Another hot day forecast, another early morning start. Outside the Rickety Old Farmhouse Bob and Sophie, supercharged after a good nights sleep , delight in rolling , over and over, in the dew covered grass. They finally pause and are lifted, wet and complaining, into the back of the car . Across the lane the two cows look up briefly as we set off into town. The braver of the two puts her head through the fence and lows . Sophie stands on her back legs and yelps a defiant greeting out of the rear window - puppy bravado. At the crossroads a view across the fields to the mountains. The peaks just visible, glowing pink then purple under the rising sun .
The PON's daily routine . Bakers, newsagents, the strawberry lady with the polytunnels, a coffee while sitting on the back fender of the car , a tickle from the waitress , a wave from the beer and absinthe crowd. Two old ladies in buttoned up coats and sensible hats come and introduce themselves to Bob and Sophie . Bob is unimpressed. Sophie licks each of their hands in turn . Then it's time to go home . Exhausted by these new sights and sounds Bob soon falls fast asleep . He uses Sophie as his pillow. If only all the world was as peaceful and innocent as this.
It's starting to get hot now. Our first 80 degree day of the year. Puppies and owner are up and out early to make the most of the cool air. An acclimitisation trip to the bakers followed by a long , well deserved, doze under the shade of a palm tree.
After breakfast Sophie clambers up on top of the small, low rise, cabin that houses the pool pump . She soon finds that this makes a perfect launch pad for attacks on her brother. Brother and sister spend a full half hour playing this game . Sophie leaps, Bob gets flattened . Sophie leaps. Bob gets flattened . Sophie leaps ..... The hyacinths that have been planted round the little cabin are quickly decapitated . '' They'll grow again next year " says ' the font ' echoing a line used by puppy owners throughout history.
Late on Sunday evening Monsieur Bongo , the drain man , phones. '' I've had a cancellation M'Ongoose. I'll start on your blockage on Tuesday ". He then repeats himself but adds the line " It's your lucky day ". Angus can't help but wonder how many people would consider a visit fom the drain man to be their ' lucky day ' .
Saturday morning. A trip in the car to the strawberry farm for Gariguettes. They're €4.50 for a small punnet in the fancy greengrocers but €2.50 for half a kilo from the lady with the polytunnels. The polytunnel lady comes to the back of the car to say hello to Bob and Sophie. Sophie licks her hand. At the cafe under the arcades we park and the waitress brings out two coffees. Bob and Sophie get a tickle. The beer and absinthe crowd wave. Next week we'll take them into the cafe.
Back home to find Loic the bifocaled gardener strimming happily away. We've asked him to make sure all the verges are cut short as we're entering peak deer tick season. Bob doesn't like the sound of the strimmer and rushes into the house. After some hesitation Sophie wanders over and licks Loics hand. So ends our first fun filled week together.
For those of you who asked for some videos of the little angels - watch and wonder at a PON's gardening skills.
Sophie clambers onto the top of the garden planters and carefully digs out all the soil and bulbs. Satisfied with her gardening skills she then uses her nose to knock over the flower pots that line the outside stairs to the terrace. The morning copy of Le Monde thoroughly shredded before its read.
Bob discovers that Angus has inadvertently left a jumper on a hall chair. This is liberated and dragged into the garden where it makes an excellent bed. The corners of a Turkish rug carefully chewed . A trail of masticated wool left as evidence.
The little darlings are enjoying life - in a throttle wide open way. Their completely exhausted owners are in bed and sound asleep by ten .
Day 5. It rains . Sophie discovers the joys of wallowing on her back in mud. Bob sits on the peonies and watches her . The house stops merely looking like a war zone and starts to look like a muddy war zone.
Another trip in the car. This time to the vets. Bob and Sophie's paperwork - vaccination certificates, pet passport, chip details - all in order. They briefly meet the chief vet who gives them a quick once over. Both take this in their stride.
The post lady comes with the parcels from America. She apologizes for taking nearly a week to deliver them. '' My vans giving me problems. They're thinking of getting me a new Fiat ". Two very chic toile squeaky bones from Pamela ( www.fromthehouseofedward.blogspot.com ) and a book on helping a shy dog adjust to new surroundings from Kim (www.lifeatgoldenpines.blogspot.com ) . Thank you both .
For Bob and Sophie an afternoon spent chasing each other round the garden. Endless tugs of war with an old toy they find on the lower terrace. House training ( touch wood ) settled. Nipping under control. They are revelling in each others company and quite simply loving every second of every minute of every hour. Life is brimming over .
A beautiful cloud free morning.The sound of the cuckoos in the valley echoing up the hill. Time to load-up the pups and head down to the little market town to meet the beer and absinthe crowd. A parking space opposite the cafe under the arcades magically appears. The cars tailgate opened so that Bob and Sophie can look out. The man on the motability scooter sees them and waves. The waitress brings two coffees out to us at the car. '' Would the puppies like half a croissant each ? ". We thank her but explain their stomachs aren't up to rich food - Yet. Bob looks up at the waitress with his best '' I think I'm going to love you " look.
