New Discoveries/Hanging Loose

Tom: Sorry we didn't post yesterday. #1 says she is still tired but the real reason is that she went off to an 80th birthday party for a very special friend and so was too busy having fun! Still, when she got back, she made it up to me by taking me on a run to a whole new field:

It's much bigger than the big one I usually run in so I can go like the wind and not run into anything. I was chasing birds (#1 says they're swallows) but just couldn't get close. Phew!

Sen-Chan: Glad someone is having a good time... I am still confined to quarters and this morning, I was put inside my carrier for 10 minutes with a steaming bowl of thyme infusion. It smells nice but who likes being locked up?

Tom and #1 are making funny comments about my preferred sleeping position of the moment. Can someone tell me what is so weird about having your bum on the back of a chair and your head on the seat? I find it very comfortable and of course, it makes the blood rush up to my head, making me even more outstandingly clever!

Slow Saturday

Sen-Chan: It's turning out to be a slow day today. #1 has decided she needs to do nothing at all after all that running around, and that I need to stay in because I have the snurfles again. You may remember me mentioning that I had been quite sick as a baby, and I am still prone to upper respiratory infections. So I am spending my day demanding cuddles and looking handsome.

I would like to say a big thank you to my sweet Isis for the Brillante Weblog award she shared with me. You are too kind and generous!

I would like to pass on this award to "The 4 Bs" whose poodle antics always make me and Tom smile.

Tom: I am taking it easy in a very Tom-like way.... #1 says it makes her dizzy sometimes just to look at me...

That was me in my field this morning. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Settling Back In

Sen-Chan: Things are obviously not yet back to normal as, despite all her good intentions, #1 did not manage to post our posts yesterday. She spent the morning catching up with work, then we had overnight guests who arrived in time for lunch, then several other friends dropped in, and she also had to look after us, so poor #1 is looking a little bleary-eyed...

I, on the other hand, am anything but bleary-eyed. I am strong and sleek, and ready for anything. Just look at this:

#1 did have a fit yesterday, though, when I started heading towards the road at the bottom of the slope from the next garden. In fact, I was just trying to make friends with the two funny long-eared guys who live in the next field over. Have you ever seen anything so strange?

Tom: I have been enjoying getting reacquainted with my field. Some of the very tall grass is beginning to bend over so it is easier to see over it again.

I had another adventure this morning as #1 took our guests and me to an event celebrating our local Percheron horses. I wonder what Sen-Chan would have made of her?

It turns out her name is Nymphe ("Nymph"? Ha!) and she's an old friend of #1's. She did seem pretty easy-going, though.

We're Back!!!

TOM: #1 and I got back home last night after 1,700 miles on the road and many adventures! We enjoyed typical English summer weather: one and a half days of sunshine to eight and half of grey skies and rain! But that didn't stop us from having a good time.

When I last wrote, we were in the Solway Firth, right at the north of Cumbria, on the border with Scotland. We then headed down to the Lake District which is in the middle of Cumbria. On our way, we collected Ms. G, a friend of #1's who took one look at me and fell deeply, irrevocably in love!

For those of you who are not familiar with that part of the world, this is what the Lake District looks like:

Wherever we went, #1 found me great places to run and I was able to pick up many sticks along the way:

And #1 introduced me to pub life. The owner of this pub, in a small town called Cockermouth, also has a Springer Spaniel, so she was delighted to meet me. I can tell you the hamburgers there are excellent!

And here I am in the car. I have an excellent hammock from Drs. Foster & Smith that covers the whole back seat, so it's a very comfortable ride for me.

After Cumbria, we headed south and spent the last couple of days with friends in a small village near Oxford.They have two Westies, Tara and Flora:

I suspect they thought I was too big to play with (in fact, everyone who saw me commented on how big I am for a Springer!), but there was a very large garden there, just perfect for Frisbee throwing!

#1 is telling everybody that I was good as gold and she will gladly take me on holiday again!

SEN-CHAN: Miss me? Did you miss ME????? Well I'm back and I'm staying! Actually, I never really went anywhere, other than the garden and up one of the trees (I'm a reall champ at climbing trees!). I was here for the duration with Ms. V and Mr.E, my sitters, and they were FABULOUS!. I was indulged, cuddled, loved and generally treated like a prince! Still, it was nice to see that big lump of a brother of mine back last night, and #1 too! The house feels just right again!

So, #1 has been invited to a wedding, and I think I should be the bride-cat. What do you think?

#1: And in conclusion to today's post, here is a picture of the two brothers reunited:

Wet and Wild

Tom: It's already Tuesday evening so time for me to update you on my activities! We had a great time in High Wycombe through Monday morning when we left to drive up to Cumbria after a long walk along nice footpaths.

The drive up was over 5 hours because #1 kept stopping so I could run a bit. When we arrived, the weather was gorgeous, and we went for a walk along the Solway estuary.

The weather was also nice first thing this morning and #1 and I played Frisbee in the garden, but it didn't last. Still, I made a new friend today, an elderly (15!) gentleman by the name of Odie who came with his people to lunch. He looks pretty cool:

We went for our run in the same place as yesterday but it was raining and I was running and jumping around, so I got TOTALLY soaked! #1 had to shampoo me when we got home, in the rain! I think you can see the raindrops in this photo!

So far, I think holidays are great! And I saw yet another Springer today. This is definitely our land!!!

Sunday in England with Tom

So, here we are in England! We had a great journey yesterday and #1 found some excellent places to stop so I could run and run! And, as soon as I got here, I started to meet fellow English Springer Spaniels! Funny that, isn't it?

So far, #1 is giving me a gold star for good behaviour! We had a very relaxing Sunday morning reading the papers, something we can't do in France where there are no Sunday papers to speak of.

And this afternoon, we went for a long walk in some woods with #1 and her nephew. It started pouring with rain so we all got soaked, but it was a great walk! So many wonderful new smells!

Tomorrow, we are heading up to the very north of England, to Cumbria. I'll write again when I can.

By the way, for those who are concerned about Sen-Chan, our last sight of him yesterday morning was curled up in bed next to Ms. V, the house-sitter, preening..... And when #1 spoke to Ms. V in the evening, she was told that Sen-Chan had spent all day playing wildly with Mr. Bun, his rabbit cuddly toy (the one I almost demolished...).

Furious on Friday

Sen-Chan: Actually, I have no idea how to be furious, so I am not sure what I am supposed to do, but.....sniff..... I am SO SAD! Can you believe that, tomorrow morning, #1 is leaving, WITH TOM, and they are not coming back for 10 days!!!! They are, sniff, leaving me behind. I should perhaps mention that a very nice couple, Mr. E and Ms. V, arrived yesterday, and their only task over the next 10 days will be to look after me, cuddle me, and play with me, so it's possible I may not be spending the entire time crying, but still.... I just don't understand why they are not taking me. I would love to run on a beach in Cumbria and hike in the Lake District! So I am sulking for as long as I can (...30 seconds....?).

Tom: Yippeeeeeee! I am going on holiday with #1!!!!!!!!! We are leaving tomorrow morning, driving up to Calais and then going under the Channel through the Eurotunnel. I have all my paperwork ready. In Europe, we now have special passports for pets. Here is mine:

We will be staying in different places, with friends and in a hotel, so I have promised #1 that I will be an exceptionally good boy. #1 says that she may update the blog from along the way, if she can download photos and has access to the right equipment. I hope so, as I would love to share my holiday with all of you!

I know that you will all be missing the daily photos of Mr. Handsome Sen-Chan, so here are a few to keep you going until his next appearance on August 13th.