July 15th - The Bobster's birthday and St Swithin's Day. (It never rains but it paws)

 

It's been a long time since we've updated this blog. To be honest, there has not been a lot happening except walks in the local park and playing with the ball in the garden, both of which are great, actually. Plus treats. Never forget the treats.

I am updating the blog today simply as it is my birthday. 13 Today!!!!  and I just want to celebrate that.

To mark the occasion we took a drive to Toad Hall Garden Centre near Henley. We had happened upon this garden centre many years ago. Indeed, there are two rose bushes growing very well in my garden which were bought there for the human by a brother and sister. When we saw this cute floral display the human said I'd hopefully have a lot more miles under my bonnet to go. She does talk in riddles.

It was a pleasant drive and a change of scene and I enjoyed the sniffs. woof! 🐾🐾

July 15th is also the feast of St. Swithin. 

It marks neither his birthday nor the day he died (July 2 862). Rather, it marks the day his remains, much against the saint's own wishes, were moved. He had requested that he be buried humbly, outside the Old Minster, where his grave would walked upon and the rain fall gently upon it. However,  his remains were later moved inside the cathedral. 

While there are said to have been significant miracles around this event, there was also a heavy deluge of rain, which was thought to last for 40 days and 40 nights and believed to show the saint's disapproval of having been moved. 

Anyway, Happy birthday! And many more treats to come xx (woof!)

October - a time for creating, apparently!

Well, the human was born in October and has always had a love of autumn: the colours, the walks, the leaves crisp under foot and this year she decided she would make October a time for creativity and try to make something new each day, or as it turns out, whenever she feels like it. 

She's fond of this quote by Kurt Vonnegut, "To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it!

Crochet is an art, right? Well, I've heard it called painting with yarn, so art it is then. Woof!!

Because she loves me (obvs) she first decided to try her hand at making me a new bandana and here I am wearing it. This is a crocheted bandana and, though it's not obvious in these pics, there is a gold metallic wool among it which looks really cool when it catches the sun, kind of like how cool I look when I catch the ball. 

Now that the darker nights are drawing in, here's some other stuff she's made. 

It's my birthday - 12 Today

It's my birthday and, to celebrate, the human took me on my usual walk to my local park because, as everyone knows. we dogs love routine and we also love to sniff out who has been visiting our usual haunt and to leave our mark. I did both.  I'm obviously gifted (woof)

The human brought a brand new tennis ball along so I had much fun traipsing through the wild flowers at times in search of the ball. I'm good at that. We Cocker-spaniels love to hunt and retrieve things, which makes us very good gun dogs and police sniffer dogs. Woof!

In celebration of my life thus far, the human was thinking of writing another poem, but thankfully she has spared us all. 

However, she remembered the old adage about a picture being worth a 1000 words so decided to post some old photos of me, 12 in all, one for each year. What follows, the human calls cuteness overload  (whatever that means).

P.S. This one isn't really me - the human says I'm way more handsome!!!

a poem for Captain Tom on his birthday

Thursday and tonight we will clap for the NHS and key workers to show our appreciation for all that they do to keep us safe, despite the risks they face on the frontline.
But today is Captain Tom Moore's 100th birthday ( he's actually now Colonel) and so the human has written a little verse just for him.

The first step was the decision, 

to do something -  To aid,

Those who had helped him

When in their care, 

He owed them much, he said.

Those carers on the frontline now

Like he was in his teens,

Aiding covid patients now, many on machines.

But fighting too, for masks, for gowns, 

For aprons they may don,

To help them help their patients,

To help them to fight on.

To many Tom seemed feeble,

He couldn't walk unaided,

But his aim to help the NHS

Well, his vision never faded.

I’ll walk the length of my garden 

100 times or so.

And as he did this day by day

We watched him bravely go.

And bit by bit he carried on,

And bit by bit we knew,

We were watching love in action,

And strength and courage too.

Tom has reached his target and inspired us every day,

He truly is amazing, in his very humble way.

And though this war’s not over, 

You are a hero, Captain Tom.

So I raise a glass. A Hundred Years,

Deserves a glass of Dom!

Cheers! We love you Captain Tom! (woof!)

