The Spaniel Diaries: The continuing adventures of Billy

The Spaniel Diaries

Well, what a hectic few weeks it’s been. The harvest has been done which means lots of activity on the farm; mum has been especially careful to keep us away from the tractors, they are big scary things! The horses have been especially good, apparently taking no notice of the monster machines as they go past the field – well, seeing how fat the grass munching machines are I’m not surprised they don’t run about much, too busy stuffing their faces! Even I have to admit that the shoots of grass are especially delicious!

The other thing I love about autumn is the stubble fields. We get to walk new routes and I love to make the fat pigeons fly to give them some exercise after gorging themselves on spilt corn!

I haven’t been in the best of moods with mum. You see I managed to hurt my leg, as much as I tried to hide the fact she noticed I was limping, so I was prodded and pulled and checked for cuts, and she pronounced “lead walks only”. Those words are ice to any spaniel’s heart… I have had the indignity of being lifted in and out of the car too, I have three perfectly good legs that mum doesn’t seem to have noticed, then I have had to watch that little toad Mav have a good run about while I, prince of Spaniels, is stuck on a lead. Grrrrr, well I did get my own back by refusing to let Mav out into the garden by lying right by the door and giving him ‘the look’! I must do that again, even though mum shifted me and told me off!

Mav is getting his comeuppance though because mum has entered him in a competition –he really does make work for himself! She had grand ideas of entering me, but I soon put paid to that by simply ignoring the disgusting canvas dummies I would be expected to put in my mouth, I have much better things to do such as sniff out bunnies and dig up molehills, the latter activity is very much frowned upon! Something exciting is going on at home – the zippy boxes that carry clothes have been dragged out of the spare room and that means an adventure with lots of new sniffs and walkies! I hear the humans talking of something called ‘Devon’ and the word ‘walking’ is being mentioned more and more! Hopefully they will leave Mav at home; he’s really insufferable when we are away and tries to get me to play with him at every opportunity, I am far too dignified to engage in such silly games, although I have occasionally indulged him when I’m sure mum isn’t looking! Mum is getting sad that it’s getting dark in the evenings now and soon the clocks will go back, curtailing our long evening walks, hopefully she’ll forget about training though, but somehow I doubt it, no such luck there. I expect I’ll be put on a diet again as mum doesn’t like me getting chubby, although I think she should put herself on one too, she has a fine liking for pizza for a start!

Well, soon the chilly autumn nights will be here with a vengeance. I can only hope mum doesn’t get any ideas about trying to put us in silly coats again, especially as it will soon be wet muddy walks!

Hopefully we’ll get a last little glimpse of summer sunshine before the cold and wet sets in. Until next time, stay safe! Jeannette Douglas