New dog, new season, springtime and joy.

 New dog, new season, springtime and joy.

Suddenly your thoughts turn to lighter evenings, less in the way of darkness, cuckoos on their delicate branches, and a sense of feelgood rejuvenation when everything seems as though those wintry days of recent history have now been consigned to the museum of history. No longer will we have to wake up in the morning and find that everything is somehow daunting, dreary and maybe just a bit mundane. You throw open the curtains or blinds and it may just as well be midnight and yet we know that it's winter just being bleak and forlorn. 

So it is that we begin to celebrate the day as opposed to the season. In fact let's pay a warm homage to every day, second, minute, half hour, hour and every conceivable passage of time. It is spring again and yes the tulips and daffodils are putting on their very special brand of entertainment. They're high kicking, doing the Hokey Cokey and turning around and re-assuring us that this is what it's all about. Spring is doing the salsa, the samba, a picture of peace and tranquillity. The birds are doing what they do best and the dawn chorus is certainly one of the most uplifting sounds Mother Nature can offer. 

Then after swaying, swooping and darting from one end of Manor House to the other you're reminded of a theatrical production. It almost feels as if somebody has given the birds permission to roam free, displaying all of their colourful finery and then awaiting a rapturous round of applause. So you settle back to enjoy the last couple of days in March and wonder what on earth April has got in store. For a couple of weeks now the weather has been joyously pleasant and warm. In fact most of us believe that there's some kind of guessing game going again. Are we being lulled into a false sense of security or will we get another sweltering heatwave this summer? It's hard to tell, really. 

But hold on, it occurs to you that all of these weather references have been mentioned sometimes too frequently over the years. It is the dominant topic of discussion in every British home from London to Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast while not forgetting Dublin. At the moment it looks as though we may be getting another bucket load of showers and rain sometime today. And then we could be horribly wrong and the sun may come out for ever apart from Wednesday afternoons. Joking aside though let's simply relax and take every day as it comes.

Today though is a pretty exciting day. For quite some time you've been dropping hints about getting a dog. What a perfectly logical idea. So today is the day my lovely family will be welcoming a Poma Poodle into the family with the kind of welcome normally accorded to royalty or an eminent head of state. This Poma Poodle will get the full treatment, pampered and fussed over so much that if our puppy could speak it would have to express fulsome gratitude. 

So here are the facts. Our puppy will be nine weeks old and will be lavished with love, attention and concern should it need to go to the vet for minor or major ailments. But that goes without saying of course. His name is Barney and in case you're wondering why then a brief explanation is in order. The name, it should be pointed out, Barney wasn't prompted by Fred's neighbour and friend in the Flintstones. And Barney's surname will definitely not be Rubble just to clear up any misunderstanding. 

My wife, daughter and yours truly paid a visit to see our infant Poma Poodle and we were not to be disappointed. Barney is adorable, tiny, roughly the size of a human thumb, black, sweet as sugar, and desperate for the kind of compassion and affection that most dogs or any pets simply take for granted. How often do we wander into the living room of family and friends before sighing with wonder at the family dog or dogs? 

Of course dogs have always been man's best friend and the close rapport with our canine friends has almost been handed down the generations. Dogs are therapeutic for those with mental health issues, kindly, non judgmental, boundlessly energetic and always determined to win the battle of wits when their toys are there to be snatched away from them. We engage in the most enchanting, light hearted struggle with them knowing the said dog will always be victorious. 

But our Barney will be stunned at the prodigious amount of preparation work my wife, daughter and yours truly have made in anticipation of its much heralded arrival. Barney's sleeping quarters have been confirmed, the bags of food and harness ready for his considered opinion. It'll be either an outraged bark, a helpless yap or a contented woof of approval. We know he'll be at home since dogs love to be among family and friends. And to that end we've made every effort to make the newest member of our family feel like a king or queen. 

Now for those who have looked after pets for as long as they can remember, this may not come as anything new. You grab the dog's lead early in the morning, pull on a winter coat or not during the summer and then for the nearest parkland, recreation ground or acres of green English fields. Equipped with soggy tennis balls, bones and treats, you stride across marsh and moorland, forever flinging the mud caked tennis ball as far as you can. Then you yell fondly at your dog, calling loudly at him or her with good natured commands and then watching with a caring, solicitous presence that puts both you and your dog completely at ease. 

So here we are literally hours away from picking up our precious puppy. The excitement is mounting and shortly we'll be human parents to our lovely barking friend. Personally you have to admit to a little nervousness since this is uncharted territory. But once he's settled down you feel sure that our Barney will be our faithful friend, tail wagging with unfettered joy and just happy in the knowledge that we'll always be there for him. We'll keep you posted with regular puppy updates and medical bulletins. We can't wait.