Home is boring

I’ve come to the conclusion that I would much rather be on the boat than at home.  Somehow I seem to get overlooked at home :-) Pa always takes me out for a walk in the mornings but after that everyone seems to be so busy.  One day Ma went out then Pa went out, leaving me of course, then Ma came home and went out again.  Then they had the nerve to go out again in the evening – it’s not on really.

Still the good parts were that I got to see Aunty Vix again and of course Yoyo and Millie.  Mille has become rather brave and isn’t running away from me so much – hmm I think I need to work on my scaring skills a bit more.  Yoyo, of course, just wants to play and we had some good games in the garden.

 

Posing

Granny and Uncle Richard came to stay for a few days – silly Uncle Richard will leave things lying around the place then gets upset when I pick them up and expect a game of chase.

One day Ma and Pa had a big barbecue.  No one was really taking much notice of me and I discovered that if I got underneath the barbecue I could eat all the fat from their food as it dripped onto the ground – yummy!  Only trouble was it made me smell horribly of burgers L  One of the visitors doesn’t understand puppies as she left her plate on the sofa and went to get a bread roll – that chicken joint was just too tempting and I whipped it before anyone noticed.  Sadly it was noticed that I was chewing something that looked like a chicken leg and it was taken from me.  The lady then realised that she was missing a chicken leg – hehehe!

 

A new toy

It was very hot at home and I really didn’t know where to lie.  Aunty Vix got out a paddling pool – I don’t mind getting my feet wet but they kept on thinking that I should like down in the water – WHAT!

Trying to drink out of the fish pond

I had a trip to AS and now sport a posh new haircut – it does make things cooler thank goodness.  Apparently I still smell of burgers though.

The ten days did seem to go quite quickly though but now we are on our way back to the boat – the only trouble is that it’s still VERY hot.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

As you can see from the title of this entry I am now really up on canal names.  It would appear that we are going to be away this time for about 6 weeks and will be doing a lot of canals.

The boat was really hot when we got back to it and it was even worse the next day as Pa disappeared off and left Ma and I to fry on the boat.  Pa came back with visitors – Niamhy along with Aunty Penny and Uncle Jim.  I love having visitors but AP and Niamh disappeared off again but left Uncle Jim. 

Help I'm stuck!

We then spent two days going through lots of locks most of which I was allowed to help at.  Thankfully the weather got cooler otherwise I don’t think I could have taken the pace.  I got chance to play with a few other dogs but more often than not I was quickly caught and put on my lead as soon as another dog was in sight – why can they always see other dogs before me??

Naimhy joined us again – I do love her but she will snarl at me and I get the feeling that she doesn’t really love me L  Oh of course Aunty Penny came too!

The revs looks about right to me

We had to go through a very long tunnel and I have never been so frightened in my life.  I wasn’t allowed on the back deck with Pa – I had to sit at the front with Ma.  It was very dark, noisy and cold and I whined until Ma realised that I wasn’t happy.  She got a towel and wrapped me up and cuddled me until I felt better.  The tunnel was 3 miles long and it took an hour and a half to go through – I thought it would never end but suddenly there was daylight again – phew!

Is it safe to get off?

I fell in the canal today – I guess it was my own fault as I tried to jump from the bank onto the boat and missed!  However I almost made it but not quite and hit my face on the side of the boat before crashing into the water.  I swam to the side (yes I actually swam) and Pa pulled me out.  I didn’t make a big fuss as, I have to admit, I was rather ashamed of myself.  There were no warm towels and sympathy for me – great parents I have eh? 

More time on the canals

Gosh where did the last four weeks go to?! One minute I was writing my blog saying that we were going back to the boat and now we are home again. 

We have all got into a good routine aboard Mary H.  I sleep at the bottom of Ma and Pa's bed and can now read the clock and know that 7.30 am is time to get up.  Some mornings my tummy seems to be rumbling a bit too early but I always get told to get back in my bed :-(  My breakfast is the first thing on the agenda - at least they have got that right! We then all go back to bed with tea - well I don't have tea though if I can get my snout into a mug of tea I will drink it.  We are usually up and about around 8.30 am and I go out for a pee.  After breakfast Pa takes me for my constitutional as he calls it.  Meanwhile Ma gets showered and dressed and then we are off.  Most days I'm allowed to help at the locks but sometimes I'm told that I can't as it’s either too busy or there is a road nearby.  I love locks - there are usually lots of good smells and sometimes there are things to play with like a plastic bottle or a clump of reeds.

 

I'm now a proper boater's dog

Anyway down to what I have been up to.  We went on a very big boat lift which took us from the canal down to a river.  It was a bit scary really dropping 50 feet in the boat!  We went on a bus to a folk festival - I quite enjoyed the music even when the man banged his drum right beside me.  We moored up for three nights at Northwich where I met Izzy who is a bichon frise.  She could get out between the railings of her owners fence and we played chase up and down for ages - perhaps I need to watch my weight as I couldn’t get through the railings.

We went into Manchester - oh boy was that boring.  I had to stay on my lead all the time and we seemed to go on a lot of buses.  The best part was that Pa found some sand and I really enjoyed playing in that.  We had five nights in the rotten old city - Ma liked it but Pa and I didn't.  Coming out of Manchester there were lots of locks to do and it was pouring with rain.  I helped with the first twelve locks but started to get tired and I was very wet so I went on the boat with Pa.  I started to shiver and I heard Ma say that she is going to get me a raincoat - that should be interesting.

 

One of my friends

We got back out into the country and I was able to enjoy myself again - there was lots of goose poo to eat but the killjoys made me stay on the boat so all I could do was look at it longingly.

I learnt a bit more about computers. Ma was working on her iPad when I heard Aunty Vix - I ran to the door but she wasn't there so I ran back through the boat but till couldn't find her - but I could still hear her. Ma said that it was FaceTime and if I had stopped rushing around and looked at the iPad I would have seen her - honestly does Aunty Vix live in an iPad? I don't think so.

 

Hey this bottle is empty!

We went to Hebden Bridge which I thought looked boring but in fact was a good place as there was a park next to where we were moored and each evening Pa took me and the football and we had great fun.  We went on yet another bus - I quite like buses really as I sit on a knee and look out of the window.  While we were in Hebden Bridge Ma discovered that I hadn't got enough food to last until we got home - oh boy did I panic.  I could hear them discussing whether or not to cut my food down or go and find a pet shop - my thought transferences obviously worked as Ma went shopping :-)

Somehow I managed to fall in the canal again - well that sounds a bit dramatic really.  I slipped down between a moored boat and the bank - goodness knows how I did it but I only got wet up to my waist again, I did break my harness though.

Our last night on the boat was spent beside a very big playing field and both Ma and Pa took me noseballing.  Memo to self - check with Roy Hodgson to see if there is an opening in the England squad for me.

It's hot up here Ma

I've had a great time though it has been very hot the last few days but I daren't go down below in the cool in case I miss something up on deck!

So we are now home for ten days - I wonder if there is anything exciting planned?