Sunday and Monday at the BMBC Rally

It all got quite boring on Sunday morning. We went round to a big tent where there were loads of people sitting. More people came, wearing their best clothes and some with fancy chains round their necks (I don't think they were supposed to be collars and leads!), and sat at the front and there was lots of clapping. I began to whinge after a while. Mum got really excited because Go Placidly won the quiz prize and Angela had to go to the front to get the prize. Then mum took me out and we went back to the doggy garden place where I played chasing with two other retrievers and loads of other dogs. In the afternoon mum put me on the lead and we all walked right down to the end of the canal by the locks. It was the furthest she has walked since the new knee so she was pleased.

This morning, Monday, it was raining but we set off sailing as soon as we were ready. Mum drove the boat after a while and Angela took Rags and me for a walk. Rags was really naughty, she ran off and Angela couldn't find her. Mum called me back on board and eventually Angela found a very muddy but very pleased with herself dog. We sailed for ages after that and the mums were pleased that the rain eventually stopped just before we got back to the moorings at Lymm. All the stuff got loaded back into the cars, only I sat in my usual place this time, and we set off for home and to see dad and Toby.

We had a brilliant weekend. Mum says a million times " a huge thank you" to Angela for being so kind and for giving us such a lovely little holiday.

Pictures from the Rally

The Bridgewater Motor Boat Club Rally

Saturday was so good. We all went to the dog show and I won a winner's rosette for "Best Dog". Rags got dressed up as Darcy Russell and I was the Wizard of Aus. People clapped us but we didn't win. In the afternoon Liz from Blackstone and her dad came to visit Go Placidly and in the evening Angela and mum took us back to dog show garden and Rags and I played catch-me-if-you-can. It was such good fun. Angela climbed up onto the roof of the boat and put up some lights and when it got dark lots of boats had lovely lights on them. At midnight there was a boat procession of boats all lit up. Mum absolutely loved "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".

Spring Bank Holiday Weekend Adventure

Mum and I haven't long been home. We've had a wonderful adventure although at first I thought it was all a bit strange. We've been boat dogs but not on Jennyanydots. Instead, we have spent the weekend on a boat called Go Placidly with mum's friend Angela and her Jack Russell called Rags.

We left home on Friday morning. The car was so full of stuff I couldn't fit in my usual place right at the back and I had to squash in on the back seat. We drove for about 40 minutes and then stopped in a narrow lane next to a canal in a place called Lymm. There were loads of boats moored in a long line along the canal side. Angela came and she got most of the stuff out of our car because mum still can't carry that much because of her new knee. It all got piled up inside the boat. I sniffed around and I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go or what to do. Then we got back in the car and drove back down the lane to a car park. The cars got locked up. Rags and I weren't sure whether to be friends or not but we walked back up the moorings and I got more and more excited. Mum said that we had to walk a long way and she was going slowly but we got back to Go Placidly and mum climbed very carefully on board. She was quite nervous because she didn't know if she could bend her leg enough but it was all fine.

There was a bit of a problem at first when we all went inside. Rags and I had a big quarrel and mum asked Angela if she should get me sent home! Anyway, we all settled down and the boat began to move. After hours and hours mum had a turn at driving the boat and said I could get off with Angela and Rags. I had a wonderful stretch-my-legs gallop up and down and once I remembered I was with Angela it was all fine. Rags and I had a bit of an adventure. We ran into a field where there were sheep and cows and Rags got really excited. I remembered that sheep are naughty and I went back to Angela and then Rags came because she didn't want her mum messing with another dog. I got back onto the boat with mum and then in a little while Angela and Rags jumped on board and we sailed on for more hours and hours.

Eventually we got to a place called Runcorn where there were over a hundred boats all meeting up for a Rally. It was so exciting seeing so many people and dogs and boats but mum says I was very good.

Rags and I kept on quarrelling a little bit but at bedtime she went with Angela and I went with mum. Mum put my blanket of the bed and I spent all night jumping up next to her and then getting down for a sleep on the floor. I really liked cuddling up to mum.

Afloat again at last

Mum has been really happy. It's not quite six weeks since she had her new knee but we've been on Jennyanydots for four days. She managed to climb on board without too much difficulty but getting off was a lot more difficult. She and dad decided that until she can get off safely it's better to stay in the marina.

On Saturday afternoon we all got in the car and drove to a place called Hopwas on the Coventry Canal and I was so surprised! Instead of leaving me and Toby in the car like they usually do we all got out and went into this big place with loads of tables and big umbrellas. It was a good job there were umbrellas because it started to pour with rain! Anyway, there were bits of food under the tables and all sorts of interesting things to sniff. Mum and dad got some food and they shared some of it with Toby and me. We were in a pub called the Tame Otter. Mum and dad seemed very pleased to be there. Apparently the place where I had my first pub meal was the same place as Foxy, the dog they had before me, had her last pub meal before she died last year.

We had some interesting times while we were on the boat. When we first got there they couldn't make any water come out of the taps and eventually mum rang up the boat place that had fitted the new pump. A man came at eight o'clock the next morning to fix the water and, you'll never guess what? Mum was so embarassed - she hadn't turned the new stop tap back on properly! That was all that was wrong.

Although it was ages since we were last at the marina I could remember where everything was and I absolutely loved jumping into the water to catch bits of leaves and sticks. Mum and dad weren't so pleased though because I got wet and muddy. I remembered lots of my doggy friends and we played chase and bounce. The only naught thing I did was running off with Ruby a Staffy. We had a brilliant game but her mum caught me and fastened me up with Ruby's lead. Dad was cross.

On the way home they filled up the dog part of the car with all sorts of stuff, including a table, and Toby and I had to travel back on the back seat. I was a bit upset about this at first but then decided I liked being so near mum, so I curled up and went to sleep until we arrived back home.

Annabel and Lydia came with their mum and dad when we got home to say "Happy Birthday" to my mum.

We've all had a lovely time and mum can't wait until we go boating again.