The Norths in Lunel and elsewhere

Our animals and other family

Just now we are a one animal household, no dogs or cats.  We should also have 2 tortoises but the larger has disappeared after a winter of supposed hibernation, so we are left with Tonic (twin Gin died soon after her birth in Montpellier).  And we miss a dog, especially in this more than usually isolated time.

Tonic shortly after his/her arrival in 2018

When Mary and I met nearly 45 years ago she had cats.  I had also had one in a previous life.  So over the first few years, in the late 1970s/early 80s, we had several cats

twins Tibby and Frank around 1997

But soon, in England, then in France, we had dogs - first medium-sized - first Ziggy, a soppy mutt adopted from some people nearby when one of themm developed a dog allergy, then Ruff the alsatian/collie cross, a little wild thanks to his neglected early years on a farm next door.

Then ae went into terriers.  First Trudy the Norfolk then Evie the Norwich.  Trudy was with us in England, Evie, joined her in France, neither lived up to the 'lively' label, but both were delightful companions.  One after the other they succumbed to the maladies of old age.

Trudy (floppy ears) and Evie (ears pointing up, and Evie's half sister Cynth with her owner Annie and friend Lilli

Then we fell in love with Camel, a rescue hound in a refuge.  We travelled 4 hours east to collect him from Figeac, in the Lot.  He was a delightful animal, gentle and calm, but sadly soon prove dot have an inoperable cancer and so had to be put to sleep.  We were devastated.

But we still wanted a canine companion, and having links with the Figeac refuge we chose to travel back there to find another (even larger) hound, Arlo.  He was a splendid beast, a little too large for our aged bodies, but we'd have kep trying if he had not had a tendency to lunge when startled, and so with great sadness and regret we ahd to take him back to the Lot.   So we are still dog-less!

So with the little Tonic (now a little larger than a tub of sweetex) we shall look for another dog once the lockdowns are over!