Dirty protest

The one (wo)man comedy show continues! Events since I last write include sneaking a whole raw sweet potato from the work surface in front of us and then trying to creep away with it unnoticed to her bed to munch it. She was rumbled - but it was very funny watching her as she tried to get past us all walking very slowly so that no one would notice what she was carrying in her mouth!

Having Bella means that life in our kitchen is never dull. The very nano- second that anything lands the floor she eats it, regardless of what it is. My youngest son and I were tussling over a hurry mint when it flew out of its wrapper, spun through the air to land briefly on the floor and was vacuumed up by the ever vigilant hound!

My Auntie who lives in America has been staying with us for the past 5 weeks. My mother (her sister) died when I was 6 years old, and now Chris is like a surrogate mother to me. When she stays an air of calm descends on the house. Everyone loves her including the dog! In fact the dog is besotted with her. She follows her round the kitchen and sits on her feet as she cooks. More often that not a morsel falls off the work surface, and any left overs are lovingly set aside for her tea!

Today is the day that Chris goes home. I took Bella out for her walk this morning and to show her disapproval of the impending departure she had a dirty protest - she rolled in fox poo! She has NEVER done this before. She's watched with interest when other dogs do it but has always considered herself too ladylike to do it. Well not today - and she reeked!

Home we came and she needed a thorough bath. The thought of wet dog running around the bedrooms has always discouraged me from using the real bath, so it was going to have to be a hose down in the garden. She was not very happy - just look at her face!

Chris left for the airport at lunchtime and since then Bella has taken to her bed. Each time someone has come home she has looked up eagerly but seems disappointed its not Chris. She has had two brief protests - a ceramic pot broke and she decided to eat the pieces in a wild act of self destruction. We managed to save her from herself, so the next plan was an act of sabotage. Chris is very tidy so Bella took the dustpan into the garden and ate that instead. Her canine act of disapproval that her best friend has gone home.