Advent 3....and suchlike.

The Christmas tree is up.

Bingo is delighted, and I spot him sidling up to a low hung bauble. His nose, is about half an inch from it.  He flares his hooter and sniffs.  No particular smell is received, and yet, being red and twinkling from reflected lights, he feels there must be more to this dangler!

He 'paffs' it gently with his nose and ducks just in case it squeaks or jangles back at him.

Nothing.



He waits patiently while the bauble slowly stops swaying, before moving forward and out pops the tongue and it gets a lick!  Again, he bobs down just in case it sounds an alarm.

Nothing.

He sits, and takes in the various lights and decorations, and his tail gently stirs with pleasure.

The oven is on, and from the kitchen comes the smell of something savoury cooking. The lads hooter has picked it up and he turns, and spots me sitting at the piano.

‘Oh hi guv, didn’t hear you come in.’

‘Well dear fruit, you were obviously in deep thought, I didn’t like to disturb you.’

‘I have to say, it’s all looking mighty festive guv.’

‘Yep, it’s a lovely time of year.’

The cooking smell is starting to distract the lad, and as he wanders  by he announces.

‘Just popping into the kitchen to see if Alison….um…is okay.’

‘Right-ho.’

A pretty poor excuse, for someone longing to get a right royal hooter full of goodies – and perchance a bit of a taster of something or other!

I place a glass of red wine on a coaster with a portrait of Bach upon it.  Hopefully this will distract the mighty gent as my wandering mind wonders if I could re-write that last line of ‘Sons of toil and danger’, from The Vagabond King?

‘You’ll never be a loner, 

with a Cote de Rhone….

AND TO........HELLLLLLLL! 
With…. Bur…..gan…..deeeeeey!!!!’

Perhaps not.

‘Good heavens guv what on earth was that?’

‘Sorry about that……just a muse.’

‘Well it didn’t amuse me old poop, I nearly dropped my Bonio!’

‘Ah….yes, well…um…right.’

‘Carry on guv, don’t mind me, I’m just going to settle on the rug and give this here goody a bit of attention.’

I have a brief rummage-come-trundle around the keyboard, and decide my glass needs re-charging and dear old J.S.B - a chance to recover.

I meet Bingo on his way back to the kitchen.

‘Cor guv, get a hooter full of that!’

‘Smells good Bing.’

‘Mighty fine guv, mighty fine.’

We both enter the kitchen grinning.  Alison has heard us coming….

‘No!’

‘Oh.’

‘Are you su…..?’

‘Definitely.’

Bing is trying to nonchalantly stroll over to his water bowl. He receives a hard stare.

He shrugs, winks and wanders back out into the hall.

‘Honestly Bing keeps popping in and out on some pretence or other. I gave him a Bonio and he said he wouldn’t be back for a while.’

‘Wasn’t that while long enough?’ says a voice from the hall.

‘No!’

‘M’mmm, just asking and so forth.’

I wander out, and the lads brow clears when I remind him dinner will soon be served!

‘I’ll try to hang on guv, but it’ll be touch and go!’

We adjourn to the lounge to watch ski jumping.  The lad is mightily impressed and wonders if it snows again in Lowtown, he could try it out!

‘Are you sure?’

‘Guv, I’ll probably leave it to them, and the pigs that might fly.’

‘Sensible Bing, very sensible…….

‘Dinner!’ is called from the kitchen.

I wander through.

Our pal Bing is already in position…

…………………….you don’t have to call the lad twice!!

With Christmas nearly here.......

You know it makes sense.....'Well it'll make someone smile guv.'

£5 from Amazon!