The other night my humans went to see my new house, in Dunfermline, where we shall all be moving to in a couple of months. It is all very exciting and I really wanted to go to, and Hilary even offered to take me with her, but mean Tim didn’t seem keen. I think he wanted to keep it all a surprise until the move!

Anyway Hilary kindly took a couple of photos for me so I could get an idea. This will be my new home. My humans have seen it before – a couple of months ago, in the dark, while there were tenants living there, so Hilary said it looked quite different in the daylight and all empty and bare! Some rooms were bigger than she remembered and some rooms were smaller, and my humans tried to work out which bits of furniture were going to go where and which room they will sleep in. It is smaller than our current house (which is rather huge) so we have to be careful not to take too much stuff! Hilary has been working hard at clearing out stuff and filling up our wheelie bins here every week, so we don’t take things we don’t need!

Anyway we think the new house looks very nice, and I am pleased that Hilary and Tim went round it thinking of my needs. The back garden is all enclosed and there are only two broken bits of fence to mend before it will be a safe place for me to be out in – off lead! I am actually rather hoping they don’t mend it so I can escape if I want to!

Hilary was reassured that the doors of the house have knobs to turn, rather than handles, which I might have mastered and been able to get in the rooms whenever I want! (mind you, I am sure I will soon learn how to go anywhere I want!) The living room (thats the room on the left of the photo downstairs) has nice big windows front and back, so I will be able to easily see out and watch what is happening outside. The front door opens directly into the hall (without an inner door/vestibule) so my humans have decided we need a “dog gate” across it to help keep me in (the front garden opens onto the road so would be too tempting for me) and we will usually use the back door, which should help me from getting out on my own! Hilary was pleased to see there was space for Monty to have a bed outside in the shelter of the front door, so he can have snoozes there.

Hilary noticed the mail goes direct through the letter box to the hall floor and knew that meant I would get it first and well, perhaps be temped to tear it up or chew it, so she has decreed we need a basket or something to catch the mail behind the letterbox. She has checked on the intranet and “letter box guards” as they are called are easily available. They sound really exciting – this one says it is for EAGER cats and dogs – and I am sure I will learn to open it!! (and mabe even manage to trap Monty in it!) I quite fancy being a letter box guard myself, it sounds important and I can keep all the mail safe and try and bite the posties fingers!!

I am looking forward to living in my new home and making lots of friends in Dunfermline!

I would like today to paws for a few minutes and remember feline friends we have loved and lost.

In case you think I have gone soft, this is especially in honour of my blog friend Henry the cat, who departed this life last week, and also our former cat, Jojo. This is Jojo asleep in Hilary’s study here. Today is the second anniversary of Jojo’s death, which is still an upsetting event for my female human to remember. She was incredibly fond of Jojo who was her first ever pet, and the suddeness of events that day (taking Jojo to the vets and returning without her) is still painful to her now. I don’t think Tim feels quite the same- he is remarkably heartless about cats!

Anyway I was only a young puppy two years ago, but I remember trying to comfort Hilary at that time, who kept crying and hugging me, and telling me that I was very nice but I just wasn’t a cat!! (I knew that!) I think Hilary is really a cat person at heart, but I have helped her to be a dog lover too now.

Hilary told me about the first cat she really knew who belonged to her grandmother in Wiltshire. Telemachus (or Telle for short) was a big black and white cat. Hilary loved playing with him on their holidays there and was always excited at seeing him again, and remembers as a child being told by her mother that Gran had written and said he had died, and bursting into uncontrollable tears while standing at a bus stop in the middle of Aberdeen. Even now, many many years later, Hilary always thinks of Telemachus at that spot!

Luckily Hilary has bonded well with me now (and of course, young Monty cat who came to live with us a few months after Jojo had gone) so is feeling better now, but she still took a few minutes today to remember Jojo, Henry, Telemachus and other cats she has loved over the years.

Just opposite my field, and round the corner from our house, there is a new development of houses.

It is called Newton Steading as it is on site of an old steading and indeed uses some of the orginal buildings. Just imagine it – humans can go live in a stable!

The area has been derelict for a few years, having been for a while a “heavy horse centre”. But there are no overweight horses there now! Over the last few months it has been a building site and I have enjoyed watching the place take shape. Sometimes it has been very noisy! There were barriers across for ages and to stop people going in- and I am too big to wriggle under as I did see Monty do!

Anyway the houses are now finished and for sale, and Hilary and I went for a wee look around yesterday evening on our walk. They look very nice even if they are rather clean and smell free. They are in three sides of a square, with one side being the original buildings and the other two new ones. There is a courtyard in the middle that is all tarmacked over. I would have preferred grass. They have tiny gardens but the ones at the back overlook a field (with lots of sheep in) The site used to be a haven for rabbits but many of them moved out when the building work started, so I was pleased to see some rabbits on one of the back lawns there yesterday. Sadly I was on my lead so could not go and chase them!

