Long time no postings

 

 

Bosworth here....long time no news from me, but you do know it's all down to the human who feeds me to get the words out, and she's been pretty busy. Well, I have too. A few snippets to update you:

The humans took me away with them to France in my campervan,and we stayed at their favourite campsite place for a few weeks. I like it there too, been a few times, know my way around and which walks I like best. And it's not bad at all sitting outside my campervan watching the world go by.

Only trouble was, if someone came a bit too close to where were (think it's called a pitch?) I had to tell them not to come too close, so I did get a bit told off for barking, and when I made that low quiet growly noise, the humans said "No growling!" to me. And all I was doing was keeping guard on my territory (or should that be terriertory?!).

Lots of other odds and ends of exciting things have happened. We all went to visit their daughter - the one with the cat - as she's moved to a new house. And would you believe it...? That cat was there too! And I still never really got to find her as there are lots of new hiding places in the new house.

A few days ago, when it got sunny (oh it's been SO wet, I've had to go out in the rain quite often, and I don't like it) we went out for the day in my campervan to the sea and beach. I had a great run on the beach with some other dogs who were taking their humans out for a walk.

I was tired out and needed a good snooze after that. I slept all the way home but did like being back in my campervan again, only though it was only for the day.

 

 

 

 

A Dog's Eyeview of Vanlife - Part 1

As I've written about my travels in my campervan (well, the human who feeds me
does the writing and I do the thinking and dictating), I thought I’d share a few thoughts on what this vanlife thing they talk about is like if you’re a dog.

For a start, let’s get this straight. It’s my van. The humans might like to call it “their” van but in reality it has to be mine because there are a lot of my things in it, and I’m the one who sits patiently in the open sliding doorway checking that everything that’s needed for me is on board and packed before we set off.

Food and treats, for a start.

I’ve been travelling in my van with my humans since I was a puppy, so I have a few snippets of canine know-how about vanlife under my belt. Sometimes I’m able to pick up hints of what’s about to happen van-wise from what the humans are saying. 

“Shall we see what the weather’s like tomorrow and go out for a day in the van?” is often mentioned before we take off for a day out. 

This means a minimal amount of packing – just essentials of food for their lunch and some treats for me, plus my evening meal in case we stay out later to watch a sunset (the humans like doing this when we go to the coast for the day). They transfer my bed, cushion and blanket to the van, slip my harness over my head, hook me up to the anchored lead and off we go.

Of course, when this happens I have no idea where we’re going. It might be to the coast, and that’s excellent, as there are beaches. 

Or it could be to the local nature park and that’s good too, as there are woods and paths and long walks.

If we go to the big National Trust park not too far from home that’s really good as there’s loads of space for me to run in, plus deer and sheep to watch, although I have to go back on my lead if they’re around.

Sometimes we go for a day out in North Wales, with more beaches, and walks on a thing called a pier, finished off with takeaway fish and chips in my van at the end of the day before we head back. This is especially good as I’ve now perfected scrounging chips, even if I’ve already been fed. 

[Ed. not good for his weight; only a couple of tastes then we ignore the beseeching eyes]

To be continued.....

A long lead and a shaggy dog story

I've been away on holiday, staying with my humans' daughter - you know, the one who has that CAT which I can never (well, hardly ever) find.

I've had a great time with plenty of walks in new places. I walked to the top of a windy hill and sat on a bench. And I walked in the park and posed in front of a posh house.

I had lots of runs - on my long lead - in all the places she took me. Sometimes they were muddy walks, but always fun.

She always keeps me on my long lead, and I gather there are reasons for this. 

She splained to me that a long time ago, that when she was 12, she had a dog called Weggy and he was a Westie (those white things with longer legs who are also terriers).

She'd asked and begged for a dog for her 12th birthday for a whole year and my humans allowed her to have one and took her pick it up for her birthday. The humans and her brother all knew she was getting a dog, but it was a surprise for her and she thought she was going to have her ears pierced for her birthday present (that was next on her list after a dog). Why do you have your ears pierced?

So when they drove up to a house and the owner asked them to come in, through the garage, she thought it was a bit strange. Then she heard some barking and out on the patio there was a pen with a mother Westie and puppies. One of them was Weggy, who came to live at the house where I live now with my humans.

