Your Squirrel, Your Rules

Tags

Children, Freedom, Gratitude, Individuality, Motivation, School LIfe, Sight Loss, Sight Loss in Children, Unique

Reaching for the pitted snapped chunky wax crayon that I thought I needed, I joined in with my 5-year-old friends and coloured in the photocopied squirrel in front of me. As my lively hand began colouring in what I thought was inside the lines, I was halted mid stroke by an alarmed voice. One of the blurry children on my table was horrified that my squirrel was purple and shot out of his chair to go and tell the teacher about my rebellion in a room full of conformists. As the teacher loomed over me and gave me a row for my colourful creative creature, I was mystified about the problem that everyone else saw but was oblivious to me. I thought that I was colouring in the same as everyone else but apparently my purple squirrel did not match the dark red ones that were scattered around me. When the teacher asked me if I had ever seen a purple squirrel before, I answered I had never seen a squirrel before so I had no idea what colour they were. Being 5 was hard enough but when you only had partial sight on top of that, things get a whole lot harder.

I never understood the world that people around me spoke about. When I was young, I thought that people around me were like Superhero’s and possessed powers that could help them see things that I could not and spoke about things that I never knew existed. It seemed that they raced through life retrieving things from what appeared to be the ether, where I only saw blurred space. I used to sit in awe as they used descriptive words about people and objects and I made up my own personal images of what these must look like. My analytical brain could never shut off even as a child as I needed it to stay alert to take in the sensory information that surrounded me that I could not see. Searching my memory bank for the past experiences that each descriptive word was used in became a fun game I loved to play.

I thought that freckles on a person’s face were sparkly particles that the sun had kindly given to a chosen few. I thought that moving clouds were just floater in your eyes when you looked up towards the sky but could never work out how everyone else saw white when I saw black. I thought that badgers were the same size of frogs as the outlines looked so similar in the books that I held close to my face to see. I thought that people around me must have fallen off pavement edges and rolled down slopes at least once in their lives to know they were there as I had no depth perception and could not work out how they would have otherwise known. I thought that on a car dashboard there must have been a binocular type gadget somewhere for the driver to see oncoming traffic and the bends in the road. It was fun though as I always thought of things that most children would never think about. Life was never boring.

When I learnt the truth about all these mysteries that I had made up beautiful stories about, the world seemed a little more boring. Living in a world full of purple coloured fast moving blobs that lived in green tall marshmallow type objects, was a far better option than just squirrel in trees. My imagination always had fun. I would love to meet up with my teacher who stood there that day giving me the biggest row ever to thank her for highlighting my inability to conform. Even as a child I chose to be myself in a world that expected perfect clones and learnt to love the beauty where others could see inadequacy. Don’t let any closed off minds spoil how you interpret the world. Your version will always be far more fun, so colour your squirrel however you want.

Photo Shoot Mayhem

Tags

Animal, Dog, Guide Dog, Humour, Individuality, Labradoodle, Pets, Photography, Unique

When I hear the words photo shoot, many other words spring to my mind. Perfection, alluring, professional, co-operation, ideal, beauty, empowerment and organised are just a few words that conjure up in my mind what it must be like to partake in a shoot and produce images that any photographer would be proud of. When I am asked to take part in a photo shoot with Munch however, less positive words take up residence in my now worried mind. Imperfect, questionable, novice, ill timed, restricted, comical, feral, disheartening and haphazard are my versions of photoshoots regardless of how amazing the photographer is if I am the subject. Add Munch into the mix and it goes a little more unpredictable.

I have this way about me that would make a clown look elegant. When I am meant to look one way, I can be found facing another. When half of my body is doing as it is being told by the photographer, the rest of my body is starting a spontaneous dance that the camera will always catch. Just as the rest of me is looking camera ready, my Cousin Itt wild hair will cover my face. The thing is, being blind you forget that others can see, and they see things that you have no idea about. On a plus side I could not see the photographers disapproving expression that I just knew he was giving me as I did the opposite of what I was being asked.

Munch is also a reluctant participant when having photos taken and likes to do his own thing. I have been told that there are some amazing photos on the internet of dogs lovingly gazing at their owners and some beautiful action shots that show the characteristics of both dog and owner. Anytime we have attempted to have photos done, we probably look more like strangers being caught in a chance meeting, not a pair that live together 24/7. With me not being able to physically see where he is and him knowing where I am but choosing to scan the area for any chance of mischief, what is captured is more of a calamity than a connection.

