ONCE MORE INTO THE LIGHT...

OK, a little self indulgence here.  I`m posting this photo because I like it and also because it evokes very fond memories of a much loved departed friend.  About three Autumns ago I was in these nearby woods when I stopped and was fascinated by the early morning light wafting through the trees as the mist began to rise from the woodland floor.

And if you look carefully you might spot our former golden retriever, Barney, peeking from behind a tree.  Barney loved these woods and although it is over two years now since we lost him and we have now fallen in love with his successor, Dudley, I still look back at those years with great fondness.   Dudley has been introduced to the woodland of course but given where we are with the Covid 19 problems I`m not too sure how long it will be before he, like Barney did, scampers through the woodland glades once more.

I was really quite pleased with the way this photo turned out, so please click on it for a much better image.........

....and I genuinely hope that 2019 is a kind and good year for you, your family and friends.   

2018 was an `iffy` year for us.  We lost our much loved golden retriever Barney early in the year but we now have the latest in our long line of retrievers in the form of Dudley who is now eight months old and whilst still learning the trade seems to be coming along nicely.

While the world seems intent on seeing in the new year with a cacophony of fireworks, sensitive souls like Dudley just can`t understand why there are so many menacingly loud crashes, bangs and wallops so close to home.   I suspect we will have a late night nursing him through the celebratory din.  But, hey-ho it is new year after all and I guess, like Christmas, it will come and it will go like all the others.

The advent of Dudley meant that our holiday jaunts were restricted to just two in the year - one in April to Padstow not long after we had lost Barney, so it was not the same walking the Cornish cliffs without his company.  The second was to the New Forest in June, at the end of which we picked Dudley up from the breeder and brought him home.  

Get tonight over with and we can start again with a new year which, all being well, will bring my 80th birthday and no doubt another anxious, stressful time as the Saints, true to form, battle once more against relegation.   But there is summer to look forward to - long, warm sunny days, the cricket world cup and hopefully the occasional visit to Canterbury to see how Kent fare in the first division of the county championship. Simple pleasures are often the best ones.

All good wishes for 2019.  See you next year. Possibly.

It sure was a bad week.   Bad enough losing Barney on Tuesday, since when we have been back to the veterinary hospital to collect Barney`s ashes and hand in yet another claim form on his insurance.   

That was the second claim in a matter of a few weeks and I had a bit of bother with the insurance company over the first claim we made following Barney`s illness which began in January.  Hopefully that might now be resolved but we wait to see.

It`s been a long winter with more than a few hiccups along the way - in just the last few weeks we had to buy a new fridge freezer, a new tap for the kitchen and a new vacuum cleaner - the old one conked out following a few years  hoovering up dog hairs (the new one doesn`t have that problem - yet.) 

I had a visit to the local hospital following damage caused to my hand as a result of yet another senior bungle on my part, which left me seriously impressed with our NHS service.  Seems to me you only hear about the bad things concerning the NHS - all the media are anxious to report alleged `failings`, targets missed, that kind of thing and we don`t hear enough about the good things, of which there are many and for which we should be more grateful than we are.

And to end on yet another troublesome note on my malum sabbati (the Queen had an annus horribilis but I`ll settle for just a bad week), the Saints have continued their downward spiral out of the Premier League - yesterday conspiring to lose 3-2 to Chelsea, having been 2-0 up after 70 minutes.   That constituted the fourth league game in a row where they have conceded three goals and survival hopes now seem dim.  Having won just one league game in the last 20, they are now expected to win at least three in the last five.   It ain`t gonna happen, to be fair, but at least the sun is shining today for a change.  But will it last?

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE..

About five years ago, we were on holiday in south Devon , mainly walking the coast path and one day we walked the Revelstoke Drive in and around Noss Mayo.  It`s a quite spectacular walk around the banks of the River Yealm and along the coastline with tremendous views of the open ocean - on a clear day you can just make out the Eddystone lighthouse on the distant horizon.  

The last part of the walk is pretty much all down hill back to the village of Noss Mayo but if you turn off the main path down to the left opposite the old coastguard cottages, you can find a hidden beach which is quiet, peaceful and isolated.  We made our way down the steep slope to the rocky shoreline and decided to have our lunch there whilst taking in the tranquility of our surroundings.

And it was there that I took this photo of Barney who, like us, was glad of the rest after the long walk.   It`s one of many photos we have taken of Barney over the years, not only at home but also at all the places we have been together - Cornwall, Devon, the New Forest and here in Kent and wherever we have been, Barney has been a quiet, peaceful, faithful friend and companion.

