Anyone got a Dalek

[woolybananasbrother]

My house came with a small pond. No, not even small, miniscule, but beautifully laid out and kept with all sorts of water plants, frogs, blue and green and brown flying things, the odd fish and even the occasional, matinal heron. Now I am lazy and dont much like gardening, but this little pond rather took my fancy so I tried to keep it neat and tidy, and it was a pleasure.

Until Wrecker got there. Now Wrecker doesn't even come up to my knee, sleeps like a cat on my lap in the evenings and has a smile of an angel. But, but, oh yes, but, Wrecker saw the pond and it was good and for a couple of weeks he admired it. Then he licked his lips and set to work: every plant has been dragged out and torn up, the fish has disappeared, the frogs left en masse one night dragging their homes, babies and wounded behind then leaving me with a nasty procés from the Syndicat des Grenouilles. Even those lovely smooth stones round the edge has been redistributed, right round the garden, just where the mower has to cut, and pushed down into the grass so that only the mower blade can find them. All that remains is a muddy pool, plus that bl oody happy, smiling dog.

Anyone got a dalek with a grudge against dogs?

[Catalpa]

When did George East start posting on CF? [8-)]

[Acegundog]

Have a peek here - it might make you feel better!

 

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/images/dalek.jpg

 

[Russethouse]

Perhaps Belle should buy a dog ? Or you could lend her yours, WB ?

[JMB]

Try installing an electric fence at weeing height.  That'll sort him out.

[woolybananasbrother]

Well, there was this patch of rasberries, not very big it must be admitted, but just enough to give a nice taste in season, and already loaded with ripening fruit. I say 'was' because at 0630 this am it was there, in all its glory. IT AIN'T THERE NOW. Guess who?

 

[Christine Animal]

What were you doing in the raspberry patch at 6.30 in the morning?  They must have blown away!   [:D]

 

[Patf]

WB - your Wrecker is just getting to know the place, putting his mark on it and telling the old residents that he's in charge now. Soon he will feel at home and won't be so destructive. (hopefully.)

[woolybananasbrother]

You mean Patf that there there will be bu gger all left to destroy in a month or so.

[JMB]

You ain't see nothin' yet.  Our dog, Ian, bit through a 15 mm copper

water pipe in the laundry which at that time was next to my office. 

Both rooms flooded before we noticed there was a problem.  Nobody

believes when I tell this story, so I kept the section of pipe that was

bitten through just to show people. 

That was when Ian was about three.  Now he's ten and has matured into

the sweetest old genltleman you could hope to meet (this may also have

had something to do with his whatstits having been removed).

There is hope for you yet ... maybe he just thought you needed a bigger pond.

... oh yes and he once locked himself in a bathroom and completely

trashed it - including wedging a loo  roll into the toilet.  Oh and

while  I'm at it, he took exception to the  lino that used to be on the

kitchen floor and trashed that too - no bad thing really.  He ripped

out a whole lot of young trees a day or two after we planted them.  Ate

the corners of various tables, threw a Jack Russell down the stairs,

tunnelled under stock proof fencing that I buried 6" in the ground,

ripped the inside door panel off my neighbour's car; and he learned how

to open my neighbours kitchen door (200m away) and used to go around to

their house in the morning, let himself in, go upstairs and sit on the

sofa in their bedroom waiting for them to wake up!   Ahhh what a dog.  

[Christine Animal]

I've just had a quick look at your wonderful photo gallery and found a photo of Ian smiling, probably with the Jack Russell he threw down the stairs (photo taken this month).   [:D]    Really great photos.

 

[JMB]

Gosh thank you for the kind words.  Yes that is Ian, and Bertie is the offending(sive) Jack Russell.  Best friends when they're not trying to kill each other.

[Frenchie]

Where are the pics? can't see them ..

[Christine Animal]

Click on his www.   [:)]

 

[Frenchie]

Thanks Christine.

A beautiful set of pictures indeed !

[JMB]

Have had a terrible day.  My jack Russell "Bertie" had to be put down.  He was as fit as a fiddle on the weekend and now he's gone.  Terrible. 

He was a real rascal and liked nothing more than to bite the postman - which used to make me very cross (the postman too).  

I know it's not very manly, but I can't stop crying.  It has hit home to me how attached we become to our dogs, even when they are bl__dy naughty most of the time. 

http://gallery.mac.com/johnmartinbradley#100100

[Frenchie]

Oh no !!!!

Oh I'm sincerely so sorry for you and I understand 200 % ..

What happened??

Pets become members of the family and we love them, as they love us..

Poor you.. Nothing to do with being a man or a woman, our tears are just normal.

A big hug from me.

Courage.  

[Christine Animal]

That's very sad.  It shows from your photos how much he was loved and part of the family.  What happened, was he very old?  Are you in France?  It's so terrible when we lose them, especially when it's sudden.  I'm really sorry.

 

[JMB]

Thank you Frenchie & Christine. Hugs most welcome.  Bertie was 12 and reasonably fit inspite of a couple of odd growths.  Apparently he had a diseased pancreas and has been sick for some time.  Didn't stop him from running around like a puppy dog.  We went for a walk on the beach on Sunday and he seemed fine, although looking at the photo of him from Sunday http://gallery.mac.com/johnmartinbradley#100100/IMG_7886&bgcolor=black     , he is holding his head a little low.  Then on Sunday night he became quite subdued and became progessively more so over the week until yesterday he could hardly walk.  I took him to the vet and they ran a batch of tests. 

I was comforting him as the vet put him to sleep and I said RATS! as I would if we saw a rat and he perked up  for moment.  Then he was gone.  We are all so upset. 

As to where we live, last November we left Blighty and moved to Cape Town.  The idea was that this should be an interim thing before we move to France - which is planned for next spring (unless we get shot).  South Africa has some real problems  (rampant violent crime especially), but it is such a beautiful place and my life here as a single parent of two small children is much easier than it was in England and, for the time being, probably easier than it would be in France.  It's also a great place to hone my skills as an aspiring photographer.

Right! I'm off to get terribly inebriated while toasting my lovely dog (actually he was my lovely wife's lovely dog).

[Catalpa]

When one of our cats or dogs die, we open a bottle of something good and toast them. It is horrible when they depart but the pleasure they give during their lifetimes far outweighs the inevitable sadness - hope your kids aren't too upset. I'm just about to pour a drink - I'll say cheers to your Bertie when I do so. [:)]

[JMB]

Dear Catalpa, my daughter is a bit phased, but my son wants to know if this means he can now have a hamster!

Enjoy that drink - I'm sure Bertie would be most pleased ...