When Weggy was quite young, they all went on holiday to Devon (I've been there!) and had a walk with some friends on a place called Dartmoor. They let Weggy off his lead as it was a big empty place and he got very exckited and ran off into the distance. Everyone called and called and chased after him and he did stop and come back but their daughter (who was still only 12) was very upset because she thought he wouldn't come back.

So even though she's now lots older than 12, she's always a bit scared I might run away if I'm let off the lead so it's the long lead for me when I stay with her. As if I'd really run away - she makes too much of a fuss of me. And of course, there's always that CAT to keep me interested....

[Ed. Bosworth has no road sense and only goes off lead in safe open spaces away from roads. Beaches are the most favoured]

To the lighthouse

I got a bit excited when I heard one of my humans say we were going to see a lighthouse, as I had absolutely no idea what a lighthouse was. But then, when she said something about a lighthouse in a book by Virginia the Wolf, I knew it would be a good place to go. And it was.

It was on that Squirrel place with beaches we've been to before. We went there in my campervan and had  walks on the beach before lunch. I met some other dogs and we raced around for ages which was pretty good.

 

The lighthouse was really part of a house (fancy living there!) near the beach. I looked around for Virginia but didn't see her. No wolves in sight, just a few friendly bouncy cockerpoos. Then we walked through some sand dunes, big hilly things with grass and boards with information on Natty Jack toads ( what are they...?). My humans found this thing called a mermaid's purse on the beach, and it was cold, blooming cold, windy too.

I was glad of my onsesie as we walked a LONG way and I had to cross a wooden plank over a some water, which I didn't like much.

We walked all the way to a place I've been to before, called West Curby. When we got there we looked back and could still see the lighthouse. Still no wolf.

Then we had to walk all the way back again through the dunes and found a wooden path that went through the boggy bits. I didn't like that much as my paws got trapped between some of the boards, which were a bit old and rickety. The human who plays school with me carried me over the bad bits.

It was getting later and colder as the sun went down. The humans are a bit keen on sunsets and kept taking photos. Then AT LAST!!! we were back at my campervan so I could warm up, have a drink and a treat and settle down in my cosy bed for a kip while we travelled back home.

I had a great day out, but I never got to see Virginia the Wolf.

 

My Rearview of 2021

Hmmm, it looks like it's that time of year again when everything goes a bit haywire. The humans have Christmas and New Year (what on earth is that?) and I get more attention as they're kind of on holiday. But at home, so treats are always on tap, they're generally in a good mood and a certain someone in the family who adores me comes to stay. With her cat!!

Is it really one of their human years since I took a look at 2020? Yes. Better get a wiggle on then and have a dekko at what I got up to in 2021.

First of all, if you had a read of my canine musings in 2021, (courtesy of the human who feeds me), a big thank you! Nice to know you're out there. Quite important in these strange times, when we can't always go where I - sorry we! - want to.

In January 2021, we couldn't go anywhere. That lockdown thing meant we could only go out to local places not far from home, and we certainly couldn't go away in my campervan, which was a disappointment.

My humans did their best though as we walked and walked locally, exploring parts of the small town we live in which they'd never been to before. We went down lots of roads and I learned new routes, so I now have a pretty good map of where we are if we visit them again - and guess what? I remember where we are even if we've not been there for a while. And I certainly remember the way home!

But something exciting happened in January, I was awarded two first places and one second place in the Norfolk Terrier virtual Fun Day. You can read about it here. And shortly after that my rosettes arrived. My humans were pretty excited about that and of course, I was too. 

In February we did manage to go out for days in my campervan - still couldn't go and stay anywhere as we were still locked down - but we managed some chilly, muddy, interesting walks in Tatton Park, which is near my house. It was SO good to get out and sniff and run and be in some earthy green space. I saw some deer but wasn't allowed to chase them even though they looked and smelled interesting. As we'd gone there in my campervan we had somewhere nice and cosy to go back to after the walk, and we had lunch and a snooze (well, I did).

In March we lots more of those local walks, and I wrote about them here. 

