29th November. We've been sampling the Beaujolais Nouveau (right) over the last few days.. (a tough job but.. etc etc) My recommendation - for what it's worth - would be to try Georges Duboeuf's offering..
28th November. Prior to the arrival of the Covid 19 pandemic, the choir I used to sing with had been rehearsing this sublime piece by Mozart - Laudate Dominum (KV339) - but sadly Covid 19 shut everything down and we were never able to perform it in a concert*. The Laudate was a really satisfying piece to sing - the choir comes in at 2:45 in the recording below (needless to say this wasn't my choir!). Here's Barbara Hendricks first with the Laudate followed by Handel's Hallelujah Chorus:
* My memory's going! I bumped into one of the ladies from the choir yesterday and she said that we had performed the Laudate at the last concert that preceded the lockdown.. My memory's like a Swiss cheese!
27th November. In a broadcast to the nation on Tuesday evening, President Macron loosened the grip of the current lockdown, which will be replaced by a curfew from 15 December. He announced that the easing of restrictions would not take place overnight but in three phases until January 20th. He warned that its implementation will depend on the evolution of the epidemic.
Phase 1: The easing will begin on Saturday, November 28: the lockdown will remain in place, but the certificate that people currently use when they leave home, will allow people to travel 20 km from home instead of one, and for three hours instead of one*. He also lifted the constraints on Christmas shopping by reopening all so-called "non-essential" shops such as bookshops and clothing shops until 9 pm. Restaurants and bars, however, will remain closed.
* Nutty, our cocker spaniel, will be happy with this news as it means we can give him a good run on the beach!
Phase 2: The second stage is set for December 15th, the day on which "the confinement can be lifted" if health conditions permit. It will be replaced by a curfew from 9pm to 7am throughout the country, with an exception for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, when people will be free to travel. A 'truce' at the end of the year has also been agreed upon by several neighbouring countries, such as the United Kingdom, which on Tuesday authorised family reunions from 23 to 27 December, while Germany plans to limit the number of participants in family celebrations to ten people.
From December 15th, cinemas, theatres, and museums will be allowed to reopen, but gatherings and festive events will continue to be banned.
Phase 3: The third phase will begin on 20 January with the potential reopening of restaurants and sports halls. However, no date has been set for the bars and discotheques.
Vaccines: The vaccination, which will not be compulsory, will be able to start "in late December-early January" for "the most vulnerable people". France, together with the European Union, has "secured the number of doses" needed to secure the population, he said.
After the first vaccines became available at the end of December, a second generation of vaccine is expected in the spring.
25th November. Hard to believe but Chr****as is but a month away.. Normally, by this time, I'm just about all shopped-out - but with all the shops having been closed, the secret hiding place for presents on top of an old armoire has yet to be used.
Here's Joe Pass with his jazz guitar version of "Autumn Leaves" - New York magazine wrote of him that: "Joe Pass looks like somebody's uncle and plays guitar like nobody's business." (You can listen to more of his beautiful playing here)
21st November. We're definitely heading into winter down here. Yesterday, I put the all-weather cover over the table that stays out on the terrace and I raked up another pile of leaves from the red maple down the bottom of the garden. The plancha has already been greased and put away and the hortensia (hydrangea) shrubs / bushes (which is the right description?) have been pruned. The lawn is looking healthy and it's still growing.
I think we're just about ready for winter and the westerly gale-force winds that will soon be blowing in from the Bay of Biscay (known as the Golfe de Gascogne here). It will be interesting to see how the new west-facing garage door will stand up to the pounding. We'd replaced the original doors with a new set of wooden sliding doors about 10 years ago - but as they too were starting to fall apart, we replaced them a few weeks ago with a roller-type system (with another remote control to lose!).
Lit the wood-burner last night - and its comforting warm glow was very welcome. It's another indicator that winter's on its way. We seldom get snow here or even frost - but we do get storms in from the sea and they blow really hard. Over the years, we've gradually sealed off all the possible entry points so now, even when it blows, we're toasty warm.
20th November. As the dog-grooming service in town that we normally use is closed due to the current Covid restrictions, we took Nutty to Jardiland (a ginormous garden centre at Bassussarry) where a self-service dog washing facility has recently been installed inside the mammoth store. I'd like to say that he enjoyed the experience but while it was very convenient and practical for us, he made it clear that once was enough for him..