The greengrocers wife wanders over to the back of the car and makes a strange half trilling , half gargling noise. Bob turns his head and listens , Sophie dives under him and tries to become invisible. Then it's the turn of the lady in the blue dressing gown, green hairnet and red pompom slippers to be introduced. She raises her pre-breakfast glass of Pelforth , laughs and toasts their arrival. Sophie licks her finger.
So it is that the ' PON's ' discover that there's a whole wide world of adventure outside the front gate.
Day 4. House training going well. We've almost got it down pat. The nipping habit proving to be more difficult to deal with . The first training session. An hour spent teaching stay and sit. They get sit. The concept of stay altogether more problematic. Why stay when you can go ? Sophie to our surprise climbs the outside stairs to the terrace. Bob watches.
They are absorbing information like a sponge soaks up water.
Time to be weighed. 'The font' clambers onto the bathroom scales with Bob . He weighs 8.1 kilos. Sophie 6.6 . Bob, as someone commented, is going to be a big boy.
A day spent bouncing and hurtling round the garden. The shutter on the i-Phone camera barely fast enough to catch the occasional black and white blur as it whizzes past . Life enacted at high speed.Never walk when you can run .
In the evening the Beautiful Byeways committee meeting. Bob and Sophie are gently led across the village green. Their first venture out with collar and lead. We set off at eight and complete our hundred metre journey in eleven minutes. Water hydrant, the box hedge round the war memorial and the acacia tree by the old widows cottage all dutifully recorded, marked and remembered.
'The font' returns from the salle de fetes at ten. Time for a drink. A stiff one. ''What did the committee discuss this time ? " I ask. There follows a sigh followed by a giggle. ' The old farmer has found chanterelles in the forest and has sworn us all to secrecy , Madame mayor wonders whether the old bottles of red wine they've found in the store room could be used for Sangria or should be thrown out , frozen eclairs are on 'special offer' nine €uros for four dozen in the Cash and Carry and all the villages across France with the same name as ours are holding a convention here next year '.
Monsieur Bongo , the drain man, arrives with his camera that checks blocked pipes. He's here to look for the source of the water that continues to trickle into the basement and rise up through the walls . Bob and Sophie are very taken with Monsieur Bongo's less than pristine overalls. Bob has a look on his face that says '' I don't mean to be rude but you smell lovely ".
After two hours of sending the camera down various pipes and outlets Monsieur Bongo announces that the overflow pipe is blocked. '' You have a very strong buildup M'Ongoose ". He then, as is the habit in these parts when speaking to foreigners, repeats himself. '' A very strong buildup indeed ". Monsieur Bongo promises to send on an estimate for dealing with the buildup. ' Can you do it quickly ? ' I ask. '' Oh yes " replies Monsieur Bongo with studied imprecision.
After their meeting with Monsieur Bongo both pups get thoroughly groomed. They then spend the rest of the afternoon sitting attentively in the middle of the kitchen floor while 'the font' makes Bolognaise sauce.
The post lady arrives at the front door to say that two packages have come from America. '' I didn't know you were back. I'll bring them round tomorrow ". The post lady seems less than happy that Bob and Sophie have arrived. They, however , are delighted to see her.
Our first full day together. Bob leads the way out of the front door into the garden. Sophie follows reluctantly behind. She pauses on the doorstep as if to ask '' Do you think this is wise Bob ? ". Two minutes later and she's happily eating the peonies.
Lunchtime. The two dogs safely penned in together . Or so we think. Imagine our surprise when Sophie wanders, nose down, into the ground floor kitchen. ( Thankfully the steps to the upstairs kitchen are still too daunting a prospect to be explored alone ). Sophie has learnt how to escape. Stage one is to use her brother as a trampoline to get onto the roof of the cage. Stage two is to leap with the agility of a circus cat from the roof of the cage over the bars of the pen. A decidedly unhappy Bob sits sad and folorn waiting for her to return.
It's now two thirty in the morning. A sprint down the hall at the sound of the early morning '' I need a pee ' howl. Bob takes my arrival as the cue to widdle. Sophie thoughfully waits until I open the pen door. Maybe we'll get the hang of it tomorrow?
Today Bob and Sophie will be meeting the builders, the man with an electric camera who checks for blocked drains, the mayor and possibly Madame Bay. Both dogs and owners are getting along swimmingly .
At last it's time to collect Bob and Sophie. Bob sees the car arrive and hides under the table. Sophie disappears behind the sofa. The farmers wife fishes them out and places them in a large cardboard box. This is then carried , through the chickens and goats in the courtyard , to the back of the car. The two small heads that peer out from inside accept their fate in silence. Sophie settles down under Bob. Stoic PON's.
Home after a long journey. Bob bounces off into the garden, tail wagging like a metronome. His sister soon joins him. An hour of carefree tumbling and rolling in the grass. Sophie then devours a large meal. She finishes her kibbles first and wanders over to help Bob finish his . Perhaps she won't be so shy after all.
One thirty in the morning. A loud yelp. Angus carries one , then the other, down to the front door. A determined look that says '' Surely you can't expect me to go out there. It's dark ! ". Two puddles in the hallway. So much for house training. Sophie now asleep across my left slipper, Bob across my right. Sophie ever so gently snoring.
Special getting to know you days.
Bob and Sophies French Adventure will start on April 7th,
