BBQs and Bank Holidays in Disley

It was Dave and Louise's birthday this week, and they got each other big boxes that they didn't open on the day, which was strange I thought.  Louise says she's opening hers this weekend when she's got time to put up her new patio furniture.  Furniture is normally inside and very comfie to sit on so I'm looking forward to furniture I can sit on in the garden and keep guard for Ollie, the mean cat next door.  Dave opened his last night and it's barbie queue, which I thought might be a queue of dolls but it turns out he can cook food for me like sausages on it outside.  It's so big he can't even get it out the living room and I didn't like the banging when he tried to move it.  Louise laughed a lot but I know Dave will move it when he's finished driving the bus; he's very strong.

My new barbie queue for my sausages

The banks have told everyone they can have Monday off, which is nice of them.  David, the man in charge of the country, must let the banks choose the holidays because they have all the money.  Dave's Mum and Dad might visit us in Disley which is nice.  His Mum is called Jen and she lets me sit on her lap to snooze.  I plan to snooze a lot this weekend.  Louise says we can visit her Mum and Dad again soon too; they live in Hampshire which is a long drive from Cheshire.  It's good there because even though I'm not allowed on the furniture they have set me up my very own outdoor dog toilet to wee in called a pond.

Snoozing on laps

A quiet weekend for this dog in Disley

It's been a pretty quiet weekend this week.  Dave had to work and so me and Louise mainly played on our own.  Louise seemed a little grumpy on Saturday because she was trying to make the floor look nice; she said the carpet, which is what they put on the floor to make sure my paws stay soft, was a mess. 

She sprayed what looked like dog shampoo (which I definitely don't like) on the floor by the door and used a funny brush to scratch it.  It was very odd but she seemed to think it looked better and I was just pleased it wasn't me being washed and brushed.  Then she hoovered it.  I hate the hoover, it is a mean, loud machine that makes sure the floor is working properly and I think Louise goes near me with it on purpose.  I make sure I move out the way slowly, so she can see I'm not scared.  She says now I need to keep my muddy paws off of the floor.  I've been practicing although I can't get around the house on my back all the time!

Paws off the floor!

Louise might have also been grumpy because I woke her up earlier than she wanted.  I wasn't happy about having to bark so loud in the morning any more than she was, but Disley's postman was posting more junk mail through the hole in the door.  I think it's so rude, I would never give people junk but he seems to do it every day and get paid for it.  When Louise had stopped saying rude words at me (she is not keen on mornings) she said the junk mail was about curry, which is spicy food that is not for dogs, so I wasn't interested.  There's never any junk mail about things I like, like chasing squirrels, crisps, Frisbees and gravy.

I hear junk mail!

 This week is Louise and Dave's birthday.  I think it's good that they arranged them to be next to each other so it's easier for me to remember.  I will be giving them extra kisses and cuddles because I know that would be their favourite present.

The longest walk in the history of Disley

Cooling off in the stream!

I had a VERY busy day yesterday, I went on one of the longest walks I think I’ve ever been on, even dog walks with Aaron.  It was a really nice day because the sky was blue and Dave and Louise walked me together which was a special treat.  We went down to the canal but we went a different way and ended up walking through the woods which was dark and there were lots of funny noises in the trees and bushes.  Louise and Dave got a bit tired and sat on a giant stick that is too big to throw for fetch called a log, and then we carried on to find some water for me.  

This stick was too big to fetch

It was very hot so I was pleased to find a little stream, but then we found a bigger stream called a river and I think it’s where Aaron takes me, except this time I had it all to myself.  I like the water but not when my little legs can’t touch the bottom.  Dave was trying to get me to swim a bit more, and so he threw sticks for me to fetch into the deep water.  I tried barking at them to get to get closer but when that didn’t work I found out that the water makes the stick move, and so if you stand further down the river in the shallow part it floats to you.  This is a much better way of playing fetch; when the stick comes to you.  Even then, I got very wet and had to shake a lot to get even a bit dry.  I had a good mind to make Dave go into the deeper water himself, he has very long legs; he’s much bigger than any other dog owner which is good because big dogs don’t mess with me.  

Shaking off

 After the long long walk Louise said she was gasping, which is a funny kind of breathing, and I don’t know how a pint would help with breathing but it seemed to make her and Dave feel much better and Dave looked a lot less red.  I don’t drink pints but it was good to rest and dry off in the sunshine.

 

A pint on the way home

I like sunshine better than any other kind of weather, even snow and I love snow.  Sunshine means longer walks and fun in the water, and if we go to the pub everyone likes to sit in the beer garden with me even more than they already do.     

Sharing and double standards when it comes to dogs

I have often been told by Dave and Louise how important it is to share, which is why I'm so generous with the Pringles that Louise buys for me; I let Dave have some, I even let him hold the tube.  BUT, I'm starting to think that there are double standards going on; why do I have to share my Pringles when Louise won't share her pillow?  She likes to sit with the pillow when she watches TV, but I like to sit on the pillow when I'm watching her watching TV.  She said it's her pillow because she bought it, but I more than pull my weight as a food disposal unit as well as a cat deterrent and junk mail monitoring system.  

