Why kids and dogs are a good mix...

I was in slow moving traffic around Clapham Common this morning when eventually we stopped altogether, I opened the window and my eyes slid over to the park where there were some resilient – fog, what fog? – joggers and a woman pushing a young child in a pushchair. Their chocolate Labrador was walking beside them. The Lab suddenly spotted a branch that had fallen from a nearby tree and pounced on it shaking it, jumping up and down and running in circles with this massive branch – complete with leaves – in its mouth. This reduced the child to hysterics who was literally rocking in the pushchair, squealing and laughing at the antics of his mad pooch. The dog seemed to take a lot of pleasure in this favourable reaction and shook the branch even harder. The mum strolled on laughing and smiling and I thought what a wonderful way to start the day? Pluto does this; he does crocodile rolls and then squirms on his back, or he picks up a stick and runs in circles and it never fails to raise a smile – no matter how tired, how rushed or even how fed-up I might be. And if fact, complete strangers will often stop and smile as well. Dogs’ rock. Children – although I don’t have any – seem to rock too. Well done them.

I need Microsoft office for my laptop and we need to hook it up (although wirelessly) to t’internet. So I’m not really getting to use it very much, although I have changed my screensaver twice and my wallpaper three times. It’s still shiny and fantastic though.

Victor the Vectra is well. The patient made a full recovery. Apparently all he needed was a new relay and I picked her up yesterday morning. (Victor is gender gifted; sometimes a he, sometimes a she.)

After I picked up Vic I drove down Biggin Hill way to go a meet the general manager and chairperson of an animal sanctuary that I am hoping to become a volunteer / trustee with. They were really nice and they have all sorts of animals on the farm, which is fantastic. They seemed to think my skills would be most useful and I’m spending the day their next week. I’m hoping to take Mr. Pluto with me as well, who has never been let loose on a farm to our knowledge…!

As I drove back I stopped off at a nice pub we’ve been to several times before in the village of Downe. I ordered lunch and sat by the open fire and read my book. It was bliss!

There was an 88-year-old in their with his wife and friend and he was talking about his time in the army. He was in the Royal Artillery and had served in the last part of the war (not sure where) before he was posted to Germany after their surrender. I thought he sounded really interesting – unless of course, it’s a bit like Uncle Albert in Only Fools and Horses, the same stories over and over! – but more interestingly it became apparent his wife had also been in the army and I was suddenly much more curious about her story. She must have served after the war (because she seemed a little younger), when there was still a seperate woman’s army. Unfortunately she didn’t say as much and I realised I was eavesdropping which is never an attractive habit. So I returned with relish to my steak and ale pie. There must be thousands of women who served in the women’s army, but you never hear anything about them…

After lunch, I went and bought some new crockery that had caught my eye a week or so ago when I was shopping with my mum. They had chickens painted all over them and I thought they were quite fun. I regretted not buying them when I saw them the first time. So I went and got plates, side plates and bowls and some big serving dishes in preparation for Christmas! Eventually I got home, walked the dog again and settled down to some work with odd sojourn into Facebook. A good day by all accounts…