned that most evenings we join the others in the large tent. I usually take a toy to play with, and each night a bit more stuffing comes out, and each morning we pop in the tent and clear up the mess. Boris the tennis player, I think he is Boris the fifth, is just about out of stuffing now and he has no eyes or bat any more but I still like to toss him around, but mum says he has passed his sell by date and he has to go. So, just when I wondered what I was going to do tonight Ian and Eileen gave me some new toys. One is called Daffy Duck and I rather like it. It is made from black fur with a yellow beak and legs. I made a good start on it tonight and it is already a bit skinnier than it was when I had it.

Monday 30th

The awning came down today which means we are getting ready to go home, and I don’t want to go home. When mum let it collapse on to the caravan I went and hid inside it.  I just poked my head out for some fresh air and mum laughed at me.

Tuesday 31st August

We were out early for our walk and then we hitched up and off we went home. I used the next few days to catch up on my sleep while mum was running about doing the jobs.

Thursday  2nd September Week 69

The car was in for service today and so you would think it would be a day when you could rely on mum to be at home, but no, she was off to the cash and carry with Helen and Gill getting food organised for the next caravan trip.

Sunday 5th September

This weekend we had a few birthdays to celebrate and Gill came round on Sunday. We walked to the windmill at Bradwell and went inside. Mum climbed right up to the top inside but I kept my four feet firmly planted on the ground with Helen.

Monday 6th

I spent the afternoon with Helen. When I am in her bungalow I can see what is going on in the road if I sit on the bed. I know I am not supposed to be on there but it is just so interesting to see people walking past. Sometimes I see dogs I know and bark at them but they can’t see me, so it is a good game.

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