On this day, as we sat by a tree for a photo shoot, he was whining whilst looking up the tree and I knew that there was a squirrel near-by tempting him up the tree to act like Tarzan with a Baloo type body. A near-by river was also inviting him in for an afternoon dip, but I told him we couldn’t, and he sighed and sulked like a stroppy teenager. Not the best face for a photo when we trying to capture the joy in life. Another way that I spoilt his day was by not letting him to go off and play with the photographer even though it also happened to be his favourite ever dog walker. Munch really was a reluctant model that day so between his mood and my scattiness, I could sense that the photographer was wishing he was anywhere else but with us.

We needed just one picture of us for some local press to say about the book deal, so it didn’t seem too much of a mammoth task to most but to us it was. We were finally able to settle on a photo with my hair looking like a fuzzball (despite it being previously straightened and some anti frizz spray applied) whilst Munch lay beside me with his tongue flopping out the side of his mouth as if he had been drinking some doggy happy juice and that would just have to do. Perfection is not in our nature, but authenticity is. Being ourselves in the photos would just have to do as anything else just wouldn’t be us.

Thanks to Steven Hill Photography for your patience and lovely photos.

Every Difference Has A Silver Lining

Tags

Diversity, Gratitude, Happiness, Individuality, Inspire, Judgement, Kindness, Meaning of lIfe, Motivation, Positivity, Unique

If you ever find yourself feeling different to those around you, be thankful that by breaking the mould you have found freedom to be yourself.

If you ever find yourself feeling separated from those around you, be thankful that you have created the space to discover new things in the unknown.

If you ever find yourself thinking outside of the box, be thankful that you can now free yourself from constraints and enjoy as you expand into the world that you have yet to meet.

If you ever find yourself feeling like you are alone in the world, be thankful that you are at exactly the right place in your life to find your tribe of people who are waiting for you.

If you ever find yourself feeling like you are not perfect, be thankful that you realize that you are human and that your own perfection comes from being the best that you can.

If you ever find yourself feeling low, be thankful that you have had highs in your life to measure this against and know that life is full of ups and downs.

If you ever find yourself faced with adversity, be thankful that it is through adversity that many successful people have lived and you know that this is just a slippery stepping stone to your own success.

Finding the silver lining in every cloud can be a challenge if we choose to focus on only the cloud that hangs over us without thanking the cloud for being there in the first place. It is the polarities in life that allows us to live a life that is far from static. How can we ever grow if we remain the same? Choosing to see the positives in a situation will be far less draining than focussing on the negatives that zap our energies even more.

The good thing about feeling different to those around you is that you do not have to live by the similarities that bind them together. You do not have to live by the rules that keep them a prisoner to society’s expectations. You also do not have to act in a way that feels unauthentic.

If you ever find yourself feeling like you, be thankful that the beauty in your difference is exactly what the world needs.

New Opportunities For The Same Old Souls

Tags

Animal, Diversity, Dog, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Happiness, Humour, Individuality, Love, Unique, Writing

I often wonder why the trainer paired Munch and I up together as they always try and match the personality of the Guide Dog with that of the Guide Dog user. Hmmm, So the question that needs to be asked is “am I really as bad as Munch”? The only animal that I have ever worked with is Munch and I admit, things don’t always go as planned with him. When Munch turns into on duty Minster, he can act a little bit more like a trained dog, but I never hold out too much expectation for him. If he does behave it is a bonus and if he doesn’t, it just is what it is.

We were recently invited to take part in an interview with a friend of mine who has also written a book and is an amazing entrepreneur. He is the founder of the fantastic Warriors of Peace network that we belong too which he set up to bring like minded individuals together to provide a team of people who offer their services in a spiritually conscious way. He asked for an interview with Munch and I to talk about landing the book deal that we have been offered and to talk about the process that we went through so that it can help other inspiring writers to get published. I was a little nervous about the interview, not just because I am not a fan of any type of camera but also because I know how my little Munch is a master at doing everything that I don’t want him to do. Stupidly however, we agreed and set off for the interview with every possible body part crossed in hope that our authentic comedy act would remain hidden from the normal people in life that would be viewing it. I obviously did not cross things hard enough.

As I persuaded my ever optimist self that Munch would just chill quietly in the background, I took him off his harness as soon as we arrived at my friend’s house. I stupidly thought that he would sit down quietly like any normal dog. I forgot that normal offended him. As we settled down and began the interview, he moved with purpose around the room, looking for any opportunity to cause mass destruction. As he had never been to the house before and could smell the dogs that lived there, he took on an imaginary sniffer dog role to seek out possible new partners in crime. His scratching around, sniffing every object possible and whining provided the tranquil background music that would please any dog lover.

