Secrets and Stories
Secrets and Stories
Evie has her own house rules, sleeping in our bedroom and specifying which external door she prefers to use to pop outside. At this time of year in particular, she reviews the weather before making any final decision about even heading out. With liquid expressive brown eyes and an excellent turn of speed, she has long established her place in our household.
Evie is the last of my own family of spaniels and so small that I have never bred from her. I love the life and positivity of a spaniel and I have therefore been looking for my next spaniel family but keeping it secret from Geordie simply because I was not sure how to broach the subject, so thought perhaps it better not to mention at all.
Suddenly a wonderful girlfriend, Marie Louise, messaged me … she knew of the sweetest puppies, both brother and sister were adorable and she wondered if I wanted them. Naturally, as soon as possible, I was on my way to visit them.
I told Geordie I needed to pop out and find some mirrors for some of the castle loos…The puppies were about an hour away and I have no idea why I thought this was a good cover story but soon there I was, heading south. Another girlfriend could not wait to text me to see how the mirrors were…
Three weeks later I was worried as I still could not decide how to break the news so instead the puppies arrived and Geordie met them in the middle of the cooing Highclere office team. He was amazing about it, and we passed through the sticky moment.
Each generation of puppies makes a difference to our lives. They teach us to love and be loved unconditionally, and we can just be ourselves with no fashionable front or style. Labradors are always focused on us and, with their genuine frankness in their eyes and body language, they teach us to listen and be kind. Spaniels remind us to appreciate every day and to not waste a moment with their inexhaustible supplies of energy.
In a world in which we look at back lit screens all day long, dogs bring us back to the moment. They are good for our health and make us exercise although paradoxically they are often the stars of Instagram as well as being key screen savers. The two puppies instinctively curl up together, explore and run together, play tag and argue over toys. Every day that passes they seem to swell in size, tummies full and, of course, there is plenty of cleaning up.
Dogs and puppies are a reason to get up, to have a purpose and to go for walk in the morning. They rely on us for food, exercise and love and are devoted companions even if we do not always deserve them. In return, we need to be responsible for them. It is a shared journey, but sharing is caring.
The friendship of my dogs is at the centre of my life (apart from my son and husband of course!) and are very much part of the sense of home here at Highclere, but I am not alone in this. For centuries they have played this same role as companion and, in the past, co-hunter, featuring in prehistoric scenes, Egyptian tombs, Greek vases and Roman sculptures. I have given them an entire chapter in my book, because even if they do not speak English as we do, they do speak and we are the better for speaking their language.
They make our journey through our lives so much richer to the point where I sometimes think they have a clearer idea of where they are going than we do in our more muddled lives. Every Monday is better when it begins with a gaggle of happy dogs explaining how they slept and now it is time for outies!
46 Comments
Bowie (mixed breed) and I walked the desolate beaches on the Outer Banks, NC (USA) this morning. Wind, rain and ocean spray. And a dog who seemed to laugh the entire time! Joy. Pure joy.
How lovely, dogs are the best 🫶🏻
Such beautiful puppies and just in time for the holidays! They do have special super powers that bring out the best in us!
We, generally, don't deserve our dogs!
They are our babies 💜🎅
They are our babies 💜🎅
Lovely the pictures of the dogs l hope you and lord Carnarvon have a wonderful lam fine of Downton Abbey
Lovely the pictures of the dogs l hope you and lord Carnarvon have a wonderful lam fine of Downton Abbey
But what are they named?
Be honest, how many dogs do you have now? They are adorable. Our dog Tristan have favorite places in the family room, living room, master bedroom. In general, he loves to sit in from of windows. He is a lot of fun. Good luck with the puppies.
Lady Carnarvon,
Our sweet dogs are like people on four legs. Our Welsh Springer Spaniel, Chester (named after the Admiral) was one of us. Such a kind, funny friend! Thank you for sharing.
Martha
❤️❤️❤️
Oh what a lucky gal you are! Two pups ~ twice the love and devotion and of course the work. They are worth every minute.
What a Happy Christmas you shall have~!
They really are the best of us & teach us to
be better than we are. We have always had
St. Poodles.
Gorgeous! Happy Christmas to you and yours.
OMG they are aDORable!
So sweet and spot on! I see the mirrors worked out brilliantly!
Beautiful! And what are the names of these two new family members? Dogs are the best!
What a lovely post, and your sentiments are absolutely true!! We run our mother / daugher labs Lucy and Marilyn
in farmers fields twice a day in sun, wind, rain or snow. As we watch the sky and “the girls” we feel peace and calm :-)
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
They are precious. I have 5 dogs and wouldn't take a million dollars for them. Dogs bring such joy to our lives!
