Since Storm Eunice struck in February and wiped out our fence I’ve had to put Flossie on the lead to take her out into the garden. This has not been fun, for either of us.
When it rained, I would get soaked several times a day. And when we returned from a muddy walk, I had to tether Flossie to a tree so I could wash her paws. It wasn’t a huge problem in the grand scheme of things, but being restricted was inconvenient and it felt like a long time for Flossie not to have her freedom.
We’ve now finally had the fence replaced. It was disruptive and noisy having the work done which included the removal of an old shed and some overgrown shrubbery. Flossie gets anxious about these situations so, having a team of men working outside for several days was not ideal.
I choreographed the proceedings carefully. I closed the blinds so she couldn’t see them and she managed pretty well. She certainly enjoyed sniffing the ground where the shed once was and two rat corpses had been discovered.
The new fence is solid and hopefully will withstand any future storms. At last, I was able to open the kitchen door and let Flossie out without a lead for the first time in three months. She ran around in circles, wagging her tail happily, a picture of pure joy.
Sometimes we don’t appreciate things until we don’t have them. The simple act of letting your dog out into a secure garden is a small thing, but it’s so important.
I’m now sitting at my desk on a warm day with the back door propped open. Flossie is lying outside, basking in the sunshine. In fact, she seems to favour the patch where the old shed used to be. Maybe there’s still a faint whiff of rat.
Whatever, it is a pleasure to see her enjoying her freedom again.
As published in the Bath Chronicle, 23 June 2022
Suzy Pope is a certified copywriter and newspaper columnist specialising in pets and lifestyle. If you would like help with a writing project, please get in touch.
