Borderfest South

I've just achieved another life-time first: I've been away in the new caravan with 'Them Indoors'.  It was touch-and-go as to whether I'd actually manage to get there as 'Him Indoors' wasn't terribly keen on having me in his new caravanning outfit, and it wouldn't have taken much in the misdemeanours department for me to have been left behind with 'Junior Her'. But for once, in the crucial run-up, I didn't put a paw wrong.  So looking rather grim faced, and with more beer on board than was frankly necessary, 'Him Indoors' packed me in the boot and took me along.

Which was just as well really, as it was me that got us the invite in the first place.  John, from the Facebook group, Essex Border Terrier Owners, invited me to the first Borderfest South to sell my book.  I am of course, far better at selling it than 'Her Indoors', so I was there, all day Saturday, greeting my friends from Twitter and Facebook, and signing copies for the lovely people who wanted to buy it. We've also produced some Christmas cards and mugs featuring the great drawings by Sally C Greenfield from my book, and we sold some of those too.  They'll be on 'Her Indoors' website shop www.helenstockton.co.uk/store by the end of the week, if you weren't there on Saturday

It took me ages to do all the paw prints on my table cloth...

Me, greeting my friends

Cheesy smiles all round!

There was a dog show on the Saturday and 'Her Indoors' entered me for a couple of classes but I was far too distracted by events and treats outside the ring, with my head stuck out, in the wrong direction through the thoughtfully provided holes in the orange mesh fence.  I spent the rest of the time trying to blag treats off other competitors and did rather nicely, with a couple of pieces of sausage and a range of other delicious edibles.  Okay so I didn't win anything, but I've already got a few of those non-edible Rosette thingies at home.

On the Sunday we went for an Essex Border walk with lots of other pals and I pootled on the beach which I haven't done for a long time.   Luckily 'Her Indoors' had some bags.....!

Hurry up taking photos 'Her Indoors', we're getting left behind!

Sea breezy ears!

And I was generally good, provided you can overlook that little incident with the plastic treat container that 'Her Indoors' uses to dispense rewards and bribes on my walks.  She made the mistake of leaving it on a chair in the awning when they went to wash the dishes.  I jumped up onto the chair with surprising agility for a senior fur with arthritis, chewed my way through the plastic and ate all the treats before 'Her Indoors' got back.  Quite an achievement!  There was also a little misplaced weeing when I was trying to remind myself whether an awning was considered outdoors or indoors, which 'Him Indoors' had to clean up, and a bit of independent food souring which was frowned upon, but what am I supposed to do if people leave cooked potatoes lying around.

I also made it to the local pub but was a bit disappointed to be frank.  How can you have a pub called 'The Dog and Pheasant' that doesn't let dogs in?  I wonder if the same applies to pheasants.  I suspect they might be allowed in but only in a pie.  Anyway, we got round the rules by tying me to the fence with just enough extendable lead to get me to the fire escape and I was consoled with a few chips.  We didn't linger for long though.

Where's my beer then?

Still, I was good natured with all my furends, even the odd one who was a bit terrier tetchy, and I ate about half my own body weight in treats which were handed out with touching generosity by a lovely group of people who truly understood the needs of us Borders in general, and me in particular.  Even 'Him Indoors' grudgingly admitted that the weekend hadn't gone as badly with me as he thought it might!  So a big thank you to John and all the pawsome folk from Essex Borders for a Great Dane sized organisational undertaking, and if anyone else would like to extend an invite for me to promote my book at similar events, I would be happy to oblige, provided I can persuade 'Him Indoors' that is.......

Thoughtful of them to provide a little stand for me to get a better view