Bonny!!!

We have moved again due to Bonny disgracing herself, if only for a short time. We were really enjoying the mooring at the wetland nature reserve and had had long walks. At tea time Bonny was outside the boat on, what I call, her tether. It is actually just a length of cord with a flag on the end. If she is dragging it around, she thinks she can't run off, particularly if I have told her to stay near the boat and if she is in a bush I can see where she is, thanks to the flag.

I had popped inside to get her supper but when I brought it out, she was nowhere to be seen! I grabbed her lead, shut the boat and walked to the bridge where there is an entrance to the reserve. There she was, haring down the side of the hedge, dragging her tether behind her, chasing a squirrel. I told her sternly to 'Come Here!' Her response was to turn on to a side path and run off into the undergrowth! Being that there were countless acres of undergrowth and every danger her tether could get caught up in it, effectively trapping her, my blood ran cold. Chasing her is never a good option as it just sends her crazy, so I stopped at the head of the side path and waited.

Within a couple of minutes I could hear the sound of frantic barking so I walked down the path just in time to see my little terror dragging herself out of a bog! She saw me and I could see her trying to decide whether to run to me for comfort or run away because she had been naughty. I turned and walked away from her, back towards the boat. Running through my mind were all the times this had happened in the past and the countless hours I had spent trying to get her to come home. There was only an hour or so of daylight left, if she ran now, we were in trouble. I glanced behind to see her following me, albeit in a very hesitant way. I walked slower and slower until she had almost caught up. I told her to come and she stopped and then buried her head in a bush so she couldn't see me approaching! This is her way of giving up. I quietly put her lead on and very nearly wet myself with relief! The whole incident took no more than ten minutes. In the past it would have taken several hours!

Exhausted Bonny

I couldn't stand the stress of staying another day there in case she managed to go off again, so this morning I cruised to Curdworth and turned in a pencil thin winding hole. We then wandered down to Fazeley Junction, where we watered up, before cruising back to Hopwas. There may be huge woods here but at least she is better at staying near the boat where we usually moor. I feel the need for a day off so we shall stay here tomorrow and return to Fradley on Monday.