Since Jazzie May had her moment in the sun a couple of months ago, I thought I'd introduce you to her brother, Oliver.
He did an interview with Mel Teshco for the LoveCats a couple of years ago that I'll paste below, or you can read the original post here.
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Name: Oliver. Olivander. Ollie.
Abode: I live in a house in the trees with my humans. Unfortunately, three other dogs live there with us.
Likes:
Chocolate and cream. Neither of which I get because they're
apparently bad for dogs, but I'm optimistic that one day it will
happen, so I always keep an eye out. I do get a box of dog chocolates
every Christmas though, which is nice.
Getting up on the human bed with the female human in the
mornings. The male human gets up early and takes all the black and
white dogs with him, leaving just the two of us to catch a few more
minutes sleep in the peace and quiet.
Dislikes:
Kefuffles. I hate it when the other dogs run or get excited. When the
human hits tennis balls for the Border Collies, I try to get out of
the way and be inconspicuous.
Ambition: A nice, calm, peaceful life. Preferably where I'm an only dog.
Sociable or Aloof:
Well, I don't actually like other dogs. Or cats. Or most humans. But
there is a select group of humans I like (about 7) and with them, I
let down my guard and am very sociable. The word "sooky" has been used
about me, but I'm not sure what it means.
Night Owl or Early Bird:
Definitely not an early bird (see note above about sleeping in). And
if the female human has a deadline and works late at night, I wait up
with her, so I guess I can be a night owl.
Favourite Pastime:
When the Border Collies play tennis with the humans, Fergus and I
wander through the bush and sniff things. Sometimes we find trails where
uncivilized animals have been the night before. Sometimes we find a brush turkey.
But
my favourite of all things to find is a lizard or a snake. I love
reptile watching. On lucky days, we get a gecko in the house and I can
sit and stare at it for hours. I don't try and hurt them (usually), I
just like to watch and smell them. My humans think it's useful,
because when we have a snake in the house, they see me watching it and
they take it outside.
Favourite Toy:
I have a fluffy black teddy bear that I love to death. Literally. The
human only gives it to me for short periods of time, and under
supervision. But, really, if it's my teddy and I want to pull out the
eyes and chew off the ears, shouldn't I be allowed to?
Best Friend: You mean another dog? I don’t like dogs. Or cats. Or most humans. See above.
Most embarrassing moment:
I had cancer under my arm a few years ago and, after the surgery, I
had to have special bandaging that went over my shoulder and down to my
toes. It was replaced every two days and I was very embarrassed
having it done, and walking around like that. I'm sure the other dogs
were laughing at me.
Special Skill:
I can leap like a racehorse. I tuck up my front feet and I sail
through the air. I have to be very excited to do it though. Say, if one
of my humans walks me up the top of our hill and I hear the other
human come outside the house and call me, I run very fast down the hill
and leap over fallen trees as I go. It's exhilarating!
***
Update on the favourite toy question - Ollie still loves his teddy bear, but he's discovered the joy of squeaky balls. He now has two of them and spends our twice-daily dog-tennis time burying them, then finding them the next time, digging them up and burying them somewhere else.
If he catches us watching him, he'll abandon that location and find a more private place to bury his treasure. And when he's looking for a new spot, he carries them very carefully in his mouth so they don't squeak. As he said above, he hates kerfuffles or noise.
That photo above is Oliver on his first ever trip to the beach. Who knew such things existed?
I've been sent the cover of my April release, No Stranger To Scandal, so I'm sharing it here with you.
