Peonies are a favorite flower at Pretty Hill. They are just soooooo showy and elegant. Best of all they came with the property! Not one was purchased. They just keep multiplying, and we keep moving them around to sunny locations.

These mighty columns stood tall throughout World War Two and expecially through the Blitz when Germany pounded London with bombs by night. “The climax raid of these weeks came once more to London, on Sunday, December 29. All the painfully gathered German experience was expressed on this occasion. It was an incendiary classic. The weight of the attack was concentrated upon the City of London itself. It was timed to meet the dead-low-water hour. The water mains were broken at the outset by very heavy high-explosive parachute mines. Nearly fifteen hundred fires had to be fought. The damage to railway stations and docks was serious. Eight Wren (master architect Sir. Christopher Wren) churches were destroyed or damaged. The Guildhall was smitten by fire and blast, and St. Paul’s Cathedral was only saved by heroic exertions. A void of ruin at the very centre of the British world gaped upon us, but when the King and Queen visited the scene they were received with enthusiasm far exceeding any Royal festival.” Taken from Memories of The Second World War by Winston S. Churchill

Sunday was the first time that Chip was out and about with other people and dogs. He did excellent—a little shaky at first but after a few minutes he began to work the crowd.

Cocoa’s done this for years, and I took her gentle leader off after a few minutes. She just needed to be reminded not to jump up to say hello but to sit first.

Sandy (Dog School 101) was there with one of her latest rescues—Betty Lou Who. She’s always a crowd pleaser explaining how even the most different looking dogs can be the most fun. Betty Lou is a Hairless Chinese Crested.

Ok . . . . This is not as bad as it looks. In fact, it is really great fun, but when “Mommy” is watching, you have to put on some sort of pitiful, heart-wrenching show, and this is what Mr. Chip was doing when I snapped this photo at Dog School 101 early this morning. Was Cocoa Joy with him? Absolutely! So, where was the fair maiden? She was in another area trying to get the attention of the trainer with the hopes of raiding her Bil-Jac stash! Sorry, Chipley—you’re on your own today, buddy.

Mr. Chip meet Miss Pitt, who is obviously much more experienced. The first thing she did was walk up to him and give him a big kiss! I feel like quoting the Queen (of England), “Oh, I really don’t like that.”

Some . . . where over the rainbow, the Princess waits for meeeeee. Somewhere, over the rainbow; I’ll win her heart, you’ll see.