“May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope.”
May arrives not with a grand fanfare, but with soft footsteps. It smells of new leaves and blossoms, the skies slowly shedding their winter grey for a kinder, bluer shade. It’s the month where small things matter most — the sort of things you can miss if you don’t look up.
The Darcy Clematis blooms again on the kitchen windowsill, a quiet hello from the past. The first flower always surprises me, even though I wait for it every year. It reminds me how life carries on blooming.
One May day, the weather turned so beautiful I closed my laptop mid-email and decided we belong in the park. Kensington Gardens welcomes us back like an old friend. George and Lulu surveyed the horizon for squirrels, while I sat in a familiar spot, remembering the last time I walked these paths with Darcy by my side.
The ache though softer now, is also threaded with gratitude for the memories as I remember Darcy’s Gotcha Day on the 16th May.
There’s a gathering in the park a few days later, with dogs tumbling over each other and people exchanging quiet stories. Niall Harbison of Happy Doggos was there, humble and kind, a man who knows about battles fought in silence and the healing that can come from a dog’s love. We met him beneath a cold, cloudy May day (way too cold for Niall), a group of happy dogs and their people, drawn together by stories of second chances.
Niall was on a tour to promote his book: Tina-the dog who changed the world.
And in the middle of it all, there’s the 80th anniversary of VE Day. A reminder of resilience, and of the simple, hard-won privilege of an ordinary, peaceful day. It’s a day to stand still for a moment and be thankful — for the loved ones who came home, and for the ones who never did.
And I took Lulu with me to celebrate Sasha’s Passing Out Parade at Oundle School.
Goodwoof 2025 arrives in mid-May at Goodwood Estate. A dog event like no other, and for two full days, Goodwood Estate was filled with 10,000 dogs and beaming humans. It’s a reminder that happiness is often found in silliness, in muddy paws and wagging tails. That weekend was probably the happiest place on earth!
Back in London, the streets of Chelsea were filled with impossibly intricate displays of Chelsea in Bloom. People pause in the middle of pavements to photograph flowers clinging to shopfronts, and for a while, it feels like the whole city has agreed to slow down and admire the world in flowers.
On 20th May, we remembered National Rescue Dog Day — a moment to honour the countless dogs who’ve found Second Chances after difficult pasts, and to remind ourselves the many millions of them who still deserve a Second Chance in life. My recent favourite quote about Rescues – They don’t come broken—they come brave. And with time and love, they bloom.
It’s a day that reminds me that rescue isn’t about what you save — it’s about what you gain.
We had a little gathering with Lulu’s fellow comrades from Harbin Slaughterhouse Survivors at LMH Townhouse.
And then there are the everyday joys: wine in a sun-drenched courtyard, the first book read outdoors, blossom falling like confetti.
May has been a month made of moments. It teaches me, that the things we’ve lost are never really gone. They linger in flower petals, familiar paths, the ripple of old flags, and the warmth of early evening light.
A reminder that sometimes, the softest days leave the deepest marks.
2 Responses
May…thank you for the love and time you spend on your blog. May 2025 was just lovely. How brilliant to share all the 2nd chance stories. Each one a delight to read about the dog(s) and the human(s) that welcomed them into a new forever family. I am in California and have followed your blog since the beginning. I don’t comment often, but wanted you to know how my heart was touched clear across the pond! Have a good and healthy summer. Valerie
Dear Valerie, thank you so much for your message. It always seem like when I question why I am writing a blog that the Universe always sends me messages like yours. And with your message, I go forth and I appreciate your message. Thank you form the bottom of my heart.