We have spent a delightful couple of hours in the garden.  It started with everyone sprawled on loungers, chairs, lawns or concrete having cool drinks of lemonade or water depending on species.  Human conversation consisted amongst other things about the beautiful drifts of the scent of lavender and pinks on the breeze.  Canine activity was the odd nose twitch as the scent of cooking chicken drifted out of the kitchen.  Next up was redcurrant picking.  Mum and Aunty Biscuit were saying how beautiful they looked glistening red and planning redcurrant cheesecake and jelly.  I think they should just make redcurrant cake and give me the cheese.  Whilst the picking was going on I was busy frogging.  Once again I managed the grand total of zero, but only managed to nearly fall in the pond once, so I think I’m improving. Harrier just remained stretched out in the shade, I think he’s saving himself for bluebottle chasing when its cooler.

Aunty Biscuit is back. She has had an excellent time and is now slightly beige and freckley with a pink nose and a selection of insect bites.  We had hoped that she would bring us some interesting large presents back but she says that there was a strict baggage allowance for size and weight so we've got a bag of our favourite chew sticks which I suspect has come from the local garden centre.  Fortunately she resisted the temptation to buy anyone a yodelling marmot or lederhosen as a present so we wait with bated breath to see what she has bought for the humans.

Saddlers and Saddlery Shops are one of those strange and bemusing recreations that appear to kidnap your human for hours, while you have to remain outside or worst at home.  Even Auntie Biscuit gets side tracked by then and she doesn't ride horses,  I have often wondered what is inside them but never been allowed in.  Discussions with Fluffy have indicated that US saddlers allow dogs inside and apparently they are just large shops containing rows and rows of leather stuff.  Really boring.  When Fluffy and Uncle Robin took Mum (on a recent trip) they apparently sat on the floor in the corner and went to sleep so apparently we are not missing much.

Aunty Biscuit is back in England and is having the rest of her holiday in Gosport teaching Aunty Viv how to decipher crochet patterns.  It would appear that the journey home was long but ok. Somewhere between Austria and Belgium, possibly in Germany, they had a lunchtime stop at an inn that had a coypu family living behind it.  Aunty Biscuit took a couple of photos of one to send to us as we'd never seen one..... 

Due to the inclement British weather Mum has been rather slow in constructing the contents of the seat reported in The Box Contents Revealed.  However the recent warm weather and the absence of Aunty Biscuit has spurred her into action and said seat in now proudly displayed on the patio.  Not that she has got to use it as it has showered every time she was free.  Today fuelled by the fact it was still warm (even if the sun isn't shining) she decided to try it.  We sat around in mock disinterest as she got out the cushions and a throw to cover it (the cushions are ecru) and then proceeded to go back in the house for a coffee and the computer.  She was going to wrote the blog from the garden to give it a summer air...

Just how many humans does it take to put suncream on an unco-operative horse’s nose?  Apparently the grey or white bits of equines with pink skin underneath can become sunburnt so need protection.....

It turns out that Frank the Marmot has European relatives in the Alps.  Aunty Biscuit hasn't seen one but they are there.  We are not sure how closely related they are as the family tree was gnawed through by a beaver and is now part of its lodge.  Today we gather Aunty Biscuit has purchased a winter jacket (as you do when the weather is really hot), been up another Alp and has been accidentally hit in the face by an officer on a boat....

Urgent News Flash.

Ciro the Chihuahua has just sent news that Auntie Biscuit has been seen alive and well on the top of a mountain.  How dare she fraternize with foreign dogs and ignore us.  We have been sent documented proof of the siting but our doggy eyes are better equipped for spotting moving treat carriers rather than spotting them on pieces of paper.  Can anyone help?

What is it with crafters and tape measures, rulers and other gaugey sizey things?  Mum has a thing that you can stick a knitting needle through to see what size it is, (haven’t the heart to tell her that its probably written on the end of it) with a bit up the side that can measure how much rib she’s done.  Somewhere in the house there must also be dozens of tape measures, they just vanish.  Paw on heart this is nothing to do with any of the dogs, we have plenty of other far more appetising things to devour.  

Hello Harrier here.  We wish we could report that normal service has resumed but it hasn't.  Auntie Biscuit has gone on holiday and Mum has been left in charge.  Marty is having a strop (and refusing to write a blog) as Mum is not doing things her way.  I have stepped in as it is not Mums fault that she is not psychically linked to Marty's every whim.  Quite good for the rest of us canines in the household if you ask my opinion but don't tell her I said that or she will have a strop at me as well.....