14 March 2014
Spring is in the air!
Once again I must step in and take up the
slack! My Alpha is jet-lagged and not
sleeping so she has asked me if I could kindly take over the writing
today. “No problem”, I said, “just as long as I get an extra bit of
chicken from your plate tonight!”
Spring has finally come to southeast
England and I, for one, am very happy.
This means that the ground is not muddy and I don’t get all muddy, which
eliminates the need to get the water hose turned on me when I get home. Do you know how much I LOATHE that water
hose??? Especially in the winter, when it is cold!!! In the winter, there are
days that I don’t want to go for a walk simply because I don’t want to get
hosed down when we come back home! You
feel sorry for me, don’t you??
Another beautiful thing about the arrival
of spring is that the sunroom, in which I pass many a lazy hour or three, is
now full of sunshine most of the day. This means I can seek repose in the sun
and work on my tan before the bikini season starts. Just kidding.
I don’t wear a bikini. I’m a bloke.
Anyway, when was the last time you lay down on the ground or on the floor
of your house and just let the sun spill over you? It is, simply, delicious. We, dogs, are the best at it and can teach
you, humans, a thing or two when it comes to chillin’ on a sunny day. I rejoice in the day the Lord has made by
taking a siesta in the sun. Can’t
recommend it enough.
With just a hint of spring in the air, my
gardener human, Melanie, waxes lyrically about the new tender shoots that
valiantly push their way through the ground.
She chats about renewal of plants that were once dead in the ground,
coming back to life year after year after year.
She sings, with the songbirds, of the wonders of nature and the
creativity of God and the provision of seeds and nuts and worms for those
little, seemingly insignificant birdies.
As she tends the garden, I tend to lie there, on the ground, in the sun,
with one eye on her pocket where she keeps the dog treats she brings just for
me because I’m so special.
Spring, also, reminds me that, even when
the winter seems interminable, she will come when you least expect her. One minute it’s still frosty and muddy and
yucky outside and the next minute, it’s no longer dark at 7:30 am and you don’t
have to wear your wellies (if you’re human) or have the hose turned on you!
God’s timing is perfect and spring arrives just when you think you can’t take
another second of horizontal rain or wind or dark mornings or blasted water hoses. It’s a beautiful thang to witness, really,
and in all of my 12 and ½ years, I never tire of spring's arrival.
I would like to thank the following humans
for taking care of me when my Alpha was off on her travels. Thank you -
- Mihaela, for taking me on long walks and for thinking I’m the grandest, cutest, loveliest dog you’ve ever seen. I recall your saying that, right??
- Annalise, for liking me (or my Alpha) enough to make sure I got a walk on the days you didn’t have to work early and for feeding me so I didn’t starve!
- Susanne, for walking me in the mornings when Annalise couldn’t and for letting me be friends with Jimmy and Dougie, the cutest labs in town.
- Jonathan, for giving me enough cuddles and treats to last me until the end of the year. You’re welcomed anytime you like at chez moi!
Last but not least, I want to give a
special mention to my friend, Jack, of #jackonhisbike fame. You’re one of the
coolest teenager I know and I think your bike rocks!!!! Have fun at school and
hope to see you soon on the Nickey Line.
JACK AND DIGGER
MIHAELA AND DIGGER
