My wife Barbara is terrified of flying and our Border Collie, Skipper, hates aeroplanes with a passion. Living very close to the airport means that Skipper has plenty of opportunity to vent his anger at the flying intruders to his space. Each plane is chased out of Poulson Park or from the meadow, and every time he returns from chasing a plane from the area, he counts it as another successful mission. He now regards himself as having a 100 % success rate at chasing aeroplanes from the park, the river bank, or Langness. I am sure that the demise of the airline Euro Manx, as far as Skipper is concerned was down to his aggressive and extremely hostile attitude towards them! You can imagine what it must do for a dog’s ego to have chased off an entire airline for good. FlyBee now seem very high up on his agenda. But generally, all aircraft are the enemy and must be kept at bay.

The blogs good friend and Milwaukee USA correspondent Elizabeth Wittmann has emailed me some very interesting dog information which I have included at the end of this blog.

Today is the start of the Royal show. I hear on the news that there is to be a display of the dancing diggers. This is a group of people who manage to get their JCB’S to perform to music. I guess this is done by the drivers wearing headphones and manipulating the diggers accordingly. I once drove a JCB digger, and yes dancing took place. However, on that occasion, it was the Tipperary County Council workers who were dancing out of my way as I filled in pot holes on the Moneygal road in Tipperary. I had been staying with my uncle in his pub, and the previous night I had been talking to my mate Johnny who owned a JCB and did contract work for the local council. I had explained to Johnny how I was finding the days very long, so he suggested that I came out with him on his digger the following day. This, I was more than happy to do. It was Johnny’s idea that I takeover the controls for a while. It wasn’t difficult as the bucket was down and full of muck which Johnny was shovelling from the bucket and filling in the pot holes. All I had to do was ease the digger forward very slowly. I don’t know why a couple of councillors turned up when they did, probably to inspect Johnny’s work. Had Johnny not shouted up to me to switch off the engine and come down from the cab, the Tipperary Councillors would never have known that the driver of the digger was totally blind, and, we still might have pulled it off had Johnny not assisted me down from the cab. The councillors danced all right. I am sure that they were good clean living and God fearing folk, and that God will by now have forgiven them for their as far as I was concerned, totally unjustified outburst of extremities. Later over dinner back at Johnny’s house, I felt really sorry for him as he tried to explain to his wife how it would be difficult to get the council contract back, but maybe not impossible. “Johnny” she said. “You haven’t a hope of getting the contract back after allowing a blind man to drive your digger, however, hopefully we just might make enough money from the News of the World article that will surely now follow!” Well, it didn’t or if it did, I didn’t get to know about it. In fact I don’t think the story even made the Tipperary Star. Mind you there is no place on earth as good as the Irish at keeping something quiet and out of the public domain when it suits. Still at least the story has made this blog.

Now for Elizabeths contribution from Milwaukee.

These classifieds were really put in the paper - a smile for your day

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER. 8 years old. Hateful little mutt. Bites!

FREE PUPPIES: 1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.

FREE PUPPIES Mother, AKC German Shepherd. Father, Super Dog...able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

FOUND DIRTY WHITE DOG Looks like a rat. Been out a while. Better be a big reward.

COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED. Also 1 gay bull for sale.

NORDIC TRACK $300 Hardly used, call Chubby.

GEORGIA PEACHES California grown - 89 cents/lb.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY! Must sell washer and dryer $300..

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE Worn once by mistake. Call Stephanie.

And the best one:

FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, 45

volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000 or best offer.. No longer needed.

Got married last month. Husband knows everything.

This is Tom Glassey, dancing without a digger on the banks of the Silverburn.