We're not REAL customers!

Wake up.  Hug hound .... and fur-ball.  Have a good day.  

So I did .... and I had a chuckle too!!

My BEST friend!

“Thank goodness they’re not REAL customers.”

I was at the Co-op getting my second fix of the day and as I’d walked in Solita had yelled 
“Disaster!” and shouted for Nicky.

She’d been emptying the coffee waste bag and the bag had split as she’d lifted it out.
There was ground coffee all OVER the floor ..... it was a MESS!

Julia and I were the only customers in the shop, hence the remark.  We’re not REAL customers, we’re REGULARS ... and yes, there’s a difference.  Regulars are accommodating and expect and accept the occasional delay in satisfying their caffeine addiction.   REAL customers don’t.  We just chuckled .... and commiserated about the mess .... whilst we waited for our coffee.

Indy's stopped to hoover and she's getting impatient .... she can see the dog pond in front of her!

We were both in a good space.  We’d just finished our ramble, we had happy TIRED hounds and were back for another mood-enhancing boost before tackling the rest of the day!  

So she took herself along to it and jumped in .... and waited ....

First there were FOUR ....

My self-designated word for more than one Labrador has become even more convoluted. 
 It’s going to have to become a MUDDLE when all the Labradors are chocolate brown .... ie they make a MUDDY PUDDLE.  
We encountered a MUDDLE of Labradors at Waiatarua today ...  FIVE of them and all CHOCOLATE brown in colour!

... then Ruby joined in and there were FIVE!

We’ve come across other Chocolate Labs before but never that many at the reserve.  We’ve had 4 together on the beach ... Chocolat, Indy, Bella and Barney ... but never FIVE.  The other three today were all related.  Ruby, at 12, was the Matriach and mom to 7 year old Bella and Daisy.

Labs have an affinity for one another that I’ve not seen in too many other breeds.  They seem to recognise one of their own, regardless of colour, and greet them as if they’ve known them ALL their life.  There’s NO hesitation, they’re INSTANTLY friends.  The mandatory butt-sniffing and nose-kissing still takes place but there’s a familiarity about it that isn’t there with other breeds.  They’re GOOFY and they KNOW it.

Even Indy took to the water today .... maybe because there weren't any other hounds around

Not only did we meet all these Chocolate Labs but we also met Diesel the Scottish Terrier and Jess the Border Collie.  Diesel reminded me SO much of Murdoch, the Scottish Terrier I had back in SA, only Murdoch had a bit of brindle in his coat whereas Diesel was all black.  He was gorgeous ... stocky, independent and feisty and VERY interested in getting to know the hounds better.

The ears are backwards ....

Jess was carrying a small stick and was convinced that our hounds wanted to pinch it.  She had SUCH an expressive face with ears that went forward or backward depending on the command her owner gave her.  Like all breeds, Border Collies have such instinctive behaviour ... Jess would drop to the ground and wait for the command to fetch her stick ... no movement, just absolute stillness and focus as she waited to hear the right word.

... and then she hears 'STICK' ..... and the ears come forward!

My hound couldn’t stand that still if she tried!

Just look at her .... she's down but there's still movement .... the tail has a life of its own!

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. 
Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” 

~ Dalia Lama

We get home and the hound finds her bed's been pinched by a fur-ball

.... who doesn't LIKE being moved.