Is there anything more joyful than when a puppy joins a family? It’s 5.38am – I’m wide awake and bubbling with ideas! Harry husband snores contentedly beside me, but the world is awake – and so am I. Why is it, I wonder that I love Moss so very much, and enjoy her company too, then this pops into my mind : - Do Dogs Because Don’t Understand Daughter Nobody’s life is perfect, and we’ve had a particularly rough time of late. So why is it that I like to have a dog by my

Michael Mathieson lead singer and guitarist with Mad Dog Mcrea, who do a particularly good version of Black Fly. When it’s hot day after day, I take Moss into the woods for her morning walk, simply because it’s cooler that way. I’m walking along deep in thought, when a little black fly starts buzzing right in front of me. It doesn’t leave me. I chuckle to myself; this is exactly what happened last year, and probably the year before that too … Each time it reminds m

Cousin Peter, Moss and me at Wordwell Hall in Suffolk, look at the kindness in his eyes. Last summer Moss and I went on a pilgrimage together. The intention was to visit family and friends and to spend some time with them, simple as that. On reflection, it was a real success and it’s helped me rediscover some of my family. One of my fondest discoveries was cousin Peter. He’s an absolute gem, and the effect he had on Moss was an inspiration to me. Peter was a dairy fa