To keep him company in his unprofessional manner, I thought being my authentic self was the best option until I remembered that it probably wasn’t. I am proud to be Welsh but to be fair my accent is not one of the most camera-friendly ones around. Team that with my total lack of correct use of grammar and you can imagine the frustration of the viewer watching it. From a land that thinks phrases such as “Who’s coat is this jacket” and “I will be there now in a minute” being perfectly acceptable to us, turning up to an interview having not rehearsed using correct language was asking for trouble.

As Munch created distractions in the background and I chatted away in my own version of a coherent language, my poor friend held the interview together amazingly. I think he would have preferred a roomful of excited pups and two-year-old tornados ripping through the room as he probably would have got more sense bless him. Towards the end of the interview, Munch went and flopped down by the door in protest to having his right to free roaming taken away from him. He was not impressed. We really don’t make things easy for people.

We have just volunteered to start speaking to different groups in the community about the amazing work that Guide Dogs do. With the combination of the pair of us doing things our own unique way, I do wonder however how it is going to go. We also have been asked to facilitate a section of a workshop later in the year, but I do wonder if the public are ready for such an odd pair. I don’t think we were put on this earth to demonstrate perfection. We could both attempt to change to fit in with the more ordinary people in society but where would the fun be in that? Wearing a false mask sounds sheer pain to me and I know that Munch feels the same, so I think we will just continue being who we are and doing the things that we really should try and avoid.

If you ever overhear somebody talking about a Diva Guide Dog with attitude and a weird sounding Welsh grandmother who induces melt downs in the grammar police population, it is probably us. We really don’t mean to annoy you, it is just us being us. Sorry about that.

Different Gold Dust For The Night

Tags

Acts of Kindness, Animal, Diversity, Guide Dog, Happiness, Inspire, Kindness, Love, Meaning of lIfe, Motivation, Pets, Positivity, Unique

As his head hit the cushion and I tip toed out of the room, I felt a pang of guilt shout out in the silence. Not one to be happy in his own company, I hoped he would not feel lonely whilst I was out enjoying myself. Munch would not be alone as he had my father and my son pandering to the pampered pooch’s needs, but I still felt uneasy about leaving my partner in crime. We had merged into one over the last 18 months and it was strange to be leaving behind my extra limb at home whilst I was going out all day and night. A night cwtched up on the cuddle chair would be a far better option for him though than parading around pubs, causing a trail of fuss wherever he went.

Leaving your Guide Dog behind is a big thing when you become so reliant on them not only as a safety net but more importantly, as a piece of you. Choosing not to take my less appealing looking cane (or weapon of blindness as it is also known), I would use my amazing friends to dodge the dangers that lay ahead. There is a time and a place for Munch, my cane or my family and friends and now was the time for my friends. I love spending time with my friends who make me so happy with their unique, comical and loving ways and the ways that they go from compassions to urine extracting in milliseconds. They are true gold dust.

Over the loud music, different voices at different times shouted in my ears “watch the step”, “turn left”, “the sink is here” and other welcomed auditory descriptions. We got through the night accident free. As kind hands passed me my drinks that I could not see on the table in front of us, I appreciated them more and more. Descriptions of the scenes around us really made me feel that I belonged to a world that I grew up feeling separated from. As I searched my memory banks to match up names of friends of friends to their voices, I totally forgot again that I couldn’t see. With so much valued sensory input going in, I didn’t need vision to let me see. I truly love these people so much as their selfless ways make the difference between feeling isolated and feeling wanted.

As we celebrated my beautiful friends 30^th birthday, my feeling of guilt from leaving Munch disappeared. He needed the well-deserved time off from his dedication to his work that he has. Giving thanks to him and my friends and family for their compassion cannot be expressed enough by words alone. By innately doing relative small acts of kindness, they make such a huge different to my life. I hope one day to be able to pay them back tenfold for their loving ways. Their karmic banks are really beginning to overflow.

Acts of kindness do not need be huge to be life changing, they just need to be authentic. Gifts are only valuable if their true value is more than the cost. Empowering another person will always mean more than trying to rescue someone who is not ready for the help. You may never truly know the positive impact that you make on someone’s life, but know that you will be the gold dust that will never be forgotten.

