A couple of corners?

Another blistering hot day - had to move the new bench into the shade this morning to sit out in my jammies. What a summer! Too hot at the beach for us, so we decided on a woodland walk with a compulsory short drive for Archie's continuing car training. The drive was about 50 minutes - perhaps an hour - and... he wasn't sick!! And he wasn't sick on the way back!! Is this a corner we have turned?

We went to Gosford Farm Shop, where we had a nice healthy toasted panini, followed by an even healthier chocolate Guinness cake. Although actually, we ate the cake first. Archie lay under the table.

Then we took a walk round the huge grounds. We were last there with Chameleo, when we discovered how lovely it was. Loads of lakes and waterfowl and woodland paths. I see, on reading about the last visit, I declared that if I owned the land I'd ban dogs. This was because we saw dog poo bags just left on the ground or hung in trees. And there was a spaniel who was charging around chasing the ducks and ducklings - even in the water -while the ’responsible' owner was on his mobile. I was so angry with him. Today I carried a warm poo bag round for an hour before I could deposit it in the bin back at the shop.

Archie loved it, and he was off the lead for a while, but we were worried about him finding the fabled fox poo and rolling in it. Besides, the geese were not happy to see him, and started honking from afar. They needn't have worried- he was terrified of them!

This is the wee boat shed. I was trying to take photos of Archie when a bunch of kids arrived. 'Does he bite?' they squeaked. Actually, they were very good, and so was he. I was amazed when he seemed to enjoy being patted by small humans. Another corner turned?

We're home again. Archie is zonked out. But if we said the magic word - KIBBLE - he'd be up like a shot.