Down in the South West

 

 

Well here I am again in my campervan, enjoying my holiday with my humans. We went to Devon for a few days, and then on to somewhere near Devon called Summerset, Only thing was, it was a bit cold sometimes and not really like summer there, but I still had a good time with lots of walks.

One day it was very hot so the humans put the awning thingy out which gives us some shade to sit in, but I prefer getting under one of their chairs and it was quite nice basking in the sun on the warm pebbles (bit lumpy but OK).

We did lots of walks and one day, when it was very cold and windy, we walked on Dartmoor on one of those Tor things.

The human who feeds me got very cold and kept saying it was blooming freezing. I was OK as my coat has grown a bit and although it got blown about a bit (my hair was a right mess....) I kept warm. But it was nice to get back inside my warm campervan again.

We went to a very big, very tall thing called an obbylisk. Looked like a whopping great big tall piece of pointed stone to me, no idea what it was there for but the humans were talking about wellingtons - I think they meant boots. Didn't see any boots there. It was sunny but very windy at the top of the hill the obbylisk was on, and I had a good walk in the woods near the pointy stone.

 

[Ed. Bosworth visited the Wellington Memorial in Somerset]

 

 

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]

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!

The new campervan

I have a new van - correction, we have a new van, my humans and I. I say new, but it's remarkably like the other one we had but somehow quite different.

We went away not long ago (see what I said about that windy walk we had when my ears stood on end) and we travelled to the place called Devon in my other van.

When we got to the place where there are lots more vans, my humans started carrying everything from our van to this new blue one. It was like moving house and I kept out of the way and just watched. It took quite a long time moving everything from one van to another, and we seemed to be there for ages.

This new blue van is just like my silver van, and I felt at home straight away as I knew where everything was. But it smelled different and the smell is called "new". I know that because my humans remarked several times "It smells new". And they keep saying there are lots of new gadgets in it. As long as they pack my food and favourite toys, I'm happy.

Most things are almost the same, but the bathroom place where they clean their teeth and get clean and have a pee is different and they say it's better and seems bigger. The human who feeds me likes the big mirror as it makes her look willowy and tall. What's willowy? I have no idea, but it keeps her happy.

I don't really get into colours but they also went on about how pleased they were with the colour scheme they'd chosen. As far as I can see from my viewpoint down near the floor, the cupboard doors are a different colour and there's wood flooring (like at home) with a rug, not a carpet. Long as I have somewhere cosy to sit, I'm happy. And now it's clear why I had a new soft cosy bed delivered a while ago and got rather interested in it at the time. But then it disappeared.

Now it's turned up in this new van and I claimed it pretty fast as I wanted to make sure they didn't hide it again. I think it's probably my van bed. It doesn't take up as much room as my bed from the house, and it suits me just fine.

Now I'm looking forward to lots of trips in my new van. It's so much better and far more interesting than going out the car!

 

 

A walk on the wild side

 

Please don't laugh. I think you will though.

My humans took me away for a short holiday by the sea, where there are cliffs, and views, and sheep, and walks. There were new smells, new things to do, and it was pretty good.

And it was windy too, very windy. Do you know, they kept taking photos of me with my ears blown back, and laughing....I ask you, laughing. It wasn't really funny, but then I couldn't see myself.

Now I've seen those photos I think I actually look rather rakish and casual, with a certain je ne sias quoi about me.  Enough about me though and I'll tell you where we went.

We'd gone to a place called Devon. We've been there before and stayed in my campervan at this place with three dog walks, lots of other campervans and other things they call caravans. There's a big island not far away and the humans say you can see whales. I didn't see any but I think they mean Wales. It's a place because they kept saying you could see it from the window of my campervan. You can just about see it here...I think....there's something there....

When we went walking I liked looking at the sheep but I wasn't allowed to get near them as I was on my lead. 

Best of all was when they took me for that long windy walk high up by the sea and from there we could see a long way. That's when they started taking those pictures of my ears blowing back, but in fact I was more interested looking at the sea and at where we were. It was pretty good.

 

And after the walk they went and had something which looked a bit interesting but I'd never heard of it before.....cream tea? They seemed to like it and I was happy as the waiter person brought me some dog biscuits.

 Bosworth stayed at Damage Barton campsite, Mortehoe, North Devon

 
 

Does my bum look big in this?

Someone left a nice comment on my last post, saying:

Bosworth, hi! Please can we have a cute pic of you in your fleece onesie? Don't complain about doing the same old route all the time. Walking is good for you. You must see all your little friends out and about, which is nice for you and your humans. Billy 

Thanks Billy, and Hi! No idea who you are but thanks for your request for a pic of me in my onesie, which my human has found, along with something I wrote  a while ago on another blog I had, about going to be fitted for my onesie. Here it is - the story of the onesie. Actually, I have two onesies now - as we've had so much rain, mud and even snow, they bought me a spare for when it's cold and wet. I'm very lucky. And I do enjoy my walks, especially when it's somewhere new.

Here's the tail - sorry, tale - of how I got my first onesie: 

We went on holiday in my campervan to somewhere called North Devon. My humans did all the arranging and driving and packed my food, treats, toys and bed, so all I had to do was behave myself and settle down between the two front seats of the 'van for the journey (hitched up to my restraint of course).

We stopped off at a couple of places on the way before we actually reached North Devon, and I'd heard them say something like, "We could go there on the way and have him measured for it, it's somewhere near the campsite" (that's a magical word for me - I know it means we're going somewhere new and interesting).

Their satnav thingy didn't work properly and they kept saying things like, "It's right out in the sticks here." I like sticks. You can chase them and chew them and sometimes, if I find one I like, I carry it back home. So I thought we were going to a place that had lots of sticks for me to play with. But no. We ended up in a sort of farmyard with a big shed building where there were people making things with funny-looking machines.

They all made a fuss of me then I was taken into a big room with lots of shelves and one of the nice people got something from a shelf, took it out of the bag it was in and put it on my body! I was a bit startled. It was like having human clothes on and I wasn't sure what to make of it, although it felt kind of cosy and safe once it was on. I even saw that dog I sometimes see who looks a bit like me. He was  wearing it too when I looked at the thing they call mirror. I must say, the colour looked quite fetching against his coat.

In my onesie in the snow

After that, we got in the 'van and went to the campsite, where it was wonderful. Woods! Mown pathways through them! Lots of long grass! Smells! Places to explore and a big lake, where they had to keep me on my lead as there are things called beavers who live there. Seemed to me that the beavers chopped down bits of trees as there were plenty of sticks lying around on the ground. Maybe this was the place they meant that was in the sticks?

Great as it was there, it did rain a lot one day. That was the day they got my my new outfit out of the bag and put it on me. It was to stop me getting soaked, muddy and dirty in the rain, and it worked. When we came inside the van, it was the outfit that was wet and muddy, not me. So it's not too bad at all really.

I do wonder what I really look like in it though, and if my bum perhaps looks a bit big in it?

Editorial note for dog owners: Bosworth's suit came from the home of Equafleece in Devon.

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.

 

 

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!