The estate agent is trying to market them well. They have even included a view of the site from my field (shame I wasn’t in it) Here you will see the gate Hilary took ages to learn to open.

Here is a short extract of the sales leaflet! As you can see I live in a really fantastic location in pastoral splendour – and there are luxury houses for sale round the corner so you could come and be my neighbour – just too bad I am moving to Dunfermline soon!! (two months today actually)

By living at Newton Steading you’ll be enjoying an idyllic lifestyle, in a totally unique development. By using natural materials and quality fittings, we mix tradition with an air of modernity to offer the best of both worlds. The exterior matches the Perthshire landscape perfectly.

As with every desirable home, a fantastic location is paramount. Nestled in the pastoral splendour of Glencarse but only a six mile drive to the ‘Fair City’ of Perth the bustling market town with all shops, galleries and theatre you associate with somewhere thats been voted one of the UK’s best places to stay. Right on your doorstep is breath taking scenery, castles, history, walks and atttractions such as Scone Palace and Perth Racecourse. Newton Steading gives you the chance to live in a picturesque setting that offers calm, exclusive luxury living in a natural and delightful environment.

Newton Steading is also within comfortable commuting distance to Dundee, The City of Discovery, where you can find the Technology Park, Ninewells Hospital, Unversities, main line railway station and airport. Newton Steading gives you the chance to live in a picturesque setting that offers calm, exclusive luxury living in a natural and delightful environment.

I nearly conned my humans into giving me an extra walk yesterday!

As regular readers will know I get two country walks a day- usually a long one first thing in the morning and a shorter one in the late afternoon. In the weekdays Tim comes with me, and at the weekend it is Hilary’s turn, although she also does extra walks in the week when Tim is busy, and she gets home from work first. That is usually Thursdays and occassional Wednesdays.

Yesterday was Monday, however, a day it is always Tim for both walks. But yesterday Tim was busy helping my extra human, Bryony, move home. Yes, Bryony, who graduated from Dundee University a couple of weeks ago, has moved from Dundee to Edinburgh now! Tim was using my new car with the huge boot space to help her move.

So, when Hilary got home after work and Tim and the car were not there, she didn’t know whether or not he was home yet, or still busy transporting Bryony’s wordly goods and finding her new flat! I acted very very excitedly (like I do when I have been stuck in the house all day alone) bouncing around, jumping up, and ran up the stairs in front of her like I do when she goes to get changed to take me for my walk!

She didn’t know whether or not I had been for my walk, and so tried to ring Tim to check, but, on not getting a response decided she had better take me out to the field first before getting the tea. So, off she went to get changed into her dog walking gear.

I was incredibly smug as of course Tim had been home already and walked me, before going out again, so I didn’t really need the walk!

However my self satisfaction was very short lived as Tim returned her call and explained he had indeed taken me for my walk- so Hilary promptly and meanly changed her mind and only took me in t e garden instead. Pah! Those mobile phone things gave me away. I should have chewed them up!

Hilary said I am a dog of two extremes today. This morning I was a model dog on my walk with her. Coming when called, friendly to other dogs, and a joy to be with. I met a lovely young bitch called Shandy, a German Shepherd dog like me- who is now a “rescue dog” with my friend Jimmy, she was lovely and Hilary took quite a shine to her too and wanted to take her home with us! Shandy and I played gently together and then when Hilary kept on walking I came with her obediently and Jimmy said I had done very well!

But tonight it was a different story. Well, I was bored , having been forced to watch the same episodes of Coronation Street twice in one afternoon – once with Tim and then again later with Hilary. Honestly, a dog likes a bit of variety with his TV viewing!

So in my short walk round the field when I came across a lovely dead rabbit- well what is a dog to do? Obviously I blatantly ignored my human’s pleas to “DROP” and “LEAVE IT” and her even more pathetic attempts to bribe me with a treat or a game with my tennis ball! I just ran around with the rabbit in my mouth till I could final settle down and eat it!

Hilary, it must be said, was NOT amused. She even ran away from me to the other end of the field, hoping I would be enticed to follow. Eventually I did as I wondered where she was, but as soon as I located her (crouching behind the grass-bales in at attempt to fool me) I went back to my rabbit! Only when I had eaten every tasty morsel did I allow her to get near me and come home!

And boy, did she whinge. Moaned that we had been out for ages. Moaned that my worming tablets are not up to date. Moaned that I was likely to throw up the partially-digested rabbit later on.

Which, of course, I did. Just when she was making the tea. Hee hee, annoyed her again!