Deslie’s says I am a tease, bit unfair in my opinion but her reasoning…. Well I suppose I do taunt, some may say I am cruel but it is ever so enjoyable, to me any way, and really I have only being doing it since Capri joined us and I discovered her love of food.

Food for me is, well you have to eat it to live but I am not one to rush to the meal plate like Capri and gulp tea down in maybe 5 seconds. I like to ponder, sniff and think about what is on my plate then maybe go away and come back half an hour later and reconsider the offering. Yes Deslie does have to rescue my plate several times from floor and from Capri before I do eat and Deslie does mutter.

But my teasing, well mostly it’s in the morning. For breakfast we get a little chicken mince and as usual Capri gulps and that’s it, but me Oh I am much more… shall we say, lady like.

Deslie taps my foot to let me know plate is there as remember I don’t see too good these days but I don’t need sight to know Capri is standing there an inch or two from plate ready for a gap in my concentration. I sniff the plate, mmm lovely chicken mince but decide I will just leave it for moment and so turn away waiting as I know what is coming. Across room comes a “Capri, don’t touch” from Deslie.

Ah good I’ve got her so I head back to plate another sniff another ponder, another look away and another “don’t touch”. But teasing is funny only for so long so I eat breakfast ensuring there is not even one crumb left to reward Capri’s patience. Oh yes I can be a tease I suppose.

Well folks the time has come for me to say a final cheerio and hang up my pen. I have been writing about my life for 9 years and have had so much fun doing it but I have to admit at nearly 13 years old and in need of a white stick to get around, my life style has become very quiet and I do miss much of what is happening around me.

[But on second thoughts never say a final goodbye is my philosophy as it is hard to stop a good reporter while the urge is still there.]

I have been giving Capri some lessons on what’s needed for the Chit Chat and she has shown interest in taking over the pen duties. So from 2012 Minnie’s Moments will have gone and ……………..[ new title is a secret ]  will start.

And I end this last Moment with some sadness as I have lost my hunting companion Graeme who finally lost the fight with his Cushings Disease and visited the vet for the last time. Oh there were tears in the house for a few days by everyone.
   
I send my final Christmas wishes and hope everyone has a lovely and safe holiday season.

Good bye everyone
Minnie Blanch

I am in a state of shock I really don't know if I can write about my recent experience but will try hard as it is.

I have just spent 2 weeks sleeping in a plastic barrel in a glass house. Oh dear let me pause for a moment to calm my nerves. Yes, I can hear you say 'Rubbish, Deslie would not do that to you'. Believe me she did and the only thing that got me get through the experience was that Graeme had to suffer as well.

Did she worry about me while she went gallivanting overseas? To be honest I think she did but the end result was still life in a barrel. Deslie when asking her brother Evan to look after us assumed that our life style would continue at Evans place but that was not to be. Oh yes Evan likes dogs but to a slightly different level than Deslie and his house is not adapted to ensure we get the best of everything. No good cat flap access, beds for resting on are definitely not an option as were sofas.

Deslie leaving us was done with some skill and we were fooled. We all went to Queenstown airport with Evan driving, no suspicions here. Stop at airport, Deslie leapt out grabbed her bag slammed door gave a wave and disappeared. Odd we thought even odder when Evan drove on back to his home and quality of life disappeared, well to us.

Oh we were safe, as fences had been put up, holes blocked, we were secure or so Evan thought. Now I have poor eyesight these days but I found a gap in the defences and used it when I felt a need and even now that escape route is known only by me. I may need it again, oh dear don’t even mention "again", but I did enjoy the surprise on Evan’s face when he looked down and found me sitting beside him outside the prison.

Graeme took the approach of, if "tied" to Evans ankle where he went Graeme would go and that is basically what happened. I on other hand decided as I had been deserted I would keep myself to myself and spend most of my time following sun patches around the prison and if feeling really bad would go into the barrel.

Now about this barrel and glasshouse life. I don’t like to admit it but really it wasn’t too bad. Deslie had gone to a lot of bother with it when she realised that Evan was serious about getting a barrel and then placing it in the glasshouse. The barrel was lifted off the ground with tarps and blocks to keep the cold at bay, a 2 inch thick foam rubber pad was put into barrel then a duvet. Over barrel went about 6 blankets plus a blanket door. Dog beds were placed around glasshouse as alternate resting areas.

The first 2-3 nights Graeme spent much time working on an escape tunnel from glasshouse which had Evan filling in the tunnel each morning. Graeme gave up this plan and decided his next approach was to lie at front of barrel and be awake each morning when the glass house door was opened so he could rush out. But this plan really came to nothing so by end of the 2 weeks he was usually still asleep when door was opened. I chose rear of barrel where I could ignore the world.

Oh we were invited into the house at night to enjoy the fire but leaving this comfort was hard.

Yes Deslie came home and rushed to the glasshouse but I was not going to rush out from that barrel on her call to say great you are home. No, I took my time and let her suffer for a few minutes.

Bye

Minnie Blanch

I am embarrassed to report this but I have been in disgrace, actually Graeme was in same situation. And all because a stupid cat jumped down from a tree in front of us.  What did you expect us to do smile and walk away.

We are hunters of 4 footed tree dwellers and when this object with a big tail landed in front of us our first thoughts were, fantastic, a possum.  Now if that furry bundle had stood its ground and given us time to see it was not a possum all may [well a weak may] have been O.K. But that cat ran.

Deslie at time was nearby sorting firewood so was at first unaware of the situation arising till 1 cat and 2 dogs flew past, the cat in a panic and we dogs with our blood up. So within seconds a human was added to the pursuit, a very noisy human but alas her screams and abuse fell on deaf ears as the chase was getting exciting, well for 2 of us anyway.

