Bad boys lead the good girls astray, it was ever thus

OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY

BAD BOY BUTTY

You may think I am straying from my usual serious  subject matter by taking on this boy/girl aspect of nature but I was reminded and much amused by watching my bad boy Butty dog leading the adoring Jack Russell girls astray this afternoon.  Off we go, up the hill to the ridge which looks across two or even three counties with everything coloured by a pale blue mist as if it was a watercolour.  I am so entranced by the view that when I let the dogs off the lead, I take my attention off them and zoom, that bad boy Butty is off with the girls following. I whistle and call their names, I see them from time to time as they come round a corner, I am looking out for the fierce keeper who doesn't like dogs running over the ground at this time of year in case he sees me out of control and them streaking around the acres.  But with my philosophical self, I am reminded of how the bad boys or the good boys being bad boys tell the good girls that it is absolutely fine to come out to the pub, to the party, to the club and no, of course their mothers won't find out and even if they do, they'll get over it.  I think I am reminded because of the very slight fear that comes when the dogs go that something bad might happen to them.  Then I think how lucky it is just to be observing all this bad boy stuff and although I am the owner of the dogs, I am not the parent of the boy or girl, oh ho, not me, not anymore.  So, our new baby just out of your space ship and dressed in whatever lovely garments your loving parents are putting on you, unable to tell them you would rather be in a black babygro and that you don't want your hair brushed, one day that bad boy cousin of yours, (nothing personal Benji or Max and Sebastian or Archie) will say, come with us over the hills and far away to the pub, party or club and you will skip out of the door.  I expect your mother will ring me up and then and say should she worry.  What will I say? Probably yes!!!! but I will also say that this will pass and one day even you, tiny new child will be a grown up remembering how you tiptoed out of the door while no-one was about with your high heels in a bag.