April was pretty good! We went away in my campervan and swapped it for a brand new campervan - the humans do treat me well! It was very exciting as it smelled different. They called that smell "new". And we went away for a short holiday in it to a place I like on the cliffs in Devon, with lots of good walks. It was windy and by the sea and I loved it. Freedom! We could go away at last!

We went away in my new campervan several times in the summer. Oh bliss - it was good because we often went to the sea and the beach for a few days. 

I liked going to the Place called Squirrel because I found a body on the beach, and to Barmuf beach, where I found another body! It was ok in the Boxwolds, but not quite as interesting as being in Whales.

Best of all in 2021 though was being in my campervan. It didn't really matter where we were. It was always good!

Barmuf beach

 

I've not had a chance to say anything lately because the human who feeds me and telepathically shares my thoughts has been busy. Writing a book or something, but she's been at it for a bit of a while now and has eventually realised I might have something that I want to say too!

I've been away for a few days to a beach with the humans, to a place called (I think) Barmuf. Well it sounds a bit like that. (Ed. It's Barmouth in Wales).

I don't know what you do when you get on a beach but all I want to do is run and run and feel the sand between my paw pads and smell the lovely exciting smells and enjoy all the space and....well, you know what I mean.

Of course, an important thing to do asap on a beach, or anywhere come to that, is to make my mark, which is what I did on that big beach.

 

That done, I was ready to explore and run about, and I met a few other dogs doing the same thing so we had a bit of a romp and play. Then I walked and ran for a long time, all the way along the beach and up to the bit where you can go into the town, and there I found something very interesting. And dead.

You may recall I found a dead harbour porpoise a while back when we stayed in my campervan in that place called Squirrel. This body was a bit different, and it was half covered in soft sand nearer the path into town and a long way from the sea.

The humans wouldn't let me sniff it and put me back on my lead (hhhmph) and the one who feeds me said it had flippers at the back and looked like a seal.

After we'd walked a bit in the town (don't know why, nothing of interest there for me) we went back to where we were staying in my campervan. I think it's called a campsite and it was an interesting one, right near the beach, and it had rabbits!! So all my short walks there were nice and interesting too.

The humans got a bit carried away while we were there with the views. They liked  looking at the Linperninserla (Ed. Llyn Peninsula) where there are mountains.

They went a bit mad for the sunsets on the way back and I had to hang around waiting for them to take photos, but TBH I was a bit tired then anyway as I'd run about a lot and was ready for a snooze back in the warm in my campervan.

A place called Squirrel

 

I've been a bit quiet lately, and that's because the human who feeds me and writes my blog (telepathically transmitted by myself) has been doing some other writing. She writes about the places we visit in my campervan and they get published in some magazine or another.

Let's catch up - I went away in my van a few weeks ago to a place called Squirrel. At least, I think it's called that - it sounds like that anyway (Ed. it's The Wirral).

We've been there before and it's really nice as it's close to a beach and some woods and a big open grassy space to run on. I like the beach best though, and this time, we found a body on the beach.

I kid you not - there was this big brown lumpy shape that smelled very fishy, and of course, when we got close all I wanted to do was sniff it. My humans kept me away from it though because it was a dead harbour porpoise ( we think) and it looked in a very sorry state of deadness (interesting though...)

 

The humans thought it had been washed up by the tide, and that it had been dead for some time. Bit sad really. You can see the fin thing on its back (Ed. dorsal fin) and its spinal column. Gruesome really. And they wouldn't let me near it, I just had to look.

Back at my camperavan on the campsite, I stretched out in the sunshine to snooze and just enjoyed being on a short holiday away from home where I could see and sniff new things, and run on the beach. Perfect.

A dog's eye view of 2020

2020 was quite a year wasn't it? Made me remember what I'd been up and how it was for me - dog's eye view and all that. The humans seemed OK but I do recall times of them saying they were getting a bit fed up, but the mood passed when they hoisted me up on to the sofa or their laps for a bit of fuss and a cuddle. I think (hope) I've been doing all I can just by being there. I do love the fuss too....

