A COUNTRYSIDE DISCOVERY..

Firstly, a disclaimer, which is that the picture you see is not one of Barney, but one of his compatriot golden retrievers, name of Neville, who has made a discovery similar to the one Barney himself made over the weekend.

Yes, Cowpats. Now, throughout the nearly two years of his life, Barney has been places. Woods, fields, beaches, orchards - you name it, he`s been there. He has been in close proximity to assorted faeces but not once has he shown any interest in rolling in them. Until Sunday when, after too long an absence, we took him over to visit his heart`s desire in the form of Judy the Soft Wheaten Terrier. They hadn`t seen each other for some time so it was no surprise when they romped around enjoying each others` company and, being in the hidden depths of the west Kent countryside, we took them to Bore Place for a wander around the extensive `estate.`

It really is proper countryside around there - peace and quiet, rolling hills, spectacular views and everything you and a couple of adventurous dogs could wish for on a blissful late summer afternoon. Until we ventured through a field which had recently been visited by a herd of cows and for some quite out of character reason Barney decided to roll in one of their calling cards, with the inevitabe Neville-esque result you see above. Shortly afterwards, we were treated to a heavy shower which saw us take refuge on the leeward side of some oak trees.... but the rain seemed to have little effect on Barney`s new found camouflage, neither did a dip in the ornamental pond when we eventually got back to Bore Place.

But a good bath yesterday seems to have restored Barney`s coat to its normal fragrant state and our adventure just confirmed how good it is to see happy dogs enjoying themselves. It`s just like having kids again. I had thought of posting links to websites for dog shampoos or bovine avoidance techniques but in the end I`ve plumped for a link to Bore Place - please see http://www.chiddingstone.net/pages/buildfold/bore.html - which will show a photo of the house and the aforementioned ornamental pond. Bore Place and its estate are well worth a visit - just be careful where you walk.