Dear Reader, I send YOU greetings.
Most of YOU have read all MY posts, so YOU know before I came to live with HER that SHE lived with Dagga-the-Parrot. SHE has had African Grey Parrots since 1988.
People ask HER if SHE had other animals in HER life and sometimes SHE talks about them, YOU have read about most of them but one 'animal' SHE has never mentioned because SHE had not thought of him for very, very long time, was the first one SHE ever had, a rather special dog.
YOU know SHE was born in, what was then called, Malaya, at time of the Communist Emergency. War time.. it was not long after the end of World War 2, toys were not so freely available, goodness knows cost of Janni, the beautiful doll that Jean HER Godmother bought HER. But one day Hugo brought back a charming toy for his youngest child. It was a 'walking dog', YOU never see them these days.
The dog stood on a small platform which was on small wheels and at the tail end was a hoop of metal, it encouraged children to walk because they felt secure holding onto the hoop as they went for a walk pushing their 'dog' along.
SHE adored this 'dog' and he had undoubtedly been much loved by many children before Hugo brought him home as one of his ears was nearly bald and Constance had to stitch back one of his shiny eyes..
There was at this time a real dog in the family, her name was Penny and she was a Roan Cocker Spaniel. HER brother was older and SHE spent many happy hours playing on the beach with Amah, Penny and HER dog.
Malaya became a very unsafe place for the family, Hugo was doing dangerous work and his name was found to be on a list of people wanted 'Dead or Alive' by the Communists. Children and wives were easy targets, so it was agreed that Constance, HER brother and SHE would go back to England.
They flew back in December 1953. Flying meant that what they were able to take with them was extremely limited. SHE was three and a half and by now, of course, SHW was walking.
It was bad enough leaving HER home, HER beach, HER very beloved Malayan Amah, Penny, HER father but SHE also had to leave HER dog..
Earlier today SHE went to get Goaty milk from Debbie who was at Farmer's Market and afterwards SHE went with HER house guest to eat a Pizza. The weather was atrocious.. rain and wind making sitting outside an impossibility, it was very snug inside the small restaurant, SHE might not have seen the couple walk by with their dog but for the owner opening the door for a customer taking out a Pizza..
But SHE did see them.. and suddenly decades disappeared and years fell away, SHE remembered his wiry coat and his rather stiff looking legs, for there, on a lead walking very proudly 'to heel' with his Mistress, was an elderly, now very rare breed of English Terrier, Airedale.
His name had been Mister Moka-Treakle.. and he was HER first dog.
GeeGee Parrot.
April 29th, 2012.
Most of YOU have read all MY posts, so YOU know before I came to live with HER that SHE lived with Dagga-the-Parrot. SHE has had African Grey Parrots since 1988.
People ask HER if SHE had other animals in HER life and sometimes SHE talks about them, YOU have read about most of them but one 'animal' SHE has never mentioned because SHE had not thought of him for very, very long time, was the first one SHE ever had, a rather special dog.
YOU know SHE was born in, what was then called, Malaya, at time of the Communist Emergency. War time.. it was not long after the end of World War 2, toys were not so freely available, goodness knows cost of Janni, the beautiful doll that Jean HER Godmother bought HER. But one day Hugo brought back a charming toy for his youngest child. It was a 'walking dog', YOU never see them these days.
The dog stood on a small platform which was on small wheels and at the tail end was a hoop of metal, it encouraged children to walk because they felt secure holding onto the hoop as they went for a walk pushing their 'dog' along.
SHE adored this 'dog' and he had undoubtedly been much loved by many children before Hugo brought him home as one of his ears was nearly bald and Constance had to stitch back one of his shiny eyes..
There was at this time a real dog in the family, her name was Penny and she was a Roan Cocker Spaniel. HER brother was older and SHE spent many happy hours playing on the beach with Amah, Penny and HER dog.
Malaya became a very unsafe place for the family, Hugo was doing dangerous work and his name was found to be on a list of people wanted 'Dead or Alive' by the Communists. Children and wives were easy targets, so it was agreed that Constance, HER brother and SHE would go back to England.
They flew back in December 1953. Flying meant that what they were able to take with them was extremely limited. SHE was three and a half and by now, of course, SHW was walking.
It was bad enough leaving HER home, HER beach, HER very beloved Malayan Amah, Penny, HER father but SHE also had to leave HER dog..
Earlier today SHE went to get Goaty milk from Debbie who was at Farmer's Market and afterwards SHE went with HER house guest to eat a Pizza. The weather was atrocious.. rain and wind making sitting outside an impossibility, it was very snug inside the small restaurant, SHE might not have seen the couple walk by with their dog but for the owner opening the door for a customer taking out a Pizza..
But SHE did see them.. and suddenly decades disappeared and years fell away, SHE remembered his wiry coat and his rather stiff looking legs, for there, on a lead walking very proudly 'to heel' with his Mistress, was an elderly, now very rare breed of English Terrier, Airedale.
His name had been Mister Moka-Treakle.. and he was HER first dog.
GeeGee Parrot.
April 29th, 2012.
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