Local wildlife.

Where I live is a little mini estate of ten properties connected by footpaths, the roads go round the outside so there is only foot traffic between the properties.

I have known, because of Beano's behaviour that there is wildlife using the footpaths after dark.

Y'day I babysat for my daughter and walked home with Beano at about 11 pm. I had my shopping trolley with me as I had collected some large bricks to be used for edging my new flower bed. We were almost home when Beano suddenly became very alert,  he'd spotted something interesting. He took off like a rocket, dragging me and my shopping trolley behind him. I managed to slow him down and realised it was a fox that he'd seen. It managed to slip through a fence and into someone's garden, Beano couldn't follow it. I eventually managed to persuade him to come home with me albeit very reluctantly.

Tonight I took Beano out for his late night widdle and he stopped dead as soon as he left the front door. There was a hedgehog snuffling around in the hedge outside my door. I managed to persuade him to leave it alone and we walked a little way until he had finished his necessities. When we returned to our front door the hedgehog had disappeared, from Beano's behaviour I think it had gone through the hedge into one of the gardens that is untended and must be a little wildlife haven.

One of my neighbours has a birdbox on his shed, today I watched a bluetit going in and out of the box.

Message

I received a lovely message y'day from my neighbour Harry,  where i used to live. He was asking about Beano as he was very fond of him and misses seeing him.

He tactfully didn't mention Steve and neither did I in my reply but I have offered to keep him updated with news of Beano.

Today I went to the local pub for lunch, my grass has been mowed by  a local gardener, I've changed my bedding, dried two machine loads of washing on the line, had a delivery of compost for the garden and I've been sent some assorted fabric that an online friend couldn't use.

The fabric is in a pile and I keep looking at it,awaiting for inspiration to strike. I think I can make a dressing gown and a couple of short sleeved tops at least.

Quilted dog blanket

I took the little quilted blanket to the coffee morning today, I gave it to the dogs owner and suggested she took it home and kicked it about for a few days until it no longer smelled of Beano.

Instead she placed it on a chair whereupon her little dog jumped up and settled down on it immediately.

I'm so please she likes it.

Sewing

 

I'm making a little quilted blanket for a dog who's owner has admired Beano's blanket., It's made from some summer dresses that I no longer wear as they were developing holes in the skirts. I've cut strips of fabric as I can't see well enough to cut small squares. I've backed it with fluffy fabric from an old pair of pyjamas and the quilt wadding is new cotton wadding so it's all washable. I hope both dog and owner like it.

Feeling insecure

Not me, Beano is insecure despite being with me for ten years now.

This bungalow is only a little bigger than the flat and the flat was slightly smaller then the narrow boat we had when we first got Beano.

Despite this Beano has always followed me from room to room. When I do the washing up or I'm cooking, he sits on his mat in the kitchen. If I go to the toilet he sits on my feet, when I'm in the shower he sits on the bath mat. He seems to think I'll disappear if he doesn't keep his eye on me.

Today I was using the sewing machine which is on a desk between the sofa and the arm chair. The desk is about four inches away from the sofa and only two inches from the chair. Beano got off the sofa and eyed up the stool I was sitting on he eventually decided there wasn't room for him on the stool so he climbed on to the arm chair so he was slightly nearer to me.

When we go to bed at night Beano wriggles around until his back legs are pressed against my side. That way he will know if I leave the bed and he can come and find me. When I go to the bathroom during the night he wakes but doesn't usually follow me, he will wait until I return to bed and the wriggle around until his legs are once again pressed against me.

Crocodile.

Walking Beano on his second walk of the day we headed up towards the big school. At one point we were overtaken by a crocodile of children from the little school, they were heading there for their swimming lessons.

I stepped to one side and shortened Beano's lead, I didn't want him to suddenly shoot across through the crocodile in search of an exciting smell.

I reassured the children and staff that Beano was friendly, at that, most of the children turned to make a fuss of him. Beano lapped up all the attention, he never jumps up at anyone apart from me but he stood there surrounded by children all of them reaching down to stroke him. He wagged his little stumpy tail, absolutely delighted with all the attention.

Beano makes a new friend.

Although I own a dog I'm not specifically a dog lover, I'm an animal lover.

Beano wasn't supposed to be my dog, when Steve had his stroke he was told to take more exercise, therefore he wanted a dog.

He would have liked something big and powerful but as we lived in a narrow boat I insisted on something smaller.

As I expected, Steve lost interest in Beano within weeks of us getting him. He would have happily returned him to the dogs home without compunction but I felt that was unfair as Beano was settling in nicely and so we kept him. I had already taken over feeding and walking him almost immediately as Steve couldn't be bothered, so Beano showed an obvious preference for me.

Once I moved here I soon realised that this small estate is cat central. Most of the cats run at the sight of Beano but if they don't run Beano is perfectly happy to make friends. Despite being a terrier breed he shows no aggression towards cats, rabbits or guinea pigs. He does however hate squirrels with a passion and will chase them.

Yesterday as I walked to my garden to hang out some washing, one of the local cats strolled past me and into my bungalow. Beano took no notice at all. This cat will walk up to Beano and bump noses with him. Today when I was hanging washing out a different cat made its way into my bungalow. When Beano and I walked back in doors the cat crept past Beano very cautiously but Beano didn't chase it.