Jakes View of Life

Hi, Jake here,

At last I`ve been able to get Sandra away from the computer so I can tell you all about.....( I can hardly say it)....the cat next door! I`ve been betrayed and almost outsmarted by that creature. One day it was just me and the local feline population who, as you`d expect, kept their distance from me. Then along comes Willow (daft name for a boy of you ask me!) and everything has changed. Each day he sits on the adjoining fence and just looks at me while I go crazy and bark myself hoarse. I`m sure the fluffy furbag only does it to annoy me without even giving me the chance of chasing him, life can be very hard....sigh.

The thing about Willow is that he`s pretty enough to be a girl and even worse, my dad (Jim) is always picking him up and cuddling him, thank goodness mum isn`t all that interested. There is a chance however that said furbag may just disappear from our lives. He keeps trying to jump into mum`s car, perhaps she`ll drive him away and leave him somewhere....I can live in hope!

I can`t even go to my usual parks at the moment either. The back field where I used to have my daily runs has been bought by property developers and they are building new houses on the site now. I can`t go to Black Park as there are Foot and Mouth restrictions are in place there so dad thinks it`s best to avoid it until they are lifted. For the time being we are going to Upton Park, a boring place if there was ever one . No squirrels to chase or trees to run through, just a wide expanse of grass, no fun for a dog I can tell you!

Mum is acting really oddly these days...her and her orchids, I heard her talking to them this morning...now if I had a chance I`d chew them up and be done with it....hehehe. Also I heard her use language that I think must be Anglo Saxon this morning.....I don`t see why she was so upset, so the freezer had defrosted and ruined all the food, it`s no big deal, my food is in tins so why worry.

I won`t be seeing my little mate Roman today, Kerry and Slava have taken him to a birthday party in Rotherham, Yorkshire, quite a trek from here but as they have a new car at least it should be more comfortable than the old model. Talking of cars mum`s been lucky with the weather and her car ius completely dry, though she`s taking no chances and has covered it up as looks a bit like rain.

Oh well, I`ll say goodbye to Mum`s friends and a big Woof to all you J-Land dogs....and cats (nothing personal, it`s the one next door I don`t like!). :o)

Jake xxxx

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Good morning to all you humans and your dogs.  Thank you for all the lovely comments I got for my entry yesterday.  Today the day started early for me as I wasn`t too well in the night.  A bit of a dodgy tummy, caused by `something I ate`, according to Sandra who, as usual, knows everything!  But I`m fine now that I`m back on my colitis tablets for another week.  I didn`t need to go the Vet as there was still a bottle of tablets in the cupboard.  Sandra had her hospital appointment today so I went for my morning run with Jim.  We went to the back field again and I met up with a young male Boxer called Benson.  He is just a bit younger than me and we had great fun running through the undergrowth.  Before the `snip` I didn`t get on too well with other males but today there were no problems, maybe it was worth losing my `bits` after all!   I found some other dog`s tennis ball in the long grass and as Benson had just lost his softball, I gave it too him....that was my good deed for the day.  I overheard Jim talking to Benson` owner, and she told him the back field is soon to have houses built on it. Sandra was suspicious yesterday because she saw some surveyors equipment in the field but now we know why.  Now where do we dogs go when we want a good run round?  It`s not too bad for me because Sandra and Jim both have cars and can take me to some of the other parks nearby, but there are quite a lot of people who don`t drive or are elderly that can`t go that far.  It`s a real shame.  There is still the Parish Hall field, but it`s not the same, not the same scents and smells, and certainly no rabbits to chase, just flat boring grass.

In my next entry I will tell you all about my great friend Daisy the Boxer.  It`s a good tale I can`t wait to tell you.  Bye for now and keep woofing!

JAKE

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   Hello there I`m back..........!

I feel as though I have been away for ever.  It`s totally Sandra`s fault for not letting me near the computer of course.  She can be so selfish when it comes to HER computer.  She says I get dog hair all over her chair; well I wouldn`t I?  I`m a dog....

