Just before bedtime, when the swallows come home to sing their evening chorus in the big pine tree nearby, that’s the time the snails come out. I love snails. They  move really fast considering they don’t have any legs and just kind of slither their way across the patio, up the walls and into the plants. When I nudge them they freeze up so I give them a good poke and gallop off. When I get back they’ve shrunk so I try picking them up but they’re suckered to the ground! If I try too hard the shell breaks which tastes weird, kind of gooey. Paco says they’re a local delicacy.

Now she’s barred me from that part of the garden. I found a way through the barrier though, but she spotted me – foiled again! I’m getting a bit bored of the garden now. There’s a gate at the front and when it opens it’s wonderful – people going by, scary noisy things too, and I want to greet everyone. What’s the world like out there?

Already I’ve had my first bath, my microchip fitted and – I’ve already mastered getting up and down the stairs, and the sofa! Admittedly I need the step to get up and down the sofa but it works a treat. That’s opened up a whole new world in the house; unless they close the doors there’s nowhere I can’t get to and nothing to stop me at all from finding stuff to drag around. I like to keep adding interesting things to my collection: catty, fishy, froggy and roll-bone are the main characters but it’s a growing group.

Today was amazing! I love going in the car. I can tell beforehand when we’re going somewhere – the boots, the keys, the camera and a general ‘we’re going somewhere’ feeling all over the house – then we’re off! On the way, Babs said this was a Tradition and I was following on from Sky, Poppy, Soapie, Fernie, Verty and Chester, by going to the beach and having first paw contact outside the garden – onto real sand! The sand was fantastic on Sitges beach – much better than that soil I’m not supposed to dig under the olive tree. It got up my snitch though, and in my eyes. There’s tons of stuff in the sand to pick up and drag off, but the best was these hairy pod things laying around, that taste – what? – salty. Made me really thirsty.

Freedom! I had a great time running full pelt chasing Babs, then got knackered fast.  I had the lead on some of the time too, which was OK as long as it went where I wanted it to go. AND, I met my first dog. A fluffy Pom, she scared me a bit at first, being 5 times my size, but she smelled intriguing and I was soon following her around. Then there was a bikini party with all these ladies tickling my tummy.  I can’t wait for us to come back.