The Helpful Food Critic

Tags

Animal, Dog, Food, Food Critic, Foodie, Guide Dog, Humour, Mischief, Pets, Unique, Work And Play

As the car pulled up in the car park, he knew that he was on double duty again. Not only would he have to lead his lowly maid from the parking space to the awaiting table inside, but he would also have to sample what the establishment had to offer. Being a food critic was not as easy as others made it look.

Since moving into the property 18 months ago, he had generously helped the family to check if the food that they were eating was up to standard. The family however did not always seem to appreciate his professional attitude to the job and tried on many occasions to tell him that he was doing it wrong which he knew he wasn’t. A foodie knew his food.

There was that one time that he had to put his front paws on the kitchen counter to retrieve the block of butter that the maid had just bought, to taste it for them. As he was not sure on the first few mouthfuls, he ate it all and licked clean the packaging and thoughtfully left it next to the bin. Later that day it exited him as quick as it had entered him, and he realized that in that moment, maybe less was more. The next time he had as much butter, he mindfully added a whole loaf of bread with it as he was left alone in the kitchen when the family were making sandwiched for a party. The tempting looking Tuna sandwiched remained stacked on a plate next to the bread and butter void that had previously existed. He couldn’t be expected to do all the work in the house.

Angus the cat also seems to be ungrateful when he sampled the different flavours of Felix that appear temptingly on the floor. It is not fair that he must make do with dried food as apparently, he needs a strict diet as he is a Guide Dog. Is it any wonder that on occasion he likes to try more tempting food? With the humans and the cat having all the pleasure in life, there are times that he needs to find his own sneaky ways of joining in. Well, they call it sneaky, but he calls it helpful.

The time he managed to unwrap a vegan cheese and spinach wrap from cling film from his maid’s bag whilst she was talking to a colleague, was his way of helping her diet and he was honestly not being sneaky. The maid has double standards and did not complain when he was the one that sniffed out the cheese section in the local supermarket and took her straight to it, when they had moved it all around. That was just him being helpful. Later on that day it took a lot of puppy dog eye acting to make them share the cheese with him. His hunting skills were so under appreciated by the family a lot of the time.

As he entered this pub for some much-needed grub, he used his Labrador led nose and stomach to clean-up after the last lot of partially haired two-legged friends that had left food on the floor. As he hoovered up the lonely looking pieces of neglected food from the floor, he wondered if his part time cleaning job would be rewarded. He was lovingly clearing a path so that nobody would stand on dropped food and that deserves a reward surely? A stray pea, a couple of chips and something new tasting, all made their way into his stomach as the maid tried moving him on. As they sat and ate he watched, hoping to sample a little of their food. When he was offered a strawberry during the desert as a mere fleeting thought, he declined. The food critic in him knows what is worth trying and this wasn’t it. This food critic loves his job and does it well.

Motivation Magic

Tags

Animal, Blind, Dog, Guide Dog, Happiness, Kindness, Love, Meaning of lIfe, Motivation, Pets, Positivity, Unique

As the smell of an enticing treat magically appeared from the ether, his motivation came back to life. Led by his nose, his body followed to retrieve his reward for working so hard that day. Well, a shopping trip to most may not have seemed like hard work but to Lord Munch it was. Being a Guide Dog meant that his time on- duty was full of concentration but his time off-duty was totally different. Eating, snoozing, playing and receiving love from all, is what keeps him happy. Motivation to Munch can be found in the simplest of things.

How motivation in each individual is so different, has always intrigued me. The meaning of motivation goes way beyond any definition that any dictionary can provide. On both a small and a large scale, we can never really hide from such a powerful drive that will either lead us places or keep us stuck. The magic of motivation for every little detail we choose or reject in life, happens for a reason.

Motivation for me means greeting challenges with open arms regardless of the opinions of others. My motivational magic happens when my label of disability tries to halt me, but my mind tells me that I, along with many are more than a label. Appreciating that I am alive each day in my non-perfect body is enough for there never to be a motivational drought. When my connective tissue in my body decides to cause pain, dislocations, blindness and abnormalities this is the exact motivation I need to see myself as whole.

Without the basics in life, motivation can be such a difficult thing to maintain. Striving to be the best at something in life can only really work long term if you want to do it for yourself. You are the constant in your own life that will be there to celebrate your own achievments without fail. The motivation to put in the work to achieve your ideal body is only worth it if you truly value all the hard work your body does for you. Bodies will change throughout our lifetime, but their amazing functions remain the same. Motivate yourself to become a better person only when you can accept people for who they are. They will become the better person they wish to be in their own time.

