JANUARY - JUNE 2015

Eight years old in January and still as fit as a fiddle. By a curious coincidence, I share my birth date with Saybo the Long-Haired German Shepherd, who is owned by my big (human) sister, and who often has sleepovers at my place. Very protective of me is Saybo. The Alpha Female says it's because of his shepherding instincts, but the Pack Leader says it's because he's simply besotted with me, hem, hem.

Angus and Phoebe, two Goldens who stay with me from time to time, are very much "inside" Goldies, meaning that they seem happiest when they are inside with the humans. But I'm more of an "outside" girl, and most fine mornings will find me on the back lawn sunning myself. There are advantages in being outside, of course, the chief one being that I can very quickly respond to Douggie (the Springer Spaniel next door) when he offers me a challenge through the side fence. And when Angus, Phoebe, Saybo and I are all here together, the challenge from Douggie results in some very spirited "conversations" indeed.

July 2015. How the year has flown! And, man, what a cold winter it has been in Canberra this year. I'm so glad that I have a built-in fur coat. I mean, when we go for our walks on these icy winter days, the Pack Leader and Alpha Female look at me with absolute envy, having to waste time and effort applying layers of clothing so as to be just as comfortable as I am wearing nothing more than I was born with. Humans! Gotta love 'em. Anyway, here I am going for another walk over at Commonwealth Park on a rare clear day in mid-July. It doesn't look all that cold, but even I have to say that it was a tad on the nippy side.

What you can't see in these photographs is all the missing fur on my starboard side towards my rear. I had a bit of a lump there that Dr Chris said I would be better without, so I wound up deprived of a lot of fur and a six-centimeter scar and accompanying stitches back there.

I do wish Dr Chris could perform these procedures without taking off so much of my lovely golden coat. For Pete's sake, Dr Chris, it's not easy growing this stuff you know.