A dog’s life during lockdown

Life during lockdown has changed and there are some things I've noticed. The human takes me out for walks much earlier than normal. We now set out before 7am, just like we do when we are staying in hotels, but now it’s not to avoid any accidents, it’s to avoid other people. How very odd.

The parks were getting too busy later in the day and, as we have a garden, the human thought it better to take early morning walks and let those who do not have any open space enjoy the parks throughout the rest of the day.
Our early morning walks take us to the local park and at that time of day there are one or two joggers, the odd person walking to walk, and passing cars. The human stops occasionally to take photos of windows, and utters "How cute!" when she's not even looking at me!!! Its mindboggling.

 This one got a "How very cute!"

 I’m not too sure why people have now to be avoided but I’m beginning to suss  that some of them may be dangerous. You’ll see why. 

Some humans now need to wear muzzles!!!
 It’s hard to believe, I know, so here’s proof. The human has explained this to me a little. It’s not that all of them are dangerous, some are wearing muzzles to stop them spreading the virus, or from catching it. But it would definitely stop them overeating (woof!)

Another odd thing, I used to get scolded (on a very rare occasion I might add) for making too much of a racket. NOW, every Thursday night the humans are out there, blowing whistles, rattling tins and banging pots and clapping and when I bark along and join in I'm praised for being a good boy and supporting the NHS and key workers. They really are wonderful and deserve to be protected and valued. The human doesn't want to hear the words low-skilled nor indeed lowly paid ever again and wondered whether anyone has done a banner stating National HeroeS yet?? This results in me being given a biscuit, so I've been trying this a various times during the week but I must be doing something wrong. These are indeed trying times. I've heard the humans say that. But I am trying, trying my very best (woof!)
Stay safe and wash those paws!

It's Easter week and, as we approach Easter Sunday, we are already seeing plants and flowers spring back to life and bringing a welcome bit of colour to cheer us during these dark times. Many will be looking forward to Easter Sunday, to celebrate the risen Christ, a most significant day in the Christian calendar. Those of the Jewish faith will be celebrating Passover now too. For the kids, they have another reason to celebrate, despite the coronavirus- the annual Egg Hunt is still on, as the Easter Bunny has been declared a key worker by the New Zealand PM. Hooray! 

However I want you to look at this beautiful drawing of yours truly. I think the artist captured my stunning good looks, athletic prowess (obviously the hare had a headstart!) and lionlike locks quite brilliantly (woof!) and I want to tell you a little bit about it...

It all began early one morning when the human received a text message informing her that the birthday gifts she had ordered for her granddaughter's upcoming birthday had been delivered to the wrong, or rather the right address, but the human had sent them to the wrong address. Oops!

The person who received them (we'll just call her L, for lovely) said she would leave them on the doorstep just prior to collection in order to safe distance during the coronavirus on arranging a time. The human was very apologetic as apparently this happens a lot. The parcels were actually dropped off that day by lovely person. Then the birthday card,  which was also sent to Lovely's house, had to be redelivered by this neighbour and she said she would deliver it later when walking her dogs. So the human mentioned me and my blog and they exchanged photos of their canine companions and the lovely neighbour said that she would ask her son to draw a special Easter card for the human's granddaughter. The above is the result. I don't know about you, dear reader, but among all this madness and toilet roll hoarding (personally I've never had the need of this. The human obviously thinks my morning offerings are gold dust and quickly collects them, wrapping them up safely, before depositing them in special safety boxes they have in parks) it's refreshing just to come across simple human kindness. We are hoping, the human and I, to meet lovely person when the craziness ends. 

The weekend promises to be a scorcher. The human and I have only ventured to our local park twice this week, both times before 7am to avoid joggers, and to let those neighbours with children and no gardens the opportunity to enjoy it later throughout the day and we will continue to do this. The human has decorated the house, not as much as usual, but a bit just to cheer us up and carry on as usual insofar as we can. 

Have a very Happy Easter, everyone. Stay safe and stay home and wash those paws! Woof!

And here's one the human did inspired by the above illustration. She knows it does not compare too favourably with that one but, hey, we're on lockdown and she's bored. Happy Easter!

coronavirus and your dog - Keep Calm and wash your paws.

