Dog Days

A filthy, horrible day, relentless rain, muddy lanes, and yet there was a delicious freshness to the air when we took our morning walk. It was an office day, so poor old Hugo had to sleep in the car for over 3 hours before release came. He seemed relaxed when I went out to him at 1.30, getting used to it I suppose. But what a treat was in store for him. We met Sammy with Stella the cross labrador Staffy on Sizewell beach, and immediately let the pair of them off their leads. Mein gott! Hugo fairly flew, and though Stella was fast she couldn't keep up. But he circled back constantly, and the two of them charged around, diving at each other, tussling and then leaping off together again. It was beautiful to watch, they had such fun. But it wasn't just them. At one stage there were about 8 dogs and Hugo didn't know where to begin. He had to meet them all, run at them and then run away if it all got too much. Nothing untoward happened, and Sammy calmly interpreted what looked like near vicious fights to me but were just playing. Hugo couldn't resist being mischievous, and when an encounter had been successfully negotiated and the dogs passed on a few hundred yards in the other direction he raced back to them at high speed, not once, not even twice but sometimes three times, teasing them into action and then speeding safely back to me. None of them could match him for pace. It really was a hoot, a buzz. Back at Sammy's, where her husband Chris had tea waiting for us, the dogs continued to race around the house and threaten to topple the tea table. I don't know about them but I was plum tuckered out. When we got home we lit the fire and settled down with the crossword. It was so bleak out there was nothing else for it. Hugo composed his elegant shape into his bed in front of the wood burner and slept. I might have nodded off too. It was that kind of day.