World Cup Celebrations

Tags

Guide Dog, Humour, Labradoodle, Rugby, Rugby fan, Sports

It’s over for another four months thankfully. One cannot stand to be in the same room as these screaming less hairy two-legged race any longer without developing a headache. They don’t get this excited when I chase after a ball and run off with it which is a little perplexing as I am the centre of their universe. The humans are such a weird race.

Since arriving at the maid’s house nearly three years ago, I have been subjected to hours upon hours of rugby with her and the rest of the staff screaming at the television and saying words that should apparently not be uttered around small two-legged less hairy race as they are “naughty”. They only seem to get excited by the Welsh team and only watch when they are playing. The ”Come on boys” and “don’t you do that to my boys” that come out of the maid’s mouth makes me wonder why I couldn’t have been placed with a less weird owner.

My mother Hetty was an English black Labrador and my father Pringle was a Canadian cream poodle so when I arrived in Wales where they spoke a funny language, I did not realize that they would expect me to support my new country. I learnt the Welsh commands that I followed whilst in the Welsh schools that we work in, I ate the tradition Welsh cawl that the maid often gave me on the sly and I even learnt to love running through the Welsh countryside that I now call home. When she asked me to wear this hat though, I think she may have been extracting the urine slightly.

Getting through to the semi-finals of the rugby world cup apparently was a big deal and she wanted us all to get in the spirit. Hmmmmm, Did she ask Angus the cat to dress up in Welsh gear or Faith the tortoise? Oh no. They would have probably told her where to go but me? I stayed as neutral as possible by not chucking off the hat in protest or showing her I was impressed. I was hoping my neutral face of being dressed up would show her my verdict on the stupidity of her request but nope she did not take the hint. I think she was playing the blind card again!

When the silence fell around the house as Wales lost to the better team of New Zealand, I thought it was best to humour her and let the hat stand tall. Her plan to make me the mascot for the day did not work but it was worth a try I suppose. Luckily my handsome face and alluring eyes filled the hearts of the staff after the game. I did not find it necessary to let on to them that I was finding the silence that fell around the house so satisfying. A Welsh loss meant a Munch win as I finally took the hat off and they turned their love and attention back to me instead of the Welsh team.

Let’s hope that when the Rugby International starts in February, she will have found something to put on Angus or Faith to make them the mascot and leave me out of it. Paws crossed, it will work.

Five Simple Ways To Get What You Want

Tags

Dreams, Goals, Guide Dogs, Labradoodle

Do you struggle with getting things that you really want to achieve in life? Are you looking for ways around this to be able to lead the life that you really want to live? Well here are some tips from me, a top-class dog and life coach extraordinaire. Follow these simple steps and you too will be living a life full of blissful comfort.

1. Make a commitment.
Be loud and stand proud in what you want to achieve in life. Half hearted asks get half hearted results so ensue that whatever you are asking for is what you really want to get. Speak your requests with authority. Let me give you an example that relates to the picture above. If I had not requested the chair to curl up on, I would not have got it, simple as that. Even if the answer is not yes the first time around, do not let this dishearten you and try, try again. This takes me nicely onto the next point.

2 Believe in yourself
If you find it hard to visualise yourself getting what you have asked for, then how do expect the universe to believe that is what you really want? Hesitate and you cancel out all the hard work that you have already put into your dream. For me, if I had listened to the maid saying no to me the first time when I tried getting up on the chair, I would have lost belief in myself. I visualised myself sitting in the maid’s chair in work and I believed that I had the required skills to get what I wanted. You will see how.

3. Use what your mamma gave you
Take time to look at all your natural talents that can help you get to what you want in life and use them to the max. You have all the ingredients you need in life to be able to create whatever concoction you want to make up. Each one of us has qualities that stands us apart from others and can help us achieve our goals so what is your quality? For me, my adorable face, single mindedness (or stubbornness as the maid calls it) and want for a more comfortable seating option got me to where I wanted to be.

