Many thanks to lovely
@Joy and frisky Molly for a beautiful sunny walk along the cliffs this morning in Newhaven! Joy has an amazing walk just steps from her front door and both Carbon and Molly had fun running through the long grass.
It has been a year ago this week since I first met Joy and Molly walking with
@kateincornwall , Nelly and Carbon at Golitha Falls in Cornwall.
I know Kate remembers The Sheep Leg incident from that walk particularly well.
While I'd like to say that it was fun to show Joy how far Carbon's come in that time, he was a bit of a hooligan today. He ran up to a farmhouse and their (luckily) very friendly dog and then was casing the joint on how to break into their kitchen. Of course I was screaming his name like a banshee, which of course is NOT one of his trained recall cues and was totally pointless except for making me look like a loon in front of Joy and the farmer. Sigh.
Wait? Did I say Carbon was the hooligan? Sounds more like I was the culprit! Mmmm...
After our walk, we had a nice chat at Joy's where Carbon invited himself up on her sofa (where's my polite boy who asks first??) and joined Molly in barking at seagulls. When Molly started pawing at the refrigerator door (genius move in my opinion), it was time for us to leave the girls in peace.
Carbon and I then headed down to Brighton Marina, where my friend from...well...not sure how to describe her. I ran into her nine years ago in Cannes while I was walking Brogan. Her dog Dexter tried to murder Brogan and a good friendship was born. Gilly used to drive me to the beach with her three dogs in her leaky car (the roof had a rust hole in it) and Brogan in the back while Dexter glared daggers at him. I was never quite sure if Brogan was entirely safe back there but luckily Gilly's car didn't make it far so the homicidal opportunity window was always blessedly short.
In the nine years since, Gilly moved to San Francisco (where I visited her three times), then last fall back to Antibes (where I visited her last October) and then Brexit uncertainty forced her to Brighton two months ago where she's currently in exile and trying to figure out how to get back to France.
Though Dexter has long gone to the great doggie beyond, her two Turkish street dog girls, Chloe and Pickle, are going gangbusters. I swear they've not changed a jot since I first met them. Pickle's real name isn't Pickle, but as she has a dodgy backend and is always in a pickle that is the only name I know her by. Her real name is something elegant like Penelope. It doesn't fit a funny little thing who sometimes just gets stuck with her legs folded up under her and has to be set back up like a wind up toy dog that's fallen over. So...Pickle.
Despite the beautiful morning with Joy, once I got to Brighton it rained and rained and rained. Three rescue dogs who hate the Wet from Above were not having it when it came to a walk so we stayed in and talked way too much until I finally drove away six hours later with a hoarse voice and a VERY hungry and disgruntled Carbon.
"I am so very hungry and this silly Mama Lady does NOT respect the sanctity of my meal time! Pfft!!!" - Carbon
A lovely day was unfortunately ended by me driving in circles trying to find a tiny street space into which I could squeeze my TARDIS. I've ended up a good five minute walk away and if possible in an even worse street than before. At least Joy - as an official local - confirmed my feeling that this street is dodgy so I feel a little vindicated instead of just being a paranoid American.
And so once again, all hail the power of the lambies to keep my car windows intact overnight!
What a come down after the lovely house , hoping that the weather allows you to be away from the awfulness as much as possible xx
