Buddy

 

Intermittent and irritatingly slow Internet connections as well as a repetitive daily routine has kept me from publishing a new post, sorry.

Colin took Audrey to Kumasi to put her on the flight to Accra and they managed to go to a vet (no vet available that day) in Kumasi and buy puppy food, a de-wormer, Bob Martins, shampoo and a collar and lead for Buddy.

 

 

He has an amusing array of physical contortions.

Stiff legged.

 

Spatchcock turnover.

 

Spatchcock.

 

Elongated.

 

 

Half pretzel.

 

He seemed very interested in watching a rerun of an Australian vs England cricket match on TV.

 

 He can "sit" on command. (See blurred wagging tail!)

                                                                             
I am holding a little tightly to my heart, although that is extremely difficult, as we will have to leave him behind with the other expats when we move on from Ghana. The idea is for Porks to take him to work on occasion to get used to the other people and to get him away from our confined walled area for a while. 

 

 We went to Colin's house for a braai and took Buddy with us.

Both men think that they are "machines" at braaing! (And they ARE!)

 

 

"Naa" (named by Audrey) the next door kitten came bounding across the grass to visit as soon as she saw we had arrived. Puppy love?

 

They were both interested in each other but Naa's tentative warning hiss soon showed who is the boss! 

 

We have had Colin around for supper many a night as he is on his own now.  Last Sunday he, Arno and Ian Crawford (from airport fame - he lives in Yegi, an hour and a half away) were here for tea and a fire was reported. The five of us all rushed out to go and have a look.

Porks watching a back burn they had put in.

                                                                    Colin in the smoke.

This "back burning" is a new concept for the Ghanaians.  A few days later there was another fire and doing their best to help, the workers just lit other fires willy nilly around it, as they had seen Porks and Colin pulling a fire near the first one that had taken hold.

One night last week we had to go out and get rid of a hive of bees that were worrying the workers trying to plant in the area. I do not like the idea of killing bees but I must admit, it was exciting!

In the few weeks that we have had Buddy, he can now "sit" on command, walk on a lead, fetch a ball and can communicate when he is hungry.  I take him outside for his daily excrement and he is inquisitive about the chickens, goats, sheep and any new people.

 

 

He digs and digs and digs.........

 

and then pulls so hard that he falls over, silly thing!

 

Two of the little girls next door came to visit when I was outside and he "wwoooowwed" at them and they wanted to run away.  I called them back and explained that he was just talking to them. They are wearing clothes!

 

  

His little teeth are sharp and my arm has taken a pounding.

 

He still has "puppy breath" which is so endearing. He is such a character and greets me in the morning, butt up in the air, head cocked, ears flat, boxing alternately with his straight little front legs and a puckered toothless grand-dad mouth going "wwoooooooww" in a deep voice.

He is truly becoming my "Buddy".