4. Refuse to take no for an answer
Just because another person does not have the same goal as you, it does not mean that you cannot come to an agreement. One person’s no is another person’s yes so keep your thoughts positive and your eye on the end goal. As the maid walked away from her chair in work that day for the umpteenth time, I went over to the chair to assess its comfort and decided I was getting there one way or another. Even after jumping up to settle down in it and the miserable maid telling me to get off, I persevered and got up another twice. She was far too well trained by me to say no for the third time, so she did what she always did and gave in to me. Persevere, it is worth it.

5. Bask in your achievement
The hard work you have done to get to a certain place in life should be celebrated whichever way you want to do it. By acknowledging the hard work that you have done to get where you are, you are pre-empting further success as you realize how awesome you really are. I knew when I finally settled down on my chair for the rest of the working day that I could manifest anything in life despite the maid mumbling about “what people will think if they see you up there”. What others think of me is their business. What I think of myself is mine. I slept sound in the knowledge that I got what I wanted as I always did.

If you ever find yourself looking for inspiration to move forward and achieve what you want in life just follow the above steps and you too will sleep soundly in the knowledge that you have done everything that you can. Getting to the top dog position isn’t always easy but when you get there it is pure bliss. Keep posted for more tips on how to become the top dog in your own life.

Multiple Munch Like Guide Dogs? Interesting.

Tags

Awareness, Guide Dogs, Labradoodle, Sight Loss, Support

What would the world be like with a lot of little Munch like Guide Dogs running around the place? Hmmmm. Let me think.

The 36 million blind and 217 million people with varying degrees of sight loss around the world would be able to live a different way of life. A life where there were less restrictions and limits on their everyday lives and allow them enter into a society that they would otherwise feel isolated from. This new way of life would allow them to replace their losses in life with gains when they would discover the strength within that they never knew they had. Would you like to see such a life change and know that you had been part of it?

A world full of Munch like Guide Dogs would give back independence to people who felt helpless and unsafe whilst out alone. People who would worry about not being able to get around in their own communities that they had lived in for years now that one of the most used senses no longer works. A Munch like Guide Dog would take them to new places not only in the physical world but also in the world that is created in the mind where they learn that trust alone can be the catalyst for change. Would you like be the reason that an individual with sight loss lives in a way that they have never lived before?

Helping an individual with sight loss escape a lonely world that they have been drowning in for years, will make you a superhero that will never be forgotten. In a world where sight loss can make you feel like an alien in a connected world of sighted people, a Guide Dog can feel like the lost half of their soul and help them re-enter a world that they can now feel safe in. The Guide Dog is the missing link to merge the world of the sighted and the sight loss community that do not always understand one another. Will you be the one that wears the superhero cape with pride to help join the two worlds and create unity?

Before Munch came into my world, I have felt all the above and much more. Guide Dogs change lives on so many different levels that the supporters never get to know about. During the month of October, Guide Dogs are setting themselves a very ambitious challenge of fundraising enough money to fund seven new Guide Dogs by October 31st through their Pups to Partnership campaign. If you are feeling generous enough to donate to this worthwhile charity, please visit their website at guidedogs.org.uk and be the difference that so many are waiting to see in the world.

I cannot promise that the guide dog that you help to fund will be the same regal thinking, food spillage rescuing. mischief making, other worldly. eccentric, adorable, Shetland pony sized, dramatic Labradoodle that I have been blessed to be paired with, but I can guarantee that they will be perfect for who they end up with. The love that I have for Munch will never fade and I will remain forever grateful for everyone who has been part of the funding and pairing up of our odd sock like qualities to make the perfect matching pair.

If you feel you can help in any way to help create more Munch like guide dogs, please do and may I say thanks in advance. The only question left to ask is, is the world ready for more Munch like guide dogs to be created? Well, at least the world will never be a dull place ever again.

Get Yourself A Maid And Get Writing

Tags

Book Deal, Books, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Writing

Here we go again. I am in demand. Being this handsome has its challenges let me tell you.

