Last walk of 2014

It was our last walk of the year today and I'm still digging!

I'm off now to decide what my revolutions for the new year will be.

Boxing Day Snow

So we had about an inch and a half of snow last night

which was great fun for me when it was time to go out just before bedtime.

It was all still there this morning, so we headed off to Clumber for a bounce around

 

 

By the way,  did you see the pile of presents under our tree on Christmas Day?  The big ones and the stockings at the front were ours!

 

 

 

We have snow

Okay, so not much but it's only just started.

Three sleeps

That's all there are, so it's time to start getting excited!!

I wonder what will be in my stocking? Oh yes, we have one each - red with a big paw print on the end.

I am hoping for a new toy (Mum usually gets a noisy one to annoy Dad) and maybe some treats. Anything will be better than the new gate they have bought to stop me savaging the paper and post everyday.

It's up!

After a very busy week and Mum and Dad's trip to Ireland at the weekend, our Christmas tree is finally up and decorated. 

Just 7 sleeps to go so plenty of time to get excited.

Monday morning drama

There we were all in the car with towels, coats and wellies for the hoomans ...oh and some Christmas sausages for us digs as compensation for the hoomans having a big lunch ... when Mum's car decided to curl up and die.

Not to be put off, we transferred everything into Dad's car and set off to meet up with Milly and then Fergus, Inca and Max.  We had a lovely walk around the park at Thoresby and managed to get quite muddy.  Then it was back to the cars for our long awaited sausages and then a lovely snooze. 

Once again the hoomans let me down by not taking any photos of us clean or dirty.  Maybe next time.


An update on the car ....   a very nice man arrived on Tuesday morning and got it started.  He said it needed a new battery as it is five years old.  Dad took it into town and got a new one fitted, so we are all happy and mobile again.

I am a bit worried though.  I am five years old too - will I need a new battery soon?   Mum says NO, I am like the Duracell Bunny whatever that is.

Hiding

It's all very well looking forward to tomorrow but do I have to go up on the grooming table again?








Mum said I did and came to fetch me from my not very successful hiding place on the stairs ...

...... which is where I escaped back to when she captured Murphy for his turn with the clippers.

Back in the fold

We have re-joined the NT so it was back to Clumber for a walk this week.

It was cold but bright and sunny... hopefully the weather will be the same tomorrow when we meet up with all our friends for our annual pre-Christmas walk and the hoomans go for a huge lunch!

Christmas has come early

Murphy had an early Christmas present today when a lovely new coat arrived from those very nice people at Equafleece.

It has sleeves in it to help keep him dry and warm when we've been out on a long wet walk and it has a zip along the back t make it easier to get on.  I think he looks really smart.

 
 

Our turn

So, after we had left the madness of the seal car park behind us, we headed off to our usual beach for a walk and found ..... nobody!!  We had the entire beach (and car park) to ourselves which was fantastic.

Dad was on duty with the camera this time, so here are a few shots of us from the 300+ he managed to take in about an hour.

 

 

Donna Nook

Yesterday we had a day out and went to Donna Nook which is just a few miles up the coast from our regular beach haunt.  It's a special place and one that you have to get up very early for when visiting - we were in the car for 7am!   The reason is because Donna Nook is the place where hundreds of grey seals come every November to have their pups ...





in fact there are so many of them they even have their own traffic signs.






It was very cold that early in the morning so Murphy and I put our coats on to stay in the car while Mum and Dad went out with their cameras ... yes Mum remembered to bring hers and here are some of her efforts.

These two are clearly not early risers!

 

Basking in the early morning sunshine

                         I'm calling this 'doing a Welshie'

 

 She's not too bad at this my Mum.

By the time we left at 11am the car park was heaving with all the light weight people who didn't get up early to see the seals like us.

Saturday

Mum took us to Thoresby for our walk this morning as she wanted to go to a food fair that was on there.  It was really foggy, so much so that we could hardly see the hall.

Spooky!

Appointment with the clippers

Aunty Debbie came to our house today and she attacked me with the clippers.  I felt quite light headed after she had finished and there was a rather large pile of fur on the floor.  I must admit my ears look and feel much better - Dad keeps stroking them saying they feel so silky.  I fear I have a few more sessions on the grooming table to come.

I should say thank you Aunty Debbie for making me look so handsome, but next time you come can we just go for a walk please?

Dad's day out

On Saturday Dad had a day out with Auntie Debbie and Uncle Dave at a shoot.   Dad took his camera and came home tired but with some great photographs. 

Fergus and Inca were on duty - they've both got their working heads on here

Auntie Debbie doesn't like having her photo taken, but Uncle Dave doesn't mind so much.














 

Somewhere new

Mum had to go to Nottingham yesterday so we had our walk at Wollaton Hall which is somewhere we've never been before.

It is a very impressive and old (1580 something) house on a hill overlooking a huge park with a lake and loads of squirrels which Mum said was a bit of a sensory overload for me!

So there we are having a nice walk and we came across this guy

 I don't know much about deer but they do seem to be everywhere at the moment.  Or is it that we seem to be having more walks in deer parks lately?

Horse Trials - Part 2

Here's a few shots of the action

 An 'arty' one to finish

 

 

Norton Disney

Yesterday afternoon we went to a small local horse trials at Norton Disney near Lincoln.  It was great for all of us - not many people for Murphy and me, lots of horsey stuff going on for Mum and loads of photo opportunities for Dad.  (In fact he went back today and was accosted because they people there thought he was a rogue professional what with all his gear!)

With all those horses abut, I never thought we would have to pose as well.  Murphy did the job as usual

 

while I was kept bury keeping an eye on the horses charging about all over the place.




It's tiring work!

 

Mum says ...

... one done

so just the scruffy oik to do.  Cheek!

Away and home again

We have just got home from our last trip of the year.  We went to one of our newest favourite sites at Bulwick (the best dog walk ever with loads of rabbit holes to investigate) and wasted no time in stamping or mark on it - Murphy refused to let a man and his dog through the gate into the dog walk on Sunday morning .  He stood inside the gate and barked at him until dad came along and dragged him away.  The man was very nice about it, but I did notice that his 'van had gone when we came back from our day out! 

On Sunday Dad went to a model rail exhibition, so Murphy and I went with Mum as she drove around a few of the villages looking at gravestones in churchyards.  She said she has someone in her  family tree from the area (I didn't even know she had a tree of her own) and was looking for signs of them.  Needless to say we found nothing, so went on to Burghley House for a quiet walk. 

It was quiet too until these guys appeared from nowhere and started to follows us.

On Monday we went to Bradgate Park which Aunty Debbie had told us was a great place for a walk ... and she was right!  As it turned out, Dad had spent all day last Friday there with a chap called Paul taking photographs of the deer.  They were everywhere and didn't seem a bit bothered by the people and other dogs.

Our coats provide quite good camouflage in the bracken

Here we are with Dad .....

... and investigating the ruins of Bradgate House

On Tuesday we stayed close to the 'van as it was very windy and rained nearly all day.  Yesterday we went for a walk to Fineshades and then took Dad to Wakeley Woods where they had a picnic lunch (Mum has to get at least one in every trip!) before finishing the day with a stroll around Stamford and dinner at the pub.

We've had a lovely few days and now its back home to what I have been told is a long overdue appointment with the scissors.  I am not looking forward to that.