Haircut, Hastings and Shampoo

What a big day! We started off (at my 07:00 request) with a walk all around the Abbey Fields and the Iron Wharf. Dad likes to see the Thames Sailing Barges, although a lot of them at this time of year are in drydock, being fixed, or are under "poly-tunnels" of plastic, with their masts and rigging all lowered. We like this walk in the wet, as it's not too muddy, but we still manage to get dirty "skirts" through the puddly bits

Then it was time for a haircut. Megan and Haggis got a proper buzz-over (No 5) their necks, backs, flanks and bums, plus a scissor trim round their faces. Dad admits he's no expert, but they come out looking OK, and every time he does it he saves £35 or so per dog. There were HEAPS of cut hair everywhere. Then it was my turn, but Dad only gave me a light scissor cut to trim off my whispy, voluminous "hareem pants", round off my ears into the family uniform "teddy bear" shape, and tidy my bum, then buzzed the trimmers near to me without cutting any hair, to get me used to the idea. Then we all got a treat

The buzz-cut removes all the beige-grubby outer fur, leaving us stark white above the "tide-line", and only serves to accentuate how dirty were our skirts after the puddle-bashing. A shampoo-ing was threatening, but first we had to go to Hastings to visit Grandma and Grandad. Every Saturday for 50 years or so (probably longer!), I am told, Grandma has cooked steak and kidney pud, so Mum and Dad generally arrange visits for the Saturday! The only Saturdays they miss are Christmas (in which case the pud is on the 26th), or if they are away. They were great, although I had to have a gruff and bark at Grandad's wheelie-walker thingy. Scary. The garden is great, too - all old, long-established and wild. Even has a 70 foot, 40 year old gnarly old willow tree.

The shampoo came to all of us when we got back home. Dad lit a real fire, so we'd be able to dry out quickly, then dad took us one by one (me first) into the shower, while Mum was on towel duty on the landing. Now, you can see from the photo, we are all gleaming white, fragrant and fluffy

Soon change that!

Deefer