The fans are now waiting outside the car to stroke me and tell me what a good boy I am. The party that was held for me last Saturday night was obviously not enough of a celebration of my awesomeness. Hang on, there is something wrong here, the less hairy two-legged race want to talk to the maid about something non doggy or book related. Why??
Not even a rub into their legs brings the attention to me from the humans. They must think that a half-hearted stroke whilst still averting their eyes from my direction is suffice in how they should address a dog of my status. Do they not know that I am a Labradoodle and therefore have a regal way of being in the world that needs to be acknowledged? What is the world coming too?

It seems a lot of people locally know about the book that I telepathically conveyed to the maid to write and it has allowed me to have more adoration from the people that have always loved me since laying their eyes on me. The maid has had the odd hello too which she should be happy with. To give her credit, she threw me a lovely party to show people how clever I was to write a book despite being a dog.

It was lovely to see around 70 family and friends turn up to celebrate the release of the book and we even managed to raise £252 in a couple of hours for the Guide Dogs. The maid has planned a few more book signings where she will be also raising money from the sale of the books to give to the Guide Dogs charity to train more dogs like me to help people with sight loss. Well, I say like me but I am obviously one of a kind so they will just have to be the average Guide Dog but hey it will have to do.

I have been eavesdropping on the maid’s conversations and apparently, she decided to write the book not just to highlight how utterly divine I am but also for different reasons She has said that she wanted to write the book to talk about the side of sight loss that is never spoken about, being the positives of not getting caught up in a world where we use only our eyes to look at the world. She also wanted to tell people what it is really like living with Marfan Syndrome that is with you from the day you are born until the day you leave this earth plane. She wanted to write it in a positive narrative which is sometimes missing from some other books like this. She wanted to write a book that helped people change the way that they looked at their own adversity in life and look at it in a different way. Reshaping their thoughts by offering a model to work from and answering questions that they never may have asked themselves, is all done on purpose to interact with the reader throughout the book. My idea therefore of the book just being about how your life changes when you have been Munched (the effect I have on people I meet) has been discarded. Ah well, I suppose I will have to deal with it.

If any of you have ever wanted to write a book and have never had the courage to do it, please do it. If I, a regal Labradoodle can do it so can you. The maid had to physically type away for me as I dictated to her obviously as my chunky paws may have got in the way but together, we did it. Wishing you well on your writing path and if you need a member of staff like I did, so be it. I must dash now as I need to turn these two legged less hairy race non dog lovers in front on me into putty in my paws.

If you want to purchase the book it can be found on Amazon and until October 27th, it is at a reduced price of only £1.99/ $1.99 for the kindle edition on Amazon. Happy reading.

Can’t You Behave Yourself?

Tags

Guide Dog, Humour, Labradoodle, Role reversal

Get yourself a human they said. It will be fun they said.

This may be true of many humans, but the one I have been paired with seems to be more of a chore than fun. Let me explain my reasons to you and you will soon be nodding your head in agreements with me and sending me your sympathy. This maid of mine is pure hard work.

I was promised during my guide dog training that I would be paired with a suitable “owner” (I got myself a maid) that matches me in personality, need and outlook on life. What I got was a clumsy oaf, someone who is in need of constant supervision and a fairy land dweller who forgets she is on earth. I mean come on, I am none of the above and exude perfection in every moment of my waking and sleeping life. Nevertheless, I find myself here paired with the hired help going through life using my good looks and charm to divert the attention from her numerous faux pas in daily life.

In the above picture you can clearly see my “never again” look as I sit on the floor in a taxi wondering what I have done to deserve this in life.
We had just come back from a party with the publishers in a posh place in London, yet the maid appeared to have not got the memo of the type of place it was. As she got ready my gaze wondered down first of all to her granny sandal clad feet that were apparently her “comfy” shoes as she needed comfortable safety as apposed to glitzy to ensure that her ability to trip over fresh air did not happen to impinge on her healing knee after the operation. What made the hideous sight even worse that she had a ladder in her tights that would have reached the steeple of the tallest cathedral in the world. She did not notice this however until she unpacked her bag after returning home where one of her children pointed it out to her

