Barnaby's Rose

Barnaby's Rose

Well  I was going to move that standard rose from its pot this year anyway, so as Barnaby had provided me with a deep hole in the middle of the lawn large enough to hold at least one rose, perhaps two, it seemed a good idea to replant it. What's the point in having a large hole doing nothing, far better to utilise it, even if it is not the ideal place for a rose.

Barnaby admiring his rose

One problem however, I had lost the tag telling me its name, and as the leaves are only just coming out I have no idea what this particular rose is called - so as this was Barnaby's first important gardening job, I have called it Barnaby's Rose.  I think he rather likes that and may well enjoy watching it come into bloom.

One glove is not enough

One Glove is Not Enough!

I knew something was wrong the moment I opened the front door and found Barnaby cowering in the corner. But what was it?  The main room looked undisturbed, there was no big hole in the lawn and nothing in the kitchen seemed to have been touched. Even the cat's dishes contained left overs. 
Yet Barnaby continued to cower and give me that look he is capable of when he is trying to pretend nothing untoward has happened, when in fact a great deal has, so I went upstairs.

The black thing in the middle is my glove!

The bed in the office was fine, well almost fine, the rug that covers it was slightly disturbed but nothing else seemed to have been moved.  So into the main room, MY room and there amid a mass of bedding, pillows that had been rearranged was one of my best gloves, the ones I use on a very cold day to keep my fingers moving.

Barnaby had followed me upstairs, but cautiously and watched from afar.  Actually I wanted to laugh, as this glove is one of many things (including lots of bones)  that Barnaby has buried in the bed since he came to live at the cottage. Are they a gift for me or does he just consider it a warm place. Why my bed and not the garden?  Perhaps it's because I have shouted at him for digging up the garden, and so far never got very cross about finding strange things in the bed.  Anyway, better to discover the glove in my bed than find it chewed and destroyed as my glasses were.

Together we returned downstairs, I replaced the glove on the radiator where it joined its partner, Barnaby relaxed and we both had a nice cup of tea.

Whoops!

Whoops!

Barnaby says: "How  on earth was I to know that if I shook the pillow too violently when making the bed, that all this orange foam stuff would come out and scatter itself all over the room!
"Helen was furious.  She always  seems 

furious these days, but this pillow thing made her particularly cross, something to do with the mess I think.
"I did try to clean it  up for her, but that simply made the situation worse, so I curled up and went to sleep instead. "

Digging for Australia

Digging for Australia

I have now come to recognise that strange sort of silence that permeates my surroundings when Barnaby is enjoying one of his destructive moments.- though actually today's efforts could be called constructive as the hole he dug in the middle in the lawn  is certainly large enough and deep enough to plant a rose bush.
I think I might  buy a rose bush actually if I can find one that has a suitable name. It will act as a constant reminder that this dog of mine appears hell bent on giving both garden and cottage a make over..

Barnaby's effort at getting to Australia

Mud, mud, glorious mud

Another muddy walkies

Muddy path - one of many

Barnaby says: "We had decided to walk the path that leads to the river which was really a very silly thing to do becaue there was mud everywhere.  All the creatures we met along the way seemed fed up with the muddy conditions, particuarly the sheep (in the background of this picture) who are grazing some very soggy grass.  Nothing much happened on this walk, Helen got mad because her boots were covered with mud and so did auntie Liz.  Me?  Oh I just luxurated in the muddy conditions because I am a Border collie and can cope with such things - besides I am confident that the earth will become dry soon. It just has to doesn't it."

Barnaby enjoying the view,

Barnaby & Mr Fox

Barnaby and Mr Fox

Barnaby says: "I say it was Helen's fault. She shouldn't have continued walking round the field, without checking to see where I was. If a puppy is ignored he has to make my own fun. And how was I to know that something like that glorious muck that Mr Fox leaves behind is offensive to humans?

Barnaby drawn by the lovely artist Sue Mynall

When I encountered it in that tuft of grass, all moist and brown and highly perfumed, I found it a simply deligtful smell.  I liked the colour too.
I wanted Helen to take a photo of me covered in Fox for this page, but she refused so I am using this little sketch that my friend the lovely artist Sue Mynall did for me when we first met. Sue has illustrated all the books that Helen and Pythius wrote together and now she is drawing me. I am now bigger than the picture suggests and not quite so fluffy, but it is definately a picture of me."

Barnaby goes on a Bender

Barnaby goes on a BENDER

"What a fuss over eating a little something on the side"

Just making things comfy

Barnaby admits Monday wasn't his best day. He says: "I think I'd better put it down to the cold weather - that chill wind that blew rain into our faces with such ferocity  and the icy cold grass on which we walked.  It's all right for Helen, she wears big walking boots whereas I don't have anything to protect my poor little pads from getting cold. Be assured yesterday was COLD!

When I was sent up to bed in disgrace because I had chewed up my yellow feed-bowl I did a big wobbly and decided to make the bed comfy  by rearranging the blankets - got into trouble for that too. Not sure why because I didn't tear anything, not like last week when I had a little taste of the old leather chair that Helen seems to love so much. She calls it an antique because  it is more than 50 years old.  She has sprayed it with Grannick's Bitter Apple spray stuff so I don't eat it now!"