Hello – it’s me, Briar!
Jane is feeling a little off colour – nothing to worry about and I am looking after her – so I said I would help out by looking after the blog for the night.
And I thought it was time I tried my paw at one of those A to Z posts that Jane does every so often.
Here we go …
A is for ARMCHAIR. I keep mine in the bay window, so that I can look outside to see what’s happening, I can look inside to supervise the house, and I can curl up and go to sleep in between times.
B is for Black Socks
B is for BLACK SOCKS. We went to Hayle marshes this morning. I went in the river and it was very muddy, so when I came out Jane said I had black socks.
C is for CHEESE. My very favourite thing to eat.
D is for DAISY. Daisy is a very lovely old English sheepdog who lives with Lindsey. You see a very nice picture of her on Lindsey’s blog.
E is for ESME. I met Esme on LibraryThing. She is a very beautiful poodle, and lives in Canada with Tiffin, who has a lovely picture of Esme on her profile.
F is for FIRST FRIEND. My first friend was called Amber. She’s a Yorkshire terrier and Frances, her tame human brought her round to meet me when I was a very small puppy.
G is for GROOMING. I went to the groomers last Saturday and now I look very smart. And I’m much cooler so we’d like a bit more nice weather please.
H is for Hill (I have sat here, on Trencrom)
H is for HILLS. I like climbing hills and looking down at what’s happening below. My favourite hill is Trencrom, where you can see the north and the south coast of Cornwall from the top.
I is for ISABEL ASHDOWN. Isabel Ashdown has a very handsome border terrier called Charlie. He is an action dog, like me, but he had let Isabel have time off to write a new book called ‘Summer of 1976.’
J is for JANE, who is helping me to write this.
K is for KNITTING. Jane likes to make knitting and I like to sit on it. I think it’s a very good arrangement but Jane isn’t so sure.
L is for LEN TYLER. Another author with a border terrier friend. Thistle has appeared in one of his tame human’s books and he has a web page here.
M is for MARLEY. Marley was a very great border terrier. He brought together the border terrier community on twitter – there are lots of tweeting borders out there – and he raised a lot of money for the Dogs Trust.
N is for NURSING HOME. I go to see Mother in her nursing home every weekend. We are always very pleased to see each other, and I have made friends with lots of the old people and lots of the staff.
P is for Promenade
O is for ORPH and OLLY. Two very handsome dachshund gentlemen, who live with Cate in California.
P is for PROMENADE. We live opposite the promenade and I like to go over there to walk, and to meet people and dogs.
Q is for QUEEN BEATRIX. I expect she’ll be able to spend more time with her border terrier now she has abdicated.
R is for ROSEWOOD. Rosewood is a very small reindeer and she was my very first toy. She came in the car with Jane and Mother to bring me home when I was eight weeks old and ready to go out into the world, and she still lives in my toy box. She is called Rosewood because that is what it says on her label, and Jane thought it went very well with me being called Briar.
S is for SQUIRRELS. I still like to chase them in the park, but they are not so easy to find since we lost the squirrel tree. But I will keep looking!
T is for TREVAYLOR WOODS. One of my favourite places to go. There are trees, there’s a stream and there are lots of places to climb and explore, and planty of good sniffs.
U is for Undergrowth
U is for UNDERGROWTH. Now that the warmer weather and lighter evenings are here Jane and I sometimes go and sit in the Morrab Gardens in the early evening. She sits on a bench and reads a book and I sit in the undergrowth to watch what is happening without being seen.
V is for VIRAGO MODERN CLASSICS. My bed is green and it is next to the Virago bookcase. Jane says it is a coincidence that my bed is the same colour as the books, but I’m not so sure.
W is for WATER. I like to go into ponds and streams and the sea, but I do not like having baths.
X is for XCLUSION. The beach ban started on 1st May and it goes on until the end of September. I’m not happy because I love my beach, I don’t bother anyone, and Jane always picks up anything that shouldn’t be there in a little black bag.
Y is for YELLOW. My tennis balls are yellow, and they’re my favourite this to play with.
Z is for ZELDA. Zelda is a greyhound – I get on very well with greyhounds – and she lives with Joann at Lakeside Musing.
… I did it!!!
I will be back sometime soon, with another round of my game. And Jane will be back, tomorrow or the next day, to make and answer comments and to talk about books.