Munch has a simpler yet just as strong relationship with motivation. Give him food and he will love you forever as he plods on in life. Play ball with him and his unconditional love towards you will keep him loving our two-legged race. Leave him come and snuggle up on your lap and let him think he is a Chihuahua and he will always let you be who you want to be without judgement. Leave him rest when he wants, and he will always wait patiently for you when you are busy. His motivational magic is something that I would be lost without in life. Sometimes the simple things in life are the best.

The Loch Ness Minster

Tags

Animal, Dog, Guide Dog, Individuality, Labradoodle, Unique, Work And Play

As his natural habitat called, his longing heart whined as loud as his voice. The harsh glass that lay between him and the vast expanse of delight tempting him was just cruel. It was at times like this that he wished he could behave like the rebels that he saw around him daily, who would have found a way of removing this obstacle, but he knew he had to behave. The lake gleamed at him from a mere few feet away. He wanted to jump into the lake so bad and return to his happy place. The Loch Ness Minster wanted to return to where he belonged.

Bringing our little Minster Munch to a Wetland centre for a family day out with my granddaughter seemed a good idea at the time. On duty Minster tended to behave himself when out in public so that day should have gone smoothly. Momentarily disremembering that his labradoodle traits loved the water with a passion, we arrived for a day full of fun. What we got however, was a day full of tantrums Not from my 2-year-old granddaughter who was an angel but from a stroppy 3-and-a-half-year-old dog who wanted to swim with the ducks.

As soon as his eyes saw the water, he thought we had brought him to doggy paradise where he would be able to swim for hours on end. His happy whining and excited barks that left his on duty persona down, echoed around the centre as my embarrassment grew. Nonchalant ducks and birds waddled past him and he didn’t bat an eyelid but as soon as he heard the water splashing from his feathery friend’s antics, he barked to be let free. As I cringed my way through the day stopping to explain to him that he couldn’t go in, I vowed never to bring him again as it seemed so cruelly enticing for him to resist and he found it hard to keep his mind on the job. He is great at his job but at the end of the day he is a dog and dogs like to have fun.

Water to off duty Munch, is a forever friend. During his early socialisation, he was introduced to water so he will always associate this with fun. As the Labradoodle breed originates from two water retrievers, it is in his genes to become a water fur baby. He loves to swim and spends ages in lakes or rivers if he gets a chance if we are out free running. He was once so eager to get into a lake that he managed to get his two front paws well and truly stuck in boggy ground surrounding the lake and it took my friend quite a while to reunite his 4 paws on solid ground. This has never put him off.

If he is around other dogs in water, he will be the mad one causing a water tornado and a tsunami by whirling around far too fast. He is the one that leads other dogs astray and tempts them into water even if they cannot swim, as he runs off with their ball. He is also the first to share the water with us all as he comes close to us for a shake to shower his love onto us. Wherever there is water, the Loch Ness Minster can be found lurking as he feels at home in the H2O.

Guide Dogs are trained to ignore distractions but there are some distractions that cannot be ignored. His whining to play that day, reminded me that being around water for this Diva dog is just too tempting. As we walked back to the car, his downward facing tail said it all. Life was not fair. A prolonged paddle in a nearby lake the following day did however help me get back into his good books. We have learnt to compromise on things like this over our time together which is just as well as The Loch Ness Minster will always seek to return to his domain.

You Do Know That They Haven’t Given You A Labrador Right?

Tags

Animal, Blind, Dog, Guide Dog, Happiness, Humour, Individuality, Labradoodle, Marfan Syndrome, Positivity, Unique

Another fan filled shopping trip completed on duty Minster, my daughter and I headed for the exit. It had been rather a quiet day with only two people stopping to talk to us, so we had completed our shopping in record speed. As we reached the door, I felt a gentle hand being placed on my wrist. A cheerful voice full of mischief leaned in to me and whispered, “Sorry love, but you do know that they haven’t given you a Labrador right”? This was comedy at its best. Weak from laughter, I thanked the man for his helpful observation and headed for the car.

There are two types of people in this world. The first being the over critical lot than seeks out offense in the most innocent situations and will take great pleasure in humiliating another if they so much as introduce humour into a sensitive topic. The second type of people are the ones that have natural wit and humour running through their bodies and don’t think twice about drawing attention to the elephant in the room. I like the second lot best.

Drawing attention to the fact that Minster Munch was not an average Guide Dog was nothing new. How the attention was drawn to the fact on this day was. Implying with good nature that I could not see that he was not the Labrador that everyone expects was so funny. I loved being included in a joke that he obviously saw no harm in. He belonged to a dying breed of people who have the natural ability to see light in an often-darkened place. Blind jokes were among the best around when they came from the right place.

