I’ m Alive!
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Days 43 - 44 Vidauban - Vence As Jackson Brown sings so well, ‘I’m Alive’: are you wondering why I have begun with that statement? Read on… Tuesday morning around 4am I heard a noise, my humans didn’t but I did. I barked once to wake Leigh, had a big drink of water and then stood by the door. Leigh realised I wanted to go out so opened the door, took a quick visit to the bathroom then stepped outside to call me in. I wasn’t in my usual spot (by the fig tree) so she began to walk up the garden. While doing so she had a moment of deja vu - remembering one of her ex-colleague’s dogs falling in a swimming pool and drowning. Racing back (the pain of her hip forgotten) she grabbed a torch and hared back up through the garden to the swimming pool. In a nanosecond she spotted something floating in the middle of the pool and realised it was me. At the speed of Mo Farah she arrived at the edge of the pool, lay down, shone the torch on me, and called ‘Martha, Martha’, as she wept. I was doggy-paddling like crazy, the weight of my pyjamas (which I wear for warmth at night in the caravan) certainly not helping my attempt at swimming. I have no idea how I managed to get close enough to the edge for Leigh to stretch her body out and grab my pyjamas, but we managed it. She pulled me out, almost crushed me to her and we both thanked our lucky stars. As Leigh ran back to the caravan, dressing-gown soaking and me struggling to breathe, she started shaking like billy-o. Waking Tom by shouting ‘Tom, Tom, get a towel’, Leigh felt relief like never before. Tom dried and rubbled me (I love being rubbled) while Leigh made me a hot water bottle. Coming out of shock I took a drink of water and slept soundly next to Leigh’s head. Leigh and Tom didn’t sleep so well. Waking around 9am, I had forgotten all about my fright and the weather was perfect with a bright blue sky and sunshine. Leigh and Pam went to a ‘Provence Market’ in a town called Lorgues, whilst Tom and Steve played boule. Gamine was confined to the house (she is a runner, so should the gate open she would be off) and I mooched around the garden - avoiding the pool. In the afternoon we all did our own thing - Leigh and I sunbathed for a few hours, enjoying the warmth and the views of sosogreentrees against sosobluesky. My human’s have managed - in the style of true British humour - to joke about my ‘night swimming’ as Leigh puts it. She even asked Tom, ‘Shall I leave Martha’s swimming towel out tonight?’, adding, ‘You’re a bit old at 15 to try learning to swim Martha’. Yelp! Leigh told the other humans how, whilst working out how to get me out of the pool, she had thought, ‘If I take my dressing gown off and jump in I could pass out with shock because of the water temperature’ and ‘What if Steve comes out to see what the commotion is, and wonders why I am swimming naked in the pool at 4am’. It’s amazing what goes through a human’s head in a few seconds of panic! We then enjoyed another evening of good food, excellent company - with stories of Tom and Pam’s school memories- and wine. All fuelled by lots of giggles…and I mean lots! We also had a unexpected visitor - Virginie is Pam and Steve’s neighbour and a ventriloquist. What fun? This morning (Wednesday) we set off for Vence, my human sister, Cleo recommended we visit and has sent details of a little restaurant too, so I guess my humans will be eating out this evening. I’m happy just to be with them and super-happy that…’I’m Alive’! Woofs, Martha x PS The journey today has been super, lavender and wisteria out in bloom, oranges on the glossy-green trees, tiny figs appearing on fig trees, voluptuous mountains (Alps), shabby-chic French houses and super-sparkly-spanking-new houses all to be admired. I do love to travel ❤️