It was not just the attire that she had on that night that let my image down but her inability to get food or drink safely into her mouth, which is surprising as it is usually opening and closing at a rapid rate as she chatters away to anyone and everyone. Within a matter of minutes of arriving in the party where everyone was immaculate, she managed to tip a quarter of her green juice down her new dress turning her a lovely shade of hulk. She even got it confiscated off her as she attempted to mop up the spinach spillage as she was dangerously close to spilling the remainder of the juice over herself and the person helping her.
Not one to disappoint in the slovenly stakes, a matter of minutes later she managed to create an avocado avalanche off some very tasty toast as it dropped and plopped right by my face. I obviously had to try and help her clean up this mess before too many people saw her clumsiness, so I attempted two licks before I realised that avocado was not for my palate. I allowed the other two legged less hairy human that was with us on the trip to clear up after where my tongue had retreated from cleaning up. The maid had the cheek not to allow me to help myself to the food table with some succulent looking hot and spicy chicken wings and only gave me pieces of the avocado free toast.

She failed to pre warn me that there would be two other dogs there also so obviously her communication skills were deficient that night. I only learnt about the other four-legged hairy dog race when a small dog came up wanting to play with moi. I was obviously being very professional and refused to play and only shot off between two people when she pounced at me at an alarmingly fast pace wanting to play. The maid said that apparently it was my fault that she nearly ended up rugby tackling these two people to the ground as she tried to regain her footing. It is not my fault that my six stone model like body is just too much for her to handle.

She even had the cheek to tell people of some of my more entertaining behaviours that I hold no responsibility for. She took great pleasure in telling people of the time that my two legged less hairy grandmother got caught on my back in a funeral as I was going through her legs to give her a doggy cuddle and I trotted off with her stuck on my back. Apparently, people found this funny as I trotted off into the sunset with my grandmother (with only 25-inch legs) riding me like a backwards facing jockey. Hmmmm, the embarrassing stories I can tell about her would have them in fits of giggles, but I was enough of a gentleman to refrain from doing this.

It was nice to get her in the taxi at the end of the night to get her out of the publics way as we went back to the hotel room so that she could not longer embarrass me and I know that the looks I was giving her in the taxi told her that I really shouldn’t take her out in public again. I thought the shenanigans of the night were over until we got back to the hotel room where there was a funny smell outside of the hotel room. As soon as the maids friend opened the door, the smell became even more pungent. After racking their brains, they finally realised that the offending aroma was coming from the left-over kimchi that the two legged less hairy friends thought would be a good idea to bring back to the hotel from the lush vegan restaurant that they had lunched in. Not even quickly eating it and opening the window for some air could get rid of the smell that they had created. She has the audacity to complain of my natural occurring smells!

Now be honest with me, who do you think is the one that is more embarrassing? The maid who does things like this daily or me, the angelic dog that is perfect? If you ever fancy giving me respite from this great oaf, you are welcome to her but do not say I haven’t warned you about her klutzy ways. Just bring a bib, spare clothes and a public health warning sign with you just in case.

Jack Of All Trades

Tags

Guide Dog, Kindness, Labradoodle, Pet Therapy, Unconditional Love

Hahahaha I have fooled them again. Humans are so easy to trick.

We started in a new school this week which meant I was able to bring the wow factor to the school. The gasps of sheer delight that echoed around me in surround sound as I sashayed down the lengthy corridors towards our new counselling room gave me plenty of opportunity to let my presence be known, As I graced the space with my face, I knew that before long I would have my fan base increase from both teachers and pupils who would eagerly await me each week. They will probably be tolerant of the maid too.

As we settled into the new room for the day, there was a lot of commotion outside of the door. Through the small narrow glass panel that ran down the side of the door, many excited faces looked on in glee as they spotted my handsome self. The “there is a dog in the school, quick come and see” voices that spread up and down the corridor was music to my ears. Not wanting to disappoint, I ignored the maids request to get away from the door and instead I sat in front of the glass, turning my head one way and another to ensure that my best features were seen by all. The pupils loved it nearly as much as I did.

