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July 2010

Dear Irish Terrier Friends,

We mustn’t complain but this month has been much too hot for the dogs and for me too. We’ve been crawling like snails around Regent’s Park resting in the shade – we have our favourite trees. Zu and Beeg ease themselves gently into the lake to cool off. Don’t imagine that there’s any extravagant plunging in and splashing or swimming. It’s all very circumspect and considered a great mistake to loose one’s footing as they process in tandem very solemnly along the edge. Tessie is often with us and as she’s a great ball game fanatic she gets very hot indeed. But she’s an unwilling swimmer and has to be heaved in if I can catch her of course! The swim always triggers a jolly romp and it is so endearing to watch them all spinning round and playing together again like a little snapshot into the past.

Beegie had slowed up so much recently that when they were having their ‘shots’ I asked the vet most particularly to check her heart. It seems that she is perfectly well, in excellent condition for her 13 ½ years, but has put on 2 ½ lbs in the last year. She’s not fat by any means but it is too much for an old dog. She’s hugely greedy, quite unlike Zuli (who is a fussy eater) and I have been far less strict lately about treats and biscuits. I suspect she often hoovers up Zuli’s ‘leftovers’ too. Anyway, she has already shrunk a little, and Carol who has stripped all our Irish since the 1960’s decided to ‘clip her out’ almost to the skin. She is so much cooler and more comfortable and for, at this age, the undercoat tends to take over and never strips out properly. Clipping has proved the solution and after all we’re not in line for Crufts!

Carol trimmed Zuli with the scissors as she felt the noise of the clippers (a very gently hum) would be too much for Zuleika’s delicate nature. We all love Carol and the dogs rush to greet her and get on to the table first. Tessie of course lies down which is breaking all the rules I’m sure.

We’ve had some happy summer visits. Zu and Beegie know all the routines and love the trips to stay with cousins in Bath or Winchester or with Nonny Manners in the New Forest. They are the most perfect companions and I often think they imagine they’re visiting ‘their friends’ and I’m just tagging along. Certainly friends who come to stay are given the full charm offensive. We ‘made it’ up to Markfield to the Irish Terrier Association Show spending the night in Loughborough which makes for an easier day. It is a long drive from London. I enjoyed the show very much and loved the puppies who often come along simply for the outing. We had an excellent and also very chatty amusing judge from Wales which made for an jolly lunch party. The dogs were all very happy with him and the show was considered to have been a great success.

We did three photo shoots with Andrew Farrer who has previously provided some lovely pictures for the calendar. We have used them for the Discover Dogs booth and have a good collection now which we can rotate and hopefully impress the Kennel Club.

Anne Bradley’s 2 puppies, now 16 weeks old, were little tykes to catch on camera. They were so lively and full of fun but he did manage to get some charming pics. The older dogs raced around in Anne’s fenced off field and there are some good action shots. We photographed Dash with his 3 boys on the trampoline and playing cricket and football in their lovely garden. He is a gorgeous dog and so devoted to the children.

It was a joy to see little Moya at home with Claudia who usually shows her and does so well in obedience. They both have glorious red hair and are wonderfully picture worthy. Moya is so manageable and well behaved at a show that it was surprising to see her whacking round her garden at home and playing with Hugo the amazing honey coloured Persian cat. Curiously they both love cheese which gave a great incentive to sit still for the camera.

I was asked to do a presentation of all the Irish Terrier story books at Imogen, my youngest granddaughter’s school. They do have the books in the library but it seemed a fun idea to read them aloud. Tessie was invited too to come as the ‘tail wagging Muse’ (the head teacher’s definition). My daughter Lala came too and read some of the pieces. It was an enormous pleasure and Tessie of course, knows the children well from the drill at the school gate. She greeted everyone with huge excitement then lay on her back with 4 feet in the air and caused something of a distraction I fear! It was very touching to read some of the stories from ‘Three Little Girls’ and talk about our adored Isobel again and remember them all as puppies. We ended with Tessie’s ‘poem’ which begins

‘Tessie, oh Tessie, you are such a pestie,

You always get your own way etc’ which had the children in stitches. It seems the visit is likely to become an annual fixture!

I’m off to France tomorrow for a family holiday. Most of us are turning up as usual, and doubtless Boo will be needing a good rest after the long ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End. It seems they’re keeping up to their schedule but have already been hit by a freak rain storm and blew out a tyre yesterday. I for one will be very relieved when they are safely home!

If you’re away have really good holidays. I shall be back at the beginning of August but Jane will be around to receive your lovely pictures for the calendar!

With many greetings and love to the dogs,

Lucy