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Something terrifically interesting happened today;

posted in: boats, dogs, ducks - No Comments

so noteworthy that if I’d had a snooze when I got back home, I’d be tempted by now to think that it was a dream.

The Dad took me down to the lough this afternoon, and I made my usual convivial, if futile, attempts to befriend the ducks. Then, from under the bridge, glided two small boats, laden with …. dogs! There were a couple of humans with them, and the dogs had very tactfully allowed them to think they were in charge, but it was quite clear who were the true leaders of the expedition. There was even one hairy terrier who looked like me, though when we got into conversation he confessed that he wasn’t really a Border, but only some upstart breed called a Fen Terrier, not yet recognized by the Kennel Club. I tried to cheer the poor chap up (actually he seemed perfectly cheerful, as well as dog might, having led such an intrepid voyage) while trying to avoid revealing that I’d never heard of the Kennel Club. I suppose it must be some kind of society for dogs with outdoor sleeping arrangements. Perhaps I ought to found a Bed In The Kitchen Club. We’d let Fen Terriers join, especially ones with their own boats.

A quiet sort of day today.

posted in: dogs, ducks, sleep, swans - No Comments

The Dad went off to Work but left me with the others, so I had a good long morning snooze. When the sun came out the Mum and the Aidan took me down to the Round O park (on the edge of the lough – that’s a lake to you foreigners) with a large bag of bread. Needless to say, I got none of it.

The lough was thronged with birds – eighteen swans, the Mum said, fifty or sixty seagulls and over a hundred ducks. The swans look most elegant and inviting from a distance, but when I tried to take them up on the offer of friendship they made the most unpleasant hissing noise you can imagine. Never trust anyone with webbed paws. As we were leaving, a car arrived with a very small child and even smaller spaniel puppy, which seemed to want to play with me, pulling on its little lead and squeaking excitedly. I nodded, with dignity, and passed on. Really, the youth of today need to show a little more respect.

Further along the road we met quite a different class of canine; a gentledog in late middle-aged, lean and somewhat grizzled, loping along the pavement. I instinctively felt that we were destined to be friends, and gave a few exploratory snuffles and barks. To my surprise he simply sniffed, in a rather cold manner, and crossed to the other side. I was a little hurt, but tried not to to show it. As my mother used to say, a little politeness costs nothing.

On a more positive note, the combination of a good sleep and the usual Fermanagh rain has wrought wonders on my coat. You’d never imagine that I’d been subjected to a bath only two days ago. That’s one advantage of being a Border Terrier – one is never far distinguishable from the most miscelanated mongrel.