My first session went well, and the pupil fell in love with me (which was not surprising). As soon as the session ended and break time began, an even louder commotion erupted outside of the room, this time we heard pupils shouted to others to come and peek at “the therapy dog” in the room which I had to chuckle at. In the room I obviously do not have my guide dog harness on so that is all they saw is my fine physique sitting in front of the door and they assumed I was a therapy dog. It would not be the first time that I have been mistaken for a different type of working dog.

There was a time a few years back when we first started in schools that a group of boys thought that I was a police dog and the maid wound them up even more by saying that yes I was a sniffer dog and asked if they had anything to hide. Their silence was deafening until she put them out of their misery and admitted I was a guide dog. I did however try out as a trainee sniffer dog a couple of years back on a train when I met a delightful Spaniel police sniffer dog. As we rubbed noses as we met and she went off in the carriage to sniff out danger, I followed her too sniffing as I went much to the amusement of the police officer she was with. The fact that I was sniffing for dropped food (found, retrieved and disposed of it may I add) and the spaniel was sniffing for illegal dodgy stuff and ignored the food did not matter, I still tried my best.

In the past a lot of people have mistaken me for a therapy dog especially as I do not emit that stereotypical guide dog looks apparently but I love to be different. Therapy dogs are amazing and are just like all of us other working dogs who change peoples lives forever. The bonus that the children get with me is that they have counselling and pet therapy all at the same time and I love being of service to them. Whatever people want to think I am, I just want to keep putting a smile on their faces and brightening their day up as much as possible. If we can put a smile on a face and fill them with happiness, then that is all that really matters in the world. Hope you get a chance to do the same each day as it is the best job ever!

The Last Laugh

Tags

Book Deal, Guide Dog, Humour, Labradoodle, Photography

My maid is so easy to train, it’s laughable.

Here we are AGAIN on another photoshoot for a magazine article and she is expecting me to do as I am told. I have been in her life for over two and a half years now and she thinks that I obey her commands. Fair enough, when I am representing guide dogs with my harness on and we are out walking I will do my bit and act like the angelic guide dog that I am. As soon as my harness slips off however, I will return to my strong-willed authentic self. I will only act in ways that I find satisfying to my soul whilst off duty and I have certain conditions that I require to be met. This is especially true when I am asked to pose for photos and the staff don’t get it right first time around. Here are my requests for this photoshoot which I find totally reasonable. What do you think?

– I demand a long run around before the photoshoot to let my hair down. The cheeky maid says it helps relieve some of the mischief, but I just need her to run around after me to let her know that she will always be trailing after her real owner.
– I will only come back on my lead when I am ready and not when she is ready for me. Best thing come to those who wait so I am doing her a favour by making her wait so that she gets the best of me.
– I will send chills of panic down the spine of the maid and the photographer as I flirt with the idea of jumping in the river so that they will only be able to get the soggy doggy look and not the perfect picture that they are after. It was so funny to hear the sheer panic in their voices when they saw me dipping my paws in the river. I am all heart though as I only had a quick paddle before returning to the less hairy two-legged race.
– I work on treats alone. Mere compliments of me being such a good boy falls on deaf ears as I know I am good, so hand the treats over otherwise I will not be so good. I have the training down to a tee so that I will stay put for one treat and then move around for another one so that I am able to get multiple treats in a short space of time whilst the photographer shifts at lightning speed to get the perfect shot.
– I demand that I am always centre stage and if the maid must be in it, I will ensure that I will always look better than her.
– I require that I have ALL the “what a beautiful photo” comments directed at me if the maid is in shot as I am the one that gives the photo the wow factor.
– I will always work to bribes. At the end of each shoot I will require being pandered too and maybe taken for another walk, a play with a ball, have masses of fuss and an extra special treat of the humans forbidden food. If not, I will refuse to partake in another photoshoot ever again.

