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September 2009

Dear Irish Terrier Friends,

I picked up my first conker in the park this morning. It felt rather ominous. I love the summer even if it rains. But a beautiful smooth conker in my hand is little solace for the shortening days. It’s so much easier to get around while it’s light and the dogs love chatting to neighbours in the front garden and having extra afternoon walks up to the post box and back.

Zu and Beegie are in good form and I’m so pleased not to have put Beegie through the anal gland procedure suggested by the vet. We have Tessie staying while her family’s in Greece and there was a lot of racing in the park this morning in the cooler air. Beeg and Tessie compete for sticks – only chasing of course, nothing elaborate like bringing them back, while Zuli chases only creatures that run for their lives. I’m not taking Beeg to the Fun Day, it’s at Roade as usual on 13th September. She does love the races but as she’s won the sausage race nine times in succession (disqualified only once for nabbing a second sausage!) I think it’s high time she retired. She loves all the fun and the noise and the dressing up but I think enough is enough. We’ll stage a race or two in the garden for Beeg and I’ll be freer to enjoy all the puppies. Do come and see us at the book store. It’s always heaven to be surrounded by so many Irish Terriers.

The Windsor Show fiasco, when I was in dreadful trouble for leaving the dogs in the car – see July letter, seems to have blown over. The show authorities have put out a notice that they will not allow any dog to be left in a car but I have to say in my defence that there were no notices in the car park. Zu and Beeg and the canaries couldn’t have been less perturbed. The point however is taken.

Incidentally we have acquired a very plump pale yellow budgerigar, picked up in the street and dully presented to me by a neighbour. We’ve put up notices but it’s a week now so I suspect she’s a permanent fixture. The dogs are very aware that she is not a canary and press their noses against the cage saying ‘who are you?’

We spent a week in the New Forest in August looking after the Manner’s musses. They are the Misses October in this year’s calendar. We’re a very jolly band – four deaf old ladies that includes me but Nonny who is probably the strongest, most athletic Irish Terrier I’ve ever known.

Izzy, Zu and Beeg are puppyhood friends and are so fond of each other. Irish Terriers seem to form real friendships that last a lifetime - they never forget an enemy either - of course. I wonder if this is equally pronounced in other breeds? Nonny and I went off for some long walks together leaving the old girls curled up and I have to say she is a lovely dog. She reminds me of Betjeman’s ‘Miss Joan Hunter Dunn’, large, strong and sporty and quite delicious. She’s growing very fond of the baby Virginia and tries to keep Zu and Beegie away. I think she’ll be one of the best. Izzy likes to swim and we had some slow, solemn immersions in the swimming pool with the others just tipping their toes on the steps. If I get in and swim they run up and down barking and when I get out they welcome me as if I’d just swum the Channel.

I’m very sad that our first little show girl Dorabella died last week. My late husband Ian and I adored her. We’d never had a show dog and spent two years following her round as she won consistently and quickly became a champion. She stayed with Anne Bradley but we did grow immensely fond of her and when she was retired unfortunately it wasn’t the time to have another adult bitch in the house and I was so preoccupied caring for Ian that we decided she should go to a wonderful home instead of coming to us. It almost broke my heart. I’m so grateful to Roy and Vera who looked after her with such loving care and she had of course a great life. She’s the little bitch on the welcome page of the web site - one of the loveliest Irish Terriers I’ve ever seen. We’ll put her up on the obituary page next week.

Thank you all so much for the lovely pic’s for the calendar. We will store them and may even use some next year so don’t be too sad if you don’t score a page in 2010.

We’re off to Pembrokeshire this weekend to see our last dog walker to whom we are all devoted. She inevitably has her own Irish Terrier, Seanna, who is a great favourite when they were all in London.

Many greetings, my love to the dogs,

Lucy