News Hounds Ady & Flo www.sunlive.co.nz

The News Hounds launched an investigation this week: What happened to summer?

‘Killed by an ice cream truck on the back road to Rotorua' was one answer. No, we're not talking about the mental poodle with one eye who slipped her lead.

We meant the real summer. You know, the time of year when we have endless steamy hot days and nights and lay about the beach or the pool.

‘Oh, that summer.'

Ady and I put our twitchy news noses to the ground and started sniffing around.

I'm sad to say we found little signs of summer. We did find two tennis balls and the leg of a doll under the couch, though.

Being just a young pup, I've never had a summer.

I've heard all about it and seen the photos of my forebears, such as old Diesel, having a great time at the beach, bach and boat; and laying around in the fish pond to cool off.

I always thought the reason to get in the fish pond was to chase the fish. At least that's been my motivation.

In fact, I thought it was a giant dog bowl and the fish had arrived uninvited… Now I see a whole new side of the fish pond – it seems it's where the fish live and the dogs aren't really meant to climb in. No wonder the fish are wearing hard hats and attending stress counselling.

Not that I've been allowed in the pond, or the estuary this week, due to recovering from my spaying.

Seems the boss didn't like the idea of me having puppies, I guess the concept of a pond full of yapping little Flos didn't really appeal.

'Keep her out of the water for a couple of weeks,” said Joerg, our friendly mobile vet.

'You've got to be joking,” I said to Ady.

Anyway, the boss has somehow managed to keep me dry for more than a week so far with a few distractions.
As I said, tracking down the traces of summer has kept us pretty busy.

Seems that rather than going AWOL, summer never really arrived in the first place. - Flo.