October 17th – Sam’s excellent adventure

Today Sam had his first experience of the Great Outdoors… out the back door of the studio that leads into the garden – weeds! flowers! stone walls! wet earth! SMELLS! he made it as far as the archway door, but I couldn’t tempt him onto the lawn… It’s wild, watching curiosity and fear vying for supremacy…

And then, gilding the lily, I took him over to the Big House for the first time…. I don’t think he’ll ever be as comfortable there as he is in the studio – too overheated, and too full of dog smells and other people… but he didn’t freak out completely, and I cannot stay on in the studio indefinitely – diana is leaving any day now (none too soon, we are at each other’s throats) and I cannot leave mum alone in the house… I don’t want to leave sam alone either, so he’ll have to come with me… perhaps he can commute…