Me on Monday

 So it is all about Coco this Monday and today you find me looking back over the big drama of last week.

The one where Coco started off in big trouble and ended up having lots of treats and cuddles.  It was Tuesday evening, Paul had come home from playing badminton and was about to go to the pub.  Coco had her supper and went out into the garden.  So far, so normal.  Paul was about to go out the door when I realised that Coco hadn't come back in so I called her and expected to see a little white fluffy face appear from the flower beds.  Nothing.  Looked down our side paths.  Nothing.  I said to Paul that Coco had 'disappeared' (never one to make an overstatement!) so he came out to look for her to no avail.  I went in to get a box of treats, thinking that if I shook them, she would hear it and come running.  Paul thought he could hear her whimpering somewhere.  Following the sound to the end of the garden he saw her behind the shed.  There is not room for a dog behind the shed, and there certainly isn't room for a human to get there either.  We tried enticing her out with the treats - she wasn't budging.  I managed to get my shoulder through the gap and grab hold of her collar to pull her towards me but she was not moving.  Our cries of 'come out of there - NOW' were to no avail.  Then in the depths of the gap I could see that she had been trapped by the stems of a plant that was growing behind there, she must have gone in, turned round to come out and wound it round her hind legs.  Paul and I managed to grab hold of some of the stems and wrench them out of the ground and the ones wrapped round her legs gradually loosened and out she finally came.  Needless to say we were all suffering from 'Post Traumatic Shed Syndrome'.  I had visions of having to call out the fire brigade! Needless to say the side of the shed (where she has never ventured before) now has quite an assault course of pots and trellis blocking it off.

Today is actually a big day for Coco too - her 12th birthday.  She's having a quiet day at home but will probably be having a few extra treats and a longer than usual walk to celebrate.

It's all about holiday preparation this week.  The packing list is done and I just have to make sure everything is washed and ironed - and for those things that only come out for holidays, try them on and make sure they still fit! We also have to sneak the suitcases down from the loft in secret so Coco doesn’t notice them.

Coco will be spending her week at my sister's house - yes she has a packing list too.  No doubt she is in for a week of extra attention - thankfully they don't have a shed so that is one thing that we don't have to worry about!