I have a virus

Hmmm, I’m not sure that’s right…

My blog has a virus…hmmmm still not sure…hang on before you reach for Norton or McAfee or Kaspersky or AVG or whatever (other anti-virus products are available).

I know, I know, I have gone viral – yes that’s it. Those are the words being uttered around our house at the moment. It seems that my blog stats have rather improved recently because I have ‘gone viral’.

I do have to apologise for the long delay between my blogs but this viral thingy has got me hooked and I have been examining my ‘stats’ on a daily basis. Then I realised that

1. They’re not that interesting
2. If I didn’t post some more my viral status would soon decline
3. That getting 55 hits in one day doesn’t actually mean that you have become a global phenomenon overnight and the fact they are all in the Henley area means that rather than going viral your dad has been talking about you!

So hey ho my viral episode was short lived (well not really lived at all) and it seems I do have more chance of actually catching a virus than becoming an internet sensation. 🙄 So with that in mind I will press on with my news…

I have to say it has been a very hectic time for me recently as I have been entertaining a range of family and friends both at home and on my boat. Luckily we have had a spate of very nice weather which has been perfect for boating (if a little warm for a black dog). So where to start…

Well we have to go back to the start of July when we entertained Debbie, Mark and Katie (Dad’s sister, brother-in-law and niece). A very nice trip we had to Bourne End. We had a long riverside walk and I was able to do a bit of paddling which was good for keeping the old paws cool. Here is a picture of me with some of our guests.

The other was catching up on 40 winks in the shade 🙂

Then the next weekend we went to Cliveden, just me and mum and dad. This was nice but I was rather concerned about Dad’s mooring technique as he seemed to just bury Juneau in a tree and tie her up. Apparently this was deliberate! We did seem secure on the mooring, and we hadn’t floated off by morning, but it must be said that quite a bit of the tree came with us when we left! No pics to share from this trip because they both forgot to take a camera! Honestly you give them one job… (mind you I’d rather they forgot the camera than my kibble – which thankfully was not the case).

Then I had a particularly busy weekend as I was organising a Dog Tombola for the local Guide Dogs fun day AND I had visitors to entertain. Of course I delegated the Tombola organising to mum because I’m not really very good with money. I would have been very good with the prizes (rather a nice bunch of soft toys) but mum said no one would want them once I had restyled their fur by sucking their heads – so they were out of bounds.

Here are the said toys (cute aren’t they). Fair play to dad he did try to win me one (as if I don’t have enough soft toys – which I don’t!)

And here is me in front of the tombola.

I was a little concerned that mum was actually going to ‘tombola’ me off but no one got a winning ticket whilst I was there so she had to take me home with her. I think she must like me a bit because she did at least share her ice cream with me. I have to comment that the split between me and her was less than equal. I suppose the problem comes back to me being no good with money – otherwise I’d have bought my own! Oh I dream of a full cone to myself.

I did have visitors that weekend as well but they didn’t come to the Guide Dogs day with me – the draw of the local Weatherspoons being too strong it seems!! However we did go out on the Sunday for a cruise back to Bourne End again. This time, as it was a special day – a birthday, we had chocolate cake to celebrate. Nice I hear you thinking. Well that’s as maybe – I wouldn’t know 😦 Here’s the birthday boy blowing out the candles.

So we’re nearly up to date. This week was again a bit busy. My presence was called upon to accompany mum to a talk for the Sandhurst Historical Society. This was a good trip and I enjoyed it very much because I got lots of tickles and the people thought I was fab. I did my full routine, tail wags, stand and stare (I can do that for a long time), of course a full paws up (oh and a small fart – just to make some contact with everyone). Anyway the people of the society were very generous and gave us a cheque for the branch and a few other donations so the trip was worthwhile. 🙂

And as if that wasn’t enough we had more visitors on Friday. This time dad’s aunt and uncle. The plan was to go out to the pub for a meal which I thought was a very civilised until I found out that I wasn’t invited and had to stay home alone (all say ahhhh). I got over it…

I was muchly undecided what to do on Saturday our visitor count was due to increase by two more aunts and we were planning to go out on my boat. But I was very concerned about the weather. I watched the forecast like a hawk but it really wasn’t looking good. Anyway after a family consultation it was decided we would chance it. Flipin good job we did the sun shone all day. The weather people should be sacked, for all their computers they know nothing. Next time I will be using my trusty pine cones to determine whether we should venture out or not, it’s sure to be more accurate.