16th November. Here's something for late night listening - perhaps with a glass of something Scottish - John Coltrane with his "My Favorite Things" recorded in 1961:
And if we're talking about the wee small hours, if sleep is hard to find, when the mind insists on running through endless replays, when it seems your watch has stopped - there's nothing better than Chet Baker and his instrumental version of "My Funny Valentine". By the way, my patented late night shuffle around the dance floor was made for music like this!
15th November. With so many retail outlets being shut down, it's going to be harder than ever to find original Christmas presents this year - but if you love this part of south western France (and if not, why not?!) then you can't do much better than to browse Perry Taylor's site. He's a talented cartoonist living in the Gers - and the rural way of life there clearly inspires him. He has something for everyone on his site - all of which are related to life (and ducks!) in la France profonde. I'd be extremely surprised if you can't find that special something for your special someone from his well-observed and very funny collection.
13th November. Jean Castex, the French Prime Minister, gave a briefing on the Covid 19 situation yesterday evening. He said there were early signs of a tapering in the Covid-19 figures in France but that current lockdown measures, set to last until December 1, would remain in place.
Any loosening of restrictions after that date would be "strictly limited" to certain businesses and would exclude bars, restaurants and sports halls, Castex said. One in four deaths in France were now due to Covid-19. The number of people in hospital care for Covid-19 in France is now higher than during a previous peak in April. Castex told the news briefing that there were now more than 32,000 Covid patients in hospitals, adding that a new Covid-19 case was admitted to hospital every 30 seconds and one into intensive care every three minutes.
The government will impose further restrictions if the coronavirus outbreak worsens in the coming days but could also decide to loosen restrictions over the holidays if the situation warrants it.
France is two weeks into a new national lockdown that has hit the economy but some politicians are hoping that if the country's Covid-19 figures improve the country may be able to re-open major shops and businesses for Christmas.
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said earlier Thursday that the economic boost provided by the crucial Christmas shopping season could be salvaged — provided people abide by the health restrictions until then.
"What I wish is that we can save December for retailers ... What will dictate the decision of the prime minister and of the president is the protection of the safety of the French population," Le Maire told BFM Business radio. "We could have a dynamic December" if the population sticks to current guidelines, he added.
(If hospitals down here in the South West are accepting patients in intensive care from elsewhere, I doubt now that my knee replacement surgery will go ahead as scheduled for early January.)
10th November. Day 13 - the 'confinement' continues..
Meanwhile, here are some views of Bayonne taken during summer here..
The video below really gives a good idea of the town behind those quirky riverside properties:
7th November. Yesterday we went to our local pharmacy for our annual flu jab.. In something of a "first" for me, I didn't feel a thing as the needle went in and I have no after-effects - no lump, no soreness, nada. It was one of the girls behind the counter who did it - and talking to her a few months ago, she told me that her pharmacist's training in France took 6 years.
Later in the day, we walked to the local hospital for an MRI scan of my right knee.. It was to ensure that the prosthetic replacement will be exactly the right size - and shouldn't need too much percussion adjustment with a ball peen hammer. I suspect though that my op planned for early January might well be postponed due to the second Covid wave..
En route to the hospital, we saw three more formations of cranes heading south - all more or less in vee formations - with their distinctive squawking.
5th November. About a year ago, I was outside in the garden with the dog at around 3am (when you've gotta go, you've gotta go) (him, not me) when I heard the flapping of hundreds (if not more) of wings as a ghostly formation of cranes flew overhead in the moonlight on their way to sunnier climes..
Last night I heard some raucous squawking from on high - and sure enough it was a mighty vee formation of cranes on their way south..
2nd November. This atmospheric piece is another favourite of mine: it's the 2nd Movement from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 - close your eyes and let your mind soar..
We (finally) had a warm weekend here.. with temps in the low to mid twenties. So - leaves were raked up, the grass was mown, trees and bushes were pruned - after which all the garden detritus was whipped off to the nearby décheterie (waste/recycling centre) - having first remembered to complete and sign the latest form, duly timed and dated, required for excursions outwith the home - and to pick up a mask. I don't have a problem with these latest measures if they'll reduce the Covid infection rate. No-one knows how long this latest confinement will last.