Lady Carnarvon,
So glad your new additions to the family were met with happiness and acceptance!
It was too late anyway; you had already fallen in love with them!
I have a plaque on my bathroom mirror that says "Be the person your dog thinks you are" that I use as my daily reminder.
Dogs of all denominations are just adorable, love them all , they will always love back.🐾
Loved this. Animals bring so much richness into our lives. While I grew up with wonderful dogs, I have been for many years now a cat's person. I recently
had my fifteen-year-old calico, Scout, go over the rainbow bridge. It was heartbreaking and because I am much older now, I told friends that Scout would be
my last cat. Apparently, though, no one believed me, and I have come to realize that one day soon I will adopt another beautiful cat and bring it back to
"our" home. Your dogs always look so happy and that speaks well of your tender care!
Hola, y
o también he tenido 4 cocker spaniel, el que tenho ahora tiene 7 sñis ,que haríamos donde ellos!!!lo que se les quiere y te quieren
Thank you for sharing about your pups! My late poochon, Jimmy Lambchop, passed almost four years ago. But it seems like yesterday. Dogs do love us unconditionally, which makes their leaving us so difficult. But how lucky for me that he graced my life!
Ah, a fellow Spaniel lover! Your new pups are lovely! We have a four-year-old English Springer Spaniel, her name is Artemis. She's a joy everyday!
Dogs are not just pets they are family
I grew up with spaniels, and our children did also. Mostly, the English Springer breed. We adored them and those soulful brown eyes and soft floppy muzzles were heart melters !
I blush to admit that at 82 years of age, I still keep my last Springer’s collar in the bottom of my closet, and his vivid memory in my heart.
I agree with every word. Life would be so dull - even empty - without my three fou-footrd friend. All "immigrants" and saved from a miserable life.
I could't agree with you more! Dogs make life so much fuller. I wish I could send you a photo of Daphne and Eve, our Havanese. I so appreciate seeing your dogs.
Pets are wonderful companions.
You have one nice husband! Congratulations!
Love me - love my dog.
I see Karin is enjoying your new pups! I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have new puppies too! How about a new children's book or two?
Beautiful story on yoyr dogs and new puppies, agree with you so much, our dogs are our lives.
Oh, when I first saw the pics of puppies, I thought these look just like our little Cocker Spaniel pups we had from our own Cocker Spaniel!
I've always had a Cocker growing up so of course, when our kids were old enough to help care for pets, we got them a Cocker Spaniel. My husband and I bred them also. Oh, this brought back such warm memories. You're right,
their eyes speak a language of their own. Loved this breed. It's the only kind of dog I've had from 3 years old until my last one passed away when the
kids were in college.
Good for you, bringing in the two new "mirrors"!
Vous avez raison d'aimer les chiens, car ils sont de merveilleux compagnons dans la vie de tout les jours. Ils trouveront toujours une facon de vous faire sourire.
signé Faenza. J.
du Lac-st-jean Province de Québec Canada
I would much prefer a puppy to a mirror! Congratulations on the gorgeous additions to your family and please do share their names
Your connection with all of your dogs is utterly heart warming. These are my favorite blogs from you. We visited Highclere three times in the past, during our journeys from California to the UK.
Here on our farm, we have a family of six Swedish Vallhunds who all live inside our house and sleep in our bedrooms with us. They definitely are the center of our lives, and we love each one dearly.
By the way, my twin sister and I just watched our DVDs again of all three Downton Abbey films. She joined me on our latest visit to Highclere, and so we both feel as if we've been spending many hours in your glorious home! Bless you!
Lady Carnarvon,
Your post today is so very warming, l can feel the love you feel for your beautiful dogs.They are the perfect companion. I hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas. Diane
A heart rendering blog .
Wished I had got another dog after loosing our beloved Bengie he was sadly missed after 19 years of fun and games ,
Thank you for my great Monday blogs and happy Christmas to you all
What a lovely post about your dogs & puppies. I have a 4 month old shih tzu & we are having so much fun with her, she is keeping hubby & I young,
Love her to bits.
I wish you & Geordie a blessed Christmas & a healthy & Happy New Year. Enjoy your fur babies.
Thank you for this sweet story. It's wonderful to meet/know people who are kindred spirits in their love for their dogs.
My cocker, Truffles has just licked the remains of the honey off my plate - a tiny indulgence that she looks forward to after I finish my morning crumpet. They truly are the merriest , delightful dogs with their tails also wagging. Truffles insists on having things happen her way and a steady stare tells me when I've forgotten or run late on my assigned duties. Love her and so pleased for you.
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