Woof woof meow...

Thursday 5 January 2012

I have been watching an amazing wildlife documentary. Incredible footage that looked as though the camera was attached to the back of birds, and such close ups of lions with their kill. The slowmo shot of Wilderbeast trying to evade the ambushing crocodile showed just how agile these seemingly clumsy best are.

I reminded me how much I loved reading books about wildlife and that these were my among my all-time favourite presents. Mum and dad obviously knew this as I had quite a collection of them.

One particular book had pictures of the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace. Who would have thought all those years ago that I would one day live within walking distance of that very park and take my own pictures of these huge monsters.

That turned my thought s to the animals that had been in our family. Mum often talked about the dog she had. Terry, a wire hared terrier. Mum’s sister had a spaniel called Molly. Terry got car sick, and when they took him on the bus they had to travel on the upper deck and always with a bucket for him to throw up in. Dogs are still allowed on public transport over here, there are signs that they must be carried on escalators. It looks really funny to see a chap carrying a large pooch up or down the moving staircase.

Then when I was somewhere around five  or six we had a fox terrier called Rex. I took him to the school pet show one day. Then when we lived in Petone, not dogs allowed in the shop so Rex was found a new home. My sister and I had  a black cat each. I called mine Dinky, after Dinky Pinky the King of the elephants, a children’s story.  I wonder if you can find that on Google. I don't remember what my sister's one was called.

Then there was a grey tabby that just turned up one day. She climbed up through a hole in the front porch and claimed us. I called her Josephine, for no good reason that I can remember other than I obviously like the name.

Later there was a dog called Blue. A black lab that always barked like mad when he went out in the car. Blue was later joined by a tortoiseshell cat that had a kitten, only one. Well we named her very originally Mamacat.

Followed by a dog called Heidi. She was a Doberman/lab cross, followed by a Siamese cat called Tao who lorded it over her and us.

Later The Man and I acquired a very soppy rottie called Sharne. Nothing tough about this dog. All bark and no bite at all. She was a lovely and we loved her dearly.

There are stories about each of these animal, but that is for another day.