autumn is arooooo!

Everyone says November is cold and wet, but here we are basking in the most glorious, warm, sunny days. Mum took me for a big walk up the canal towpath to see if she could wear me out a bit. Apparently I have been a bit pesky of late.

I don't think I'm pesky. I just think Mum is stoooopid. I mean, why is she pointing the camera at me when we should be going going going?

On Sunday we took a walk through the woods at Knightshayes Court. I was supposed to be on the lead, but who can resist. As soon as I was set free I hurtled off down the path with excitement. I just love paths in the woods. This is me coming back when called - just close enough to be seen, but no closer.
I think I was designed for autumn colours.

My new favourite activity is chasing leaves. At home, Mum rakes big piles together which I bomb at high speed, but I also love it when Dad kicks them up for me.
Trust me, Mum grumbles about low light and slow shutter speeds the whole time.

Coming to geeettt yooooouuuu.....

The woods aren't that big, and soon we are back in pasture where I am on the lead. Mmmm, tasty sheepy poo snacks.
We bravely made it past this bull and through the gate. Actually, he was very relaxed, which is just as well as we're all hopeless with cattle. I get quite nervous and bark at them. Dad hides behind me. heh heh. Mum usually tries to shoo them off with shouts and arm waves, but after stories like this tends to chicken out and turn back on walks if they get too interested.

Autumn is just as much fun as summer in my mind. Maybe they were lying about winter too. Maybe all that talk of grey, wet, windy days is just a story they make up to scare pups like me.

baa baa baad dog

Meet the sheep.



I'm fascinated by them. So woolly, so smelly, and so very very strange. They don't belong to us but live in our paddock. I get a bit miffed when my parents chuck fallen apples over the fence to them instead of leaving them all for me. But if I stick my head through the fence I usually manage to get some sort of snack, if you know what I mean. I have a nice green smile afterwards.

I'm convinced that if I could get in the field with them we could have a great game of chasing. Apparently these are bad thoughts. But look, the ram lamb agrees. He even licks my nose sometimes and I manage a sneaky bite back.



Snowy, the white ewe, stamps her feet at me sometimes but I don't pay any attention. But Bongo the ram is a different story. He is one serious dude and I am not messing with him.



He shoos all the ewes and lambs away then comes back to stare me down. He even scares my mum and dad. They've been warned to take a big stick with them if they go in the field, but they'd rather stay out. At least Bongo doesn't look like the fence-jumping type. As you can see, though, I love to stick my head through the fence at him, which makes my mum get all nervous. I keep telling her to relax, that I can pull my head in fast enough if he comes at me, but she is still twitchy.

bambi legs

I'm beginning to grow into my Bambi legs now. Not only am I more co-ordinated, but I get to go for longer walks. Yesterday mum took me to the next village and back, which was about 3 miles altogether. There seemed to be a lot of dead things around - rabbits and birds - but mum wouldn't let me roll in them. She's seen me and smelt me when I find dead voles and shrews. I tell her it's in my nature, be she still says I stink.



In the evening dad took me out and I met a young Doberman and Ridgeback, and we played a high speed chasing wrestling game that was THE BEST! Hopefully he'll take me out again tonight to find them.

Today mum took me on a new walk to enjoy a burst of sunshine. She tells me that I should make the most of it because she really ought to find herself a job. Apart from minding me, of course, and I don't pay very well.

On this walk, I kept feeling like I was being watched.



Maybe they didn't approve of me snacking on their poo.



I had a splash in a pond and ran around too fast for autofocus again.



And came back along the towpath from the other direction. I even got to stare at some young swans.