I`ve been through so much since the last entry I was allowed to make. For one I`ve been and had that dreaded operation. Neutered, castrated, done, the snip or whatever you want to call it!  I wish they`d asked first though, it`s not something you take lightly having your `unmentionables` removed from your life. But I`m over it now and I think I`m just a bit calmer than I was before. So far I haven`t been attacked yet, but then I`ve only been out on my daily constitutions with Marshall, my german shepherd pal, and I`m the eldest so am certainly the boss where he is concerned.

Yesterday on our walk ( this time without Marshall)  Sandra and Jim took me to the back field where there is lots of space and trees and long grass to hide in. The last time I was there was the day before my operation, and I lost my Fling-a-Ring, my treasured pink rubber frisbee with a hole in the middle. So, 3 weeks on I was running around and guess what ?  I found it......I was so pleased and took it over to Sandra and Jim, who couldn`t believe it.   They forget, I am a retriever, it`s in my blood.  I know I should have brought it back on the day I `lost` it , but I forgot where I put it because I was being assaulted at the time by a great hulking brute of a black labrador called George.  He was telling me that the back field belonged to him, and who was I anyway?  I told him that he would have to get used to me as I was here to stay.....he wasn`t impressed and growled quite menacingly at me. I growled back and Sandra and George`s owner had to drag us both away, apologising to each other for our behaviour!

Sandra has been asked to help out at a fund-raiser for Labrador Lifeline Trust.  Apparently we both have to go to a large supermarket and stand outside all day,  Sandra rattling a tin, and me looking suitably doe-eyed and cute.  Ensuring the public will feel sorry for poor rescue labs like me and part with their hard earned cash for their cause.  Its not the idea of raising money that we are against, it`s the standing still all day that we don`t like the sound of.  A sponsored walk would be ok and probably just about anything else but not tin rattling.  She has come up with a solution though......actually it was Jim`s idea, just make a donation, what could be easier than that.  LLT get some cash and Sandra`s conscience is clear now she is helping them.

Well that`s all for this entry.  I`ll be back with more news about my life with Sandra and Jim. Bye for now and don`t forget. When you look at your dog, wondering what he is thinking, don`t be surprised if he is taking notes for his journal entries!

JAKE

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Hello there !   

                        This poor dog was me yesterday.  Not that I was squirted by a hydrant, no, we don`t have them in England anyway, but if we did I`m sure it would hit me right between the eyes.  That was the morning I had.

We went for our daily hike in the park.  Sandra and Jim bringing up the rear as usual.  I heard them chatting about those pesky parakeets again and Jim was clutching the camera.  The more I thought about the camera I more I was looking forward to having my photo taken, hmm, more pics for my journal I`m certain.  I like to keep my public amused.  Well, we were nearing the end of the part of the walk that is my least favourite , lead walking, and Sandra bent down and unclipped my lead.   Ah!  Freedom, now I can run and stretch my legs.   

It just happened to be at the moment when Jim, who was further on and fiddling with his camera, stopped still and started staring intently at a nearby tree.  I just had to run up to him to see what he was doing .  Off I ran over to the trees and that`s when it happened...... SQUAWK! SQUAWK!.......... Well, Jim had a angry expression on his face and he muttered a few words that were too much for my young ears but I know exactly what he meant.   I heard Sandra say` Did you get the photo then ?`.   Jim replied, ` Well I would have but for that b****y dog.  They were so close but he frightened them off !`

Now it`s my fault Sandra doesn`t have the photos for her journal entry.  It`s not even as if I can answer back, well I could of course but they can`t speak my language any more than I can speak theirs.  It`s just that I have a better understanding of humans than they have of dogs.

 And if one of those parakeets just happens to be slow taking off while I`m close by.  It had better watch out cos` Jake`s about !

                          JAKE    

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You see this graphic ?   Well I say I`m an angel. I know that `cos that`s what Sandra said.  Mind you that was before the Landscape gardening incident.   But then I get confused because Jim says I`ll BE an angel if I don`t watch it.  What`s that all about then ?   

