Don’t you just absolutely adore this time of the year because of the glorious changing colours of the leaves on the trees.  I feel particularly blessed, as the road in which I reside, despite being in an urban area, has plenty of mature trees, some of which create a wonderful view from my sitting room window. 

Add to this the superb weather of today and a trip down to Sandbanks beach is a must.  After walking along the prom for about half an hour, I sat down so that I could absorb the breathtaking sight of a calm, blue sea, a beautiful blue sky and a surprisingly warm sun.  How fortunate I felt to live so close to such a magnificient beach and be able to enjoy it and all for free. 

Yes, there may be economic problems in the country, and you can spend a lot of time worrying to no avail.  However, with just a little shift, you can think about all the things to be thankful for, many of which you no doubt take for granted.  So when you are feeling blue, get out a pad and a pen and start writing down all the blessings in your life.  Start with your sight – imagine not being able to see anything.  Then move on to all the other parts of your body and that’s just for starters.  Then what about where you live and all the modern conveniences – electricity, gas, running water, the phone, computer, hifi system – need I say more?  When you begin to feel grateful for what you have, you will feel much better and when your mind goes off track again telling you what you don’t have, bring it back again to focusing on all that is good in your life.

It was Sunday morning and it was very wet.  While you were probably still hiding under the duvet,  I was on my way to Waggy Tails Rescue in Ferndown to do my usual dog-walking.  One of the other volunteers arrived at the same time as me and, having ascertained that the two dogs awaiting a walker would get on with each other, we agreed to take both dogs out to the field together.  Waggy Tails has rented a field which is secure so that dogs awaiting homes and without a foster carer can at least run free for a while.  The two dogs are Jack, a feisty, yet lovable Jack Russell who is about 18 months old and Jake, a brindle Lurcher who is about the same age and equally gorgeous. 

Within seconds of us letting them off the lead, they started chasing each other frantically around the field.  Oh what a glorious sight!  Jack, the JR, was certainly holding his own in terms of speed, which, considering that Lurchers are part greyhound, is pretty impressive.  His size was an advantage as he was able to manoeuvre round corners more quickly and even dive under the Lurcher’s belly.  Although there was some play biting and occasional snapping, all was well and they kept this up for the best part of an hour.  This was interspersed with us throwing or kicking a variety of balls for them. 

If you’re a dog lover, and yet your lifestyle does not allow you to have a dog, do consider being a volunteer with Waggy Tails.  There are lots of different roles to play so you should be able to find something which suits your skills and interests.  And of course, you get to meet lots of lovely dogs.  For more information, call Shelagh on 01202 875000.