It’s just not cricket!

 

It’s just not cricket!

Herschel snoozes

Last night, through the heavy blanket of slumber, loud voices encroached. I struggled to understand. Were they outside? Children’s voices in the middle of the night?

But, no! They were downstairs, in my house, uninvited. As my ears adjusted, I recognised they were not children’s voices at all. With slowly dawning realisation, I understood that the voices were emanating from the television in the sitting room.

Periodically, I recognised an advertisement – something to do with insurance, I think. Advertisements are always louder than the programmes they interrupt, or so it seems to me, and so many of them are about insurance.

The voices were just loud enough to impinge, but not clear enough to be understood, a hindrance to all eavesdroppers, not that I was in the mood to snoop. My dilemma was whether or not I should go down and turn off the television. Had I opted to trudge downstairs, I would have been followed by all the animals, who would then be expecting some sort of attention – a trip into the garden, maybe, or a tasty treat. On balance, it was simpler to remain upstairs and that is what I did. I tried to block out the sound and resume my sleep. I dozed.

Sweet dreams. Jellicoe

I don’t know which cat it was, but one of them had turned on the video recorder, in order to watch a cricket match between England and South Africa. Unfortunately, for England, South Africa won.

To cap it all, Jellicoe has just hooked a buttered scone from my plate, which he then dropped, to Gilbert’s delight and satisfaction.

That’s not playing fair! It’s just not cricket!               

Pet Pride - After breakfast

Bozo and his human host this weekly meme - thank you! To see more pets please click here.
Breakfast is an exciting time in our house. Winston miaous at me and if he thinks I can't hear him or am ignoring him he yells louder and comes to pat my leg. Frodo whinnies, Tia, one of our visitors, whines softly and Foxy, our other visitor, dances from front paw to front paw, as though she's kneading the floor to bring forth food. Jenna, Gus and Buddy watch every move.
Buddy is the first to be fed - that is his privilege as the oldest dog. Correction! Winston is fed first but his food is put in the conservatory so that it doesn't get snaffled by a quick dog. Depending on what I'm giving them for breakfast the rest are fed in the kitchen or outside. If I'm cutting up heart or kidney then they remain indoors and watch as the bowls are filled. Minced tripe is the easiest meal - and probably the smelliest. I simply remove the packaging and put the mess in a bowl. Tia is the next in the queue as she needs a little extra to build her up. Frodo follows, then Jenna and Foxy. Gus has already had one breakfast but is given more in the sitting room to prevent him pinching the others' food. 
If chicken wings are on the menu, Winston has one in the conservatory, Buddy doesn't have them at the moment, so he'll have tripe or heart, and the rest, including Gus,  follow me into the garden. Then it's rather like feeding the penguins at the zoo - or perhaps the alligators. I toss a wing to each dog in turn and the snapping of Frodo's jaws is loud and fearsome. They edge closer and closer so that I have to toss the wings further afield to make them move back. After I've counted the wings for each dog we all troop back indoors again. 
The next excitement is the ritual of the pills, all served in peanut butter. They all watch as I set out the tablets and capsules. Frodo has the most as he has anti-epileptic drugs three times a day, plus MSM, glucosamine, bromelain and a couple of other tablets. He has his dose first. Buddy is next, followed by Tia, Jenna, Foxy and Gus.
Then they settle down for a well-earned rest.

Winston chooses one of the footstools.

Frodo curls up in his basket.

Jenna likes to rest on Barry's chair.

Buddy and Tia play bookends on one of the settees.

Foxy and Gus sleep together in another dog bed, close to the box of toys.

Peace reigns supreme, punctuated only by snores and whimpers as they dream of rabbits.