So you can imagine how devastated we are today that Barney was put to sleep yesterday afternoon following a series of medical problems in the last few months.   Yesterday he became very ill and his prospects were not good and so we took the difficult decision to say goodbye to him, knowing that it was the kindest decision to make for him, although it has left us in bits as a result. 

Our grief is a mixture of heartfelt sorrow for ourselves that Barney has gone, but coupled with real sadness for him that he has had so much to contend with over the recent past and that his life could not have been even longer and happier.  We should be used to it by now - Barney was our fifth golden retriever - but if anything it gets harder. 

On the right hand side of this post and down a bit, there`s a list of `labels` and if you click on the one `barney` there are 41 posts which form the chronicles of Barney over his nine and a half happy years with us.  And that`s what I will remember - a happy dog and a gentle, loving, loyal friend.

It`s over 30 years now since the last of our three sons left home - one by one they found their way in the world and each time one of them left I felt a deep sense of sadness.  But you`ve got to let them go and when the last one went, we began to fill the hole by having golden retrievers.  We`re now on the fifth one - Barney.

And in what is turning out to be a difficult week, Barney was taken very ill yesterday with a nasty bout of hemorrhagic diarrhoea.  I`ll spare you the details but poor Barney was in a bad way - not eating or drinking which, for a retriever, indicates something quite serious.  So, off to the vet`s yesterday afternoon - loads of medication - but no effect, so he went back to the vet`s last evening and was kept in to be re-hydrated, have blood tests, etc.

We don`t know but we hope he might be back with us tomorrow; but not having him around the house, not doing the twice daily walkies and not living with his daily routine has pitched us into another feeling of the empty nest.  It`s easy to take things for granted - even dogs - but you don`t know what an important part of your life they are and how much you miss them until they`re not there - even for a day or two.

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER

Yesterday was Barney`s birthday.  He was nine years old, which if one dog year equals seven human ones, then Barney is now in his 60s.   He`s wearing well, enjoys all the things dogs are supposed to enjoy - eating, sleeping, sniffing and walkies.  So, yesterday I took him up to nearby Platt Woods, which both he and I have enjoyed for many years and it was good to see him scampering around through the carpet of Autumnal leaves.

As it was his birthday, he sat on this bench and asked me to take this photo of him, beaming happily at the camera.  So, happy birthday Barney and thanks again for all the good times, the friendship, companionship and loyalty.  I just hope the next few weeks aren`t too stressful for him as he hates fireworks and Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas and New Year all go with a bang around here.

For more about the Chronicles of Barney, there are 38 more posts here - https://snoppersays.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/barney  - just realised it`s one of those links where you have to highlight it, then right click and there`s an option to go to the page,

HOW MUCH FURTHER ?..

An essential element of walking the south west coast path is having a faithful companion. But it comes to something when your faithful companion seems more keen on having a rest than you might be.   This was Barney, on the path in sight of St. Mawes, slumped to the ground and wondering how much further it will be before he can get home for his tea and have a good lie down........

...AND I KNOW WHO`S DOING WHICH..

Most days when I take Barney for his walkies, we drive to different places where he can be off the lead and have a good scamper around - it not only keeps life interesting but also keeps him used to car travel.   Anyway, we have at least six petrol stations/garages within a five mile radius of home and as we have driven past at least three of them over the past week or so, I`ve noticed that the price of petrol has been going steadily up and up.   

Today, unleaded petrol was on offer at £1.39.9p per litre - an increase of at least 5p a litre over the last week.   I don`t know why they mess around with the .9 of a penny business - much easier to call it £1.40 a litre.   I think - but I`m not too sure - that works out at well over £6 a gallon.   Now we know that, for each £1 spent on petrol, 82p goes in taxes to the government, so I don`t complain about the price of petrol - I complain about the punitive amount of tax involved. 

But it got me thinking just how much tax I`m shelling out each month.   There`s the direct tax whipped away from my monthly pension before I ever see it;   the VAT on just about everything, the indirect taxes on things like wines, spirits, beer, cigarettes, insurance premium tax, betting and gaming duty, air passenger duty and the rest.   Fortunately for me, but not HM Gov., I don`t drink, smoke, gamble or fly anywhere and I`m not sure I could afford to even if I wanted to do all those things because the burden of taxation is becoming serious.

