There is someone called Marina who gets mentioned on here a lot and deservedly should get a bit more of a background. Our gorgeous border collie: Marina.

I never wanted a dog, after moving into our dream house a week before covid lock down in 2020we spent 2 years doing so much to the house and I loved the house so when Rich suggested a dog as he had been asking for years; I wasn’t interested in the slightest but as he was now working from home indefinitely, he wanted company and could commmit the time a dog needs i agreed to a dog but said let’s get a rescue he phoned a rescue centre and we planned to go on a lockdown Saturday in earyApril 2021it was all set times for visiting to allow social distancing

However on that-day I got a phone call in the morning from my mother. In the small, interbred village imagine Emmerdale but less shagging thst Igrew up in, an old lady who was a family friend had passed away unexpectedly overnight leaving a dog and many cats the dog was likely going to end up in a sanctuary and did we want to visit, see the dog?and if we wanted to rescue it?Rich was buying Dog bowls and toys within 30 mins, soon after we walked into a dead woman’s home, the living room was covered in smelly, wet, puppy toiletpads and a fat border collie met us, desperate to play and get belly rubs,

It turned out she wasn’t house trained and was fat due to a diet of takeaways and beers shared every night with her owner.

Within the hour Marina the dog was in our home, with hundreds of toys and loving all the attention.

She grieved for about a week, regularly panting and crying, she had clearly been loved before and loved her old owner, Rich spent a long weekend sleeping on the sofa with marina snuggled next to him

She’s soon become Rich’s favourite thing on earth and up high on my list too, she’s always “on” as she’s a bc, loves nothing more than laying over or between us both and getting belly rubs, she will move your hand with her paw to get her optimum stroking positions too, she will play fetch for hours and eventually I grew to like walks through the woods next to our house. I’d tell her what was going on in my world and in my head andshe didn’t care, just walked with me, hunting for squirrels or a stick to play with

Also there is no better feeling than coming home from a bad day to a bundle of fur thrilled to see you.

In the early weeks of my hospital stay I was worried what the dog thought had happened to me, the last time she’d seen me I had my suitcase and left her upset in the hallway , did she think I’d died like her old owner? The kids and rich would tell me her antics, sleeping under my side of the bed, stealing my clothes, moping and sitting where I did on the sofa, she’s a bright dog who is very loving

One day I told the physios I missed her and they arranged a visit to the ward garden.

She came when I was in my ‘stroke chair’ a giant black armchair style chair on wheels that forced me to sit up and supported me, I was in my room when the ward manager came in all excited “do you own a border collie?!” “There’s one in the garden we think with your husband”, she pushed me to the door, once open and marina could see me she did a little whimper the

The ward manager stood at the door and had a cry watching as suddenly all marinaslegs tapped at 100mph like a crazy tapdance when I got closer she jumped at the side of the chsir not onto me, I could fuss her a bit with my strong arm and she licked my arm in approval