January

Visiting family from other places (one of them is in somewhere called the US), with grandchildren who adore me, return home so it's just me and the 2 humans again. We go to watch birds and it's very cold. Another dog there is as bored as I am. We go in my campervan for a couple of nights to a place by the sea. It's still cold but I get lots of walks, so it's more interesting.

February

We go away for a few nights in my campervan to a place called Rutland. The humans watch birds again. It's very, very wet and muddy, cold too. We go for a VERY cold walk in a big country estate. I liked that because it wasn't raining. Then we had to go home because there was a big storm on the way.

March

The humans go to stay with the family in that US place and leave me behind. I stay with Uncle Steve and Auntie Donna and have a whale of a time but the humans come back early, so I go back to my home. The humans have to rush home before all flights (in plane things that fly) were cancelled. I think everywhere was starting to close down very fast because of this coronavirus thing that suddenly everyone was talking about. Hmmmm. Well, now we know what that was all about. It's not gone away yet either. Everywhere goes into lockdown just after we all get home. My humans sort of keep themselves to themselves and don't see anyone for a couple of weeks in case they've got this virus thing. We go out for one walk a day (all we're allowed) but we go very late at night when no-one is about and there are owls hooting, foxes barking, and we see lots of hedgehogs. I try to sniff one and it rolls into a big spiky ball. There are no cars about, or planes. It's very quiet, I like it.

April 

More of the same. The human who feeds me has her choir sessions on something called Zoom (don't ask) and does lots of singing and laughing.

May

The weather is warm and I spend a lot of time in my garden patrolling the borders, sniffing in the corners to check if I can see Holly the Cat from next door, and I enjoy lying in the sunshine. The human who does "school" with me does lots of gardening and I spend chill out time with him.

June

More of the same, but now we can go out for awaydays in my campervan but not stay overight, so we go to the local nature park for walks and meet up one day with human friends and have a picnic under the van's awning and all stay apart from each other. I'm in the shade under the chair. It was a hot day and I wore my cool coat when we walked.

July

More of the same again, but the lockdown rukes eased off and campsites were open, so we took my campervan away to stay in it, and went to the campsite near beaches on the Wirral, and then to a place called Chirk. Brilliant! Sleeping in my van again. Lots of walks on beaches, in woods and by a canal, Loved it!

 

August

The human's daughter came to stay and as I love being with her - and she brings her cat - it's always interesting when she's around. And we went out for awaydays in the van so I was happy.

September

We had a great time as campsites were open, so we went for a proper longer holiday trip in my campervan to Devon. Lots of walks on the cliff paths, lots of beaches. Bliss.

October

Uh-oh. Things not looking quite so good as the virus cases begin to rise, but yes, we take the opportunity of still being able to go away in my van and travel to Norfolk, where there are huge empty beaches. Loved it. You can read about it here. I even had a hair do on the way, which I sort of enjoyed - see here for more.

November

Yep, things go dodgy again with lots more people getting the virus, so we had another lockdown - only it wasn't quite like the first one in March as we could do more things. But it was back to the awayday trips to the nature park for some good walks as a lot of campsites had to close again....

December

 ....but the one not far away, at a place called Southport, was still open so we went to stay for two nights (chilly but still bliss in my van, which gets toasty warm). Then suddenly it was out with the Christmas tree thing they have, daughter and cat came to stay, there were lots of presents around and I got a blue flashing light collar to wear in the dark. And what's more, it snowed!!

Most of the year I've enjoyed - I'm easy to please and easy to get along with - but one thing I've HATED is fireworks.

In November the world around me suddenly erupted into loud bangs and flashes. I was very scared because this happened when I'd just gone into the garden to do you-know-what. I managed to hide and lodged myself behind the water butt and some garden canes and I got stuck. The humans came to find me and I was a mass of shaky, quivering jelly when I got in and needed a fair bit of TLC to calm me down. It happened so suddenly as it was very quiet when I went out. 

Then in December the same thing happened twice on the same night, first at 11pm when there were bangs and flashes to mark this crazy Brexit thing, which means I can no longer use my wonderful Pet Passport when we take my campervan abroad. And then again at midnight when it became 2021. I quivered and panted and the humans helped me through it.

I do sometimes wonder about some of the other humans around though, and if they're all quite there in the head.

