A Bad Day For Alfie

We woke this morning to discover it was exceptionally cold and icy outside. Infact, almost cold enough for snow. Alfie insisted on being let out into the garden, but at the exact time I opened the sliding patio door one of next door's cats appeared in the gap in the garden fence. Alfie flew across the garden and ran on top of the remains of the fence which was lying in the gap and would have followed the cat if I hadn't bellowed at him at the top of my voice. He came back, fortunately, with his tail between his legs and looking very crest-fallen. You can always tell when he's unhappy as his ears lay back on his head instead of being upright. He flew into the house and back onto the bed and got near to Carol. I think he was somewhat surprised that I had shouted at him, but it was either that or else he would have followed the cat out onto the Redway behind the house, and landed up goodness knows where. He isn't particularly brave and may well have come back when he realised he wasn't in familiar surroundings, when I recall the incident a few weeks ago when he got out and landed up in the garden shed. We still don't know how he got in there. Presumably there's a hole somewhere at the back which opens through the fence-side.

We haven't been out with the dogs for quite a while so this morning we decided to take them to Rushmere Country Park, where we've been with them on several occasions. No sooner as he gets an idea that we're going out with both our dogs, Alfie becomes really excited and it's quite a job to get him into his harness, his lead on and safely ensconced in the cage in the back of the car. I had removed the cage and it was in one of the spare bedrooms so I had to retrieve it without Alfie seeing and managed to get it into the back of the car.  Poppy was put inside the car and is easy enough as she sits quite happily on the back seat. Alfie, on the other hand, becomes a sort of Tasmanian Devil. Quite amazingly schitzophrenic. I can't believe a little dog who is usually so timid and quiet can become this mad little character who can get into such a froth whenever there's a mention of being taken out for a walk. Goodness knows what our neighbours think when he starts barking and getting over-wrought. We did eventually get him into the cage, but before hand I had to de-ice the car with hot water and we drove out of Milton Keynes and onto the A5 towards Rushmere. We got to the carpark, making sure we had £2 in coins for the exit machine when we left (you get in and out through an entrance which has a barrier which lifts when you enter and you need £2 to put in the machine which lifts the barrier when you exit.) The dogs loved being let off their leads and ran around enjoying their freedom. Quite a lot of other people there and loads with dogs. We strolled through the woods and Carol had bought one of our digital camera with her, the handy Olympus which is great as you can easily put it in your pocket and it's simple to operate. She took several photographs, and a couple with each of us sitting on a couple of seats which are scattered throughout the woods, and Alfie insisted on sitting on my knee for mine! Whenever people were met during our walk both dogs have a habit of running up to them and ingratiating themselves with them. Poppy is the worst, regardless of whether the people want a small dog to stroke and pat. Alfie just rushes up and runs round and round, and there's no fear with him when there's a considerably larger dog in the group. I think his antics are too much for some large dogs such as labradors.

Me sitting on carved chair in Rushmere Country Park with Alfie sitting on my knee.

Alfie insisted in being in this photo with Carol. 

On the way back to the car we had to get the dogs back on their leads. Unfortunately Alfie's nice leather lead got left behind somewhere in the woods, what with dealing with the camera and keeping him under control. A pity as it was a really nice lead, but we decided that both dogs need new leads so it will be a good excuse to buy them new ones. No sooner did Alfie realised we were putting him back on his lead than he started barking and putting him on his lead with somewhat difficult and during this Carol unfortunately dropped the Olympus camera and the glass of the L.E.D. viewfinder got smashed. I don't think it can be repaired. Annoying, to say the least, as it's such a good little camera. We bought it a few years ago in a sale and got it for a really good discount. It looks as if we'll need to replace that, but considering how the technology of these cameras has developed, a new model will probably be an improvement on the old model. So Alfie was in disgrace and was put in the back of the car.  We drove out of the carpark and back home along the A5 back into Milton Keynes. We have two Fuji digital cameras. They have thick shoulder straps which you use to carry them around when you go out. If Alfie sees them he seems to think that they are dog leads and this sets him off yapping, barking and doing his mad act. I think when he saw Carol with the small Olympus camera with it's own carry-strap he thought it was his lead which led to him yapping and barking and then the camera getting dropped and damaged.