Does your dog bite?

No she doesn't, she sleeps a lot though...

Clover spends a large proportion of the day sleeping, or rather seeming to be asleep whilst actually fully alert and ready to spring into action; I think that's called 'lying doggo'. If we try to go out she is soon up and running about (and howling if left alone!)

As you can see Clover took to insinuating herself on the couch when I'd fallen asleep, I was not however 'lying doggo' or I would've stopped D from taking these photographs...

Clouseau: Does your dog bite?
Hotel clerk: No.
Clouseau (bending down to pet the dog): Nice Doggie.
(Dog barks and bites him). I thought you said your dog did not bite!
Hotel clerk: That is not my dog.

Dogville (sorry I had to...)

At Christmas a friend of mine asked me what had happened to the dog, what indeed.

This is a very belated update of 'dog blog'. Clover did in fact return home unscathed in November, she didn't suffer any ill effects from the huge piece of bacon fat James' housemate fed her (in fact she seemed quite pleased with herself); we eventually forgave her for the couch wetting incident and now she's back.

Yes it's better than Big Brother it's... Dog Watch! And unlike Big Brother this particular dose of reality ends at the end of the week when Clover goes home (or does she?)

So with what may be the only post this time round, the following may be considered:

a. Exhibit D(og) continues to howl whenever left in isolation: (she became a shop dog for a couple of hours on Saturday)
b. Exhibit D continues to defecate before making it to the park virtually every bloody time (she has a preference for No. 23's doorstep since you ask).
c. Exhibit D seems to prefer our couch to her own lonely chair in the corner.
d. Exhibit D likes barking at dogs on the television.

To evict Clover, email me with the subject "Clover"
To evict Dave, email me with the subject "Dave"

Tomorrow on Dog Watch Clover makes bread with Anne Diamond and Dave bites the postman...

Dog house...

Clover was a very naughty dog yesterday. She was left on her own for 10 minutes when we went to the Co-op and when we came back she had wee'd on the couch. Not on her chair or even the carpet, the couch! She spent the rest of the evening in her basket in the hall. Naughty Clover.

She's been allowed back in the living room today where she still has a chair; we however are waiting for the couch covers and cushions to dry from being washed yesterday...

These pictures were taken before the disgrace, as you can see Clover is not that much bigger than Jules, the cat who comes to visit us.

In other news Clover seems to have made friends with a girl in the park who sits and has her lunch on a bench each day, Clover has stopped every day to say hello.

Dog days...

Ok sorry for all the dog related titles...

Clover seems to have suffered no ill effects from the huge piece of bacon fat James' housemate gave her yesterday; apparently he was concerned about it tonight!

Our little four legged friend is now asleep in her chair having spent a productive afternoon walking in the park and barking at a fly?!!!

I had to go into work this morning just for a couple of hours and D was also at work, so we left Clover on her own. Last time she stayed with us she howled EVERY time she was left alone, even for a short time; I had to take her to work with me a few times. And yes she howled this morning, we're now contemplating taking her with us to the pub quiz tomorrow - D is going to check with the pub if that's ok.

Honestly you wouldn't think such a little dog could cause such a fuss...

Dog Blog...

This is Clover the Jack Russell she's about 12 now (in human years - not sure how old she is in dog years - I think it's 7 to every human year?); anyway this makes her venerable we think, she even has her own chair (in our flat?)...

Clover belongs to D's parents, we're looking after her for the next week whilst they are in Italy.

Day 1 of dog sitting:

Clover had only been here a few hours when she (slightly) got into our bad books due to a little accident in the hall; nevermind we didn't tell her off as we think it's maybe just a strange environment and she'll settle in and hopefully remember staying here before.

We took her for a walk on Midsummer Common but only let her off the lead for a little while as we remember from the last time she stayed her tendency to (a) bark stupidly at other dogs especially much, much larger ones and (b) that she has no bike sense! I don't think I could tell D's parents if she got squashed by a bike on her first day with us...

We stopped off at our friend James' house for a coffee and James' housemate took an immediate shine to Clover and took her to see the other housemates upstairs. He then fed her an extremely large piece of bacon fat which was about the size of her jaw, she seemed to swallow it whole so I hope this doesn't cause problems later...

Tune in tomorrow for day 2 of Dog Watch: Will Clover howl when left on her own?

Trying to keep plants alive...

The first picture is the cutting my Mum gave me
to replace the houseplant which died. I don't seem to be able to keep houseplants alive which is sad. The other 2 pictures are what it will look like when it has flowered (if I can get it to that stage). As you can see it looks quite healthy at the moment so fingers crossed I can keep it that way! The one in the barrel was a cutting taken from the old plant, it thrived outside but the indoor one died.

This particular plant is a Seychelles Busy Lizzie or 'Ray of Hope', a hybrid of a rare plant which the Eden Project in Cornwall are trying to conserve. Proceeds from the sale of the hybrid are being used to fund conservation work back in the Seychelles. I bought one as a present for my Mum when we went to the Eden Project in 2004. At that time there were only about 120 of the original plant, Impatiens gordonii, in the wild. See the links below.

The Eden Project - Conservation horticulture

The Eden Project - Ray of hope

A large number of containers, hanging baskets etc. at my Mum's house now contain cuttings from the original plant; she's very green fingered unlike me...

The barrels outside look quite healthy still and I've been pleased with my gardening efforts. I wasn't really interested in gardening when I was younger which is a shame as my Mum and Grandfather are very good gardeners; I think my Mum was quite sad that my siblings and I didn't show an interest, I'm trying to now though.

I've got quite a few different plants and some herbs too and aside from the odd snail attack they're all doing very well.

Poorly...

I haven't posted for a while even though I was all set to at the weekend; that was before I got food poisoning (we're not sure from what yet). Nobody else I know has been ill so the doctor was pretty sure it wasn't a bug.

I've only managed to eat toast for the last few days. I tried cheese on toast last night but that wasn't a good idea...

Anyway will post more when I'm feeling better. I might even get round to posting about what I'd intended to originally. It may or may not have involved snakes and a plane...