It all started when I was in the garden .  I was outside doing what any self respecting Labrador would do...... sniffing !  when I thought I`d give the garden more than the usual cursory glance.  There are so many flowers and shrubs there, what is a dog supposed to do ?  I could see for myself that the Hydrangeas needed pruning and the Japanese Maple was looking dreadful. So I thought I`d give it a go and help them both out, they always seem to be moaning about the amount of work they have to do.  Well, I started with The Maple and brought it down to ground level.   Ruff !  A good job done though I say it myself and then went over and got stuck into the Hydrangeas.  It took ages to do and I was about to start on the bulbs, ( there are way too many !)  when I heard Sandra shout at me ` JAAAAKKKE ! `   Well there`s no need to shout, I`m not deaf !   Talk about ingratitude, I was only trying to help.  How was I too know that Japanese Maples don`t need pruning.....ever. She didn`t seem to mind about the Hydrangea though but I think it still needs a bit of work myself, but I think I`ll wait till she`s not looking next time !

I`ve had my visit from Kim from Labrador Lifeline Trust to check me out.  She has fallen hook , line and sinker for my dark chocolate eyes, silky coat and of course my charm and modesty.  She thinks I have very good lines and nicely shaped feet and she also says that my muscles will get bigger around my neck and chest making me more handsome than I am already !  But she is very pleased that I have settled in well and I`m a very good dog, apart from Sandra mentioning the garden incident, of course.  I have now passed that test so I`m free to do what I like now  Ruff Ruff !..........Until next time, Have a wonderful weekend and give your dogs a sniff from me !

                JAKE    

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Hello people !   I`m overwhelmed.  Just one entry and I have readers. Thank you for the compliments too.  Well now you all know my story I will have to tell you some of my views.  I have to say that I think humans are very strange beings.  They only have two legs, have no fur coat so have to wear clothes. Really I quite feel sorry for them.  When I go out with Sandra and Jim they can never keep up with me.  All they do is shout my name at the tops of their voices.  Now why do they keep calling my name ? I KNOW my name so I don`t need them to keep telling me.  If they could keep up with me I would show them the delights of the park. The wonderful aroma of fox and dead mice and other delights. 

I`ve made so many friends in Upton Park.  I`ve met the footballers and have played ball with them too.   I`ve met lots of dogs and cats too.  The cats never hang around though.  I run out to meet them in the garden but as soon as they see me they run as if their life depended on it.  I`ll keep trying to get through to them though and I`m sure they`ll get to like me eventually.

This evening I`m getting a visitor of my own.   Kim from the Labrador Lifeline Trust is coming to see how well I`ve settled in. That will be nice. I wonder if she`ll bring me some biscuits ?   Oh  must go !  JIm`s home and that means a walk in the park.   I`ll be back later to tell you all about my latest hobby,   landscape gardening !

JAKE

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Well Hello !   Let me introduce myself.  My name is Jake and I live with Sandra.  I have only been living with her and hubby Jim for four weeks now. I am what they call a rescue dog.  Actually I`m a black labrador with an impeccable pedigree.  Most likely bred to be a working dog but I was born with hip dysplasia and that means I was only good enough for a pet.  Which I suppose is not bad if your family doesn`t split up as mine did.  My first owners were nice and I had a dog to play with too. She was an older bitch called Bella.   The lady in the house decided to leave and she took my Bella with her.   I never saw them again.  I was completely alone.  The man used to leave me at home all by myself and I lost interest in everything including my food.  When the man came home he didn`t take me out as he had in the past.  So life became confusing, boring and very lonely.  I was so sad.

Then one day a lady came to the house, she was very kind and she sat down and talked with the man and she stroked my ears and for a while I was happy again.   Then the man gave her my lead, looked me smiled and said `Goodbye mate and be good`, and the nice lady led me away.   We went for a ride in her car to a place where I could hear lots of dogs barking.  I thought that this sounded nice here.

I stayed for a week before I first met Sandra and Jim. They were lovely to me just like everyone else was.  But they were not like the people I saw everyday.  They were fussing me and talking to me as if I was very special.  I could tell they loved all dogs and I wondered if they had some room for me.  That day though, they left me behind and I thought I wouldn`t see them again.  That is what happened most of the time.  As soon as I get to know and love someone they leave me.  I would have to get used to it.

A few days later, the first lady who took me from my home, came and took me away again and I wondered over and again, `where now?`  Well I didn`thave long to wait because soon I was taken to a house and as the door opened there they were......  Sandra and Jim!   This was where I was going to live.... Woof !    And now the story can begin .........

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