I must give the maid and photographer credit this time that they did adhere to my demands so it is likely that if I can fit them in for some more in the future if I fancy it.
The most rewarding photo that was taken today however was this last shot that the photographer captured. Just minutes earlier the maid had been lying down by the side of me for a photo of us both and she was not being professional as I and was taking her time to get it right. I thought enough was enough and I let out a few somewhat aromatic anal exhales that I had been keeping in for this perfect moment. She soon hurried up and got the poses right so that she could escape out of shot for some fresh air away from my exploding derriere.

I love having the last laugh.

Are You Talking About Me?

Tags

Book Deal, Guide Dog, Humour, Interviews, Labradoodle, Media

She is at it again. Speaking on my behalf. I am Munch and I am the real owner and should be listened to, not the maid. She may have physically written the book, but it is I who is the inspiration to write the book and its my telepathic abilities that got her to type out my thoughts. Does nobody see this?

I have had interest about the book and interviews coming out of my floppy ears recently and don’t get me started on photos that everyone wants. Being such a handsome Labradoodle is no doddle, it takes a lot of effort to look this good, but I must keep my fans happy, so I am willing to look as gorgeous as possible especially when the media are around.

Last week the maid was interviewed about how I had changed her life and brought spiritual meaning to her by Spirit & Destiny magazine which will be out in January of next year. She did big me up in that interview which I was pleased about and we have just been for some photos to send off to the magazine which shows all my good sides.

Earlier on this week, I had a journalist travel seven hours on trains to come to interview me, but I let the maid do the talking as I casually snoozed curled up on the sofa next to her acting my usual angelic self. The journalist had read my book and the things that the maid had written about my mischievous self were obviously hard for her to believe as I behaved impeccably in front of her. I have a photoshoot with the rest of the staff (or the maid and the rest of the family as they like to be addressed) later this week to accompany this article that will appear in a few weeks in the Femmail section of The Mail.
I have another radio interview scheduled with Hay House Radio the day before my book in released so as you can see. I have been a very busy dog.

Unfortunately, I must rely on the hired help to speak on my behalf and she sometimes tells of funny stories I would rather we forget about. I am using my innocent eyes to try and tell people of my perfection and to ignore the true stories that the maid is saying and try and convince them she is exaggerating but shhhh please don’t tell anyone of my pleading eyes tricks. I will also be acting like the well-trained dog that I am meant to be in front of people which may be difficult to keep this act up for a long time, but I will try my best. I am even planning on listening to what is asked of me and obeying it in front of these important people, but I am not sure if this is a step too far for my innate stubborn self.

My plan is to ensure that everyone will believe that I am as innocent as my face looks, do you think it will work? I have five weeks before the book is out so I will try not to “accidentally borrow” another tennis ball from a shop, do any more dodgy doggy cuddles between strangers legs or be a panini thief in the run up to it to avoid bad press. I solemnly swear to allow Angus to eat some of his cat food and not take it all, keep the eye rolls to a minimum and not run off with another dogs ball for at least another five weeks to ensure that I will only been seen in a good light. Who knows maybe I will decide to write my own book about the maid then to tell of all her naughty ways which would be a good read I promise.

I am just off to perfect my look of innocence. What ever other people say about you just remember your inner angel and let it shine out for all to see.

Minster, a.k.a…….

Tags

Guide Dog, Humour, Labradoodle, Nickname, Unconditional Love

Minster may be his official name as he was kindly sponsored by Lincoln Minster Prep School but deep down, he will always be my little Munch.

Nicknames are funny little things that usually have stories behind them that only those close to them know the reasoning behind them. The nickname Munch came about after his trainer spoke of his love for anything edible (and non-edible) and it’s kind of became a gateway into other nicknames that have stuck. Here is a brief list of some of the other nicknames that Munch goes by…

