Winter is coming

Catching the sun

Catching the sun

Hey there good looking boy!

Me? I am good looking?

Oh yes you most certainly are.

Wow, thanks. Actually it’s not that important to me.

Hmm. You are almost purring with delight at my compliment.

Purring? What’s that?

It’s what cats do when they are contented.

A cat? Where? You said CAT! I’ll chase it.

NOOOO! It’s just, just a figure of speech.

Oh. For a moment there I thought there really was one.

Well, as the subject of chasing has come up maybe we should discuss the subject of cow chasing.

You were really cross weren’t you?

Yes silly boy I most certainly was. You could get into a lot of trouble for doing that. Luckily the cows were not concerned. The manager might not be so uninterested.

I can’t help it. It’s just something I have to do.

Like barking. You have to do that too.

Yes! It’s fun too!

Not for me it’s not. It’s very tiring.

That’s because you aren’t a dog.

You don’t say. Jenni and Tina and Kim didn’t gratuitously bark.

Gratuitously. Big word that. What does it mean?

Doing something just for the sake of doing it.

So am I sitting in the sun gratuitously?

No, I don’t think so. You like the warmth now that it’s getting cooler.

I think I get it. Well, maybe not. It’s not serious. But I am good looking aren’t I?

It’s not funny

not funny2This is really not funny.

Why? I think it’s quite amusing that you are bothered by a squeaky box.

Boxes are not meant to squeak like that.

They are when you blow in them.

Please don’t, my ears don’t like it.

It’s only a toothpaste box!

You obviously just don’t understand. You are evidently not a dog.

But Kharma is a dog and she doesn’t mind.

That’s Kharma. I am Zak.

 

 

The uber-twit

twit too

Disgruntled uber-twit

You really have excelled yourself this time.

Well, I do have to, you know, lick. As you may have noticed.

Yes, but this was entirely self inflicted. First you dug a hole in your back pushing through a fence and then you turned a minor injury into one that required a visit to the vet. By licking!

But you have to admit I am doing a pretty good job of destroying this collar thingy.

Yes, just like you did the last time. Please just leave it in place long enough for the hole to heal.

I’ll try!

twit

Is it a flower? Is it a twit? It’s a twit-flower!

 

 

Wuss

You are a wuss!

But it’s a seriously loud noise!

Thunder is not going to hurt you. You didn’t even notice the fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

They are different.

Yes, but it’s still a loud noise. And you even cower when the neighbour fires his .22

I can’t explain, it’s just… FRIGHTENING!

Well, please get over it, it’s really pathetic.

Pathetic

Pathetic

Zak the driver

Angling to get into the driver’s seat are we?

Well they have taught dogs to drive haven’t they?

Yes, but that was in New Zealand and there was no other traffic around.

Ok, ok, it’s just that the view is better from the front.

Tina and Jenni thought that too.

And you’ve been going places without me and I’m ALWAYS invited in the Landcruiser.

That’s not quite true; you are invited when I think you’ll enjoy the trip or when we need to go to the vet. Like last night when you got bitten by a spider. AGAIN! Bit of a slow learner sometimes, aren’t we?

We won’t talk about that now.

Checking out the view

Checking out the view

Going away

zakwaitingYou are going away – again.

I know, but this time I have no choice.

Why?

Because my body is failing and I need a neck operation to stop the damage.

Wow, will you be able to come running with me when you get back?

No my boy, that is never going to happen. Hopefully there will be more cycling.

How long will you be away?

I don’t really know, I guess about 2 weeks or so.

I’ll be waiting for you.

I know.

 

The other side of the fence

Where did you go this afternoon, without me?

I went to talk to the dogs at the SPCA.

What’s that?

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – where they keep unwanted dogs and other animals.

You mean there are people out there who don’t like dogs? That’s sad.

Yes, very sad but they are well looked after albeit in a small space. Some have spent all their lives there.

What? You mean they have never run down a farm road and chased cows?

Nope. Nor have they held their head out of the car window and felt their ears flap. Or slept on a big, soft bed with a warm human for company.

Oh. But were they nice?

Yes, mostly they were friendly. There was one lovely, gentle, girl who’d been abandoned in the centre of town.

Hey, bring her home!

I was briefly tempted but two of you is quite enough and I’m sure somebody will fall in love with her (I had to leave before I couldn’t refuse her).

One of many cats of many colours

One of many cats of many colours

I am soft and gentle, won't you take me home?

I am soft and gentle, won’t you take me home?

So gentle and abandoned

So gentle and abandoned

A gentle older boy

A gentle older boy

More nerves than anger

More nerves than anger

Goofy, young and friendly

Goofy, young and friendly

Selfie

Me in the middle, the human on the right and June at the back

Me in the middle, the human on the right and June at the back

Hey, nice photo of me.

I thought you might be impressed.

Well, I am good looking.

Yes, if not the brightest crayon in the box.

You referring to me chasing the cows? Now that was fun!

Until they decided to chase you. Doing that at Nyanga is one thing but please don’t do it on the farm. That will get us both into a lot of trouble.

OK, OK but it’s in my nature. Anyway, you have to admit it was a fun weekend away.

Yes it certainly was a welcome break.

 

The Wuss

You are pathetic, a WUSS of note!

But you don’t know how terrifying cotton wool and betadine can be!

You, a lion hunter, are scared of cotton wool and betadine?

Oh yes, yes! It’s psychological torture.

Just as well we had to leave you behind when we went to Mana Pools then. We saw a real lion.

That’s different, I can handle lions.

Oh right, you can just about handle the next door cat.

It’s the next door bitch I want to handle! But I don’t know how…

Yes dear Zak, you have been fixed to avoid that. Unfortunately you persist in trying and have torn your shoulder getting through the fence. Hence the betadine. Come here…

Nooooooooo!

The terror of cotton wool and betadine etched all over his face

The terror of cotton wool and betadine etched all over his face