Sam

I took this image yesterday (but edited today)when we visited friends who live in a beautiful farmhouse, deep in the Devon countryside.
Lin and I first met 45 years ago when we started our teacher's training at Portsmouth. Although we don't get to see each other very frequently, as with true friendships, the years roll away and we find ourselves chatting and laughing just like we did all those years ago.
The surroundings however, are somewhat different. 
Towards the end of our course we shared a student house, the details of which are far too grim to go into on here. I'll just say that any wildlife that was around seemed to be IN the house with us.
Yesterday we sat in Lin and Andrew's beautiful garden, full of character and bathed in sunshine. 
Living in the countryside they have moorhens that raid the kitchen garden, frogs and toads living in two ponds, chickens in the orchard, flocks of sheep in the surrounding fields. In short it is my idea of paradise.
They also have 3 labs. Charlie is the elder statesman at over 14 years old, Sam, pictured, is twelve and then there is Henry! Already the boss and only 14 weeks old and over in extras
Both of the old dogs took refuge from the pup's attentions and I took this as Sam had a quiet 5 minutes.
Our afternoon and evening with them all passed far too quickly but we have  vowed to meet up again soon.