The ASH Files

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Episode 1 : "I am the first..."

by Meneer Janssen the wise...

Honoured, yes I suppose I feel honoured. I am not the oldest here, in fact I am not even here the longest, but still, Helena asked me to write the first episode of the Ash-files. It could be because I am such a character. I have lived here a good few years, in fact, in November it will be 12 years, (my birthday is on the 20th and I was born here), for us canines, that is a long long time you know.

Meneer Janssen is my name, it may sound silly to you, but you know, it makes me feel very special, I don’t feel like a left-over-failed-to-be-homed type of dog, I’m a dog with a mission and a handsome one too (even if I do say so myself!).

Strictly speaking I’m the only guard dog at the sanctuary, and do a darn fine job of it to I might add. I realise that visitors are part of the set-up and have their advantages, if only because they take some of those horribly noisy pups out of my hair and off the premises. So if you see me giving a bark in your general direction as you drive into our place, don't worry, I'll take care of you as well !

At the end of each day, my ‘day duties’ over (welcoming visitors and escorting them to the door) I retire to my bed in the living room and enjoy my evenings with family and friends, both canine and human.

In recent times they ask me regularly to do my little trick, I have to sit and they will point their index fingers in the air, they look at me and they say things like: "Meneer, show us, sing……..sing………" and usually I will oblige with classical warbling's that will be recognised as art in its purest form someday. I sometimes get too exited when they ask me to sing, and all I produce is a series of very high-pitched little barks, that doesn’t go down well at all. But when it works it works really well, and the great thing is ... another 20-30 dogs join in! Now not all of the others have the same quality of voice as my good self I can assure you, so things can indeed get out of hand and rather loud - it seems to me that its very much a case of participating being more important than winning. Sometimes I feel like putting in a little practice and have a go when I’m totally relaxed and it is very quiet; the humans here, sometimes they have no sense of humour, all I get is: "hush, Janssen, hush, the neighbours...", it is in the middle of the night ... not my fault that all the others join in, is it?

Recently my good old-time friends Megan the bulldog and Basil the bloodhound left this earth and passed to another realm. Megan’s and Basil’s passing has quite effected me you know - we went a long way back. I miss Megans eternal snoring and Basils elastic gait. I accompanied him on many a walk over the years ... let me share with you an experience we had on one of them....       They always made a point of training us to sit the minute a car was coming and on this particular day we were on a narrow stretch of road and a car was approaching fast, "sit Janssen, sit Basil ..." and sit we did - well, that is, I DID perfectly (as usual), but that Basil chap sat with his bum towards the road and his tail rather prominently on the road, Helena tried to persuade him to move, but no such luck, sit he did, all nine and a half stone of him ..."you asked me to sit, AND I did, so what's your problem woman..." ..... oh no, I sensed trouble coming! ... so then she got in a bit of a state and started to wave at this car to make it slow down and stop, which it did, but not before it had driven right over his tail……he made not a sound, I must give it to him, he took it like a man. Poor sod, I miss him and I miss the snoring gal also.. good friends are hard to find.

I must have seen hundreds and hundreds of dogs coming and going and you get used to the routine. Sometimes one comes in and you know it is going to be different, this one is here to stay, its not going anywhere, and you know what? ... I usually know it before they do.

As a rule I’m pretty easy going and I get on with most, I wish to make one exception - I honestly hate Leopold, the old Basset Hound - he's a complete sod so he is. There is no love lost there, I really really hate him with a passion and the bugger hates me equally. I must admit that I have forgotten why it is that we loathe each other so much ... I’m sure we must have had our reasons and now it doesn’t really matter why. We both hope to have it out one of these days, if only someone would leave a gate open or something like that, we would both take full advantage. Maybe the anticipation is more enjoyable than the deed, so we both dream on....

Can I take the opportunity to say thank you to the people who chose to sponsor me, that's really really cool, I like to contribute as I know money is worry to them at times but what can you do? ... please continue to help me, to help them.

I'm not sure how often they will ask me to push the pen, but I must keep some things up my sleeve for next time, if it is too long before you hear from me again, you might write in and remind them that it was me who started this series off and did so in a very entertaining manner or so I think….

Take care, Janssen