Suzy Says

Dad and his beloved dog, Jesse, in quarantine

Monday, August 19, 1992

Slept dreamlessly until 9 am. Over coffee, Margaret told me that Mikhail Gorbachev had been overthrown and was under house arrest in his summer home in the Crimea. Naturally, one wonders if that’s a euphemism for something worse.

After breakfast, we set off for Hever Castle. I hadn’t been there for 15 years, so I was unprepared for the refreshment tents, children’s playgrounds, and the crowds. We had to line up for a long time – long enough to admire all the carving and wondows in the courtyard and the huge carp in the moat. The crowds continued inside, making it difficult to appreciate the beautiful tapestries, furniture, and history of the place. I was touched by Anne Boleyn’s childhood room, with part of her original bed and the lovely illustrated Book of Hours she carried with her to the scaffold. She had inscribed the book:

A pretty drive then to visit Jesse [Dad’s 9 year old dog, who was enduring the required 6 months’ quarantine. He was finally released on Halloween that year. It took about 20 minutes to get his collar on, he was so excited!] , whose jail is quite close to Hever. How well I remember the narrow twisting roads and the high hedges! The gardens are ablaze with morning glories, hollyhocks, and roses of every color, as well as blue and pink hydrangeas. The fields are starred with Queen Anne’s Lace.

Jesse’s kennel, Haxted Kennels, is really in the country. He can see flowers, fields, and trees from his run. The run is partly covered by a roof, so he can sit outside in the rain without getting wet. He has water bowls inside and out, and a raised bed with a soft cover as well as Dad’s sweater [Dad thought it would comfort Jesse and remind him that Dad hadn’t forgotten him.] It is really a maximum security prison; we had three doors to go through that were locked behind us, and we were locked in with Jesse.

Jesse looks wonderful – soft fur and bright eyes [he looks like he’s laughing in the above photo]. He jumped all over us and did his excited yelps. We gave him a bone to soften our departure. He was so pleased he scarcely noticed that we left! Sandra, his caretaker, is very kind and seems truly fond of her charges. All in all, it doesn’t seem so bad, but he’ll be glad to get out at the end of October. I think Margaret genuinely loves Jesse, and he her, fortunately for Dad.

Fresh fish for dinner, with runner beans (only in England!) and salad, accompanied by Jamiesons Run Australian chardonnay, and followed by 1976 Fonseca port and Cheshire cheese. We had dinner on the patio, the cool evening air scented with flowers and lit by a waxing, bright moon.