Chatting to my daughter on the way back home, we both agreed how refreshing it was to be able to not take ourselves too seriously and laugh at ourselves. She too has Marfan Syndrome and although her eyes are fine, she has other complex issues that come with the disorder which means life can be quite challenging at times. She never lets this get to her though and I am so proud that she is following her life dream as a student midwife and lives life to the fullest. Remaining positive about living with such a serious condition helps us appreciate the beauty in life itself. It would be so easy to spend our days focussing on the everyday problems that can arise and feel sorry for ourselves but what would be the point?

Taking life too serious will never make us happy. We may not be able to have control over everything in our lives, but we always have a choice on how we let them affect us. Moaning and groaning over the slightest things in life means that we are missing out on amazing opportunities that are waiting for us. The fact that we wake up each morning and are ready to face the day is a miracle in itself yet we rarely appreciate it to its full extent .

I am grateful that this rare breed of funny people still exist in the world, who are not fearful of causing offence. These are the people who I would surround myself with every day. The people that see humour where many dread to tread. The ones who don’t mind their P’s and Q’s. Being politically correct does not enter their minds as they communicate with a person as a person and not as fragile object that needs to be bubble wrapped. Laughing at yourself can be the best therapy ever so laugh away to keep your troubles at bay. With or without a funny looking Guide Dog, choose to make your life a joyous one.

Please Let Me Play.

Tags

Animal, Blind, Dog, Guide Dog, Happiness, Labradoodle, Love, Pets, Unique, Work And Play

As I felt the Yeti like paw prints that had been imprinted in the freshly laid compost, I knew that the monster had struck again. Amongst the rows of carrots and spring onions, lay the evidence of the hairy intruder’s occupancy. It then twigged on me that I had witnessed this mystical creature rampage earlier on in the day as he ran around the garden in circles creating an obstacle course out of whatever he could find. The planter included. The rampage had happened when I tried to take ownership back of my bra that had fallen from the laundry basket as I was hanging washing out. As the cups flapped about as much as his ears as he ran at record speed, I knew that I was losing the battle. I heard his speedy paw steps cover the whole of the garden but the breaks in the noisy paw steps clearly meant that they were in the compost. Attempting to catch playful Munch would have been impossible even if I could see.

Munch only has two modes. Munch transforms into professional Minster as soon as his harness slips over his head and he become the proficient Guide Dog that every advert conveys. His nonchalant demeanour, passes distractions in an aloof way for most of the time. With the shaking of his body when the harness comes off, Minster becomes a distant memory as he becomes playful Munch. You would never guess that he is the same dog. There are times however that the two modes cross over into pre and post harness wearing. The aloof Minster mode that invades his off – duty Munch time is amusing yet trouble free. It is a shame that the same in not true for the reverse.

Play to Munch is as essential as oxygen. Unless he is causing mischief in his own unique way, his inner monster gets starved. As I hear him run off with one of my granddaughter’s plastic toys, I know he wants a chase. When the little monster comes right up to my face for me to see that he has a sock in his mouth, he knows that this soft touch will spend the next 10 minutes begging him to release the slobbery sock and then taking his lead to play whatever he wants in exchange the release of the captured clothing. Bowing to Angus the cat as an invite to play, he will then spend an age cowering after Angus chases him into a corner. Regardless if it a living being or a stray carrier bag, Munch will adore his now found play pal. He is really not fussy.

Problems only arise when working Minster becomes possessed by Munch. Whilst out walking the other day, we came across a field of cows that he thought would make great new play pals. My gentle explaining that he could not play, was met with disappointment. As stubbornness replaced the disappointment I knew that steering him away from these friendly souls was going to be challenging. Not even a treat tempted him away. As he staged a sit in protest, more cows gathered around to support this worthwhile cause. As we reached a compromise and went closer to the fence to greet his new friends, he sniffed away with a wagging tail and love filled heart. After a little while, I felt terrible leading him away from his new besties, but I promised him we would come back soon. As the mooing replied to his whines as the distance grew between them, they bid farewell. He may not have had a chance to play with them but at least he had a chance to connect which he loves to do so much. Whether connecting with a human or a four-legged soul mate, the thought of play keeps Minster Munch a happy chappy with a contented soul. His work/ life balance will always be a battle for this strong-minded soul but isn’t that true for us all?