I must say I have the utmost sympathy with the hundreds and thousands of small business owners who are constantly on the back foot - how can they plan for the future against a moving target.. do they order stocks for the festive season - and beyond - or not..? Bookshops have been closed yet wine shops are open. I think many small businesses will go to the wall - never to return - leaving us only with the online retail giants.
I've finally cracked - I've just ordered a tablet..
1st November. In another media feeding frenzy, legions of European chatterati are in the US right now waiting to tell us what the 'mood' of the American people is before, during and after Tuesday's Presidential election. It's worth bearing this advice in mind: "People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
26th November. This track by Laura Pausini was the ever-present soundtrack when I was working in Italy in the 90s:
Here's another great song from Laura with Andrea Bocelli.
The weekend rugby results were uniformly good news for the English-speaking nations - and here are the headlines as they might be reported by the English tabloids: the New Zealand tsunami made tiramisu of the Azzurri (highlights); Scotland made Argentina cry (highlights); England walloped the Wallabies (highlights); the Welsh bashed the Boks (highlights); the Irish tanked the Yanks (highlights) and, to round it off, France flopped against Fiji (highlights).. 25th November. Out on my ebike yesterday afternoon (before the rugby!) for a ride along the Adour - and I thought I'd try a ride through the Forêt de Pignada (mentioned a few days ago). I thought it would have had all the ingredients necessary for a great ride - but it didn't work out like that. Every now and again, I encountered drifts of sand across the paths and I'd come to a wobbling dead stop as the tyres cut through the sand rather than riding over it.
22nd November. We both have ebikes and I was surprised to read that the tyres need pumping up to astonishingly high pressures. For example, mine need around 65-70psi (4.5 - 4.8 bar) and if I don't ride it for a week or two, the tyre pressures soon seem to drop off. As the nearest garage with an air line is a fair way from here, I thought it would be a good idea if we had one of these handy little Michelin air compressor gizmos (left), so I ordered one this week and it arrived yesterday. It plugs into the 12v cigarette lighter socket in the car and it works a treat.
The chart below hardly needs any words to explain it. The graph shows the exchange rate between the pound sterling and the euro - and you can tell to the minute when the news was released that the EU and the UK negotiators finally agreed the Political Declaration this morning. However, this is only Part 1 and it has yet to be approved and signed off by all 27 EU states and the UK House of Commons. The Trade talks are going to grind on for a few years. I think we'll have all lost the will to live by the time that gets signed off.
19th November. I make no apology for including the full match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin - for I doubt that we'll see a better international this year. This is a rugby match to watch again and again. Highlights below - full match here.
If you want to beat the All Blacks, take a leaf out of Ireland's book - and do likewise (easy to say!). There were many thunderous tackles, mighty collisions and much heroic defending on both sides from start to finish and Ireland didn't take a single backward step. Ireland were inspired and relentless and they took the game to New Zealand with a vengeance. I wouldn't single out one player for Man of the Match - for me, there were 15 Men of the Match - and they were all Irish.
Ireland's Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best, Cian Healy, Peter O'Mahony and Devin Toner celebrate the final whistle.
Here's a short video of Bayonne that captures much of its spirit.. Within its historic ramparts (designed by Vauban), the streets are narrow and so all building had only one place to go - up! Outside, however, it's a different story and the adjacent tree-lined boulevards boast some highly desirable houses in the Basque style, interspersed by a number of pleasant parks and gardens. 18th November. I was just closing the shutters upstairs at 8pm when I heard the sound of cranes overhead on the move again. I thought they roosted overnight? If anyone knows better, please leave a message.
We've found a new place for walking the pooch - aka tree heaven! It's the Forêt de Pignada at Anglet.. and it's full of tall maritime pines, tranquil paths ideal for those contemplative walks and - at this time of the year - precious few people!
Walking through the woods, there's only the occasional sound that penetrates from the outside world. There are multiple routes through it and the little feller is in his element! The activity shown both here and below is typical of the summer months - outside of July-September, many of these places can be enjoyed in peace:
There were two massive games of rugby of interest to me yesterday - England vs Japan at Twickenham and Ireland vs New Zealand in Dublin. While I'm primarily an England fan, Ireland has long been my second favourite as they play with an aggression, a passion and an intensity that England find hard to emulate. Sit back and enjoy these highlights from the Aviva stadium as the boys in green finally record their first and well-deserved home win against the All Blacks.
