... he doesn't understand the "BOOMERANG EFFECT' like Chocolat does!

The hound makes me laugh .... every day, in some way, she brings humour into my life. She makes me laugh .... loudly ... spontaneously ..... uncontrollably at times.  Sometimes I even think she’s laughing AT me.  I don’t blame her ... I do have the occasional ‘blonde moment’ ... yes, even me .... when all and sundry have a chuckle at my expense.

A damp and drizzly day ...

I love to watch the faces of fellow ramblers or people in cars as they pass us when we’re out on our ramble.  The hound’s normally trotting along in front, rugby ball firmly clasped in her mouth.  You can see who’s aware of what’s happening around them and who’s not .... by the way their face lights up with a smile when they spot her.  I guess there aren’t many Chocolate Labradors pounding the pavements with a rugby ball in their mouth ... she’s a bit of an oddity.

More people should have hounds ... hounds have a way of making friends out of strangers.  It’s impossible to walk on the beach with a hound and not stop and chat to someone ... well .... it’s impossible in my case ..... nuff said.

Every Chocolate Lab I’ve met has a different personality ..... we were joined on the beach by Indy today and another chocolate dog, Barney, who came to join in the fun.  Barney’s the bully of the doggy playground (his human's words, not mine!).

Barney trying to get the ball of Chocolat ... Indy in the background

He chases and pinches the toys of all the other dogs.  If there’s a ball or a toy being thrown he’s right there in the middle ... racing from one end of the beach to the other.  The more dogs involved in the chase the happier he is.  There’s no malice or aggression in his antics ... he’s just doing what he loves best! 

Julia and Indy waiting on the beach for us ... we took the long way round!

He doesn’t always bring back what’s thrown though ... he obviously doesn't understand the ‘boomerang effect’ like Chocolat does!  Hmmmm ... one could say life is pretty much like a boomerang ... actions and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy.

I digress though ..... I’ve mentioned Indy in my blog before ...he’s laid-back, long-legged and elegant.  I never thought Chocolate Labs could be elegant until I met Indy.  He’s an American bred Chocolate Lab, taller than Chocolat ... with very long legs and a handsome face. I’d say Indy’s beautiful but he’s a boy ... I’d hate him to be confused about his sexual orientation .... he doesn’t lift his leg when he wees - but then again, Julia and Scott haven’t shown him how!!  Indy’s poetry in motion .... he lopes along the beach smoothly and effortlessly, even at speed!  He doesn’t have my hound’s obsession with ‘fetching’ things.  For Indy the beach is about exploration, socialising ... and, much to Julia’s dismay, the occasional tit-bit!

My hound finds water EVERYWHERE!

My hound is typical of the English bred Labrador .... she has an ungainly gallop .... a waddle when she walks - yep,  just like a duck ... and an insatiable desire to retrieve logs or balls all day long ... I get tired of it before she does!  There’s little elegant about her at all .... the only time she’s remotely elegant is when she’s swimming.  She’s a powerful swimmer, fast and extremely capable ... she reminds me of a seal ... ungainly on land but supremely fluid in the waves.

This is what happens when you let your OTHER HALF have the camera
 ... half a photo!

Sadly, there was no big yellow orb visible in my sky today ... instead there was low cloud, a cool breeze and yes, the inevitable rain ... it dampened our bodies but not our enthusiasm ... and it never dampens my hounds enthusiasm.  This ebb and flow in life and in our weather is inevitable ... it’s how we handle it that allows us to stay centred.   I have to acknowledge that dark (the rain and the clouds) and light (my glorious sunshine) are opposites, yet they work in harmony ... they have two separate meanings yet they compliment and balance each other out.


For every day of SUNSHINE I have, there'll be a day of rain ... and it’s the same with everything in life ... yin and yang ... interdependent and continually transforming.  One cannot exist without the other.  


I firmly believe you get what you put out ... when you put out amazing love, laughter and positive energy, it’s returned … always ..... just look at my hound!