No garden blogging today, it’s raining again and blowing a gale.  It’s a bit of a relief though as the thought of wielding a spade today was too much for me.  My back is fine and the legs just about OK which is a huge relief.  I guess I must be building up a reasonable level of fitness.

My basset boys are up to their normal tricks and most particularly bringing into the house a trail of mud and wet every time they set foot outside the house.  Boy will I be pleased when the lawn remedial work is complete.  That I’m afraid is going to require more dry days than wet which is looking pretty impossible at the moment.

As time goes on Fortnum and Mason develop their little habits and their characters shine through.  There is no doubt Mason is the devil incarnate and still creates a hurricane wherever he goes.  Fortnum lives in a parallel time zone,  his own time, when he fancies, please don’t rush me, I’ll come when I’m ready zone.

Boys will be boys though and it inevitably ends in tears.  Or a few growls, yelps and doggy shouting that results is a good shake all over and a bit more personal space between the two of them.  It never ceases to amaze me how human like they are. I wonder whether all dogs are the same or just bassets?

Look at this.  Wrestling and playing.  Mason playing the submissive to get into Fortnum’s good books.  But carefully holding back with his own paws.  He has no shame or dignity happy to show his undercarriage off to the whole world!

This is the wrestling on four paws – the moment when each pretends they are not playing any more only biding their time before they can make the next unexpected move.

This is Fortnum sitting on Mason – literally.  That little nose you can see peaking is actually groaning and growling in warning.  Fortnum doesn’t care, Mason is taking up all the sofa and he wants to sit there so he is going to use his sheer weight and stubbornness to get what he wants.

These two dogs are worth their weight in comic adventure.  They give me hours of worry and plenty to laugh at too.  I spend most of my time wishing they could actually speak as I think they’d be rather fun to talk to.  But since this isn’t going to happen I have to make do wondering what they are thinking and talking to them as though they understand me.  I know, I am slowly but surely losing my mind.  Comes from spending too much time on my own in the country!

Each of them loves to spend time with me but they love to do their own thing too.  Here Mason has been lying by the washing line whilst I pegged out. You’d think he was on guard here.  No way, this little basset is eyeing up which piece of clothing on the line he should try and get down!

Meanwhile Fortnum is up to his own no good.  He’s taken an unhealthy interest in the chickens again recently.  He’ll lie for ages watching their every move and craning his next to see in the chicken house when he can’t see them out and about.

Here he is checking out what I’m up to and see if I’ve noticed the way he’s eyeing up the chickens.  Got ya mate!

This is his next move.  Submissive to the chickens and me. Just watching he’s saying, not touching!

There are some things though that Fortnum and Mason are in total agreement with though.  Keeping a beady eye on their neighbourly sheep!

In the theme of boys will be boys.  Come back tomorrow as I’ve asked MT to guest blog.  I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say – all I’ll say is bring your own soap box with you to sit on and listen.