Dear my-humans
Time has passed quickly here, and I am very excited that I will be coming home at the weekend. I've had lots of fun, but miss you and Luna.
The big news is that I had a bit of an accident on the moor and managed to cut my pad on who-knows-what while rushing about. However, I don't think it was too much of a problem for the Beards as they said it was typical that accidents occur outside of normal veterinary hours ("bloody typical" in fact, but I assumed that was because of all of the blood). I was very brave, and we rushed over to Bideford for the out-of-hours service with Badgerbeard holding my wound closed in the back, while Gingerbeard drove carefully so as not to make us sick. The nurse and vet were very nice to me, and I had to have sedation, stitches and antibibliotecs, which is why I haven't been near a library all week (sorry, Badgerbeard made me put in that joke, and is currently laughing all on his own somewhere). I've had to have my foot wrapped every day, and can only go out with a plastic boot - we now have a posh one, but here is a photo of me with the make-shift version at the start - as you can see, I'm still a very happy chappy.
We've been to the vets several times for check-ups, and the receptionist gave me a treat! She also said she was sorry that Badgerbeard was back in again after last year, but he was quite upbeat and told her that with four young collies in the house, over a two month period the law of averages meant we were bound to make some kind of visit, and that he was simply going to get his wages paid into their account directly. She laughed, but probably doesn't know he is currently not working so there are no wages. However, all will be fine apparently as I have something called insurance - otherwise I would have had to work down the mines for a month to cover the costs.
Life on the farm carries on, and the sheep have been brought down from the field next to the moor. Some have already been shut in ready for lambing, which seems to be a hot topic of conversation down here...although I find the sheep a bit boring. They either walk around eating grass, or sit down chewing grass. They also have a complicated set of marks on their wool, which Gingerbeard seems to be able to translate. Badgerbeard has not yet learnt that foreign language, and often grumbles about it. Personally, I think it might be more useful than Italian in the short-term, but I keep quiet.
Ned has been working hard while we play about, and I have yet to find a photograph where he is not perched on the love of his life, the quad.
So that's it for the moment. See you at the weekend. I hope you have brought home a candied albatross for me - they do look rather tasty.
Much love
Your Shackie
xxxx
Dear Shack
ReplyDeleteI’m really sorry to hear about your poor paw. Wonder what you cut it on? I have to say that you look very dashing in your bootee! I hope you are looking after it and not tearing it off in itchy annoyance.
That’s a lot of sheep in your picture. You’ll be pleased to know that there are loads more sheep around here nowadays, doing ‘mob-grazing’ on cover crops (I like the sound of a bit of mobbing) – the latest trend in arable fields. Used to be stubble, now sheep. So you might have to be on the lead too in case you feel like rounding them up. Bad luck!
I gather one of our humans is on the way home. What is the other up to I wonder? Sunning himself I guess. They have obviously picked up an albatross trait. Send the female off foraging to some other continent while the male swans about on the nest. Well we’ll give them a bad time when we are all back home together I can tell you!
See you soon Shackie,
yours ever Luna
Dearest Luna
ReplyDeleteOnly two more sleeps! I have a vet appointment tomorrow and they may take out my stitches - I have a pretty impressive wound. I can't wait to see you, although I will miss my new buddies here. Ned and I played rough and tumble for an hour yesterday. Badgerbeard always wonders where the dust comes from...
Bisou until Sunday!
Love Shack
xxx
Dear my-other-humans
ReplyDeleteHow are you and the rest of the pack? I miss you all terribly, even Scout, although it’s good to take control of my sister Luna again. She gives me a good run for my money at battleground sofa, although she has to wait until I have finished with the buffalo horns before she’s allowed a chew, despite her high-pitched barking at me. I miss the big glass view of the valley in Devon, this Georgian house has a lot less glass to rub my nose all over, and no roaming pheasants outside to bark at, so I’ve decided I’m a fan of modern architecture since staying with you. The log-liberation front has been disbanded for now too, as this house has something called a gas-fire, which is a lot less fun. My-humans have promised me that we will move to a house in Scotland soon, where we will be able to rekindle the log liberation front and roam some more exciting landscape.
I am settling back in to suburban life again. The humans have made me wear the silly face cone again, and whilst it annoys me when I hurtle into the stairs and doorframes, it does provide an excellent secret weapon in my battles with Luna. I have also devised a special drinking and eating technique whereby I put my cone flush on the floor around the water or food bowl, creating a shield that blocks out Luna, and leaves me free to gulp and guzzle. The humans say I look like a black heron creating a feeding shield.
One of my favourite human-friends Rory came to stay. I was so overcome with emotion that I barked a lot when he arrived. He likes to sing to me which gets me very excited. I like it when he stays because if I bark at night the humans let me sleep in their den, so that Rory too can get some quality sleep. I wonder if he can hear my loud snoring from across the landing. Stubble-beard doesn’t seem to mind my snoring as he has developed a new condition since his return, called jet-lag, which means he stays awake all night and then we get to take an extra nap with him in the afternoon, which is jolly nice.
Today I am going to the vet’s again, they want to see if my paw has developed a scab. I really wish the humans would let me lick it as I believe that would help the situation immensely, but this silly feeding shield keeps getting in the way. Stubble-beard says that once my foot has scabbed we can go back to training school, I’m looking forward to barking at Ruby, the big Rhodesian ridge-back again. I’m worried she may have risen to top of the class in my absence!
Curly-hair and Stubblebeard are still talking about Christmas albatrosses all the time, but have yet to produce one for me to eat. Once my wound is healed I am going to sort out that mob of sheep that Luna found nearby, quite an unusual sight for us in Cambridgeshire. The humans have suggested that we may be able to meet-up with their other albatross-hugging friend Oli, as well as Badgerbeard’s & Gingerbeard’s pack, which sounds great. Until then I will keep thinking back to my lovely holiday with you all, thank you so much for allowing me into your home.
Love,
Shackleton
XXX
Hey Shackie!
DeleteHow lovely to hear from you - we are missing your goofy face and cock-eyed ear! Glad to hear that Luna is stepping up to help you cause chaos. Neddy and the pups are a bit subdued, but also enjoying not having to steal back their chews when you have collected them all together. I finally got round to wiping your nose print off of the top of the window...Gingerbeard loves relating the story of driving past the house and seeing you fully spreadeagled against the glass, so keen to get out and chase the quad!
Major bummer re the cone of shame...I apologise for going to get the larger version, mainly because it was very funny to see you stretch out your foot and then curl your tongue round the edge of the cone to get a surreptitious lick. Where there's a will, there's a way! Good idea re feeding shield...I may get a cone so I can drink my gin in peace!
How exciting that Uncle Rory visited...and no surprise that you barked a lot. When he came to the office at Sandy we were exactly the same ... if we had tails, we'd wag them. Now all you need is Oli to turn up, and your year is off to an amazing start!
Hope all goes well at the vet, and we look forwards to another visit sometime soon (but not during lambing, as the temptation would be too great for you). The view will be quite different with the leaves on the trees and the sun shining (I hope).
With much love to everyone back east, and it was awesome having you visit.
The bearded ones
PS - I would complain! They definitely promised candied albatross! How hard can that simple request be??