It’s good to be top of mind…

Hello dear reader, I think it’s time for another catch up don’t you???

When I last wrote I told you that my dad was in America and that a small request had gone in for a Tiffany item. So I’m sure you are anticipating some nice photos of said item. Well as the evidence shows I am top of mind when dad goes shopping because look who came home with dad.

Rather than the distinctive turquoise box that holds precious jewellery (OK if you like that kind of thing) it was the distinctive castle carrier bag that holds precious furry toys :).  See…

Woo hoo, I didn’t ask, I really didn’t, but dad was very kind and shopped with me in mind and so I am able to add Plu-doh to my extensive toy collection (I’m assured this is the correct pronunciation – well that’s what mum and dad keep calling him!). And I like Plu-doh very much as you can see…

I have to say I think I am a lucky boy as now I have both Mickey and Plu-doh. And if I keep being as lucky I can probably add Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy and a whole host of other Disney characters to my collection! I don’t think dad will run out of character options even if he went to America every single week

So I haven’t had any more presents since then but really my toy box is rather full!

Apart from that all is well here. I was a bit under the weather at the weekend but am back to full beans now. I know how to milk it – just turn on those big brown eyes and I get totally spoiled!

Not much else to report so more of a mini-blog this week but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.

Lots of love

Tex

(and of course… Plu-doh)

Misty Morning Hop

So, armed with the knowledge the river was not in full flow the decision was taken we’d go cruising last weekend. Had they consulted me I would have predicted the river would be high (it’s in the pine cones don’t you know!) But, consult me they didn’t and off we went. As usual all my ‘stuff’ came with me including my lovely, extra warm, boat bed base (easy for you to say).

What happens, what happens … big red (as in stop) board on the first lock 😕 . However, being somewhat intrepid we pressed on. Now I should say we weren’t white water rafting or anything but we did get from Temple to Cookham in double quick time!

River conditions aside I have to say that it was a particularly nice day to be out. It was warm and sunny and just lovely. So we tied up in Cookham and headed out for a looooong walk 🙂 . Here I am on my walk,

It was tres bien but, after about an hour and a half, I began to get a bit tired! However, I perked up a bit when we went through the John Lewis golf course (oh yes the very same, never knowingly under golfed, John Lewis). It’s not that I stopped to purchase a bit of golf ware, ooh no I found few golf balls. I was really quite prepared to tidy these up but sadly dad said I had to leave them behind.

I did do a bit of chase with a local Jack Russell. The JR was chasing sticks (but of course I’m not given to such activity), however I’m not averse to chasing a Jack Russell. Kept us all amused for little while. 🙂

So activity over I took to my bed quite early and had a long lie in the next morning. After I finally got out of bed on Sunday we went for an lovely, rather misty, morning stroll. It was very nice, as you can see I was enjoying it.

Particularly when I met a fellow lab for a bit of chase.

We came back early as the human’s had jobs to do, mum put my boat bed in the hall ready to go back upstairs but I had other ideas, I had to get in. And it was sooooo comfy!

Weekend over it was back to work, well not for me obviously! It was a bit odd because dad has gone away to America again and I am a bit unsettled about this, but these things have to be done apparently. So in this blog I’m sending a big hello to my dad as I know he’ll read it.

Now last time dad went to America I put in a bid for a Micky Mouse and dad very kindly obliged. I am not going to request anything this time as that would be greedy. But mum is far more mercenary and so her message is that a pair of Tiffany earrings wouldn’t go amiss……………(she is ever the optimist ha ha)

Anyway that’s it for now, hope you had a good week dear readers.

Love

Tex

Well, Well, Well…

No really it’s a WELL. A Wishing Well to be more accurate. A Well mum is wishing she’d never seen!

So what’s the story I hear you ask…are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…

Some time ago I mentioned that Holme Grange Craft Village, a local venue, had donated the proceeds of their ornamental Wishing Well to Guide Dogs. Mum is the contact for Holme Grange and therefore the Wishing Well was on her ‘patch’. After much prevarication, the time had finally come to empty the Well.

You might hope that in the 20^th Century there would be a high tech option to emptying Wishing Wells but, oh no, it seems the time old methods apply – you have to go down the well and pick the money out! And so that’s what mum did. Dad went along for moral support, to take photo’s and to generally laugh at the whole process.

Now…I can hear people declaring dad to be quite mean to send his wife down the well. In his defence I should say that he actually couldn’t go down the Well because the opening to the Well in question is rather small and he wouldn’t fit. The recommendation was to find a small child to do the job but

1. We don’t possess any small children
2. I’m sure sending small children up chimneys and down wells became illegal in the last century (or so)

So mum was the only option and down the well she went! I have photo’s to prove it.

Here she is getting prepared

Assessing the task in hand

And heading down

See there was some money in there

But it’s quite a long way down (there was quite a lot of ‘vegetation’ – and a more than a few mosquitoes it seems – eeewww)

Anyway she made it out again (which as mum organises food, treats etc I am quite glad about!)

Once out of the Well that was just the start of the story. As you can imagine money that has been in water for a while is a bit well – grubby – so mum tried a few tricks of the trade to smarten the coins up again including soaking on vinegar and then in Coca Cola! Having washed off the various potions the cash then went in the oven to dry off!!! Finally it’s currently in the process of being counted. The estimate at the moment is that she managed to gather about £130 of cash, quite a few ‘leaves’, several crisp bags, one hair brush (oh yes) and a Waitrose green token! Whether or not the bank is prepared to accept some of the rather grubby coinage is another matter.

So that was the story of the Wishing Well. It’s empty for now but I suspect mum would probably pay £100+ quid not to have to go and do it again!

But I hear you cry ‘this is Tex’s blog – where is the lovely Tex?’ I have to say I missed this particular event choosing to stay at home in my nice warm bed, faithfully awaiting the return of my parents (you’re not getting me down no Well – guide dogs or not!). Once they were home (and showered) I persuaded mum and dad to take me out for a nice long walk along the river from Temple to Marlow.

Why did I do that well

1. I’m a dog
2. I’m a dog
3. I’m a dog

If humans are stupid enough to descend ornamental Wells so be it. I know my place – I’m sticking to being a dog.

I hope you had a good week dear readers

Love

Tex