It has been some time since I, Hound Solo a.k.a Solo Snuffle Pig or sometimes known as Sausage Roll, have had any form of look in simply because the diva of the family, a.k.a Princess Zuri seems to revel in hogging the limelight. Since she arrived in our family unit in Kenya, she has clung onto us and she seems to be everywhere we are. I wasn’t sure about a girl dog but I suppose she can stay. She has been with us for a little while now and came back to my second home, England, with us so I’m not sure the parents wanted to leave her behind when we relocated across continents.
She does not like our new home as much as I do, although her street like tendancies have not quite disappeared. I only say this because as soon as the sun is out, she is out in our garden sunning herself and she doesn’t bother herself with keeping our home safe. I have been on constant alert, with lots of sniffy sniffs monitoring the perimeter and always on security detail. When we moved to our new forever home, our glorious garden was somewhat overgrown and I regularly patrolled the garden to alert the parent’s to any holes in the fencing and to generally keep an eye on the place. The fencing was in a terrible state and had been repeatedly blown down in strong winds, and the parents said it was on the long list of things to do to the house.
Mum was not as pleased as I was when I discovered a gap in the fencing and took myself off for some exploration across the countryside. It was insanely muddy and my tummy dragged through the mud much to Mum’s displeasure and I sniffed out the local kebab shop which was the best adventure ever. Mum did not agree and she finally cornered me in the kebab shop where she marched me back home. Zuri was not nearly clever enough to follow me though. This escapade led to a dreaded bath though, because Mum said I had mud in places where mud shouldn’t be. Zuri was not impressed because she too, was bathed.
The parents then took time off the work thing and transformed the garden by building a new fence. I admit it looks nice, but I have not yet found a way out. They also filled in the pond which I was relieved about, especially following my slip up when my feets got wet. Dad built a shed too which is great, but I thought it was for me as Mum says it is where Dad goes if he is in the ‘doghouse.’
Whilst I have sworn to keep the family safe from intruders, there have been some furry invaders in the garden. We did have a rabbit come by but Zuri’s ‘street’ instincts kicked in and she disposed of it. She can be rather uncivilised. I tried to help but my eyesight is not what it was, and any ways, I find plenty of food in the house so don’t wish to waste effort on hunting my own dinner. We also have plenty of pigeons although I should say had plenty of pigeons visit the garden. A juvenile bird attempting to leave the nest was discovered on the lawn by Mum and although she tried her best to keep us away from it, Zuri scared it to death. At least she didn’t eat it. We did discover a deceased pigeon in the bushes too which was a lovely surprise and provided a tasty feast until Dad stepped in and took it away from us. I did manage to get a nibble on it before it was gone.
Our home is surrounded by beautiful country side and the wildlife and birdlife is amazing. Mum continues to see muntjac in the field behind our garden, and foxes, and rabbits and an abundance of birds including pheasants, thrushes, finches, birds of prey amongst many others. A couple of robins come to the garden every now and then. A family of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers took up residence in our plum tree in the garden which was fascinating. The parent’s watched them build a home with their constant hammering, and were transfixed by the fledging that reared its head out of the carefully crafted hole, and felt like bereft parents when it eventually flew the nest and the family were gone.
Zuri has become quite the hunter (despite me telling her it is unnecessary) and even managed to pluck a bird from the sky. She was always partial to a bird or two, supplementing her penchant for anything furry. I was too busy sniffing to assist her but I have managed to sniff out some tasty morsels which happen to fall on the floor in the kitchen including my new favourite snack of cucumber. I have also discovered that I like lettuce. The parents made the most of the two days of summer by insisting on having souvlaki and Greek salad in the garden, (hence my discovery of lettuce and cucumber) but even huddling around the fire pit didn’t keep us warm enough. I couldn’t bear to snooze on the bare concrete so Mum put a mat down for me while Zuri opted to snuggle on Dad’s lap.
We have had many spectacular walks along the banks of the many rivers and waterways in the area, taking in the endless rolling fields and witnessing the farmers hard at work, often into the night to bring in the harvest. The topography is decidedly flat with no hills or mountains so you can see for miles!
The parents took us to a place called Sandringham Estate, some 6 miles from Kings Lynn which is a place where apparently somebody called King Charles III and Queen Camilla live. We wandered around the Royal Parkland which is apparently 243 hectares of woodland paths and nature trails and it was fabulous. I don’t know anything about royalty but the parents brought with them a picnic of antipasti including a small-ish bottle of prosecco and Mum considered this a feast fit for that King. The parents also took us to a country fair at Sandringham on the hottest day of the year and finally found something to eat that I disliked. Mum tried to give me doggy ice cream and although it was flavoured banana and peanut butter, I would much rather stick to cucumber. This was also the day that Dad saved Zuri from choking on a bread roll that she snaffled but that’s another story.
