Alfie

Meet Alfie -my Special Project.

A Border Terrier/Labrador Cross ( I know - it doesn't bear thinking about...) from the RSPCA.

I've been thinking about getting a dog for a while and the time just feels right. He feels just right.

He's three years old ( and - like me, an Aquarius) and his previous owners had to let him go because of a marital split. A nice temperament and no bad habits as far as they know.

I'm talking to various kennels about putting him up while I have to be away with work ( Old friends will know that that's what I used to do with my last dog Thistle when I first came up to the North East) but I'm also hoping that having him will mean that I gain a bit more control of when ( and how much) I'm away anyway.

I'm not taking him immediately. He'll stay in the kennels until February 10th when I'm planning to take a mixture of leave and Working At Home for a fortnight so I can settle him in properly. But I plan to visit him a lot in the meantime.

It's a big commitment but it's something I've thought about a lot and really want to do.

And yes, it's about getting on with life.