Tuesday 26 January 2021

I have been very busy these past few days.  Supervising the restoration of my home after the toilet-traumas (mended, but we are still living with GrannaPea for the moment - it is warmer here).  We have had some snow.  I haven't seen very much snow in my life, but I do like it.  Until I remember that it is cold and wet.

We went out early in the morning when it snowed (on Sunday).  Mistress thinks that making a snowman is boring and I can't make a snowdog with my little paws.  So we made a "snowrona virus" instead.  At least it is topical.  Mistress shared a picture of it and quite a lot of people liked it, which made me happy.  Someone said they liked it as an example of typical British humour.  I asked Mistress what that meant because I have never heard of a dog called that.  She just looked at me, shaking her head.  But she was smiling, so that's alright.

I like making people smile, even when and especially because times are horrible.  Here is a picture of me after we had finished our building and taking pictures, showing exactly what I think of the REAL Coronavirus:

"Die, foul 'rona!"

I can be vicious when I want to be.

If only I knew how voodoo works, then I could destroy the virus for properly and for ever.

Here is a picture of the snowrona before I attacked it.  This is the one that I said Mistress could share.  She took quite a few pictures but in most of them I wasn't ready or I looked cross (so would you if you had to sit on the wet snow on your little furry bottom).

I approved this one.  I wasn't burping in this one.

Later in the day we went out for a long walk and I had so much fun, I ran and played in the snow like a puppy.  Afterwards I fell so fast asleep back in the warm that Mistress had to check that I was still breathing (I was).  She told GrannaPea that I was so sound asleep that I was "basically just a chop with fur on it".  But I had fun, so I don't mind.

The snow is almost gone now.  I am quite sad about this, but was cheered up this morning when GrannaPea got a 'phone call from the local human vet surgery today - she is going to have her Covid-19 vaccine injection on Saturday.  That makes me happy.

 

Mistress has got a new laptop computer for herself.  Actually it is for me (I am typing this on it now) as long as I don't dribble on it.  Mistress is using it too for writing some things but I don't know what she is writing.  It isn't this, so it can't be very important, but I will let her have her turn and try not to be too cross about it.  I don't like being cross, so I won't be.

Mistress took some more pictures of me playing in the snow.  I will try and find one or two where I don't look annoyed at having my photo taken or am engaged in activities which are apparently "not ladylike".  I don't know what that means.

When I was playing I saw some of my friends.  Rolo the Labrador barked that he had a new joke for me.  "What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup?" I didn't know.  "I can roast beef but I can't pea soup..." He ran away laughing.  I kept saying it over and over again in my head but I didn't understand it until later, when I was back home and Mistress was drying my paws. And then I got told off for slipping out of my towel because I was cackling like a misbehaving biddy-hen. Harsh.

Stay safe, be nice to each other, don't give up hope and keep smiling.

Lots of love from Gisèle x

Thursday 21 January 2021

When I started typing this it was 21:21 on the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century.  I don't suppose that means anything really, but it isn't something that happens every day.

Mistress has had further toilet-trauma.  We are still staying at GrannaPea's but have been going to our house to do tidyings and things.  There, we found that the toilet which we thought had been fixed was actually still not mended and water was once again pouring onto the floor when we pulled the handle.  Mistress was very angry.  She telephoned for a plumber and was told that no-one could come until February.  Happily, yesterday, they had a cancellation and so Mistress received a text message to say that plumber "Jake" would soon be arriving.

We went to our house to await Jake's arrival.  Only it wasn't Jake.  It was our friend Ross, from before.  He at least had the grace to look slightly ashamed of having to fix the problem that he failed to fix before (he forgot to include a key part and some sturdy screws in his previous effort).  I made sure to supervise him extra-closely, with my special bug-eyed expression so he knew I meant business.  I think the repairs have worked properly this time.  I hope so, for his young sake, anyway.  But why did they call him Jake, when he is Ross?  Or maybe his real name isn't Jake. Is it even Ross?  But whoever he is, I am grateful for his efforts.

And barking of annoying toilets being successfully flushed, my friends in America have a new leader and I am glad.  I hope that he will bring better things to the world in general.  More dignity and respect in any case, and that is always a good place to begin.

I look a bit dubious, but only because it was my dinner-time
and Mistress should have been getting my meal instead of

 making me pose for pictures...

I have hope for happier times ahead.  Even if it is still a bit difficult at the moment.

Stay safe, be nice to each other, don't give up hope and keep smiling.

Lots of love from Gisèle x

Friday 8 January 2021

Mistress with her arm down the toilet.  Can there be any more glorious, more edifying sight for a pretty young Parson Russell Terrier than that of her Mistress with her arm down the toilet?  I don't think so.

Much has happened since I last put claw to keyboard.  The Coronavirus is growing worse, almost by the hour, and its shadow is falling ever nearer to my basket.  The events in the USA the night before last, when their nation's Capitol was stormed and infiltrated by vile thugs, resulting in loss of life, incited and goaded by the very President of the country.  It sickens me and I will not even mention him. He will not have the oxygen of publicity here.  He might have a partly-orange face like me, but I think I wear mine better, inside and out.