The parents took us on a very different adventure most recently where we found ourselves on a boat.
A trip to March in Cambridgeshire saw us boarding a narrowboat. I found this very exciting and I actually got to be captain of the ship for once, because Princess Zuri was very unnerved and could not find her sea legs and spent quite some time seeking refuge under the seats. Following a brief on water safety, we jumped aboard a Fox narrowboat at a marina in March and took to the water and cruised along the Fenland waterways. The boat was very well equipped and had a kitchen, a dining area, a toilet, and seating for up to 10 people. The parents’ friends Vicky and Jeff came with us which was fab. They are the parents to my friend, Tag who didn’t come with us on this particular trip but that was fine because I got to take the helm with Dad.
We took a steady ride down the Middle Level Waterways towards the village of Outwell, where we now all live. The journey was fantastic. It was so peaceful and tranquil, floating along on the calm water, surrounded by beautiful countryside and sharing the river with numerous birds including a family of swans. At one point, Dad had to park the boat and Mum, Vicky and Jeff all disembarked to go and work something called a Lock. This was Marmont Priory Lock on the river Nene(old course) which is 92 feet in length.
Dad described this as giant gates which had to be locked and unlocked, to allow an easier passage along the water and this was all very interesting. Zuri did come out to watch but she was not wholly happy to be on the water. I helped Dad to navigate the boat through the lock and we trundled down to Outwell basin and had a wonderful picnic.
The journey back to March was just as peaceful and tranquil so I couldn’t understand Zuri’s lack of enthusiasm. I can only guess that it was all too quiet and mundane for her. I think she prefers to live life in the fast lane, with adrenaline busting, high octane adventure (she often gets the zoomies) but I prefer a more sedate pace of life these days. She gets to burn off her steam at Dog agility but I forego such high energy activities for more sleeping, with a bit of sniffing here and there.
On the theme of water, and with the onset of winter, the flooding has returned to Welney causeway or Welney wash. The parents took us up to the village of Welney to view the expansive flooding which really is a sight to behold. The intentional flood plain lies between the Old Bedford river and the New Bedford river and is a site of Special Scientific Interest. It is an ‘Ouse Wash’ which is storage for floodwater, a flood defence system for the flood water that the River Great Ouse cannot discharge directly into the sea at Kings Lynn. The excess waters are held within the wash until tides and river flows allow discharge back into the river and hence, the sea.
The floodwaters cover an area of just short of 6000 acres and when the floods come, the green fields turn blue with water and that is all you can see for miles – water water everywhere! The only road through floods at when the depth reaches 2.40 metres OD (above ordnance data) and the warning lights come on, the barriers appear and the road is closed to traffic. It can take days, even weeks to become passable in anything other than a tractor. It is incredible to see, and brings with it hundreds of bird species including herons, swans, ducks, cormorants amongst many others. It has made for some very exciting walkies.
With the bad weather coming in, Mum and Dad have stopped working in the garden and have taken to decorating yet again. The dust is back. Mum trying to clean like a crazy lady is back. The upstairs in the house has been in a state of disrepair for many weeks now (seems like months!) with wall paper stripped, radiators off the walls, old carpets disposed of exposing bare wooden floorboards, curtains taken down and stuff called plastering being done, and endless sanding, and Mum was heard to say it was grim, and so cold it was like camping but indoors. I am inclined to agree.
It has been very cold for some time, and I was forced to keep Mum warm like some sort of hot water bottle, but the parents became very excited when new carpets arrived. I love this too! The carpets provide extra grip for Zuri when she is zooming around and creating carnage, and it provides me with warmth and a lovely surface to roll on, and rub my face in, and scrape my tummy along. The radiators back on the wall adds even more heat which Zuri and I love. Cosy nights in are the best!
The rooms are all starting to look nice and they don’t smell of fresh paint now, the air has cleared of the choking dust and I’m hoping the parents are done with this decorating stuff now. We have all been in this new house for just over a year and it feels like home now. It won’t be much longer until this year is finished, and the new adventures will re-commence with my best mate by my side, and the parents of course. Until then, Zuri and I will continue in our duties of attack beast, and sniffer dog extraordinaire.
#happydays
#familytime
#doubletrouble
#tagteam
#homeiswheretheheartis
Nomadic Family Unit 
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