This is one of the best days of the week. There are two and I always know because that's when my mistress puts the harness on me which means we are going in The Car. I still don't like the car and every so often I remember The Accident and start to shake. It's better now because I insist on sitting on the front seat and I have my own seat belt which I must admit stops me from sitting on her lap which she doesn't allow.

Today we go into Town and we walk down the main street. First we go to Winstone's book shop where, if I sit and look hopeful, I am given a biscuit and then, when she's finished talking, we go across the road to another shop where they have a water bowl outside. We make our way down the hill, (lots of interesting smells)  and meet friends and other dogs. Most of the dogs we meet are friendly but some growl and glare. I'm not having that! I bark loudly. Don't you think of messing with me, I tell them!

Often we meet friends and go into a shop for coffee. I have learnt that it is best for me to sit under her chair because I can then watch people and their dogs. I think it is what you call being in private because no-one really knows I am there. When the weather is nice we go to the bottom of town and sit outside the Cross Keys at a table with a big umbrella. From under her chair I can see everything! It is in the little market square where there are lots of people going about and buying things like bread and cherries and books and jewellery.

This is my second favourite day, and I so look forward to it. I will tell you about the very best day tomorrow!

Me and my friends

Hello! Its me again, Hamish! It's a long time since |I wrote anything because life has been so hectic for my mistress  but I met some lovely American cousins last week who said they read my blog! Now I haven't written my bog for ages and I was so impressed I decided to dictate more of my exciting life to my mistress! She gave a big sigh and said, 'Alright, if you insist. What do you want to write about?' I explained that so much had happened and there were so many things I wanted to say. Another big sigh: 'I do have other things to do, you know. If I don't write my features then I don't earn any money and I won't be able to buy your food.'  I gave her one of my looks and we began.

These days I have a very good friend called Bertie. In fact, he's my best friend and we love meeting each other on the cricket field.  Bertie is a cross between a Jack Russell and a Dachshund and he has very floppy ears that wave up and down when he runs. He is younger than me: he is about a year old and I am three and a half but he is clever. We like to run together and usually one of us finds a stick and we both hold it and run. Sometimes we just pull it and Bertie rolls over on his back and I pull him along. He has a much older brother called Wooster (I think his owner, Jane, likes PG Woodhouse books) but Wooster doesn't run. He really doesn't like walks these days either and Jane has to keep him on his lead otherwise he tries to run home. One day that's exactly what he did and a man tried to pick him up so  Wooster bit him! Wooster has never bitten anyone in his life so he must have been a bit frightened.  Jane was cross and I think a bit embarrassed but as we all get older we become more determined to do what we want.  (Another nasty look from my mistress).

Talking about age, Nutmeg, our cat, was 14 on 1st August. She is very determined to do exactly what she wants to do and has started getting into my bed to sleep.  Well, it's lovely and soft. She sleeps in the middle and there is no room for me. At first, I didn't know what to do. I found my mistress (at her desk as usual) and tried to explain to her, looking really miserable. She realised there was something wrong (big sigh) and I led her over to my basket in the kitchen. She made Nutmeg get out  so I could get in. Nutmeg was not best pleased and immediately got back in and cuddled up to me. Now we sleep together like that most days. It's nice.

The Village Pub

I often hear my mistress saying, 'he's growing up.' I think that's because I no longer jump up at people with my paws outstretched  but what they don't understand, people do that to me when they meet me. When I was a very young dog, a puppy they called me, people would put their arms out wide and say nice things like, 'what an adorable little dog!. I just did the same, trying to be more adorable., and then they leapt back squeaked. I thought it was part of a game and so I kept jumping up with my paws wide. My mistress didn't like this game and banished me to the kitchen. She's put a gate across so I can't get out but if I'm quick and she had left other doors open, I can run through her study and into the sitting room again.

