Archie discovers The World…

... and found it Very Interesting, if a bit scary...

We took our first walk and went right down to The Meadows. There he saw two big dogs - a labradoodle and a bull terrier - both of them ignored him.

He also saw cars and vans and loud teenagers and toddlers on scooters and ladies in clumpy boots - he always stopped to stare at them until they stomped past.

He looked in gardens, sniffed lampposts and trees, picked up various unsavoury things like bits of plastic, beer cans, cigarette packets, bottle corks. But the things he liked best were the divots of grass - of which there were plenty, as we walked on the putting green.

As we came back by the construction site and teenage yelly folk, instead of trotting ahead, he walked right by my heel in the desired fashion - I’m sure he wasn’t scared - he was probably tired. Some of the teenagers stopped to pat him.

When we got home, he immediately wanted to sit up on my knee - he sits by my feet and looks up pleadingly until I invite him up. He wanted to go to sleep right away. But first he always cleans his feet like a cat, snuffling and squeaking endearingly.

He’s asleep now, no doubt dreaming of that never-ending grass.

I may need a wee snooze too after all that excitement.