🎶 What's it all about Alfie?

Over the past few weeks Alfie had visited the beagles many times, invited or uninvited, I'm not sure which. As soon as our backs were turned he was gone, quick as a flash through his secret escape route in the garden, the tunnel of love.
One morning as Himself answered a knock on the front door Alfie had pushed past him and was off like a shot down the road with himself in hot pursuit. Luckily, he was caught by a neighbour several blocks away, his reputation as an escapologist has spread.

All these episodes had done nothing to lower our blood pressure. The only consolation was that when Alfie returned he appeared very repentant and when straight to his basket, either from guilt or exhaustion.

They say if you survive the panic and fear caused by traumas in your life, then bonding occurs with all involved. Well the three of us had bonded.
We had now bonded so much with Alfie that he went everywhere with us.

Preparations were made for him to travel in the car. Himself had covered the back seat of the fiesta with a plush, paw patterned blanket, though Alfie much preferred to travel in the front drivers seat. Alfie turned out to be a fairly good traveller, the only exception was if he spied a female dog out the window - then all hell would break loose.

We took him on several trips with us. A lovely day was spent exploring the Cotswalds , visiting the villages of Bibley, Stow in the Wold and Upper and Lower Slaughter. The sun was shining, the sky a brilliant blue and it was so warm we actually sat outside for lunch.

Another day we headed south to the towns of Crediton and Tiverton, these were Himself's old stomping grounds, he lived here 30 years ago. We were on a mission to find two of his favourite pubs and the house in which he lived.
We scored one out of three, The Ring of Bells, pub - now closed.

We arrived about 1 pm at the 'Mare and Foal,' a charming old building just outside Crediton. Himself took Alfie for a stroll while I went inside to enquire if they were serving lunch and could I bring the dog in with us.
"LUNCH, I haven't had mine as yet ", said the publican, but by the look of him he had never EVER missed a lunch in his life - he was a giant of a man.
Luckily the response was yes to both questions.
On entering Alfie was delighted to find that a cute little Labra-doodle lived in the pub. Her name was Daisy and as soon as they set eyes on each other it was love at first sight. Both tails starting wagging and they chased each other around the tables and under the chairs, knocking each other over and generally having the time of their lives. It soon became obvious how attracted they were, by the amount of mutual licking taking place.

The publican witnessing all this frivolity asked "has he been done"?

Has he been done for 'breaking and entering' - yes.
Has he been done for loitering with intent - yes.
Has he been done for 'disturbing the peace' - yes, but "just what did he mean?"

Himself being always on the ball , replied that Alfie wasn't desexed.

Before Daisy knew it, she was picked up by big beefy hands and placed gently behind the bar and the bar door locked firmly behind her.
Both dogs were distraught at the turn off events and began to whimper inconsolably.

Alfie kept his whining up until the publican brought out lunch. He only then decided that there was something that he enjoyed better above all other pleasures in life and that was a plate of twice cooked chips!

Is that what it's all about, Alfie?