Dog days

One of the lucky things about going to the vet here in Aude is that we can go in with our pets, some being more unusual than one would see in London. A recent visit (all will be revealed soon) bought a tinge of tears and a giggle, you see all sorts at a rural practice. As I parked up, I noticed one of the vets attending to a client in the back of their car and conversing quietly with the owner. The man was sobbing and wiping his face, my heart went out to him. All you want to do is go and comfort someone and you can’t, you have to just walk by and pretend you haven’t seen it all. I went and sat down in the surgery with our Alice to wait our turn feeling rotten instead. That was until a couple came in with a chicken in a box and sat down in the ‘cat’ section, a little ironic I thought. The vet duly called ‘le poulet‘ family and they trotted off into a consulting room only to come out 10 minutes later without it, laughing and chatting with the nurses. What happened to the chicken? My mind wandered through various possibilities. Had it gone in for surgery and if so, what kind of surgery would a chicken need? Was it a gift for the hard-working team – a nice Sunday lunch? Did they find it on the road and given it in for a rescue centre? I couldn’t hear the conversation but it must have been a happier outcome than for the poor man in the car.

Vet visits aside, the dogs are soaking up the sun now that Spring has really sprung here. The temperature gauge is creeping up into the 20’s and prone pooches decorate the garden and flowerbeds. Having my incredible verandah facing East and means I get the sun pretty much all day and the light streams into the lounge. The older dogs are warmed by the rays whilst they spread themselves across the sofas, the tile floors offering a cooler alternative when a canine needs to chill. The new balustrade is still waiting to be assembled but I’m hoping that will be sorted tomorrow. With pool design under discussion and the digger booked in, it won’t be long before we move such activities to there. Exciting times on the horizon.

With work still ongoing in the main house, the other two family dogs Sappy and Gunner have to have their meals up here. Mumo finds the feeding of my lot fascinating, she only has to feed two. Mine have a certain routine when it comes to mealtimes, mostly involving high-pitched yaps from Evee and painful whining from Yogi until the bowls go down. Since all but Gizmo are fed in slow feeders, I have a strict order in who gets their munchies first. Arry and Simi are fed outside mainly because I like Arry to feed at table top height and Simi won’t steal his food, then the line goes he/she who eats fastest gets fed last. Sappy and Gunner who are fed after mine, always sit and wait for their food – the pack could learn a thing or two.

It never ceases to amaze me just how quickly the dogs have settled here. Of course, they are spoilt having 2 acres of garden to themselves which is fortunate since they live in a much smaller house. Yet they have moved to a different country (not that they have noticed), relocate several times whilst our place was being renovated and now put up with builders all over the main building. Even Neo has calmed down although a couple of labourers have had narrow escapes and aside from having a shouting match with Mina the next door spaniel over the back fence, they are all a lot quieter in general. And a happy pack makes for a happy mum……

“Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There’s so little hope for advancement” (Charles M Schulz)