1. Angel Delight (because he is when he is sleeping).
2. Baby cakes (he will always be my baby).
3. Beyoncé (as he struts around like her).
4. Chihuahua wannabe (when he is acting like lap dog).
5. Clown (as if he wasn’t a guide dog, he would be entertaining crowds in a circus).
6. Drama king (Just stating the obvious).
7. Einstein (due to his lookalike eyebrows and his intelligence).
8. Fluffy face (when he needs a haircut).
9. Great oaf (due to his clumsiness).
10. Guru (he teaches me new life lessons each day).
11. Hairy bear (self-explanatory).
12. King Munch (let’s be fair, he is).
13. Lord and Master (quite rightly so).
14. Lazy Bones (he cat naps more than Angus who is a cat).
15. Mischief maker (the best around).
16. Monster Munch (if he was a pack of crisps, he would be cute scary ones).
17. Munch Bunch (tasty like a yoghurt).
18. Munchkins (his child like nature).
19. Munchkin Mop tops (thanks to his mop of hair).
20. My owner (I know my place in the relationship).
21. Precious (due to his delicate nature).
22. Rebel (he doesn’t do rules).
23. Sloth (which is like his usual pace in life).
24. Smelly Bear (from his awful anal exhales).
25. Sugar cube (due to his sweet nature).

May I just add, I always give him a kiss and a belly rub when I am calling his these as not to offend him and most of the time say it in my head not to create a show down where no doubt he will win. I know he must have a few nicknames for me but many may be unprintable as I am sure I can hear them slip out when he is rolling his eyes at me and sighing at me to tell me exactly what he thinks of me asking him to move his body into an upright position.

If I ever confuse you by referring to him by different names I do apologize. Everything I call him always comes from a place of unconditional love that I have for him and his quirky ways. I feel blessed to have met all these sides to him and I know I will continue to meet more as time goes on and I cannot wait.

Power Saving Mode

Tags

Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Summer solstice, Writing

Who doesn’t like a lazy summer day where the pace is slow and the good times flow? Moods seem more uplifted and people use this natural boost of Vitamin D to energise their days to connect with nature and make the most of the outdoors. Al fresco eating is a must as being indoors all day seems to be a waste. Tans and topped up and beach ready bodies that have been worked on for months are on show for all to see. The sun worshipers among us, need no prompting to lounge around in the sun and make the most of it whilst it is here.

Then there are the other types of people in the world that avoid the sun at all costs. The ones whose energy is zapped by the blazing bad boy in the sky who cannot seem to fire on all cylinders in this hot weather. Eating outdoors is a definite no unless they want to share their food with flies, wasps and other winged intruders who always seem to be buzzing around taunting them. The pale skinned among us who turn an impressive shade of lobster dare not leave the house unless they are smothered in sun cream as past experiences of horrific sun burn are etched into their memory. The sun protesters are the ones that dread stripping off the layers in this torturous season of heat. Seeking out a shady breeze is what keeps these people sane during the insanely hot season.

Munch kind of lays in the middle of these two groups of people. He loves the ideology of the first group where lounging around is a necessity and he is also rather partial to a little bit of al fresco eating especially where dropped BBQ food occurs. The other part of him however must side with the later lot that seeks the shade of the sensible. His hairy warrior like body does not last long in the sweltering heat so he needs constant fanning down and feeding of treats. His own designated paddling pool does not really get used for its purpose and he refuses to get into it so uses it as a constant drinking bowl to keep him hydrated.

As with most dogs in this heat, we don’t go out unless it is first thing in the morning or last thing at night to protect him from the heat which goes in well with my current restrictions on mobility after the knee op. Combine this with his delayed haircut as it was too hot in the groomers for the dogs, then we have a great excuse to be on power saving mode for the next couple of weeks.

Munch is napping at Olympic standards and I am using the free time to write like a serial writer. Whereas the power saving mode is beginning to annoy me slightly as I like being active, it seems like Munch is falling deeper and deeper into this new pace of life.

As he snores and I tap away at the laptop, I think this is the universes way of preparing us for a busy few months ahead of us from September onwards. Where other people will be entering the natural slowing of the pace that happens in Autumn, we will be picking up the pace and being the odd ones out. Learning to surrender to a slower pace of life has not been easy but it is what it is. Recharging batteries whenever we can in the year allows us to reboot and reenergise when we most need it to help us live the life that is waiting for us. However you are spending these sunny days, enjoy what they bring as much as you can.