Pets

It really has been a hard time for dear Peanut. She lost her "big brother", Toastie, then was hurriedly taken off for neutering, followed by a fortnight on her own, for the first time, with Auntie Maggie, while her owners swanned off to the Greek Islands.

Things couldn't get worse, could they? Poor Peanut was obviously suffering some sort of grief over Toastie, and Archie definitely moved into Top Dog position now that Toastie had gone.

Archie, The Special One, is proving to be a typical Golden Retriever. Keen on mud and water, and needing so much exercise and care. I wonder at times if he would not be better on his own! He certainly seems to resent the fact that there are other dogs in the house, although he likes the cat, as he constantly tries to eat the same. The cat, in its turn, prefers not to be on the lunch menu.

The whole makeup of the house has been overturned this week again by the arrival of Poppy. Poppy is my son's Cavalier puppy and is nine-months-old. The psycho-dynamics have changed considerably. Watch this space, but gunfight at the OK Corral has nothing on this little scene!