Having overcome the difficulty of getting Nanette through the electronic gates, I was determined to build on that success and her increasing confidence. To this end, I set out the following day to repeat the trip into town.

All went splendidly until we came to the more narrow part of the road. I saw him up ahead....the drunk that is.......I knew him as a regular in the town and always made a point of greeting him. This poor man evidently lived in a squat and depended completely on alcohol to get through a day. On this particular day, he was already drunk at 11am.....it was clear to see from where I was positioned  but I had no reason to suspect what was about to happen...!!

Quote: 'There was the moment... and it's a moment that has never passed!! (You see time is after all an 'illusion') when I realised that everything in Life is ultimately 'Inner'. This showed me that Nanette was simply a part of myself....an abandoned part, a frightened part...and vulnerable. This aspect was created in childhood and had never been healed. In working with this beautiful soul of a dog, I was healing not only Nanette but also this little child.' Unquote

At the beginning of our life together, I often assessed, reflected...yes...obsessed about what appeared as 'lack of progress'!! For example, in the house, she had always had the habit of going the longest way round to the front door when it came to going out. This involved a circular detour through the lounge into the kitchen and out through the dining room, which happens to lead directly to the front door. This was a way of avoiding contact with me initially and it stuck for about 18 months!! Eating and drinking continued in the same way......that is, the food bowl put in the bed and water drunk only during the night in my absence.

These trips out in the car to quiet parts of our town were very useful in familiarising Nanette with walks for the sake of walking, meeting the occasional human, sometimes with another canine, 'reading' messages from local dogs and leaving some of course!! Plus generally developing some confidence. She walked extremely slowly!!! I mean 'Slowly' as in snail pace, and in fact it is only recently after three years, that she walks at a brisk pace to keep up with the dynamic Bertie and myself!!

One morning...about 6 months after Nanette's adoption, we were taking one of these early morning outings when I decided to turn off the usual route with the intention of passing through the Boule Court. (Boule is a game the French play with great enthusiasm and which involves rolling heavy silver balls towards a target...which happens to be a smaller ball! Nanette is terrified to this day of this game).

Nanette and I had not yet ventured beyond the electronic gates on foot...to be honest, I was nervous of this which of course did nothing for her confidence!! But we went out everyday for a ride in the car. This had a positive result!! The car became a 'Safe Haven' like the house.

Towards the end of April ( 2006 ), I took the 'bull by the horns' and drove in to the country part around Vence. We parked opposite a field full of grasses, herbs and bushes. it was with great difficulty and at a 'pregnant snail's pace' that I got Nanette out of the car. We somehow made it across the lane ( no traffic ) into the field and she ate a 'bucket load' of herbs. I recognised Nature at work!!

We next ventured outside the garden gate after 3 days. At this point, the routine was to get outside the gate and then as quickly as possible get under a hedge to hide!! (or at least this was Nanette's idea) The only problem with this was that in spite of being prepared, her movements were incredibly sudden and unpredictable! In consequence I always ended up under the hedge with her and in a most unceremonious fashion! Given that I was at that time considered 'old'!! (73).... I did rather well not to break something .... a bone I mean!! Yes, I had many tumbles and bruises.