I remember one person who came to the house and was trying to ignore me. She was jumping about and shouting, no, no and flicking her skirt so I thought this was a new game and joined in. She hasn't visited us since then. Now I am older, in the words of my mistress, I behave myself. Rarely do I jump up at people unless they are special friends  and my mistress takes me to interesting places.

I really enjoy visiting some of them. There is a cafe in town and I now know the way to the garden at the back. It is very pretty with tress and shrubs and big umbrellas. Sometimes we meet friends here and when the waitress comes to take our order my mistress asks for coffee, a bowl of water and a dog biscuit (that's for me). One of my very favourite places is our village pub. We don't go there often but  when we do I am really good and sit under the table. Lots of my people-friends come and join us and sometimes other dogs arrive. Most of them are either old and go to sleep at once or young and don't know how to behave. I do now.

I have a new friend. He's called Jack or maybe I should say Jacques because he is a French spaniel. His owners talk to him in French as he prefers that to English so instead of calling, 'Jack, come here,' they call 'Jacques, viens ici.' We have great fun running on the cricket field and I can run faster. But after all Jacques is about eight years old.

Sometime Finlay joins us. He is a whippet and can run faster than me even though he is only 18 months old but I usually manage to keep up just behind him. We often play my favourite game. I find a stick and Fin comes and grabs one end while I hang on to the other. We both pull and it's whoever  holds on the longest  is the winner.Both Fin and I are really good at this and when Fin gets the stick he runs very fast around the field. He has long  legs and mine are a bit short so I have to run really fast to try and keep up with him.  Then I'm exhausted and collapse in a long heap on the grass.

Jacques sometimes tries to join in but he is not that keen or energetic and soon gets bored. He likes to wander off by himself and if we go for a long walk past the river and across the fields, Jacques often disappears altogether. Then his owner, Sally, calls him. My mistress says Sally bellows and can be heard miles away she shouts so loud. I have a lot of fun with my friends and I hate it when there is no-one on the cricket field to play with. Mind you, some dogs don't want to play but I know who they are and leave them alone

WhyI hate the car

She's got out that blue thing  she calls my harness again. When she wants me to do is put it on and that means we are going in THE CAR. I hate the car. I've hated it since we had The Accident. There I was, waiting patiently in my seat while she went across the road to see a friend when it started to move. It went down the hill, quite slowly at first, then faster and suddenly it hit a wall. I was terrified!
A strange man opened the door and took me out and a lot of people crowded around. But she wasn't there. I was only five months old and I didn't know what to do. I was frightened and I wanted my mistress. It seemed a long time but she came running down the road and picked me up and hugged me and that made me feel better.

We had to leave the car and get another to finish our journey but ever since then I hate cars. She bought a new car with two doors at the back for me but I was worried about getting in it and trembled each time. So we tried different places for me to be but all I wanted to do was sit on her lap, somethng she said was dangerous when she is driving. Now I have my own seat belt and I sit where I can see her. I still hate the car but I've noticed when I get in, very reluctantly I might add, there is usually a tasty treat on the seat waiting for me. And I have also discovered that we tend to go to do special things such as my training or meeting friends. I feel more confident  and will jump in instead of hanging back and looking miserable. I suppose you get used to things in time. One day I might even like the car. One day.

The other day I was attacked! Yes, I was mugged. We had been for a lovely walk down the lane and across the fields and had started back across the cricket field when the was a great pounding of feet and a huge springer spaniel jumped on me and started biting me. I tried to fight back but he was much bigger than me so I barked noisily. I think I may have squealed a.bit My mistress was useless. She tried to pull him off, screaming at the top of her voice but he was strong. Then suddenly his master appeared and dragged him away. His master was very upset and apologised and the next day bought me a lovely toy to make me feel better. Wasn't that kind of him? I think my mistress was more upset than I was. She hurried us home and made herself a cup of tea to recover. In future, she says, she is taking a stick with her to ward off aggressive dogs. I'd like to get at that spaniel one day!