3am and a bare derriere....

3am Sunday morning saw me out in the lane in front of the 'chateau' with a torch wearing my gardening crocs - and sporting a bare derriere! And here's why.......

Sir Digbert Fanshaw Brownshaw has always followed us up to bed when we head for the stairs. Always, always, without fail; it has been the same for the last twelve years.

A couple of nights ago around about 11am and just as we reached the top of the stairs heading for bed Digger ( who had followed us as usual up the stairs to the landing)  suddenly turned around and shot back down them again like a rocket and dashed out into  the garden through the cat ( and dog ) flap.

I just assumed he had heard something in the garden and would soon return. I waited and waited. I knew I wouldn't  sleep until he was back , so I  just waited some more. 

After waiting about half an hour later I grabbed a torch and the nearest thing I could find to wear and headed for the garden. The couture item I had chosen for my late night catwalk sashay ?   A fleecy throw which has sleeves for lounging  about in during the Winter!

I called and called for him but there was no response until, after about 10 minutes searching in the pitch black, I found Diggers sitting in the lane with Charles, who was on his usual 'night patrol'!

I have suspected for some time that Digger may be going deaf so I made sure he saw me and encouraged him to follow me home. He trotted along behind me and then at the last minute as we arrived at the chateau steps the darted off again into the garden!

I went back to bed and waited for him to come up again. After what seemed a lifetime  I was getting quite frantic so 3am saw Mark in his dressing gown and slippers and me in my sleevy blanket (together with  naked derriere ) out searching again. There was almost a full moon that night - but not in the sky!!

This time there was no sign of him at all and we both shouted and whistled walking along the lane and back and forth into the garden by torchlight.

Had he got stuck down a fox hole?  Was he lost?  Was he injured ? My mind was working overtime and I was beginning to panic. He has never not answered to a call before and has never gone missing.

As a last resort Mark went back inside the house to check he hadn't crept in -  and found Diggers fast asleep in the cat`s bed!!!!

When I woke him he seemed a little non-plussed as to what the fuss was all about.

So, I think he has finally gone quite deaf and he and I are now developing a sign language of our own!

If he comes into the garden to look for me I  call him but he doesn`t hear so I have to wave frantically until he sees me and then he goes loop the loop!

He is still spritely, eats well and still lies on his own eiderdown by my feet as I list more treasures at my desk each day.

While he snoozes at my feet and I get up to take more photographs, instead of just expecting him to follow me as he always did I now have to gently touch him to tell him I am leaving the room and then he happily trots after me!

Do they sell hearing aids for Jack Russells, I wonder?

A la prochaine mes belles
xxxx