Big world out there

I just wonder whether he needs a bigger world than we can give him. We have done what we can for him, but he may well have bigger ideas. There is a whole world out there. Maybe one day he will decide to leave us to see what is out there and just catch a lift to somewhere different.

A is for Alzheimer's

Harry put some money in the tin for the Alzheimer's collection, and got a little sticker so the next person with a collecting tin would know he had already paid. He is having a rest under the garden bench next to the gnome still weraing the A for Alzheimer's and seems lost in his own thoughts about this that and quite possibly the other.

Harry on The Railway

This is where the footpath crosses the railway between Culham and Radley. There were no trains coming when we crossed so it was quite safe.

Harry and The Armaleggan Morris

Lots of people dancing in town today. This group with blackened faces and tatterred clothes are called the Armaleggan Morris. They dance in the Border Morris style. Harry is a doggy in the Border terrier style so they got on.

Mut Shots of Harry

Harry chased another cat out of the garden this morning. It was Pushkin's friend.

The Cat Protection League may well have a file on Harry by now with some Mut Shots to warn cats what to look out for. This would be the profile...
the front view...
and the view from above so that he is recognisable to any cat considering jumping down into our garden from the wall or fence.

Something Wrong

Harry ate so much grass on his walk this morning, and then did not want his real food. He was not even interested in a treat. So something is wrong. He is happy enough in himself though and will play games.

Tennis Fence

The tennis fence has been put there to keep the balls in the tennis court and keep the likes of Harry out.

Harry at the Zoo

We have just been to the Zoo, and there are pictures on my Not Abingdon blog. But having transferred the images from the camera to the computer I got a bit if a shock. I was not really shocked to see this Hamadryas Baboon from Africa...
nor was I shocked to see this Indonesian Babirusa, a very rare and unique animal which has the looks of a pig but the insides of a hippo.
What shocked me was to see that Harry, an English Border Terrier, had got among the zoo animals.

Drinking The River Thames

Harry seems to prefer it to tap water.

Grandma was not In

Harry and me got four bags of compost and took them over to Cumnor for my mum. Harry likes visiting my mum but this visit was very confusing as she was not in, so after unloading the compost we went away again without seeing her. This walk in the mud and the rain in the fields nearby must have seemed a bit of an anti-climax to Harry.

Bigging Up Tintin

The start of the Abingdon Arts Festival and as in previous years different artists each paint a part of a famous painting which is then assembled together. The event is called Bigging Up Titian - as they are doing Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian.

"I thought somebody said Biggin' up Tintin."

Harry on Otmoor

We took Harry for a walk on Otmoor today. Otmoor is marshy fenland the other side of Oxford . Most people there have either large cameras or binoculars because there are lots of birds to watch.

This picture shows Harry back in the car having enjoyed a new place to walk, and looking into the camera. Otmoor is not just for birds. Dogs like it too but they need to stay en piste.

Let us Pray

Dear Lord... We pray for all the poor dogs who haven't got a proper home, and for all the poor dogs in the Battersea dogs home who are still looking for a home, and for all the poor dogs who have to go to the vet in the next week. Amen.

This far and no further

We went for a walk alongside the riverside this morning (pictures are on the Abingdon Blog) and I got some way before realising Harry was no longer with me. He wasn't even in the same field.

So I went back and found him standing at this point. It was his way of saying "This far and no further". He has not been that well during the last week, and was certainly not up for a trek all the way to Culham. He is now at my feet, sleeping off what was a very short walk.

Harry Visits The Helen and Douglas House Stall

There was a charity stall, under the County Hall, raising money for Helen and Douglas House - the local hospice for young people. Harry is just showing that he supports this good cause, especially after the ladies running the stall made such a fuss of him. He got very waggy tailed and excited going first to one then the other. If you hurry, you may still catch them, and they might even make a fuss of you too - that last bit is addressed to dogs.

Harry and Pushkin - a complex relationship

Pushkin must be about 14 years old but still has no problem leaping the six foot wall at the bottom of the garden.

In the house, Harry knows that Pushkin is the boss, but outside in the garden it is a different story, and Harry will chase any cat away - including Pushkin.

Doesn't Know his own strength

Harry just does not know his own strength at times. He will take on anything, and forgets that he is such a small dog.

Harry's Acrobatic Trick

Still a few last Christmas Trees waiting to be taken away when the compost recycling lorry comes round next. Here is Harry trying to balance one on his nose.

Lost in the Snow

In the snow last week, Harry lost his lead. In some places the snow has left a lot of water on the ground so there is still the hope that his old lead is down there somewhere.

Warm Snuggle

The excitement of yesterday has given way to the realisation that snow is cold, and after four walks in the snow, each colder than the last, Harry is glad of some warmth.