I was going to write about something else today but I’ve totally forgotten what it was.

It’s been an interesting and quite wonderful week, I packed the car last Monday and set off on a road trip with Cairo on Tuesday.

Milo’s getting on a bit and doesn’t really have the patience needed for four hour drives.

So it was just me and the girlie.

She lay in her bed on the front seat for around 15 hours of driving, taking in, Gloucester, Portland, Llanelli, Newark and Clumber Park before returning home on Saturday.

We didn’t pause for more than 5 minutes at most services – we had a coffee and a walk with one of the Feral Ponies on Tuesday at Gloucester Services but otherwise we stopped for as short a period as possible.

She’s amazingly calm in the car and as long as she’s with me isn’t bothered by anything.

We met old friends in Portland and I spent two days with some of the best people I know in the whole world, walking, eating and drinking and taking in the beautiful scenery and amazing history of a part of England that isn’t that well known.

We also took a photo that is now a tradition.

It was with some regret that we left Portland but we moved onto Llanelli and another old friend who somehow ties this little story together.

I’ve known her since around 2008 and we used to run training courses for our company, with me as the ‘expert’ doing the actual job that we were preparing others for.

She’s a gentle soul and is constantly trying to get herself into harmony with ‘the universe’ and it was her who first gave me the notion of invisible wheels of varying size that sometimes click over in our favour.

We walked the beaches and she cooked a fabulous dinner before we discussed the book that she’s writing- it was fun to play a little with her constructs and give a totally impartial view while asking questions about

Why?

How?

And.

Are you absolutely sure about that ?

We did another walk along the beaches and paths in the morning before I packed Cairo and the car up again for the longest part of the journey.

And the part that worried me the most.

Newark.

And people that I’d only met for an hour or so once before.

One of them is a Twitter friend and that’s always been a fairly good indicator for me – people are usually their real selves after a while and I’ve not yet met anybody in real life that I didn’t really like.

But I was staying in their house, with their new dog, that I helped to source for them.

With the fucking Canine Angel of Death.

And a dog half her size.

I found Dottie (the dog) was up for adoption by chance and was actually offered that the chance to adopt, but two dogs is enough really and I knew that these people wanted another Jack Russell.

We met for a coffee before they went to meet Dottie and I was convinced that I could feel those universal gears sliding into place.

And so it was.

And then some.

Cairo and Dottie were amazing together, no dramas at all, unless you count Cairo killing some toys…

And dinner was one of those wonderful occasions when you find that you’ve met people who you like very, very much.

And the universal gears kicked in a bit more, Dottie’s new Dad had actually been her old owner’s commanding officer in the army and they knew each other.

Dottie was being given up because the grandchildren were allergic – no other reason – and so she is with people who will love her and protect her for ever.

Both Cairo and me had a wonderful time and we’ll all stay in touch and meet up again.

A long walk around Clumber Park on Saturday morning and then home after a two hour drive.

A BBQ on Sunday and a long walk this morning that could have turned very nasty.

Two much larger dogs sprinted out of a gate and had a go at my two ( on leads) – they backed off and then the bigger one grabbed Milo.

Cairo leapt and pounced, digging her fangs into his ear and throat and both dogs ran off, totally outmatched by her speed, power and ferocity.

I had a little chat with the house owner and we walked on.

So there’s a few stories here.

I met my old friends and made some new ones.

I travelled quite a bit of this beautiful country, from beaches to hills, quarries to countryside, big houses and flats, through rolling hills and river views finally coming back to my own little piece of land and the view of the hills as I write this with a beer on one side and Cairo on the other.

And I saw our flag everywhere.

Shops, houses, bridges, roundabouts and on actual flagpoles.

It’s a tenuous connection at best, but Milo, Cairo and me are Pack.

We’d die ( or most likely kill) for the others and I’m seeing encouraging signs in our country that the wider pack may just be waking up.

Who knows?

Happy Bank Holiday.