I am going to try and get Louise used to sharing the pillow by looking so comfortable on the pillow that she feels really really bad asking to use it.  Let me know what you think of my 'I'm so comfie, why would you want me to move' look.  The stripey blanket next to where I'm sitting on Louise's pillow is my dog blanket, which Louise is more than welcome to share.

I'm so comfie, why would you want me to move?

A week in the life of Ricky; Disley's top dog, probably Cheshire's top dog but there are more dogs so it's tricky to tell

This weekend has been very relaxing, me and Louise just went for walks, relaxed on the sofa and did some tidying to stop Dave from getting something called a strop, which sounds a bit like a cold and we don’t want Dave poorly.  The weekend before was very busy though.  Dave and Louise had to go away for a few days for a funeral, which is a sad day, and so I stayed with Scrappy and Aaron.  I have lots of fun there, Scrappy is one of my favourite dogs in Cheshire, and there are always lots of other dogs to meet.  This time I met a shiny, black dog called Lucy.  The other Lucy that I know is our next door neighbor who I don’t think likes me very much, but doggy Lucy is very nice and she likes to run and play like I do.

Me, Scrappy, and my new shiny, black friend Lucy

Walking is thirsty work

I got to go in Aaron’s car for a drive; he called it the Little Happy Hound-mobile, which is probably because all his dog friends are all a little happy.  We went over lots of fields and played in the stream.  He took lots of photos, which is not surprising as me and Scrappy are probably Disley’s most famous dogs as we are always on the Internet.

Me and Lucy in the Little Happy Hound-mobile

 

Taking in the fresh Cheshire air

 It was good to have Dave and Louise back though; I was very tired and so were they.  I felt bad for Aaron, he was clearly sorry to see me go, he even gave me a goodbye treat.  When we got home, Dave gave me lots of fuss, he likes cuddles as much as I do.  He said I had smelly doggy breath which was a bit rude.  I tried to make it better on Saturday by eating some minty Polos, but all it did was make my tummy sound strange and Louise was a bit cross, she said sweets are not for dogs no matter how smelly their breath is.  Dave says Louise only tells me off because she cares; I wish she would care a little less crossly sometimes.  She said I was in the dog house, which is funny because our whole house is a dog house so of course I am.    

In the dog house, whichever part of the house that is.

  

Taking (photos of) the Ricky

Dave has been driving the bus at night this week.  This means that when Louise picks me up and we get home he's not there, although I always quickly check upstairs to be sure when we get home in case he's having a nap as I like to.  It's a bit quiet without him because he has such a loud laugh, but it's nice to spend time with Louise too.  She was looking on the lapcomputer last night and found some photos of me when I first moved in with Dave and Louise.  It was in another village before we moved to Disley or even Cheshire.  I looked so young and skinny!  I was worried this meant I had got fat but Louise said I was too thin back then and now I am just right.  This is good news; I was worried I wouldn't be allowed any more Pringles.

I look so little!

 This is a funny photo, I thought I must have been being helpful, but Louise said I had taken the brush to play with and wouldn't give it back!  I'm quite sure I was never that immature I'm sure she must be thinking of another ginger haired dog that lived in the area.  I am very helpful these days.  I always make sure that there is no food left on the floor in the kitchen and if someone leaves a wrapper anywhere I make sure there are no crumbs going to fall out of it.  I am also an accomplished bed, sofa and lap warmer, face washer and patio jet sprayer.  Overall seeing as all Dave and Louise have to do is feed me, wash and brush me, walk me and give up half their bed and sofa for me, I think they get a pretty good deal.

I am one helpful dog

Who put all the salt in the sea?

We went to the beach yesterday in Crosby, a long drive from Disley, and it was the first time I have seen the sea which was exciting.  The sea is like a huge river that is so big you can't even see the other side and the water tastes funny.  Louise says it's salt water, which is like what you put on chips so I don't know who put all the salt in the sea.  The ground is made of sand which is wet soil that you can write on which is handy as there are no pens at the sea.  Dave wrote my name for me.

Sand, dirt you can write on

 The best thing about this beach was there were loads of big statues of men which were funny.  I needed a wee but Louise said it was naughty to wee on them because it was art.  I thought art was painting so I wasn't too worried when she told me off and Dave thought it was funny.

Me and Dave making friends with the statue

I went in the salty water too and pretended to play fetch for Dave with stones.  I know you can't fetch stones but Dave seemed to be having fun and I didn't want to let him down especially since he got me a cone that normally has white cold stuff called ice cream in.  I was hot and the water made me cooler which was good.  I was very tired at the end of the day and so when Dave and Louise watched a film I laid on the sofa with them.  Louise said I took up a lot of space but I was just making sure that Dave got a good cuddle.

Cooling down in the salty water