The gift of ice cold weather sent lovingly from Siberia has had some benefits today. Although the wind chill factor made the temperature on the common feel like minus five degrees, it did mean that many people and pooches did not venture out today.
They missed a treat as it was fabulous – brilliant blue sky and sun lighting up an endless expanse of green. The muddy bits had frozen over, the ground was crunchy and the air icy crisp.
But I’m not complaining at the lack of people as it meant that Mrs Bitey and I had the common to ourselves, a vast, rolling private play park. No fear of fighting or balls being stolen and best of all, no one to stare at us when we got excited.
As I have said before, a big part of being a dog parent is the willingness to make a tit of yourself by throwing yourself noisily and enthusiatically into play to make it interesting and fun for the four legged one. Today was great as we had total liberty to shout, laugh, bark and make a general noise whilst playing ball. As Mrs B leapt over a ridge with all four paws in the air then cornered tightly around a bush, it oddly reminded me of a chase scene in 1980s high octane police drama ‘The Professionals’.
Yes, if you are of a certain age, you will no doubt remember the Professionals. Fast moving, rugged, action packed, high speed chasing throbbing pulp drama (and that was just the car!) with the delicious macho combo of Bodie (ding dong!) and Doyle taming a lawless London in a silver Ford Capri. Crusty old Cowley the boss was the wily celtic brains of the operation, reigning in the boys whose idea of community policing was to run the bad guys off the road in dramatic style (why did the baddies always drive a Triumph Dolomite btw?), haul them out of the motor, throw them onto the bonnet, slap on the cuffs and give them a good kicking before bawling ‘You’re nicked sunshine, you’re goin’ daaaannnnn’.
I’m not suggesting that Mrs Bitey looks or sounds like a Ford Capri, Bodie, Doyle or Cowley for that matter, but the way that she sped about conjured up the phrase ‘All Action’ which is how the TV Times always used to describe the Professionals.
Yes, it was ‘The All Action Cop Drama The Professionals’ that popped up in my head and looking at Mrs B sprinting, cornering, diving, rolling and jumping today, I could only describe her as an ‘All Action Jack Russell’.
And so, as it was just the two of us, I pretended (rather well) to be Crusty Cowley and Mrs B was a rather furry All Action Capri in a high speed chase with a fugative who just happened to be a ball on a rope. And I sang the theme tune very loudly as well. 
Canine Division
