Two chance meetings

JR went off into her favourite shop to return a small item (cushion, actually) which did not fit her requirements. So Archie and I set off for a walk, to include a coffee, I informed him. It was only after we'd passed the local cafe (which we frequent) that I realised that he'd deliberately pulled me past it. I'm up to his tricks, though - we went to the other one.

There was an older lady (actually *ahem* about my age...) with a walker, standing at the corner. She smiled, so I just enquired, nosily, 'And where are you off to?'

Turned out she was looking for a second hand shop to buy a chest of drawers. She had a slight Aussie accent, so I immediately liked her. As I was going in the direction of two charity shops, I said I’d show her the way (via a coffee).

We had a good chat, and she told me she'd recently moved from Australia to be with her (40 year old) daughter who had come to Scotland because the climate was better for her long term debilitating condition. Not sure what it is. She'd also lived in NZ, Singapore and Hong Kong, but spent her childhood in Liverpool. People's stories are fascinating.

After our coffees, I pointed her in the right direction for the two second hand shops, and Archie and I went to the Meadows. We met a big gorgeous Vizsla called Meena, or possibly Nina. She showed me her trick of choosing which hand the treat was in (but she kept cheating and touching both clenched fists with both paws at once) and Archie showed her his spectacular catching and that he can 'Wait' before eating his treat. Meena (or possibly Nina) was unimpressed, but her owner was.