 

 

Being beside the seaside

 

We went away in my campervan last week and had a sort of pre-Christmas short holiday. It didn't rain much - only one morning when we stayed in and I checked out what was happening from my lookout post by the window.

To be honest, not much was happening at all. There were only 9 other camperthingy outfits on site and the most interesting thing to do was watch was the rabbits. They were scuttling about all over the place (Southport it's called) and I got a bit excited when I saw them nibbling the grass when we were out on patrol around the camp site.

It was OK being on lookout and I had another good position in my van to view from, but the best bits were when we went for extremely long walks.

These took us through the park and on to the prom next to the beach.

Aaaahhh - the beach. That was fun! I could spend hours happily trotting along sniffing, exploring, rooting into stuff that had been washed up on the sand. Sand - aaahhh - that's nice to dig in too.

The human who feeds me got excited because she found three mermaid's purses, and of course, she had to take a photo of them. Then we went on the pier. It was a long walk to the end, and it was cold and windy, but the humans seemed to like it as there were birds around on the marshy bits of beach (they like birds) and things called oystercatchers were flying over going peep-peep.

Mermaid's purses - empty egg cases of sharks and rays

 

I'm not really bothered about these things, but the humans like to see sunsets when we're by the sea, so they made sure our walks along that prom thing and on the beach were when it was starting to get dark, so they could take photos.

 

 

 

A Norfolk in Norfolk

 

My humans took me to Norfolk for a short holiday this autumn when we were able to go away from home. This lockdown thingy they have had been switched off or something so we could go. Anyway, we went in my campervan and stayed in a place called Weybourne. The campsite was right next door to lots of good walks. There were woods, walking trails, a hill and best of all, one of the paths led to the beach.

I love beaches, They're great to run on, walk on, sniff on and generally explore. Some of them have rock pools and I like going in those for a paddle. But there were no rock pools on this beach, just lots of pebbles.

Before I could get near the sea and the smooth bits of the beach, I had to climb up a big bank of pebbles. It was OK, I managed, but omg my paws got a bit of a work out and it wasn't always nice walking on those bumpy things. 

The beach was empty and there were only a few other people walking on it. There was a big stone building which my humans thought was a defence look-out used in the war. (What's war?) Anyway, it looked a bit manky and nasty inside so we walked away from it and I ran along with one of my humans, which was good fun.

 

You can see there's hardly anyone about, and the beach was very, very long. The sea was rough and noisy and the waves were crashing in along the shoreline. I went to look at them but didn't want to get my paws wet; it looked just a bit scary.

Next day we drove to a birdy place near somewhere called Blakeney Point where there were supposed to be seals. I don't know what seals are but we didn't see any and it was too far to walk to the Point, so we went on  the marshes to see birds - well, my humans saw them but I couldn't get very excited about seeing loads of black and white birds. They were Brent geese in case you wondered, and they had flown to Norfolk from a long way away to spend the winter here. My humans liked them and watched them through those round things held up to their eyes. Called binnocs or something like that.

The humans made a few jokes (nice ones) about me being a Norfolk terrier in Norfolk. I didn't know I was named after this place, and maybe that's why we went there. But it doesn't matter because it was very nice and I just loved the big beaches.



 

Built-in Walking Poles

Now I might look a bit grumpy in this picture, and that’s because I’m waiting to be let off my lead on this huge, enormous, wonderful beach. It was rather windy when this was taken too, so my hair doesn’t look at it’s best. All in all, I think I look like a grumpy windswept miseryguts, which if course I’m not.

 

Well, truth is I was a bit tired and a bit worked over. We – that is me with my two humans – had been walking on some very steep up and down narrow paths on the cliffs and headlands in this place called North Devon. For several days I might add. So I was tired, yes, and I was on my lead waiting to be let off, but this couldn’t happen until we’d walked past a big rock on the beach (weird rules). So when they called me and I looked at them, I wasn’t at my best.

However, I did have the edge on the humans with all this walking. They have 2 legs and have these things called walking poles to help them on the steep bits of the path. I have 4 legs and have my own built-in walking poles, so I can go at a good pace up and down and keep my balance well.

Their walking poles do the job nicely for them, my built-in ones do even better for me!