And the winner is ? Cauliflower cheese !

Up and out bright and early. Another day with the sun shining down from a blue cloudless sky, the barest hint of a breeze and a world aglow with autumn colours. The poplars on the distant ridges outlined by the clear morning light like so many golden, fiery swords stretching across the horizon.

Wilf and I wander down to the little brook at the foot of the hill. Last week he charged along its banks and stooped to drink the water but this week he's content to amble along the road beside me. Every two hundred yards or so he halts and settles down in the long grass to rest. There would have been a time when I'd have hurried him along but now we both stop, happy in the moment. He looks at the cormorants and egrets, I study the orchids in the hedgerows. A journey of discovery for both of us.

No doubting now that the pace of his journey is picking up. That boundless energy ebbing away to be replaced by an acceptance and contentment. This morning the dose of prednisolone increased to soothe the tumours pressure on the diaphragm . What a blessing to have two vets close at hand who treat each dog as if its their own and take the time to ensure that this final stretch is pain free and full of laughter.

'The font' and I chuckle as we review his menu for the week. Cauliflower cheese - a surprising but clear favourite, cheese omelette a close second. Third place ? Could be Madame Bays spit roasted ham, the duck in cassis, the turbot braise au beuree d'herbes or last nights effeuille de saumon aux perles de hareng. Coconut ice cream in a clear muzzle licking class of its own. Through it all Wilf remains, as he has been for the last nine years, a family clown , herder and confidant. Sitting with him in the long grass, reminiscing, a recognition that for dog owners no laughter is as sweet as that which struggles through shared memories. Happy, irreplaceable, family days. Pork, roast potatoes, peas and fruit tart for lunch.