Trust

We have been trooping over to the village for coffee almost every day for many years. There are 2 coffee shops and both are good but Bay Salt has the coffee we prefer. The Ducks' Nuts is the other place and the name makes me smile and we have been there too, if our place is closed. Anyway locals all seem to have their favourite and the 2 shops sort of rub along together pretty well.

The regulars all nod and smile and chat to each other. We take dog so some of the locals don't talk to us cos of DOG and well that's entirely their own problem, but mostly folk stop by and give her a bit of a cuddle and maybe some bacon and go on their way.

Now the thing about village company is that names are a bit light on the ground. There's a family who is there for breakfast every Sunday and we have a real good chinwag but I have no idea of their names. And there is a 'teacher couple' - retired I think that we chat to, and I have asked her advice about sewing machines and stuff and I don't know their names. There is a group of fellas who have breakfast every Tuesday and we stop and chat and have helped to socialise the new Dog who was a rescue girl and a bit nervy skittish, but now happily chats away to DOG, and out of the table of about 10, we know precisely NO NAMES whatsoever. And there is a family who is often there on a sunday and the lady always has treats in her bag for DOG and she gets right down on the floor with her and lets her lick her face and gives just the biggest cuddles, and we don't know their names either.

Until that was, a few weeks ago when, for reasons I am still not sure of, I asked her if she wanted to babysit DOG for us while we went to RIVERFIRE.

Shit that can hardly be considered good parenting can it? 'I don't know your name or anything about you, but can I leave me dog with you over night?'

She said yes and then we introduced ourselves, and swapped phone numbers and all that normal stuff, like we were organising a first date.

We had a few weeks to chat more and confirm the babysitting, and so on Saturday we dropped DOG off on our way to Brisvegas for the crackers.

Their place was pristine! White and new and beautiful and did I say PRISTINE? DOG sheds black hair at every little opportunity, infact she sheds some much fucking hair that if I was at all a greenie, I'd be gathering it up and knitting jumpers for refugees. There was gonna be a less white look after a day of DOG.OH dear.

All night I kept hoping that she wasn't disgracing herself by shitting on the white tiles or worse still the white carpet. I mean she's as good as gold at home, but you just never can tell what kids are gonna get up to when they are out.

The crackers for RIVERFIRE were just bloody brilliant and we had a wonderful time, shit I even put on a bit of lippy and kept my bra on cos I was in public, and it's been a while since I did that.

And on Sunday about lunchtime, Sue and Andrew rang the bell to announce the arrival home of DOG. They had thoroughly enjoyed having her stay. They had played and played and she was out on her feet. She was joyfully rooted.

So I reckon here's the tester for trust. Take your dog with you. If your dog likes 'em, then they are probably good folk. It sure as shit worked out well this time.