My own fault I know, but we nearly didn’t go to the seaside yesterday. The day was all planned out and my master decided to wash the car before we went out. As my mistress was busy I thought I would go and help him. Unfortunately it was a lovely day and I could smell freedom on the breeze. Don’t get me wrong I love going out with my mistress or my master but it was one of those times you just want to go for a walk on your own. The garage door was open, the gate at the end of the drive was open and I could hear the call of the wild, well the open road anyway. So off I went. I just went for a little run to the top of the road and round a few neighbours’ gardens, nothing too exciting, at least that is everything I am telling my mistress about. When she got out of the shower she came downstairs and asked my master where I was. “I don’t know he said, he won’t have gone off anywhere.” So she looked inside, she looked in the garden. She called me, she looked in the garden again, she looked inside again. It was by this time clear I may have gone out. So she went round the path at the side of the road calling me and a man with a little girl asked if she was looking for a black and brown dog, which he had last seen outside number 11. My mistress thanked him and ran up the road calling me. I had left number 11 long since when I heard her and was in the garden of number 23. Her relief at finding me seemed excessive. My master on the other hand felt a bit sheepish and said he would be more careful in future. Which just means that next time I want to go off on my own I may have to be a bit more imaginative about how I get out. At least that is the theory. In practice I bet my master will leave the door and the gate open again so I have nothing to worry about! The long and the short of it was that my mistress didn’t feel much like going out after all that, but in the end my master said it would do her good. I’ll have to leave telling you about the trip until tomorrow, I have had enough of typing today the sun is shining and I might just be able to clear the fence if I really try!