Other things that add to my frustration include, for example, the recently announced rise yet again in the cost of tolls for using the Dartford Crossing which was supposed to be free once the original construction costs had been met - which they were years ago.    And it doesn`t help when local councils reject pleas to forego increases in council tax and put them up anyway, none of which helps pensioners like me struggling to survive on a fixed income in the most trying financial circumstances.     

The cost of pretty ordinary everyday stuff like bread and milk has risen sharply and although I am nowhere near approaching penury, I can well imagine how difficult life has become for thousands of people across the country and especially at the wrong end of the social divide.  Seems to me that in the game of give and take I`m doing a lot of the giving and the tax man is doing most of the taking. So what`s the answer?   Well, it might be time to move to Greece where it seems others are doing the giving and the Greeks are being bailed out.

I wonder what Barney would make of that, especially as the world probably makes more sense to a golden retriever than it does to me.

FRIENDS TOGETHER

Over the past couple of days, we`ve had over a foot of snow here in deepest Kent, so this morning we took Barney (left) and his mate Max up to the nearby woods for a romp in the snow.   It was a magical time to be out in the fresh air, trudging through the deep snow but enjoying every minute of it.   Barney and Max loved it too and Max did especially well given that he`s all of ten years old now, but still going strong.

I spent some time clearing snow off the drive but it was a bit of a waste of time - it`s still snowing now!  It`s the worst early snowfall for 50 years and traffic chaos reigns with roads, airports and trains all affected.   I just wonder why it is that other countries who have far worse conditions to contend with than we do, seem to manage perfectly well.  Maybe we`re just not geared up for it, maybe to do so would be just too expensive.   Or maybe, just maybe, we actually enjoy a bit of a crisis so we can have a good moan.

GOLDEN POSEUR..

Following the ceremony the other day when Barney and his mate Ossie were presented with their rosettes and certificates for passing the Kennel Club Gold Award, Barney insisted that I took a few photos of him with his rosette collection.  So here`s one I took earlier.  As you can see, Barney is very pleased with himself.  Poser!

Having now got this far, Barney and Ossie have decided to rest on their rosettes for a while, much to the relief of their respective handlers, but they might re-emerge when the weather gets better and have a go at gundog training.  Well, they are supposed to be gundogs after all.



GOLDEN GOLDIE..

Barney`s looking happy.  And so he should.  After months of patient training mainly by his `handler,` Mrs. Snopper, Barney has managed to pass the test for the Kennel Club Good Dog Citizen Gold Award (KCGDCGA.)  

 He had previously taken the test only to be declared `not ready` on that occasion, due to his penchant for running around saying `Hello` to everyone instead of walking to heel and staying close to his handler.  Although that tendency had been overcome, he had nevertheless developed one or two more, such as not being bothered to stop when commanded to and refusing to go to his bed when asked nicely, but a series of intensive training sessions leading up to yesterday suggested he might have got the hang of those as well .

We have known for some time that he was perfectly capable of doing all of the elements required to pass the test but, like Eric Morecambe struggling to come to terms with Greig`s Piano Concerto, Barney was playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.   Also, we were advised that taking the Gold test was a bit like taking the driving test - it depended on the examiner and how you performed on the day.   As it turned out, yesterday Barney performed all of the tests in the right order and, along with his mate Ossie, kept his natural exuberance in check long enough for the examiner to be convinced. 

So this morning I took him for a long walk through the Autumn woods at Oldbury Hill (see photos on Snopper`s FlickR pics) and just let him scamper around and enjoy himself without having to ask him to practice anything.  In a week or so, Mrs. Snopper and Barney will be attending the ceremony for the presentation of his certificate and rosette, so he`ll have time to reflect on what he might have to say in his acceptance speech.  

 Also, if he thinks that`s it and he`s cracked it, it might just be that he fancies moving on to the Platinum Award, followed presumably by the Diamond and then the ultimate test - the Dilithium Crystal Award.   But for now, he and his handler deserve a break from the white heat of all the pressure they have succeeded in overcoming.  I couldn`t be happier for them both.

MOUNTING PRESSURE



As our picture shows, the pressure is beginning to tell on Barney as the day for his second attempt at the Kennel Club Good Dog Citizen Gold Award (KCGDCGA) is now just over a week away.

For almost a year now, ever since he passed the Silver Award, he has been attending the training sessions but with the Gold Test looming the stress of expectation is beginning to get to him.  He  is now going through a programme of intesnse activity with extra training sessions lined up for tomorrow, next Tuesday and Wednesday before he has the exam. next Saturday.

