2022 July – The Secret to Happiness, Notting Hill, Inhalation, Hatch, Heatwave, Yog / No Yog, Chewier than.,Camo
The Secret to Happiness
This is a picture of my philosophy in life.
More or less.
The key to my happiness is to have a constant supply of chicken available. Er, accepting that this may not be entirely what the poster is alluding to…..
I make no apology, I am a carnivore and let’s face it, if you haven’t worked out my obsession with chicken by now, then you’ve really not been paying attention have you?
The ‘stay away from idiots’ bit is a simple (mandatory) instruction. And crikey, some days it does feel as if you‘re tripping over them wherever you go, doesn’t it?
Sigh.
I know.
😊
Notting Hill
This is a picture of Mum and offspring’s #3 & #4 having lunch at Haya.
Looks nice doesn’t it? Might even have been fun eh?
As usual Mum didn’t take me.
Again, just rude.
I expect I will make her pay for it in some subtle way over the coming days.
You know me.
I am a patient doggo and I can drag this out for … well… as long as it takes.
Just you watch me.
Just so you’re not worrying about me (I know you would otherwise) K and D from next door, looked after me very nicely while Mum was out, so I’m not really that bothered, but let’s keep that between us eh?
Also D fixed the patio door so I can now snooze happily in the sun with the doors wide open. Thanks D!!😊
Inhalation
This is a picture of me inhaling my dinner, as Mum would say.
Impudent of her imho. Although I am a very quick eater to be fair.
No point in hanging about is there?
I have a raw food diet which seems to suit me. I like it better than kibble if I’m honest. And You-Move tablets help to keep me mobile.
FYI, I’m still pretty mobile actually, and if I wasn’t on a long lead on my walks, I reckon I’d be a small dot in the distance. If I ever wanted to be, that is. Mum says if that ever happened, she’d expect to catch up with me sometime the following Tuesday.
It’s not often she’s right but in this instance she might be.
Don’t tell her, it’ll go to her head.
Hatch
Sooooooo…… allow me to introduce you to Hatch, who is the ship’s dog from Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose which sank 19 July 1545.
I mean obviously (and sadly) now dead, but how cool is Hatch?
Apparently ship’s dogs were more common than ship’s cats back in the day for a couple of reasons:
- rats on board tended to fight back (nowhere to go and nothing to lose) and generally dogs could handle them better than cats
- good ol’ Pope Innocent VIII declared in 1484 that cats were unholy, so having one on board was considered unlucky – at best! It took about 200 years for this declaration to be reversed. 😯
Mum found Hatch on Twitter. He’s now an online ambassador for the Mary Rose Trust.
Here’s an artist’s impression of Hatch.
Apparently Hatch was indeed most likely a ratter and possibly an unofficial mascot. He was a sort of Terrier / Whippet mongrel and was about 2 years old. He was found near the carpenter’s cabin door, hence his name.
RIP Hatch.
Heatwave
It’s been crazy-super-record-breakingly hot at up to 40.3 degrees in Lincolnshire (only up the road really), which means I have been taking it very, very easy and staying in the shade.
And cooling off in the pond in the woods. And a fair bit of sleeping – even for me.
And this is Kobe dealing with the heatwave.
A similar approach to my own if I dare say so.
Great minds think alike, eh Kobes?
Yog / no Yog
This is me doing one of my fave things.
Namely helping finish off a ‘not quite but almost’ empty yoghurt pot.
It usually doesn’t take long.
See.
Done.
Chewier than a chewy thing
This is me doing another of my fave things.
Obvs I am demolishing a chew stick which has been kindly donated to me.
I haven’t got Mum as well trained as K from next door (who ALWAYS gives me a treat). However, I have definitely got the better of Mum so far (I think you know this!! ) but I’m letting her think that she’s still in charge.
Works every time.
😊
Camo
This is a picture of me in camo mode out on my walk today.
I expect you can barely see me.
I am just about to practically dislocate Mum’s shoulder by leaping into the field to chase something.
I didn’t manage to catch it.
Better luck next time eh? Er, I’m pretty sure that’s what Mum said.
Saffron’s recommendations this month:
Music:
Inspired by Stranger Things and Metallica (see film below), this month I am going properly rogue. So pick up your air guitar – or, if you’re a Peter Kay fan, your double shovel guitar (if you’ve no idea, then You Tube it, you won’t be disappointed) and immerse yourself in a fest of hard rock and heavy metal.
Whoah!! Yeah, I know. Gotta try a bit of everything in this life tho’ eh?
Tbh I am completely out of my comfort zone. 😊
Feel we may need to ease you into this a little, starting off with:
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
All settled now? Good stuff, cos what’s coming next will wrong foot you completely. Let’s get serious with:
Master of Puppets – Metallica (Manchester) – sublime guitar /drums in the middle (wait for it) and see You Tube for the Stranger Things version with Eddie Munson
Rock n Roll – Led Zeppelin
Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden – try the the official music vid! 😊
Symptom of the Universe – Black Sabbath
Children of the Grave – Ozzy Osbourne (Tribute album)
Emerald – Thin Lizzy (Live and Dangerous Album)
Stargazer – Rainbow
And the Bands Played On – Saxon (live)
Painkiller – Judas Priest (live @ Wacken)
Killed by Death – Motorhead (live @ Wacken)
And a bonus track:
The Pretender – Foo Fighters (Wembley 2008)
I s’pect you’re worn out now aren’t you? I know I am.
Reading:
David Omand (former Director of GCHQ) – How Spies Think. Recommended by offspring #2.
Films: Thor
Mum went to see Thor; Love and Thunder (another Marvel epic) with a t’riff cast including Christian Bale (wow, just immense, really cool makeup) and Russell Crowe (very funny). Incredibly cheesy start to the film but somehow it draws you in and by the end you’re almost completely and somewhat accidentally wrapped up in the story. And to some extent the plot perhaps mirroring the state of our world today ..??? Ummmnnn, food for thought tho’. Great soundtrack. As is always the case with Marvel, stay to the very, very end of the credits. ;)
And 2 other compelling reasons to watch this film? The giant goats. Yes, I did just write that. Mum was in fits of giggles. She reckons if you watch this film just for the goats, that’s a good enough reason and no one will judge you. See if you agree …..
Jurassic World – Dominion
Dinosaurs are now effectively an invasive species and humans are having to learn to live alongside them – or not. If you’re a fan of Jurassic Park (or World) then it’s a no brainer – you just have to see this! The original cast (Jeff, Laura and Sam) are all in there plus Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and DeWanda Wise.
S’a good film. Kick back and enjoy.
Stranger Things (I know, not a film)
We’ve just finished watching series 4 of Stranger Things on Netflix.
Huh, just great. Please ….. don’t even bother disagreeing with me about that.
As always, the Duffer Brothers’ soundtrack is most excellent – it propelled Master of Puppets by Metallica into the Spotify top 20. 😊 And aaaaah …. Eddie Munson …. oh Eddie. Joseph Quinn (who plays Eddie) apparently learnt and played the Metallica guitar stuff for real – fair do’s. Oh … and the meaning behind the lyrics from Master of Puppets relates to Eddie and Chrissy’s storyline within Stranger Things – so clever, clever weaving by the Duffer Brothers.
In the News: