The house these last few days has been very quiet. I have gotten so used to the WaWa , barking and running to greet me that I miss her. Benji is there but he is not the demonstrative dog the WaWa was so his greeting – whilst no less loving – is a quiet affair. Since the departure of the WaWa last Thursday Benji and I have been out and about again – the Beach several times and the Wetlands several times. I would like to go to the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens for some new plants, but dogs are banned from the area, so I could not take him with me – which is a pity. South Australia is largely behind everyone else and we have – to my knowledge – very few places that are dog friendly. Some places that are supposed to be “Dog Friendly”have so many restrictions that it’s hardly worth while – unless you are towing a caravan or a driving a motorhome. There are some places that are catching up, but it’s a slow process. However, I am heading off to Adelaide in ten days so if I get away from Conference at a reasonable time and make thee Gardens before they close.
A lady – Samantha Grant – writes about her travels in Scotland with her husband, her Westie and sometimes her daughter. In reading her posts I have been amazed at the number of places she has gone to that are “Dog Friendly” many of which I associate with my growing up in Scotland. I think it’s great but I have to confess that such a concept as dog friendly would never have been considered when I was growing up in Scotland. You were more likely to be shouted at “Get that +#$$%y animal out o
f here ” It’s certainly changed days – and changed for the better in some instances.
Still on the subject of dogs, Benji is much, much happier, and it shows, but he still stops and looks before he comes into the living room and jumps up on to my lap. I did put his extra bed back where it used to be but he hasn’t used it yet. Even today, when Annabell come in to my room, he grabbed one of his toys 
and started squeaking it at the open door – It may take him a while but he will get used to the WaWa not being here. Oh, and we will not be looking after Yogi after all, so Benji has the house to himself (apart from us humans) for the foreseeable future.
It is now eight years since Annabell was cleared of the Golden Staph Infection that put her in three hospitals for months.In the last hospital there was some concern that the amount of drugs she was being fed was starting to compromise her liver and kidney functions. So here we are, eight years on and I now have to take her to hospital for x-rays because her recent blood test shows that there may be some problem with her kidney function. She was about an hour or so in the clinic where she underwent an ultra-sound on both kidneys. We should get the results once the doctor gets the report – which will be posted directly to him. The following evening I had to take her to Physiotherapy, so both nights were take-away dinners – and my diet went out the window :o) Anyway, at least we have the weekend to wind down and relax and the report
should be with the doctor on Monday. However, she said herself that she feel fine so we are not expecting anything too drastic.
Edgar's Page 
I’m glad that Benji is liking having his humans to himself. There aren’t a whole lot of dog friendly places in my small hometown, but, there are in other areas of the country.
LikeLike
There are some “friendly”places in South Australia but there are also places that say they are but have enough restrictions to make it not worthwhile.
LikeLiked by 1 person
all paws and fingers are crossed for good news when the results are in… I agree with you, europe became more dog friendly over the years… nevertheless dogs are not allowed on the beaches here in summer… probably to protect them with all the trash the humans threw in the sand ;O)))
LikeLike
Well it would certainly seem Scotland is, which is good. Dogs are allowed in most public places here, but they must be kept under control and you MUST clean up after them, if necessary. That’s the only two real rules and for breach of the rules fines can range from $200 to $2000, if the dog is unleashed and takes part in an attack. We also have a fenced dog park where dogs can be off leash.
LikeLike
All best wishes for ‘pawsitive’ test results. Benji will return to his old self soon enough and more like the little sweet ma he was before the terror of the WaWa. Just wait and see. Enjoy your beach and marshland visits. I empathize on the “No Dogs Allowed” issue. Too many places in the US are less than dog friendly in my books. I think Europe is far more civilized in that regard (among other regards).
LikeLike
He is returning to being Benji slowly – it will take a little while but we’ll get there. Annabell tells me that the results were being emailed to her doctor, so he should have had them already. There’s been no word from him yet so perhaps everything is fine. Either way, we will know this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a shame, I had no idea it was so difficult for dogs in that part of the world. The beaches where we live mostly say “No Dogs” but the dog walkers don’t pay any attention to those signs, and dogs run wild and happy on the beach and in the sea. I have also seen someone in a cafe in Brighton, sitting at a table with a dachshund on his lap, eating his meal and sharing it with his dog! I’ve never seen anything so dog friendly as that, I wonder if it will spread. I hope Annabell is feeling better soon.
LikeLike
It will take a while, but we will catch up. We have a dog park here now so that’s a start. Annabell is much better, thank you for your concern. The results of her tests were good, so that’s positive. However, it is something we will have to keep an eye on for some time to come I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope it all keeps on getting better <3
LikeLike