England were less impressive - however, after trailing 10-15 at half time to a sparkling Japanese XV, Eddie Jones made a few substitutions and although they ran out 35-15 winners at the end - a scoreline that flattered them in my view - I think it's fair to say that they never really subdued Japan, led by their inspirational captain Michael Leitch. Japan pose a genuine threat and they are more than capable of causing a few upsets in the upcoming Rugby World Cup in Japan (only 10 months away!).
A name to watch for England in the Six Nations: Joe Cokanasiga.. a massive talent at 21 years old. His stats are impressive: 1m93 tall (6'4"), 120kg (260lbs) and he's fast. Look here. 17th November. On looking out at the sky this evening, I was reminded of an unusual sight I saw about a week ago. At around 3am early one morning, I was persuaded by Nutty, our 17kg cocker spaniel, that he had to go out. Standing in the garden, I heard the now-familiar raucous screechings of cranes migrating south - and suddenly there they were revealed in the moonlight: an immense ghostly formation of cranes (grues cendrées). There must have been close to 150 of them as they passed low overhead - perhaps 300 feet up - in a single, broad, flattened vee formation. I'd always assumed that they rested up at night and waited for light before continuing. From this map, it looks as though they rest up just north east of here at the lakes at Arjuzanx.
You don't have to dig too deeply into the soul of a Frenchman to find the beating heart of a revolutionary. Today sees a nation-wide 'Manif' ('demo' in Angliche!) against the recent rise in fuel prices. Apparently it's a leaderless movement that's been put together with the help of social media and the plan is simply to disrupt traffic around the country - and the identifying mark of the protesters will be the gilet jaune (the yellow jacket that all drivers are supposed to carry).
Taking the pooch for his morning excursion this morning, I could hear the sound of sports motorbikes being revved to the limit and the screech of tyres from the direction of the town centre. On reaching Allée Paulmy (mentioned previously), the road was filled with several hundred sports motorcycles, many of whom were practising burn-outs and other 'tricks' to impress the onlookers.. There were tractors bedecked with Basque flags, cars with girls in yellow jackets hanging out of the windows pumping their fists, horns being sounded, engines being revved - in short, all the evidence you'd ever need that France is, at heart, a nation of anarchic revolutionaries.
Could this happen in Ye Olde Englande? I don't think so - even with the ongoing train crash that is Brexit, I don't see the Brits getting out on the streets in huge numbers across the country. Here's how Brexit is being reported here: 15th November. For those of you out there who aren't all "Brexit'd out" - here's the 585 page Draft Agreement that's taken so long to produce. There's a shorter 7 page summary here with the catchy title: "Outline of the Political Declaration Setting Out the Framework for the Future Relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom" - that's going to race off the shelves nearer Christmas! I admit to not having read it yet - but if this Draft Agreement passes through Parliament, then reportedly the UK is going join a customs union with the EU for an unspecified period - but one which we can only leave if both parties agree.
Another phrase that caught my eye is that the UK is now described in the Draft Agreement as an "independent coastal state". I wonder if Bill Bryson will be renaming his first book: "Notes from a Small Independent Coastal State"?
President Hollande once warned darkly that there would be 'consequences' if the UK left the EU.. in the same way that Mafia protection teams warn restaurant owners of the fire risk if they fail to pay up. The EU has carefully contrived an end game where neither of the two choices on offer to the UK are especially appetising. One is to agree to this preposterous Draft Agreement that will see the UK shunted into a siding - from where there's no release until the EU agrees - a position that will cost us somewhere in the region of £40bn to £60bn - a colossal sum sufficient to buy between 162 and 243 brand new Boeing 777-300ER airliners.
The alternative is to walk away and trade on WTO terms. However, untangling the resultant chaos with an uncooperative - oops, sorry, what am I saying! I mean our "friends and partners" in the EU could be challenging indeed!
All this to exit a political grouping of nation states that we entered into freely (following a democratic referendum) - and one that we now wish to leave (again, following a democratic referendum).
