Without a shadow of a doubt...

...biscuits are barred!!

This is Shadow.

Shadow is not my dog; she belongs to my daughter's friend and her family. During dog walking duty, Shadow frequently finds herself sitting on my doorstep waiting (and waiting...and waiting...) for my teenage daughter to change into suitable dog walking/boy attracting clothing.  It was during one of these interludes, after the usual flurry of excitement and vast amount of fussing over Shadow, that I saw fit to feed the dog a biscuit or two (or three) ...and Shadow would perform some minor trick she'd been taught...and everybody was happy!

Some weeks later, Shadow's owner remarked that Shadow seemed to be incredibly fond of me and wondered why this could be.  After admitting that this was possibly largely due to the fact that I gave Shadow biscuits (of the sweet variety), I was suitably (and quite right too)! reprimanded for destroying Shadow's finely balanced diet and biscuits are now well and truly off the menu!

But Shadow still loves me...

...and lives in perpetual hope of a custard cream and a tummy tickle!!

Ghost of a chance

This weekend saw me exhibiting some of my artwork at a local art exhibition.  Delivery of work was Friday evening, which was all very well, until I realised, with some alarm, that this would involve driving over the haunted bridge..... I wouldn't usually be afraid of the haunted bridge; I've been travelling over it all my life without any sense of foreboding, but due to a recent 'sighting' I have avoided this bridge like the plague and was filled with fear and trepidation at the prospect of having to cross it!!  I had to give myself something of a severe talking to.

"So what if you DO see it?!!  What's going to happen?  What is it possibly going to do?"

"It will be standing in the middle of the bridge in front of the car with its terrifying white face... and it'll have fangs... and it'll scream at me... and I'll have nightmares forevermore..."

"Don't be so ridiculous!!  You're in a car, just drive away... fast!"

"What if it gets in the car?"

"Well, it'll soon get out again, bearing in mind the rubbish you listen to!!   Its eardrums will be blasted!!"

"Do they even have eardrums?  Can they hear?  Can they smell?  OMG, I'm wearing Ghost perfume - what if that attracts it?!!"

And so it went on...

I took my daughter with me for moral support, hugely excited about all matters spooky and supernatural, who insisted on hearing the gory details of the sighting incident just as we approached the bridge.  My nerves were in shreds!!!  Hair standing on end!!!  And the full moon and scudding clouds weren't helping!!

Despite all this, we managed to get over the haunted bridge without incident (and without me shutting my eyes), driving as fast as will allow down a narrow country lane with severe right hand bend and an abundance of potholes. 

I really will have to stop watching Scooby Doo and eating cheese before bedtime!!

These are the exhibits - unfortunately, nothing sold.  Oh, well...after all, there was only ever the ghost of a chance.......