Oh My Goodness

Sandra writes:  Looking for some photos for my new FB page and I stumbled across Merlin's Blog. I can't believe this ran so frequently for so long and then suddenly in 2018 I ran out of steam and stopped posting. I guess FB is a bit quicker and easier to do from the phone.

I've been looking back at some of the lovely photos of the gang and the thing that struck me the most is the lovely one of Dery as a very little girl - I think it was taken when I puppy sat for her and Lola for a day when she was just a few weeks old and couldn't go out with the rest of her gang.

So the surprise is ... she is now a working girl - traditional; gun dog stuff and modelling - AND a Mum of 9 puppies who will be one in May this year.

New Year

A new year is here and I have got control of the laptop keyboard for a while to kick start the new year and my blog.


It has been a long time since I posted - can it be July - and a lot has happened over the last 6 months or so, not least that we lost our beloved Murphy in September.

He was the grand age of fourteen and although is not actually here anymore, he is with us every day ..in fact we can't miss him as we have this lovely drawing of him on the wall in the lounge.

The lovely lady Clare who did it captured him completely and we are all so grateful for the time we had with him and the great memories we have.

Mena has continued to be herself over the last few months - sometimes a very good girl and other times not so much and living up to her nickname of Mena Moo! She was entered for a class at the Southwell Ploughing Match in September which was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute so Mum took her out in her own trailer (oh yes, we have one of those now) and she looks right at home.

I have recently been on a boat to Ireland (at least they took me with them!) but the least said about that experience the better.  Mum said it was a very calm crossing (she is not a sailor) but still felt a bit weird to me. 

Flying Time

It's so long since I last posted, I can't really remember what we've been up to.

We didn't go away in April because Murphy wasn't very well.  He has been very wobbly on his back legs for some time now but has started having weekly hydrotherapy sessions which seem to be helping him - after we taught him to swim that is.  Who would have thought a 14 year old Spaniel wouldn't know how to swim?  It was only after the first session when Mum started thinking that she probably hasn't ever seen him swim, but just assumed he could.  He has always been a bit 'shy' of cold water.

The pool at Dip Your Paws is nice and warm, or so I have been told. Next week I will get a chance to see for myself as Mum is arranging for me to have some swimming time too, but purely for fun and she says to hep keep my weight down.

Mum has been busy riding Mena 3 or 4 times a week.  This week she went on her first summer amble ride with a local group and some of the girls from the yard.  She really enjoyed it, but not as much as Mena who apparently got quite excited about the whole thing and thoroughly enjoyed herself!

Plans are afoot to enter her into a couple of local showing classes (Mena that is, not Mum) to see how she gets on.  We have been told she will need to be 'bathed to within an inch of her life' before they go anywhere.  Poor Mum, every time she tries to get her clean she goes out into the field and rolls in anything she can find.  She needs one of those onesie things that show dogs wear before Crufts, but good luck getting it on her!

We are heading away this weekend on the trip that was cancelled in April.  It is our first weekend away of the year and I am looking forward to it.  Hopefully the sun will shine for us and we can have a couple of lazy days after a very busy few weeks.

Preparations

So after a very lazy three days of the Easter weekend, today the hoomans decided to get busy.

We are heading off for our first trip away next weekend, so firstly the caravan came home and then out came the new awning!!

Dad decided he wanted to 'have a go' at putting it up at home rather than on site for the first time.  It's one of those inflatable ones - so perhaps the real test would be could they get it back into its carry bag.

Firstly unpack.  Mum did suggest taking a photo of it before unrolling but was a few minutes too late with that

The they used a hand pump to inflate it (there is an electric one but they didn't have a connector handy ...I guess they will next weekend!)

Only partly inflated, but it works.

So with the big question still hanging out there, Dad hit the deflate button and ...Yeah it went back into the bag!!

Birthdays everywhere

This is the time of year when we have 2 hooman and 3 dog birthdays all within a couple of weeks at the end of March/beginning of April.  This year, the dog tally roser to 4 with the arrival of Amber who turned one on 18th March.

Our regular birthday beach day was duly arranged and we headed off yesterday to our regular haunt for a very bracing walk and paddle.  Before we set off, and whilst we were clean and tidy, Dad took the required photos and I have to say, I think we all did very well to sit quietly for him.

Me

Fergus

Murphy

Amber and Inca

Inca, Dery, Fergus, Lola

Lola

Me and Murphy