11th November. Back from walking the dog alongside a surging sea and, on returning home, I was faced with a sight on the television that stuck in my craw: a group of black-clad world leaders walking in a gaggle along a Parisian boulevard towards the Arc de Triomphe. Maybe I'm out of step with popular opinion but I've long held the view that it's politicians who cause wars and the sight of their faux-sombre faces as they 'paid homage' was too much to take - especially as they saw fit to preface it with a glitzy dinner last night at the Orsay Museum. (it wouldn't do to pass up an opportunity of a free feed would it?)
One phrase that our politicians are careful to avoid using is that War is a failure of politics. The only people who should be upfront and central in remembering and honouring the dead are not those who cause wars but the military - those who have to pay the price for doing the politicians' dirty work - and the families of the bereaved. It is only they who have to confront, and pay, the true cost of war - and it's at times like these that we should pay our respects to those of the military - both dead and living - who stepped forward at times of national need to serve their country - unlike the politicians, whose instinctive reaction is to take a step to the rear. Am I alone in thinking this? If our politicians describe our fallen soldiers as our 'Glorious Dead', how should we best describe our politicians?
These images are almost unwatchable - row upon row upon row of silent witnesses, forever on parade in their serried stone ranks. Why them - why not me? If one man's death is a tragedy - what words could be used to describe all these deaths? 10th November. At around 7.20pm (UTC + 1) this evening, an asteroid the size of a house, and travelling at 4 miles per second, will whiz past Planet Earth - missing us by an estimated 237,000 miles. This appears far enough away until you think of its speed in standard astronomical units (light years) - then it sounds far more threatening as its miss distance will be less than 1½ light-seconds away - which is uncomfortably close. Gulp. Odd to think that everything we know hangs on such small margins.. You can watch it here with the Virtual Telescope Project from 7pm. 9th November. It's usually about this time of the year that we light the fire - and think about putting one of our favourite videos on. I think we could well be in for an evening at the foot of the Ngong Hills:
Health Warning: A few lines on Brexit. Juliet Samuel writes for the Daily Telegraph and she has produced a stinging (& well-deserved) one minute critique of Theresa May's shambolic handling of the negotiations. (don't forget to turn on the volume) 8th November. The questions have started - "Any idea what you'd like for Christmas..?" Truthful answer? No.. Probably the only thing I'd really like is more time between Christmasses. They seem to be coming along more frequently these days. Must be a sign of the times. Then there's the question of what can I get for Madame. I walk around town and fail to get inspired. I prefer to do my Christmas shopping in November - as it takes the desperation out of it! There's nothing worse than going out on Christmas Eve having to find something that doesn't look like the last chicken in Sainsburys!
Bayonne (& the rowing club) looks nice in the winter sun here: 7th November. On Sunday we took a drive out to the stunningly beautiful Les Aldudes valley to see the autumn colours but I think we were a couple of weeks too early. As we climbed higher and higher we started to see snow lodged in gullies high up on the hills and, far off in the distance, the top of the Pic du Midi was completely covered in snow. We finally achieved a long held ambition of mine which was to visit Urepel - a small village that I had always thought might be as far from Calais as it's possible to go and still remain in mainland France. (Just checked - it's actually Menton that's the furthest)
Urepel
We're having some work done in the kitchen by someone who comes from this valley and, speaking of restaurants in that area, he told us to try this place.. They've not heard of nouvelle cuisine here.
There's also a Logis hotel - St-Sylvestre (above) with a restaurant that's long been on my 'to do' list. (Top tip: don't forget the elasticated waist trousers..)
Here's a short video about the branding of the cattle* in Urepel and their subsequent journey back up the mountain to their summer pastures.
* they seem completely unconcerned by the process. 3rd November. A cold start to the morning today and mist lay on the river as I drove with the dog out for a mid-morning walk through the woods. Major advantage - he didn't come back soaking wet from here! If I'd still been rowing, it would have been an uninspiring and damp start to the day in the mist. 2nd November. Here's a glimpse of the future.. think these boards fitted with hydrofoils will be all over the beaches down here next year:
1st November. Today being la fête de la Toussaint (All Saints day), it's a public holiday here in France, despite it being a secular state. Traditionally, it's the day when families return, like so many spawning salmon, to their natal village to pay homage at the graves of their loved ones - usually with a bunch of chrysanthemums*.