But enough of this.  There are innumerable other places to read about such sorrow and I don't want it to be here.  I am simply happy enough to be alive and well here on this Friday.  This then: after the toilet maladies at the beginning of the week, Mistress had to prepare the... less than tidy... room for the arrival of the emergency plumber.  This involved tidying away of one of my more advanced Giz-nests, a good one, with treats and at least two chews in (I wasn't happy, I had worked particularly hard on that one), then preparation of the offending wee-station itself (still leaking water).  Having protested impotently at the dismantling of my bathroom stronghold, I sat down in the room doorway and enjoyed every single second of my Mistress scrubbing at, swabbing and scouring the wretched receptacle.  I enjoyed each one.  When Mistress saw me watching and grinning she said some very rude words.  I laughed.  But then, when she started advancing towards me in her rubber gloves, armed with her befouled scouring pad, I chose to run away squealing and wait out the rest of the time in the car.  I think she has forgiven me for enjoying her misery.  Mostly.  

I don't know why humans are so obsessed with toilets.  I can understand the room, because the thing was broken and there was an outside-human coming to mend it.  But no matter where I go, every time I lay a pretty dog-egg Mistress or GrannaPea picks it up in a little green bag.  Why?  I mean, I am grateful that they admire my work so much - and I do work hard to create eggs of especial beauty - but where do they put them?  What happens to them?  I don't know.  Perhaps they are building a house out of them.  It should be a good house, they are quite robust.  And it would have a good bathroom.

The plumber came.  He was called Ross and was very nice.  He repaired the problems very well under my supervision.  I think that people only like doing things when I am watching them and so I took care to watch him very closely.  He didn't mind though and talked to me while he was doing his mending and pipe works.  I am sure he wishes that he could have stayed in that bathroom talking to me and playing with his pipes all day.  But he couldn't.  And now everything is mended and nice again.  But I am not allowed to rebuild my nest.

Mistress and me are still staying with GrannaPea at the moment, even though the pipes are mended.  It is easier and these are not easy times.

On Thursday (last night), they re-started the Clap for Carers which first happened in March last year.  I wrote about it before (First dose of The Clap).  It went on for a few weeks before they stopped it at the end of May.  Now it has been re-started in this third English lockdown as Clap for Heroes, to include all the people who do important work, like bin-men, delivery drivers, vets (hmmm), supermarket workers, postmen, loads more, as well as NHS peoples.  I like it.  I approve of anything that is nice to people and makes people smile.  I asked Mistress if I could join in and so, last night at 8.00pm, I was given a little pot and a wooden spoon to bang out my little barky thank-you.

I approach my instrument.

Thank you!

I had a very nice time with my little drum-kit.  Until Mistress took it away because "it was being abused".  She said I would turn into Animal, off of The Muppets (I don't care, I like him), and my music was stolen from me.  Until roughly 8.00pm, Thursday next week.

Animal - Godfather of the sticks 'n' skins...

Who would even dare to try to foresee what might happen between now and then?  Not me.  But however else we are further tried - or cheered - until then, I can only do my best and...

… Stay safe, be nice to each other, don't give up hope and keep smiling.

Lots of love from Gisèle x

Tuesday 5 January 2021

A very happy new year to you.  Such as it is.  The Coronavirus news gets worse almost by the hour.  At least 60,916 new cases here in the UK just today, over a million in total now, and a complete new countrywide lockdown for who knows how long.  And our toilet exploded this morning.

But Mistress says that we have to keep hopeful.  Even though more people than ever are dying and the evil virus continues to spread unabated at least we have two vaccines that dwell among us now.  Something of a miracle when you think about it.  Mistress's brother has already had his first injection and we very much hope that her sister-in-law and GrannaPea have theirs very soon.  I am very frightened now (I wasn't before) and I want Mistress to have it too.  But Mistress isn't in a vulnerable group and says that it is more important that other peoples have it first, the peoples that need it more.  Mistress was very ill last year and in hospital for a long time, but she says that she feels better now than she has done for a very long time and it will all be alright.  I think she is very annoyed about the toilet today.  I was tempted to laugh when I saw all the water pouring out but it really wasn't very funny.  A plumber is coming on Thursday and Mistress and I are taking temporary refuge with GrannaPea (a good blessing that we are able to do that).

Did you have a nice Christmas (even despite the circumstances)?  I did.  I went to church on Christmas Eve with Mistress and GrannaPea and got a blessing from the Bishop (the second time I have been blessed by a Bishop).  Mistress laughs and says she never understands why I don't burst into flames whenever I set a paw upon sanctified ground... Heheeheee.  I have always been a cheeky pickle, but Mistress says she wouldn't have it any other way.  And I have never been vicious (unless you are of the squirrel or rat persuasion...).

I got some very nice presents.  A pretty new bouncy ball from my friend Luna, some new chews, some biscuits, different treats and a very tasty turkey dinner.

With my favourite new chew. Although I didn't want to have

my picture taken.  I was tired and my Giz-tuft had gone all flat.

My fangs get on with their toothy business.

Actually I had three turkey dinners (but not all on the same day).  A very good haul for me this time, hehe.  But I am grateful for whatever I have, especially at the moment.

When, in June 2012, my tender little claws first fell upon this blog - and even looking back at August 2006, when Jasper-Horatio committed his first bark to the screen - who knew that I would be writing about such things as are happening today...?  Madness.  And an exploding toilet.

Stay safe, be nice to each other, don't give up hope and keep smiling.

Lots of love from Gisèle x