Vernal equinox...... effects of on small dog

Glorious spring-like day here today, despite dire weather warnings of winds and rain lashing the south coast.

Spring has also infected small dog who has been behaving like a thing possessed, hurtling round the garden at a zillion miles an hour, barking her silly little head off and throwing herself against the fence in a (hopefully) futile attempt to get at next door's guinea pigs who are in their outdoor run enjoying the warm spring sun on their fur.

Those who know me will also know that I have a real soft spot for guinea pigs. They are my favourite rodent. So having a dog of mine trying to terrorise two of them does not go down well.

However, to be fair, small dog's current vendetta is not targeted exclusively towards the guinea pigs. Just about everything in the animal kingdom seems to be fair game at the moment. I think her recent traumatic haircut may have tipped the balance of her mind and she's become feral.

Every bird and mammal which has the temerity to set foot or claw within the boundary of the garden is playing Russian Roulette. Squirrels especially, which are high on her 'Most Wanted' list.

Usually the squirrels play it safe, and if they do come into the garden, stay close to the fences for a quick getaway. However this morning there was one actually sitting on the side of the bird bath, having a wash and brush up. Naturally, small dog was incensed and set off in hot pursuit, moving rapidly up through several gears until she was a small, furry blur. The squirrel was caught off guard in the middle of his morning ablutions and, half way between the two boundary fences, dithered for a nanosecond about which one to head for. Wailing like a banshee, small dog could doubtless scent victory as she bore down upon the indecisive squirrel, who finally took to his heels and made a dash for the fence. Presumably, hearing the snapping of sharp little teeth just inches from his tail gave him an immediate adrenalin boost and he leapt the last metre up on to the fence.....and lost his footing.

From our viewing point in the kitchen, PP and I drew a collective gasp and put our hands over our eyes to block out the ensuing carnage.

So we missed the denouement.

A split second later we looked to see what had happened, to catch sight of the squirrel flying along the top of the fence with small dog still in hot pursuit on the ground. Presumably it managed to regain a last minute claw-hold and hoist itself up from the jaws of death. They certainly didn't have enough time to negotiate a settlement and in any case, in the grip of the red mist, small dog would have been in no mood to discuss terms.

Just exactly what would happen if she ever succeeded in her lifelong ambition to catch a squirrel is anybody's guess. The 'rat catcher' terrier in her would almost definitely take over and she would grab it by the neck and give it a death shake. It's something I wouldn't want to see. And it's a very good reason to make sure she doesn't get any ideas about tunnelling under, or abseiling over the fence to get to the guinea pigs next door.

And speaking of guinea pigs. The major movie event of the millennium is due to be released this summer.

I CAN'T WAIT................................!!!!