Bearing in mind that in France, as in many other countries today, the descendants of those resting in peace have often moved far from their spiritual home, the days surrounding Toussaint see an exodus of elderly drivers, unaccustomed to driving long distances (especially after a good lunch!), out on the roads. For this reason, Toussaint is associated with a peak in the number of road accidents. This year, as Toussaint falls on a Thursday, many people here will be taking a day of holiday (known as a pont - or a bridge) - thus finishing up with a 4 day weekend. If I have to be out on the roads in the afternoon, I try to keep well clear of cars driven by anyone wearing a hat! Say no more!
* Chrysanthemums are traditionally associated with cemeteries in France, so it's not a good idea to offer them to your hostess when invited out.
I mentioned a day or two ago about the trees on Allées Paulmy being trussed up in anticipation of the roadworks necessary for the new Tram'bus service - well, here they are! You could be forgiven for thinking it must be a slow news day here - but as it's Toussaint, everywhere's closed and it's grey and wet.
Madame has just opened a tin of cassoulet* (below) for lunch. (It's said that sniffy Parisian chefs are fond of saying that the only kitchen implement required for 'cuisine du Sud Ouest' is a tin opener!) I spotted a half empty/half full (you choose) bottle of Saint-Pourçain lurking on the kitchen table - so there's hope!
* from here - given to us by some kind neighbours.
I stopped earlier in the year (en route to Provence) at the Aire de Port Lauragais, a service station on the A61 some 30km south east of Toulouse (it's worth making a note of this address). The service station lies at the intersection of the autoroute and the Canal du Midi - and there you'll find La Dinée situated on an island in the marina. It's one of only two privately owned restaurants to be found on the French autoroute network and if, like me, you enjoy the traditional cooking of South West France, then the menu there is the mother lode. Whatever else you do, go there hungry. The cassoulet that we're having in a few minutes comes from the Hotel du Lauragais (map here) and they also supply La Dinée. I'd recommend the La Dinée set menu for 20€70.. starting with the salade Lauragaise (smoked duck breast and duck hearts) followed by the Cassoulet Maison de Castelnaudary(Try as I might, I couldn't finish mine). A nap in the car park afterwards will seem like a very good idea. I'd be surprised if there's a better cassoulet than this anywhere. As you might expect, there's a Confrérie of the cassoulet..
Far be it from me - un Anglais! - to suggest one recipe is better than another as each town around Castelnaudary is proud of its own version of this classic dish. Here's another view on how it should be prepared.
Verdict: Marks out of 10 for the cassoulet? 37! Thick with haricot beans, Toulouse sausage, duck confit and richly flavoured with duck fat.. Just the job for a cold winter's day and excellent for keeping the draughts out.
We've just had a few heavy rain showers blow through out of the Bay of Biscay - so I'm hoping that this isn't a foretaste of how the rest of November is going to pan out.
28th February 2010. An Alerte Rouge for 60-odd departements in France last night.. Strong winds swept the country overnight - the storm crossed the Bay of Biscay from Spain and coasted in around La Rochelle and devastated some low-lying villages when a high tide, whipped up by the strong south-westerly winds, breached a dyke and flooded villages and farmland. So far around 45 dead have been reported with many being drowned in their homes.
The idea of drowning during the night in one's own house is far from our thoughts when we go to bed and so the unimaginable shock of waking up in the wee small hours with the house flooding and no lighting must have been appalling for those involved, especially the elderly and infirm. Many houses were flooded to a depth of 1m 80.. (almost 6 feet) It doesn't bear thinking about..
I now feel somewhat guilty about my reactions during the storm because I was lying in bed, listening to the noise outside and feeling content that, with the new windows fitted, things were now much quieter.
2nd March 2010. We were on the beach at Anglet this afternoon and I heard some unfamiliar honking sounds coming from above.. Looking up, I spotted several great straggling broadly vee-shaped formations of cranes beating their way back to their northern European summer retreats (from Africa?). There were a good few hundred of them. My next question is what is the difference between a stork and butter oops, a crane..? I’m no ornithologist as you can guess.. This must be a sign that spring is on the way.. The car thermometer registered 22C yesterday at 3pm on the way to the beach.
Our pooch (9 this summer) met another English cocker spaniel, a 10 months old bitch, down there and the two of them started racing about like a coupla eejits.. (“Wow, another dog!”) It was so funny to watch.. Would have been hard pressed to say which one was the 8 year old.. Strange, isn’t it, how dogs never lose their fascination with each other.
