It’s a spring-like day in Hertfordshire and although there will be cold weather and wet weather ahead in February and March it’s good to imagine that the worst of winter might soon be over. Not that it has been torture so far – a few days of deep frost and a day or two of snowfall is the worst we have faced. Mind you, I am not used to clayey soils that you get around here. They make for a lot of mud.
What I want to write about today is our puppy Hugo and that ties in nicely with new beginnings at this time of year. He is still not five months old and just beginning on life and growing rapidly, an Airedale Terrier with an avid interest in food, a boundless energy and a serious teething problem. He has chewed his way through bits and pieces of furniture, clothing, and several precious plants from the garden. He is irascible, tenacious, interested in everything he sees, smells and puts in his mouth, and he is already showing signs of loyalty and gradually getting the hang of pooing and peeing outside the house rather than in it.
But is he infuriating at times? Yes. He still hasn’t learned to walk at our side, no doubt due to the inability of our poor trainer to conduct all her classes in our recent mix of lock-down and wintry weather. And Hugo still thinks that biting you can be fun. ( No it can’t) But all of that is made up for by the pleasure of seeing him learn about life with massive enthusiasm. He was tiny when we picked him up from Harlow but even then he was confident enough to sit calmly in the car on the way home. Indeed, he is a great car traveller, looking out of the windows with interest. One worry is his relationship with Vern the cat who had prior ownership of the house and who doesn’t let Hugo get close. Hugo’s fault too. He is too boisterous. If only Vern would decide to belt him one with her claws it might create a more restrained and familial cat-dog relationship in the house.
And so, he is sitting at my feet as I write this blog update. Quiet for now. Not for long though. He certainly offers good companionship for moments like this. And my writing? Yes it continues. I did a piece for Slugger O’Toole’s famous website last weekend on the theme Pro-Union communities in NI and the need for more vocalisation of their stories. If you have bought The Illustrated History of Flight, you will know what I am referring to, I hope.