Approximate reading time: 6 min

I hope you are well:-)

It’s been an amazing week.

For starters, I actually finished my assignment,

early!!!

(Wonders never cease!)

I turned up to work this morning only to discover that there had been a mix-up with the agency and that the school hadn’t actually made a booking. I had been a little worried about how I was going to manage to start and finish a blog post when I got home this evening and now I have the whole day to work on it….

And the best part is the agency is going to have to pay me for the day.

So I am currently,

at this very moment in time,

sitting on my arse and getting paid to write!

For the first time ever!!

(More days like this please universe;-)

*********

This week I have been looking after Beautiful Bertie.

What can I say about Bertie?

I adore him and he is definitely one of my absolute favourite dogs ever!

(I know, I know, I say that for most of them….but Bertie really is an all-around SUPER special dog!)

1. He is a dream to walk. (He can go off lead)
2. He loves playing ball.
3. When other dogs snap or growl at him, Bertie walks away without so much as a snarl. (He is WAY too cool to get upset about all the unfriendly chompers in this world)
4. Bertie follows me everywhere and wants to sit next to me 24/7. (Even when I go to the toilet)

His neediness knows no bounds and I love him for it;-)

My plan this week was to have Bailey and Bertie together for the two days that I have to Bailey-sit.

For all intents and purposes,

it WAS a good plan!

What I did not factor in was that both Bertie and Bailey are ‘only children’ who are not too accustomed to ….ummmm sharing the love.

The day started out well.

We went for a walk by the canals, as per usual.

We saw some ducks sun tanning and a mother swan with her younglings. There was an Egyptian goose swimming with them and I could have sworn it was Gilbert.

Bailey, Bertie and myself stood watching the swans and it was truly a beautiful moment, I tell you.

I was trying my best to get a better-focused shot, with Gilbert in it, when the mother swan suddenly got a bit flustered and stormed at us all with her wings flapping like a maniac.

(Clearly, she hasn’t heard that the universe has anointed me Saint- Gayle- Random – Feather – Creature – rescuer! )

I was slightly appalled to see Gilbert join in on the chase as well….

How could he forget who I was?

We reached a small park that is right next to the canals and I decided it would be a good idea to throw Bertie’s ball for him.

(Dam he loves that ball, he truly is the cutest thing trying to catch it.)

Unfortunately, poor Bailey, as we know, is not allowed off-leash so my arm was repeatedly pulled out of its socket every time she tried to make a mad dash for the ball and then suddenly ran out of leash.

(Bailey wasn’t particularly impressed)

Never underestimate the sneakiness of a beagle

Bailey did manage, however, to keep nicking the ball every time Bertie dropped it at my feet.

(Bertie was not particularly impressed.)

On my third throw, my aim was a bit wonky and the ball hit a tree.

‘Ball’ bounced off the tree and disappeared into the canal.

Fuck.

Of course, Bertie didn’t see where it had gone and then proceeded to go ‘haywire’ running around the park trying to find his precious lost ball.

I am trying my best to catch him….but he wasnt planning on giving up on ‘Ball’ that easily.

Bailey is running in circles with us and thinking this is the best fun ever.

I eventually catch Bertie,

untangle myself from Bailey’s long leash

and manage to drag the two dogs down to the canal.

I see ‘ball’ floating in the water about 6 meters out.

I wonder if we just wait for a little while if the tide would bring it back in.

(Assuming canals even have tides?)

I decide fuck it!

It’s worth a shot …..patience is a virtue and time is something I have lots of these days.

So I sit,

all zen-like at the edge of the canal and wait.

(Neither Bertie nor Bailey were particularly impressed.)

Bertie wants to go back and find ‘ball’ and Bailey just wants to go and eat Gilbert!

I tried explaining to them that we were on a mission to rescue ‘ball’ and to practice patience.

(Needless to say, neither could give a shit!)

3 minutes pass

The incessant whining is getting louder but low and behold

….’ball’ is getting closer….

I can’t believe it…..I am manifesting the ball back to us!!

My powers know NO end.

After about 6 minutes Bertie, bless him suddenly notices ‘Ball’ in the water and you can almost see the recognition and delight in his little doggy eyes. He calms down considerably as he joins me in the BIG WAIT.

TWO minutes later we have ‘ball’.

We all head home feeling, somewhat magical.

(Except Bailey she’s just hungry)

So we arrive back at Berties House.

I think in my mind I imagined sitting on the couch, working on my assignment with my two favourite dogs sitting lovingly and adoringly on either side of me.

As if!

Once we reached Bertie’s house Bailey went a little ape shit…..she was running around the house like a bat out of hell. Bertie and I sat in the lounge waiting for her to calm down

(As we were both now Zen masters)

Bertie snuggled under my arm lovingly.

15 minutes later Bailey is still running around while intermittently stopping to chew Bertie’s favourite yellow bone.

Bertie is looking at me, horrified!

I confiscate Bertie’s favourite yellow bone and hide it away from Bailey and she consequently starts chewing Bertie’s favourite red bone!

(If looks could kill)

All of a sudden Bailey starts howling as only a beagle can…..

(53 seconds in ‘The attention seeking bark’ or 2.20 ‘The alert bark’)

I’m not quite sure which one it was, but fucking hell it was loud.

About 5 seconds later Bertie joins in.

I am stuck between two howling dogs and it was at this point that I realise that maybe I might need to call in the backup troops.

(Luckily my flatmate Richard works from home so he is often able to help out with Bailey.)

I walked Baily home and she is suitably delighted to suddenly have me all to herself again.

With Bailey temporarily soothed, I left her with Richard and my black winter HAT that has now been reclaimed as her ALL- time-most-favourite-of playthings

(Yes it has even surpassed the Omega 3 bottle!)

I headed back to Bertie, who was equally excited not to have to share me but seemed to be somewhat overly attached to his yellow bone.

(Go figure!)

At lunch time I went to fetch Bailey for her walk and Bertie saw the perfect opportunity to exact his revenge.

Rest assured Bailey got over it quick!