I'm in Trouble!!

Crikey ….. I’m in BIG trouble ….. I ran away from Dad … TWICE and once from MUM!!!  I’m getting too big for my boots according to Dad. Crikey …. I’d better watch my step or I’ll end up in the bad dog’s home.

Our first day in Rutherglen was spent quietly. We just explored the general area and had a walk around the neighbourhood. Two blocks down the road are 2 sheep. Not on a farm …. Just in a backyard!!! AND they are very friendly. I really wanted to get to them but I wasn’t allowed. Mum really needed my straight jacket to keep me in line but keep me in line she did. After our walk Mum and Dad visited a winery where they had, what they said, was a VERY nice lunch. Beautiful food in a beautiful setting. 

Some pretty gum nuts Mum saw on one of our walks.

The building at the end of the road is the winery where Mum and Dad had lunch. Dad put the car where it is because there were 2 garbage bins on the street. He put me on the bonnet of the car. What does he think I am?  Can you see me?

The garbage bins.

 I wasn’t allowed ….. well … I was but if I went Mum and Dad had to sit outside and they reckoned it wouldn’t have been as nice so I had to stay home. IN MY CRATE!!!!!!!! Hmmmmmmmph!  I ATE MY BED!!!!  (I always do). They now go to the local op shop to buy my crate beds (doonas). They get used, but clean ones, for a few dollars instead of new ones for lots of dollars. They think one day I’m going to get better ….. I’M NOT!!!!! When they got home we went for a drive to a little village called Chiltern where there are lots of antique shops. Yeah …. You guessed it …. Mum went looking for pushers!! There were 6 antique shops in the village (precious little of anything else) and Mum went into all of them.  NO PUSHERS!!!!! The last shop she tried was the BEST!! They left me in the car for a bit while they went and checked it out and Dad came to get me while Mum was still in the shop talking. I knew where Mum was and as soon as Dad opened my crate door I jumped out of the back of the car, before he even had the tail gate down, and took off at a rate of knots, across the road, and into the shop to Mum. Just as well there was no traffic in Chiltern, aye??? (RUNAWAY No. 1). Now this was real funny too because this shop was something else! Mum had been talking to the owner, a real old bloke, who really liked a good chat. Unbeknowns to Mum and me he had his best mate, a Jack Russel Terrier, under his desk. When I ran in the JRT came at me with everything happening ….. all teeth flashing and growly and OMD I thought I was dead. You’d have been proud of him Mr. JF Sir. He was very unwelcoming. Crikey what a commotion!! Took him all of ten seconds to calm down and then we were best mates. Crikey he was dirty and SMELL …. OMD I don’t think he’d ever had the misfortune to suffer one of those bath things. Lucky bloke!! Anyway the shop was amazing. It was filthy too and there was STUFF everywhere. The old bloke (don’t think he’d  had a tub in a while either) didn’t think he had a pusher but he didn’t know and said to just have a look around. Well look around we did. Yeah … me too! Great smells and Jack helped show me around.  Mum had been having trouble with the door of my crate. It was real hard to open and Dad found an old tool he thought might help him fix it and the old bloke let him use it. It worked too so Mum doesn’t have to struggle any more. We didn’t find anything to buy but Mum did see a whole heap of little dishes she liked. They were Noritake and in real good condition. One in particular was very pretty and she asked the old bloke how much it was. Four bucks and you can have the lot he said. Four bucks …. That’s ridiculous!! How does this bloke make any money? Mum gave him 6 bucks and took them off his hands. Most people barter down …. My Mum barters up … Too funny!! We went round the corner to another shop with everything clean and beautifully displayed and there was one of the little noritake plates with a price tag of 8 dollars on it.  Rip off merchant said Dad and walked out of the shop …. Fair dinkum!! Mum wanted to go back and give the old bloke more money. Back home to a quiet night and bed.

Pretty, aye? The one Mum liked and asked the price of is the one at the front with the pink rose.

The next morning Dad got up early and decided to take me for a walk to get fresh bread from the local baker for brekky. He opened the front door before putting my lead on and I was OFF! Remember those sheep?  Well I sure did …. I was off and running, down two blocks, to where the sheep were with Dad, yelling and screaming at me,  in hot pursuit.  Hot pursuit ….. what a laugh …. He’s got  2 bad knees …. Cold pursuit is more like it. (Escape No. 2). Again just as well there’s no traffic around here, aye?? I didn’t reach the sheep … I stopped and looked back cause Dad had gone all silent. Where was he???? Decided I’d better go find him. He was hiding behind a tree and when I saw him I jumped all over him. Crikey …. I thought for one horrible moment he had gone!! Before I knew what hit me that lead was snapped onto my collar.  I’ll have to get those sheep tomorrow, aye??

After brekky we headed off to explore Albury/Wodonga. Some more shopping and sightseeing. We found a great dog park and some gardens to wander around in and had a very nice day before heading back to our Rutherglen house. Dad went outside the front door for some reason or other and Mum went to get something out of the car and didn’t worry about me. After all Dad was already out there and I don’t go away when they are both together. BUT … I spotted a dog, walking with his owner, off leash, across the road. See ya Mum …. See ya Dad. Hullo new friend. He was real nice ….. we had a big play and run around … My Mum was yelling at me and my new mate’s Mum was yelling at him. We didn’t listen. Thank goodness there’s no traffic in Rutherglen, aye?? (Escape No. 3). The one and only car that did go past would have got me but Mum saw it coming and threw herself in front of it to save me. NOT REALLY ….. only joking!!!! She did wave her arms about, like a mad woman, at the driver, though.

Crikey … what an exciting day.  Do you think I’m headed for the bad dog’s home? Don’t think I’ll be getting that icecream in a hurry, aye?? If I do it’s back to one only …

Wanna run …. Love, Charlie!!