He`s being given every chance, as they say, although I fear his natural tendency to see everything as a game, run around and have a good time, wag his tail a lot and lay on his back kicking his legs in the air, might not be quite what the examiner is looking for.  But then they do say that dogs are like their owners, so maybe it will be down to me if he doesn`t make it this time.  Or ever.

PHEASANTS 1 - BARNEY 0

Every picture tells a story and this one is no exception. Our walk this morning was up on the North Downs where, even in this busy area of Kent, there are still large tracts of countryside where you can `get away from it all.`

Barney and I went across an open field and then through a little wood before coming out onto a footpath that`s high up above the Medway Valley. No-one else around, although we did hear a few gunshots in the distance which disturbed the local pheasants. Some of them were silly enough to take to the skies and Barney thought this was a good game, so off he charged through the undergrowth and through the trees, all the while sending more and more pheasants squawking skywards.

Of course, it`s in the nature of golden retrievers to retrieve pheasants that have been shot down, so maybe Barney was getting some practice in or simply following his natural instinct. Either way, thankfully he didn`t catch any and after a while he gave up, exhausted... and that`s when I took this picture, which says it all really.

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.

IF YOU BECOME A TEACHER..

Barney`s ongoing training leading to the Kennel Club Good Dog Gold Award (KCGDGA) is progressing. He now finds himself, at just 21 months, almost the oldest in the new group which has been formed from those very few, like Barney, who were deemed `not ready` when the gold test was last held, along with quite a few aspiring retrievers who have succeeded in passing the silver award and now wish to go on to greater things.

As supposedly one of the more experienced, last night Barney was called upon to demonstrate to all the others how to perform one of the more basic tasks demanded of the gold award. This involved having his blanket laid down some distance away and, on being given the command, going straight to the blanket and lying down. No problem. Barney does it perfectly all the time at home. However, last night when he heard Mrs. Snopper`s command to `go to bed,`instead of doing what he was supposed to do, he took the opportunity to have a scamper around he training field, saying `hello` to everyone and generally having a good time.

Never has the phrase, `Do as I say, not what I do` been more appropriate. There`s another old saying too, `If you become a teacher, by your pupils you`ll be taught.` I had the feeling that Barney`s pupils were less than impressed by his `demonstration` and it might well be that he will be picking up some tips from them, rather than the other way round. He is a happy dog though....and we really wouldn`t have him any other way.

GOOD IN PARTS..

Bishop : "I fear you have a bad egg, Mr. Jones."

Curate : "Oh, no, my Lord. I assure you parts of it are excellent."

Last evening I was reminded of this Punch cartoon and the curate`s egg which was Barney`s attempt at the Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award (KCGCGA.) Having already passed the Bronze and Silver awards, Barney had been practicing all the routines required for the Gold test and had been studiously revising for it. In company with a few other golden retrievers, he turned up at a secluded venue with his handler and did well in most of the tests - laying down, stopping, sitting quietly without barking, etc. - and hopes were high among an expectant crowd of onlookers.

Then it came to the `heel walking` test, for which Barney was let off the lead with the intention of staying close to his `handler` whilst walking to heel and performing a series of turns. Instead, Barney promptly ran around the orchard, saying `Hello` to everyone and wanting nothing more than to have a good play with his fellow trainees. Typical Barney - a fun dog having a good time.....but not really what the Kennel Club are looking for when their Gold test is under way. So, although his test was `good in parts,` he was correctly declared as being `not ready.` Mind you, he wasn`t the only one, but he might just have to go back to the drawing board and try again.

Not sure we mind too much - it means that we can keep going to the training classes and keep in touch with the friends we and Barney have made along the way. To find a little comfort in yet another hackneyed phrase, it`s an ill wind that blows no good.

NOT NECESSARILY..

Sad to report that last night`s dress rehearsal for Barney`s Gold Award test didn`t go too well. He and his fellow Golden Retriever hopefuls are put through their paces on a nice big open field. The trouble with that is there are too many distractions and temptations affecting their concentration.

Barney`s biggest temptation is that he `performs` alongside a very comely young lady Retriever named Summer and at every opportunity the two of them resort to cavorting in amourous playful bouts, rather than sticking to the coreography required for the test. As both Barney and Summer are blissfully unaware of the fact that Barney has been `seen to,` their romantic ambitions must surely represent the ultimate triumph of hope over expectation. So, in acknowledgement of their current shortcomings and the certainty that they will be found to be `not ready,` the test has been put off for a couple of weeks and will now take place at a neutral venue where the temptation to run off and have a good scamper may be reduced.