Here are my weekend visitors. I’m in there somewhere!

So there we are, more or less up to date. We decided to have a more relaxed day today so after my walk this morning I have been ‘chillaxin’ in the garden. This activity was aided by the provision of a Kibble-Kong created by my lovely mum (see she’s lovely when there is food involved). The Kibble-Kong was basically ice and kibble and a Kong (of course or else it wouldn’t have been a Kibble-Kong – it would just have been a Kibble). It was quite messy but I have to say rather nice. So I will leave you with some picture of me enjoying my Kibble-Kong just this lunchtime. Yum.

I hope you have had a good few weeks dear readers and are content now that you know I am alive and well and still eating kibble 

Love

Tex

Thought of you…

Happy summer everyone. If it is summer, but as I sit here with my paws warming up it’s beginning to feel like it may have arrived! Anyway I’m not too worried as I have been on my second holiday of the year already :).

Once again I had a lovely sojourn on the outskirts of Wokingham whilst mum and dad went off to the Lake District. Now I know what you’re thinking, why didn’t Tex join them in the Lakes? Well I have to say them main reason was that I wasn’t invited. However, having had reports of their holiday I have to say I’m not sure I wanted to be there.

As you can imagine my mum likes to keep in contact and I did have some reports from her during her trip, they make for some interesting reading. So, for your amusement, I thought I’d let you in on some of her commentary here. Here goes…

Day 1 – Thought of you – we were easing ourselves into the week gently and had a little trip to local café. All the staff were wearing T-shirts saying ‘Bad Dog No Biscuit’ but of course that’s not you

{flipin cheek – what made her think of me – bad dog no biscuit indeed. I get a biscuit whether I’m bad (which is never) or not (which is always)}

Day 2 – Thought of you – as we climbed Haystacks. I didn’t enjoy it – not sure you would have either, quite hard going on the paws.

{Finchampstead is sounding particularly good…this is mum up that particular fell – well the fell is up, she seems to be flat out!}

Day 3 – Thought of you… took your canoe out on Lake Coniston – like this muchly, no climbing involved and dad cooking Cumberland sausages for lunch.

{Now mum’s spelling isn’t so great we all know this is actually the can-oo, my can-oo to be precise. I don’t mind them going out in the can-oo but I do mind them guzzling Cumberland sausage without me – I could have done that!}

Day 4 – Thought of you. Met yellow lab today dragging a man up a fell. Man says ‘steady’ and dad identifies said dog of certain stock. Sure enough it was a GD puppy on his last fling before starting his training. Good luck Vinnie! Here’s me up Loughrigg Fell

{I have to say mum’s looking less red and out of breath and smiling more than on the last fell climb, maybe she got a tow off Vinnie the labrador!}

Day 5 –Thought of you – got the can-oo out again today. Nice paddle on Coniston water, bought Cumberland sausage for tea.

{flipin heck more sausages – it’s a wonder that can-oo didn’t sink!}

Day 6 – Thought of you – bought you a pressie whilst I was shopping and your dad was up a fell in the mist!! And we met Hogan the labrador who had been up one too many fells and was clearly ‘felled out’. We reckoned you would have given a more enthusiastic greeting to people in the pub (as it seems you are a pub experienced dog.

{So it took about 10 days for this pressie to materialise and it is a  nice ball on a rope. The ball has Woof written on it. It’s very nice, I do like it and I am very grateful of course. But 1/2lb of Cumberland sausage would have been equally acceptable as a holiday gift in my opinion :!:}

(not it’s not a Lakeland Labrador – that’s a Herdwick Sheep – a Herdy!)

Day 7 – Thought of you – because we are coming back home and will see you later. And I have bought that ‘Bad Dog No Biscuit’ T shirt – just to remind you.

{Ha, mum doesn’t know I can read – so feigned ignorance is bliss as far as I am concerned!!}

So you can see. I may not have been there but I was much on their thoughts. Meanwhile whilst they struggled up (and down) some mountains I relaxed in my bed and played with my mates. I think I have it right!

Plus I should say I was able to take some very tasty treats on holiday with me, a gift from one of my boat guests. Just before we went away I hosted a rather pleasant soiree on my boat for a few of dad’s work friends. I received some very nice cards and a particularly welcome pack of treats, so I was a very happy chappie. Thank you Jay

I will sign off for now dear readers. I hope you are well and looking forward to the heat wave we have to come.

Love

Tex