Worried about Coronavirus and your dog? Worried that your pet may get infected? Don't panic.
This idea didn't even cross my mind until I saw a headline stating that a dog had tested positive for the latest coronavirus Covid-19. However, there is more to it as this article explains more fully so don't panic!
This latest coronavirus has reportedly spread from bats to people so scientist Jonathan Bell, professor of molecular virology thinks that "it would be incredible for a virus to make so many species jumps in so short a time." You can read the article Here

The threat to life is quite daunting, especially for the more vulnerable and those most at risk but we can all take care in our hygiene to prevent this from spreading.
But life is full of risks and I for one intend to carry on as usual, enjoying my walks, coffee shops, pub lunches (woof)  and so does the human. In fact, we may indeed take more pleasure in the everyday.
UPDATE: Only a week after writing this we decided to concentrate only on enjoying our walks, and not to go to cafes or restaurants. In fact, our last trip to a bar or any café or restaurant was on February 28th as the human was already wary, seeing what had happened in China. We are lucky, we have a garden, we also have many local parks within walking distance, and great favourite places like Richmond Park and Virginia Water where it is relatively easy to avoid close contact with people.

UPDATE - WHO has said that your pets will not suffer from Covid-19 nor will they pass it on to their owners or anyone else. Of course, always wash your hands, and paws WOOF!
Reminder: with the spread already progressing and a pandemic now declared I have taken the precaution to make sure I have 3 months supply of flea treatment and worm tablets. That's not stockpiling, just making sure they are at hand, just in case.

The Bobster revisits the Royal Standard in Forty Green, Buckinghamshire.

 It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny winter's day today, January 29th 2020. I had already gone for my morning walk, trod the local park, which was bitter cold in the shade, before heading up the A40, through Beaconsfield and on to the Royal Standard, Forty Green where I knew I would receive a warm welcome - I'd been here before.  I remember.  Actually, I always remember well the places where I've eaten but, I remember also the smell of flowers around the carpark and the woods beyond. I think there is rosemary and other herbs planted around some of the small trees which line the carpark. And there were flowers in bloom, even in January.

The Royal Standard is the oldest Pub in Britain and as you open the front door it creaks like a hundred cavaliers' stooping kneecaps - least that's how the human described it, and she wasn't even drinking!!!
 The interior is dark and atmospheric, so it's no surprise that it has been used in film and Tv (e.g. Midsomer Murders, The Theory of Everything ) but it is very welcoming with cosy fires, and friendly staff. AND, they love dogs (Get in!)

 I've read on the Royal Standard's website that one of the fireplaces is the Edmund Burke fireplace, though I'm not sure which one. As we imminently approach Brexit Day I note one of his quotes on politics,
"The public interest requires doing today those things that men of intelligence and good will would wish, five or ten years hence, had been done." I guess time will tell, whatever your stance on Brexit, whether things will turn out all right.

 The Food on offer is just excellent, so booking is a necessity. I highly recommend it. It's worth a visit, especially if you want to bring visitors from overseas. This is a place steeped in history. It seeps through its walls, quite literally, if you are to believe some of the ghost stories on their history pages of hauntings but we found nothing but good vibes here and friendly people among the staff and clientele.

 Our visit was made ever more enjoyable by the friendly Barman, who was very charming and looked very dapper indeed. Thank you, Sir! You made our day.

A poem for the Bobster's birthday

I'm Still Here

To celebrate my birthday,
we'll raise a glass of cheer.
I may be getting older,
but I'm still here.

The humans brought me back from Wales:
The journey held no fear.
Although the drive took many hours,
and I'm still here.

They made a special room for me.
They love me that is clear.
And that love is reciprocal,
And I'm still here.

They say that it's a dog's life.
That makes life sound so drear.
The opposite is true I've found,
And I'm still here.

You see, I'm family, I'm treated as
A prince, King - an Emir!
The best treats I am given,
and I'm still here.

I'm enjoying every day that comes.
Seeing places far and near.
From York to Cornwall, Brighton Beach.
And I'm still here.

I love to go for walks, to lunch,
or stare out from the pier.
Chase seagulls, run and fetch the ball.
And I'm still here.

But the greatest place is by your side,
I'll never disappear.
When you call my name, I'll run to you.
Yes, I'm still here.

And when my time on earth is gone.
I'll whisper in your ear.
Don't be sad, just look around.
Look. I'm still here.