Gus

Two weeks ago today Wifie was working at home, and halfway through the day she decided to go for a walk over Arnside Knott. I don't think she will mind me saying that this was not her usual pattern for a day at home, it's quite rare for her to walk up through the woods and over the Knott on her own.

As she reached the top of the hill, a collie ran up to her, sat down and leaned his body against her legs and looked up into her eyes. It was love at first sight - for both of them. The collie was with two people and another collie. Steve and Julie had stopped off to take the dogs for a walk before heading home 30 miles south of us. They told Wifie that they didn't own the dogs, they were trying to find new homes for them, and had been visiting someone in the Lyth Valley who they had hoped might be interested in taking on two working sheepdogs.

To cut a long story short, Wifie said she would see if anyone she knew wanted a collie. She drew a blank, but the idea had been forming since she first saw Gus, that actually she would like to give him a new home in Arnside. All she had to do was persuade me when I came home from work. She did a good job of that, and we were left with the key question of how he would get on with Bob the Cat. So on the waxwing day, 15 December, Steve and Julie brought Gus back to Arnside to meet me and more crucially to meet Bob.

They touched noses, and Gus withdrew cautiously. It was clear that although they may not be the best of friends, they won't be the worst of enemies either. So the arrangement was made for Gus to have a new home here once the disruptions and trips away over Christmas were past. And here he is.

We were worried how he would be when Steve and Julie and their daughter Molly left today taking Gus's brother Rock with them. But as they donned their coats and shoes to leave the house, it was quite apparent that Gus had by then decided he wanted to stay here. He made no attempt to follow them, and he has been perfectly settled since. So far, so good.