Adventures in Dog Sitting - Part 2
Conversations with a Cockapoo - Heatstroke on a cold and wet day.
‘Oh, those clever paws of yours,’ Ms Pudding began, as she leaned into the behind-the-ear scratch that I was providing. ‘They’re so clever, clever, clever little paws… just right for reaching those difficult to reach places. I’m amazed you ever manage to get anything done!’
‘Erm, well, I suppose they are useful,’ I replied, as we both relaxed on the sofa in front of the slightly too warm fire.'
This is my first winter in many years with a real fire, having fitted it over the summer so that I could have the central heating on a bit less, and just focus on heating my lounge, where I both work and tend to spend most of my time.
The drawback with real fires, even glass fronted stoves like the one I have, is that they just require a little bit of tweaking to keep things at the ideal temperature.
It takes a while for the fire to get going, after which you need to add more wood and perhaps turn it down a bit, and then as the glowing embers starts to build up at the bottom of the stove, providing that rich rosy light, then it needs turning all the way down and the slow burning hardwood logs adding.
Get your timing just a little wrong though, and you’ll find yourself in the position that Ms Pudding and I now struggled with.
I’d added the hardwood a little bit too early, and the fire had nearly died, so I’d opened the vents to get it going and added a few more softwood sticks around the main log, and now it was raging, and before I realised it my lounge was distinctly toasty.
All I needed to do was get up and close the vents, but the heat had robbed me of my will, and as I languished in the tropical heat, sleep clawing at my eyelids, I was powerless to help myself.
It had been a cold and soggy day, so much so, that we’d abandoned our early morning walk after barely fifty yards, dashing out again at lunchtime, when the rain paused, and then popping out for longer walk just before supper. But now the patter of rain on the window sills was constant, making the fire warmed sofa seem irresistible.
Lost, I gaze down into the dark eyes of my house guest, expecting to see my own helpless state reflected back at me, but instead I see a glimmer of alertness and vitality.
‘Nothing quite like a good ear scratch to revive your spirits, all I need now is stroll around the garden and then maybe a little snack…’
With that, and a wag of her irrepressible tail, Ms Pudding was off my lap and bounding down to the floor.
A moment later and the living room door is pulled open, allowing just a little of the overwhelming heat to escape, and letting in the trace of cool draft from the hallway.
I continue to struggle on for a moment, and then the cool draft across my slipper-clad feet revives me.
A quick lunge, and I’m off the sofa and following my heroic house guest’s example.
I brave the fiery heat of the furnace on the other side of the coffee table, and then retreat to the kitchen for a glass of cold water.
I open the back door, on the off chance that it isn’t raining in the back garden, but the rain is steady there also, so we both settle for standing in the doorway looking out at the inky darkness, but enjoying the cool air.