Wednesday 23rd September: Getting ready for the big opening

I managed to break off a piece of tooth yesterday evening so my big event of the day was a long-overdue visit to the the dentist.  While I was lying there with a mouth full of latex-covered hands and shiny instruments, Mark and Jen Chan of Wahfugu (who supplies the matching toys for the calendars and diaries), were busy picking up stock and getting it to Lane Crawford ready for tomorrow’s opening. The best I could do in terms of HKDR work was to make mental notes of things I needed to do, and emails I had still to reply to and who should I contact about the new dogs that are due to come in.

By the time this blog is posted and has been read, it will be Thursday and THE BIG DAY! I know many of you have been waiting for the calendars and dairies, especially if your own dog is featured, so today’s your day. Please note, however, that the free calendar due to all participants won’t be available at Lane Crawford, as the technical aspect of giving out freebies was too complicated. We’ll be contacting everyone who is due a calendar individually.

The  new T-shirts won’t be in stock until next week (sorry, I want one too), so you’ll have to make two visits if you want these.  I’ll let you know when they arrive.  Please note that we are in the Home section of Lane Crawford, not the fashion department (although I bet they’ll be wanting our T-shirts!)

We’re obviously very excited about being at such a big and famous store, one of Hong Kong’s landmarks, and certainly a name I remember from the days when I first arrived in Hong Kong and when almost nothing was available other than rice and noodles (or that’s the way it seemed). In those days Aberdeen was still very much a fishing village, and many of the shops sold equipment for the boats and the fishermen. These days the only fishing equipment to be found are the modern fishing rods and gizmos that are sold to the amateur anglers who plague the waterfront, especially where I live on Lamma. I still find it amusing to watch the crew of the remaining large fishing boats, sitting there with a nylon line and hook waiting to catch a tiddler in the polluted waters of the Aberdeen typhoon shelter. It’s what’s known as a busman’s holiday.

Back to dog business, and there are already potential adopters/fosters ready to meet the new puppies ( the Westies and the dachshund) when I’m back at kennels tomorrow. These purebreeds, especially the little ones, are so easy of course. It’s the mixes that I worry about, especially when I see them growing so fast.

Today Willow came along on the big walk, a big milestone in a puppy’s life. One of the Lorry Pups like Dana, Willow is also an exceptionally smart puppy, too smart really. She’s still only five months old but she has the attitude of an adult in many ways. She doesn’t care much for playing with the other puppies, and doesn’t even really want to be upstairs with Minky and Sparkle (I only let them up at night these days), she wants to be one of the big girls who sleep in my bedroom and have their own bed. I made the mistake one night of leaving her outside (unintentionally), and I was woken in the small hours by the incessant barking of what I was sure was a big dog. It was Willow, wanting to come in, but her voice has already broken and she has a very big bark.

Willow's name suits her. She's strong and lean (another lovely Claudia photo)

Bilbo, also one of the first Lorry Pups, is another one who has taken me by surprise. One moment he was a small and cute puppy, the next he’s a big boy, and a strange looking one too. He’s lovely, of course, but he’s the only one of the litter who isn’t brindle coloured, and he’s a hefty build. Sideways on he has a lot of loose skin around his neck, and I’m wondering what he will look like once he’s sorted himself out. I love this about the mixed breeds, the surprise ending. Pretty pups may not be such pretty adults, while strange-looking babies turn into the most beautiful dogs. Just like humans really.

Funny, lovely Bilbo