The real frustration is that Barney, Summer and the rest of their aspirant chums can all actually do all of the manoeuvres needed to pass the test, they just don`t necessarily do them all at the right time and in the right order. I sat next to the winsome Rachel last evening, watching from a respectful distance as our respective canine charges were attempting to control their urges and it occurred to me that the whole thing was reminiscent of Morecambe and Wise trying to convince the world that they could come to terms with Grieg`s piano concerto. If you have ten minutes to spare and like me enjoy pure comedy with no swearing, have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP8TUe993uo&feature=related. You`ll see what I mean.

STRICT TRAINING?

A bit of a shock for Barney last evening. He had missed the last two training sessions having been away in Cornwall for a week and me being `otherwise engaged` with the Royal Albert Hall last week. So last evening we managed to get back to the training regime only to find that Barney was a bit rusty and also to discover that the test for the Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award (KCGCGA) will be held in just two weeks time.

It`s safe to say that a little panic has set in and although we are fairly confident that the examiner will declare Barney as `not ready,` we have to give him every chance and give it our best shot and so the next two weeks will be filled with the daily training routines set out in the KCGCGA leaflet. Mind you, given Barney`s inability even to master the art of climbing onto a woodland bench to sit next to yours truly, as captured above during a recent exercise in Platt Woods, I suspect his Gold Award test will go down in the annals of the KCGCGA scheme as one of its more heroic failures.

Not that it matters one jot. All that matters is that we have a faithful, well behaved companion and that Barney enjoys his life. Which he does - almost too much at times. I guess, in the end, if his `master` (I use the word advisedly) finds it difficult to take anything too seriously, then we shouldn`t be surprised that we have a fun dog on our hands.

WHAT`S IN A NAME ?..

I`ve had a request from my antipodean correspondent to show a bit more of Barney`s progress now that he`s 18 months old. Well, here he is posing on top of the dais with his retriever mates, Shane and Wilson. I should explain that neither Barney nor his friends have won any competition - and it`s not really a dais, as such, but simply a device to help horse riders mount and dismount before or after they cross a nearby pedestrian footbridge over a busy road. But it looks imposing, doesn`t it?

Anyway, Barney`s back in the groove of training for his gold award. He went back to the classes the other evening and joined up with his other compatriots who, for one reason or another, were deemed `not ready` to pass the test when it was held a couple of weeks ago. Barney did very well - he seemed to remember what he had to do and did most of them very nicely, so maybe there`s some hope for him yet.

His two mates in the photo - Shane and Wilson - belong to friends of ours who have a particular penchant for western movies and I believe Shane is unsurprisingly named after `Shane` of the film of the same name starring the late, vertically challenged Alan Ladd. As for Wilson, my initial hunch was that he may have been named after Cotton Wilson, the dodgy marshall in Gunfight at the OK Corral, but no. It seems this Wilson was named after another character in `Shane,` such is the extent of our friends` devotion to that celluloid epic.

As for Barney, well Mrs. Snopper and I, being of a certain age, needed a name we might remember, so we just named him after a bit of the road we live in (Old Barn Road.) On that logic, he might equally have been named Oldie or Roadie, either of which might have suited him just as well, but there`s a fair chance we`ll remember his name is Barney, even if he doesn`t.

G`day, Barb....it is Barb, isn`t it?

BARNEY BOWS OUT..

Sadly for Barney, he wasn`t well enough to take part in the Kennel Club`s Good Citizen Dog Gold Award Test (KCGCDGAT) recently, so he had to bow out gracefully. His `handler` didn`t feel too good either, so the chance was missed to add to the Bronze and Silver Awards he has already got.

Even if he had been able to take the test, however, I fear he would have been declared `not ready` (the Kennel Club don`t like to use the word `failed` as it might have psychological repercussions for both the dog and the handler.) Barney can do most of the things required for the test apart from staying down and not moving whilst his handler goes out of sight. He either gets up and tries to follow her or he just lays on his back kicking his legs in the air with a smile on his face. Well, he`s a happy dog.

Anyway, to get over his disappointment, now that he`s back to normal, he had a good run through the bluebells in our nearby woods with his mate Woody. I think you can tell by their expressions that the last thing on their minds was the KCGCDGAT. And who can blame them? So, back to the training classes and better luck next time, Barney.