Cat made a couple of efforts to get to safety but we were too close and a quick tail grab soon put a stop to tree climbing and the result here was a fairly hectic battle going on under the trees when Deslie arrived. She literally fell through the fence landing on hands and knees and made a grab for the cat who really was coming of second best even though I have to admit I found the slashing claws not much fun and was beginning to feel some pain but pain does not stop a battle.

I sometimes wonder at Deslie as grabbing a terrified cat which I knew had big claws could be said a brave thing to do but many would say a totally stupid action but grab it she did. Sadly the cat did not realise that the grabbing was in fact safety and even I winced as I saw those very sharp teeth sink into Deslie’s thumb but did she drop or abuse that cat, not she, in fact she abused Graeme and myself but even with the cat in her arms in semi safety she was still on her knees and that meant there were tails and ears able to be captured so the battle continued though no where near as fruitful as a few seconds earlier.

I suppose from Deslie’s point of view she was happy when her brother arrived on the scene having heard the racket and was able to take the cat to higher safety in his arms while giving Graeme and myself a couple of clouts.

At this point we had to accept the cat was out of our battle zone which was now a some what bloodied area with Deslie’s thumb a bright red and having covered we 3 combatants in red.

I suppose I have to admit that later that night I was not a very happy Boston as the cat had been quite successful with a more than a couple of blows and I was very sore and in some pain though I noticed little sympathy being offered.

Later heard the cat limped for a week and Deslie’e thumb nail had a funny black mark in it which stayed there for weeks so maybe she came off the worst .

I don’t even want to mention what it is like to have ring worm and to think it was given to me by a cat [not same cat] so maybe I was being punished in some way. Not sure I should think too deeply about that.

Bye everyone
Minnie Blanch

I don't like to admit it but I think Deslie outsmarted me. Out walking recently and I could smell possum in the air. So the task was where to find it and the mere fact a tree was involved was a minor matter as trees were meant to be climbed perhaps normally not by a Boston but to me if possum is to be caught nothing stops my attack. Graeme is of a similar opinion so soon the two of us were searching for that possum. Took quite a few minutes and apart from Deslie telling us to come down the things filling the air were the battle sounds of 2 dogs and 1 possum. Plus a lot of fur.

Deslie soon decided the scene before her was not to her taste and walked away telling us to come.

Well Graeme gave up once death was confirmed but my problem was my, sorry our, conquest was just lying there and I had plans to maybe have a takeaway tea so grabbed the catch and headed after Deslie who was walking briskly away. On turning and seeing my plan she quickly told me to leave the booty behind and then proceeded to pull the body. Now a Boston with a possum meal on its mind can be just as determined as a human with a drop it plan. So while she pulled I clamped my jaws firmly and no progress was made, well not by Deslie.

And here is where I think she out thought me as after the tugging session she smiled and said "OK Minnie that's fine keep your catch" and on we walked. After 5 minutes I was getting somewhat puffed what from the battle and the fact I was not breathing properly with my mouth being full so I relaxed my grip on the possum to take a good breath. At that point Deslie pounced and grabbed the possum and to my horror threw it far away into the long grass saying "got you Minnie". 

Talking about hunting had another chase awhile back. Away on my own in orchard when I spied something never seen before but that does not stop a true hunter giving chase so chase I did. Was some what taken back at the squawks and squeals but the chase was quick as after a couple of hops the pursuit suddenly stopped when the "thing" took off into the air.

Turning to watch it disappear I saw Deslie watching me from near by hill with the usual frown of disapproval.

Seems the object of my pursuit was what is called a pheasant and to be honest I was happy to loose this battle as it was ever so pretty.

I don’t even want to talk about Fun Day

Bye now

The Club recently lost its Champions Photo Albums so is trying to reform them. Should you have a Boston Terrier now retired who was a Show Champion or have photo records of your past Bostons who became Champions and can lend photos for copying or provide a copy of the print please contact:

Album Co-ordinator
Glenys Guild
glenys@accord-tech.co.nz
or contact the Club Secretary.

Just in from a bit of rabbit hunting which for some reason made Deslie a little frustrated at my actions. The small matter of deafness …total on my part. How was I to know the rabbit had done a back track and was miles away. I was of opinion it was under the shed among all the irrigation pipes. So I was busy checking every pipe inside and out.

Oh yes I could hear Deslie calling and her voice tone changing leaving me with thought it was probably safer to stay under shed but eventually my search brought me out of the shed protection and I was grabbed and put under an arm.

What really got on my goat was goodie goodie Graeme had come out from shed on about second call and was standing by Deslie with a smug look on his face telling me he came when called.
 
But that goodie goodie attitude is all a farce. Take the other day, we were in Christchurch and as a treat [Deslie is great for treats for us] a huge bag of very expensive liver bits was purchased for we 3 dogs but Deslie knowing Graeme and his love of food tucked that bag of liver at rear of car under considerable quantities of luggage.

Safe she thought, ….  stupid woman.

Away she went to spend more money on us and a little on herself. Returning to car she spotted on the dog bed several small pieces of liver bits. This caused a look of disbelief to cross her face and an immediate search for the hidden liver package. Of course the few liver crumbs on the bed was all she found.
Boy did she give Graeme an earful as only he was guilty.

But worse was to come. Small dog stomachs and large bags of liver do not go together and we were all to suffer over next 48 hours as Graeme squirted from both ends often with gusto. It was not nice, not nice at all.

Need I mention the reason for Christchurch was the Fun Day. Well the Fun Day is fun except for that blasted Fancy Dress event. This years cruelty on Deslie’s part was to make me a Hula Dancer. Can you imagine a Boston in a Grass skirt and Lei’s with Hawaiian music playing to get the sway right, well that was me. I still shudder at the memory.

That’s all for now folks
Bye
Minnie Blanch