Welcome to my blog

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Belle, probably the most important dog in the world, and a big piece of my world is Samlesbury Hall where I spend my days.
I’m often in the office whilst my mum works, I keep an eye on who comes and goes, run around the grounds, bark at the postman (well mostly it’s a lady who gives me a biscuit so I don’t bark at her). I have a couple of friends here. The first one is Cookie (see pic) she’s a black Labrador, her mum is the boss so Cookie thinks she can lord it over me, I let her think she is better but deep down I am sure she knows I am the bestest dog ever!
There’s also Heather who barks at anything, she is always with her mum in the grounds. I’m sure she is a bit nutty! Woof!

Life with Cookie

So here’s me and Cookie, she’s not a bad dog, but she does get under my mums feet a bit, I am sure it’s because she thinks mum will give her my special stash of treats, pah,! not a chance. Cookie talks to the people, (making funny whining noises) I am sure she thinks they know what she is saying, and worse still they pretend they do know what she is saying, so whose dafter her or them? Anyway she is the greediest dog in the whole world, her mum has to put her on a diet sometimes, but never in winter because she works then, you’d think with her mum being the boss she’d be well off and wouldn’t need to work, she’s a gundog and she has very exciting days chasing and retrieving birds, is she full of self importance when she comes into the office after she’s been working. Anyone would think she is the only dog who has ever worked
Of course I’m retired now, I retired early, and working hard just seems daft when my lovely mum gives me everything I want.

Guinea Pigs

Just when you think your ship has come in, some rotter spoils it.
The first time I was aware that we had guinea pigs, I could smell them when my mum took me for a walk in the grounds, if there’s no one visiting she lets me off the lead, so this particular day, I smelt a really scrummy smell (don’t forget dogs used to eat animals like guinea pigs so it’s in my nature to want to chase them!)
Then I saw them at a distance, I ran and ran and ran, my mum was shouting at me to come back but not a chance. Whoa, how bad is that? Some horrid person had put a fence around them so I couldn’t get them, that is not fair.
But wow my own guinea pigs! I love it. I run round and round the pen they are in, trying to spot the fattest and staring into their eyes to mesmerise them into coming up to the fence. They are really stupid and can’t be mesmerised.
There’s boy and girl guinea pigs, they are really called boars and sows, just like real pigs and they are sometimes called cavies. Louise, the head Gardner has to separate because they bread and we get hundred of babies that we have to sell.
They know I can’t get at them so they tease me by walking so closed to the fence if I could just, just reach in and get my paw through, no it’s no use, the fence is too secure.
Sometimes cookie comes with me to see the guinea pigs, she pretend not to be interested, but I can see her slavering! Sometime she is such a snooty dog. Woof!

The Hall

Apparently it’s a really special place, everyone goes on and on about how brill it is, most days people come to see the really old building its nearly 700 years old, that’s ancient!
I don’t get to talk to most of the visitors, because I’m in the office looking after mum. But sometimes I get to go on a trip around the grounds, the visitors are really nice, they always say awww, when they see me, but don’t forget I am the cutest dog in the world.
I know the visitors buy stuff, because they leave with bags and they usually have something to eat; now I know that the food is really good here. Mum and all the other people who work here go on and on about it.
Sometimes at lunchtime I get a titbit from someone, not from mum she’s a veggie, doesn’t eat meat, now I know I love mum to bits, but not eating meat, isn’t that a bit crackers? Anyway I can confirm the food is the best, so there!
The visitors buy stuff from the shop, or something that someone has made; we have clever people who make really cool things that you can buy, they also buy antiques, now why would anyone want to buy something that is really really old? But they do and go on and on about what a beautiful piece it is and what a bargain they have got. They need to get a life and be a dog, its brill…woof
Also people who can paint and make lovely things show them off here, this is called art and design, it must be good because mum likes it and she has the best taste in the world, well she picked me didn’t she?
We have a fellow who comes here quite a lot, he wears silly clothes and call himself Henry V111, I know he is not really called that because mum calls him Ray.
But the visitors and schools love him, they laugh a lot at him, mind you he does look daft.
I think he is a bit scary, he’s rather big and raises his eyebrows when he looks at me, I think he would squash me if he stood on me, hang on, no he wouldn’t, he wears slippers, what’s that about?

Outside

This is the best bit, when we first go outside its really funny, cause I run off after the guinea pigs, then mum looks really daft trying to catch me, every time she get close enough to put my lead on, I wait till she bends down, then run off in the other direction, then she gets really mad so I give up and go to her. The summer time is best cause we get out quite a bit and there’s lots going on.
First there’s the courtyard, Zaff lives with the chef in a cottage in the courtyard, he’s a sheepdog, but he’s never worked, pretty smart to get a dad who will feed him and love him, he’s really old and doesn’t get out that much, but you just know how clever he is, it’s in the breeding.
There’s a fountain in the courtyard that we can drink out of, but first you have to be really careful and tiptoe through the paths, because there are herbs growing that chef uses in the kitchen and we are all trained not to go anywhere near them, sometimes visitors sit at the benches here and just enjoy being peaceful, mum won’t let me bother them unless they call me over, then it’s o.k. but not all of them have titbits for me, what a waste of time!
This is where the shop is so people are often in and out.
Mum takes me round to the other side of the house where there’s a rose garden, what a waste of time is that? Everyone says ooh how pretty and aah doesn’t this one smell nice?
No, no and no, they are boring and if you get silly running round and forget and run into them OUCH they prickle you. woof
Moving on to other things.
We go round to the front of the house, there’s a a lovely big lawn there, you can run round and round and round until you get all hot and sweaty, mum says the Hall looks best from here, its all black and white.
The best bits for me are the bits past the car park, guinea pigs mmmm, don’t get me going on them again, there are also chickens, some fancy ones called Wyandottes, with a great big Cockerel, he’s massive, I really think he is a turkey in fancy dress, but they are really stupid, but people like to look at them. There is a pen with loads of brown hens, now these are good because they work hard to lay loads of eggs for the kitchen to bake with and make egg butties and stuff. Yummy. I think they are Rhode Island Red, I don’t know how they got here from an island, they don’t really fly much, just a bit of squawking and flapping. Not as pretty as the Wyandottes, but really useful. Don’t forget you can buy bags of chicken food and feed them, they like that.
There’s a couple of white ducks, they are called call ducks, that’s because they quack really nicely, I bet they would taste good, whoops stop it, mum will be mad! You can feed them too! Lou has made a pond specially for them, they love it quack, quack, quack all day, swimming round and round, boring, I’m glad I’m a dog Woof
There’s a couple of hives, don’t go near there, the bees will buzz around you and if you get them mad they could sting, but how good are they? Making all that honey for the shop and kitchen. Mums boss Sharon and Lou go on and on about how good bees are and how interesting they are.
Us dogs are not allowed to go into the kitchen garden, cause that’s where Lou grows the veg for the chefs to cook with. Its always stuffed with plants and things and the staff go mm these beans are nice and mm what a nice lettuce this is, I am so glad I’m a dog and don’t have to eat that lot!