Fleur in her World 
Briar, Esme is in awe of your A-Z list. You are the dearest Border Terrier we know. Queen Beatrix just went up another notch in our estimation as well (we think of her as “ours” in Canada). Esme is so sorry that you can’t run on your beloved beach for the summer season.
Dear Tui,
Thank you for your kind words, and please give kisses to Esme for me. It was lovely to have her for my letter E.
Love Briar xxx
Briar, your A-Z list was so much fun to read!!! I’m very certain that Lily and Daisy would love the promenade!!!
Dear Staci,
I’m sure Lily and Daisy would love my promenade, and I’m sorry that you are too far away for us to meet.
Love Briar xxx
Briar, you may not appreciate this, but I have cats who feel the same way about yarn work that you do. I don’t think I’ve ever crocheted anything that didn’t end up with some cat fur in with the yarn – not so good on white or yellow baby blankets.
Dear Lisa,
Maybe a lemon and white cat would be that answer?
Love Briar xxx
Aw, Briar, I sure wish I could meet you!
Dear Kathy,
Me too. It’s a shame that the Atlantic Ocean is so wide.
Love Briar xxx
I really enjoyed reading your A-Z post, Briar! I’ve been telling Daisy about her special mention and she is very proud and honoured to be part of your lovely list! She liked the bit about black socks too, and loves the picture of you! We have been off climbing hills together this past week, up in the Lake District. Daisy isn’t used to them, because she has spent her life in Cambridgeshire where it is very flat, so it is quite a change to her walking routine! Thanks for a lovely post Briar and Jane.
Dear Lindsay,
I was very happy to have as lovely a dog as Daisy for my letter D. Our hills aren’t as high as the ones in the Lake District, so I expect you and Daisy had very good views.
Love Briar xxx
Briar, you look very cosy and chilled out in the picture in the undergrowth. I think my dogs would be happy to join you in finding a lovely bit of shade, although I think the puppy would have great difficulty keeping quiet and still for long, so she doesn’t make an ideal undergrowth companion!
Dear Lindy,
You’re right, it is very hard for us dogs to keep still when we are wriggly puppies. Even at the age of seven I have to break cover if there’s something that needs chasing.
Love Briar xxx
Briar, what a lot of lovely friends you have and I’ve enjoyed reading all about them. You are so lucky to live by the sea but what a shame you won’t be able to play on the beach for so long. I hope Jane feels better very soon.
Dear Cat,
Yes, I live in a very nice place. And Jane took me in the car to a beach where I am allowed this morning. She is fine, just a bit tired now.
Love Briar xxxx
Well done, Briar! These A-Z posts are such fun to write, aren’t they? I would have a very hard time without Zelda though. Hope Jane is feeling better today.
Dear JoAnn,
Please thank Zelda for being my letter Z. It would have been a very tricky letter without her!
Love Briar xxx
Hello, Briar,
Well done on keeping the blog fort active! And that P for Promendade, isn’t that Penzance? And a view very similar to the lovely painting, “The rain it raineth every day …” by Newlyn artist, Norman Garstin?
Dear Margaret,
Yes, it is Penzance. We live in one of the little seafront cottages that you can see in Mr Garstin’s painting and in this photograph.
Love Briar xxx
Oh, Briar, how lovely that you and Jane live in a sea front cottage! I was born less than 50 yards from the sea in Strangford, N. Ireland (I’m not Irish, my Mum just happened to be there at the time …) and I now live within sight of the sea, up a hill about 1 mile from the actual water. I wouldn’t want to live inland, I’d feel hemmed in! I expect Jane has read the books of (the late) Janie Bolitho, which are set in and around Newlyn/Penzance? I’ve only been there a couple of times, but loved the Penlee Museum & Gallery with all those lovely Newlyn School paintings!
Dear Margaret,
We wouldn’t want to live too far from the sea either. Janie Bolitho used to on the promenade too, on the next terrace to ours. Jane knew her to pass the time of day, but didn’t know she was an author until she recognised the photograph on a library book after Janie died.
Love Briar xxx
Great job, Briar! Even I have never managed to get an A to Z done, as you just did. 🙂 Also, thank you for introducing your lovely friends and surroundings to us. I have told Jane before, and I’ll tell you again now, how much I envy the both of you for having such a lovely spot (one of my favourite in all the world) to call your home. 🙂
Dear Michelle,
Thank you. We hope you will come to our promenade again one day.
Love Briar xxx