All over

That's it then.  Christmas is over and we just have New Year to look forward to before everything gets back to normal.

On second thoughts I am not sure whether it is right to look forward to New Year because Mum always makes me think about how to be a better boy - revolutions she calls it - and I don't know how to do that!  I thought I was just fine as I am.

We had visitors on Sunday when Tigger brought his hoomans for dinner and a sleep over on their way to France for a few days.  It was a very late night (lots of food and drink for the hoomans) which didn't stop Tig from running circuits on the lawn at 7.45am on Monday.  Result: Mum took him for a walk before Dad caught him and because his hoo-mummy wasn't out of bed.  Shocking!

They left after breakfast and I was pleased to see that Tigger didn't take my new squeaky penguin that he was playing with on Sunday with him.

Here are a couple of photos of us on Christmas Day with all the presents and a me modelling a very smart scarf.

Note our stockings - Hannah thought they were festive oven gloves!

                                                          

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and

best wishes for 2016.

Nearly gone

I mean the Advent Calendar - only two more windows to open which means only 3 sleeps and we can see what Mum's been hiding in the Christmas drawer

Sunday morning walk

Surveying the land before heading off for a walk on Sunday

More pics

Mum had another day looking after Dery and Lola yesterday and came with some lovely photos of the two of them.

Finally

Today arrived and I finally got to meet Dery!

She is lovely, very small (especially when standing next to me) and a little bit cheeky.  Mum said I was quite well behaved ... at least I didn't bark at her like Murphy did, but then we all knew he would!

Here are just a couple of pics

Photography days

Hannah has been staying with us for a couple of days so as she and Dad could visit the seals at Donna Nook and take some photos.

There were loads of pups apparently (we aren't allowed to go) and between them they took nearly 1,000 photos in a couple of hours.  I picked out these two!

Oh and here's Hannah dressed for the cold weather at the coast at 8.30am yesterday.

Miffed

I was a bit put out yesterday and had a little sulk on the stairs

The reason?  Dad went out for the day (without either Murphy or Me which is a first for a long time) and guess what ... he met Dery!!!

Mum says it is our turn on Wednesday but we both have to be very polite and remember she is only small and may be a bit scared of us.  Surely not!

Can't wait!

Puppy sitting

Mum went out for (another) day without me this week.  One is not overly impressed.

I will forgive her though as she was looking after Dery and Lola whilst the rest of the gang were out working and earning biscuit money.  She managed to get a couple of photos for me just so as I will know who Dery is when I meet her.

Didn't quite manage to get one of them together .. not quick enough I think, but did manage this when they were having a game of tuggy

Young Dery looks a bit cheeky - good job Max was out for the day as I don't think he would be too happy at her snoozing in his bed

A little 'Mini Me'

Apparently this is the first time Fergus has agreed to pose with his new little sister!

Courtesy of Aunty Debbie

Who is this??

Introducing the newest and smallest member of the extended family ... Isfryn Spotless or Dery to her friends, of which I hope to be one.

I say hope as I haven't met her yet.  Mum has been to see her says I will have to wait a while as she is too small to meet me at the moment.  I think she means I am a bit 'full on' so I will have to be patient and very gentle when I do get to say hello in a few weeks.

Dery has gone to live with Aunty Debbie and although she only arrived last week by the looks of the pictures we have she has already been learning to hunt and retrieve!

Sunday walk

A lovely walk at Clumber today.  It was very quiet and we hardly saw anyone until we came to leave that is.  Unbeknown to us the Worksop Half Marathon had started and we were trapped amongst the runners. That didn't stop Mum though and we were soon through the barriers (legally I should add) and heading home for lunch.

Here we are posing at our favourite stop mid way through the fields.

Apple Day

We had a great day yesterday, met up with old friends and some new ones and managed to come home with a bag of apples and 12 bottles of freshly made apple juice.

At the end of the day we were given the chance to have a big run around and pose for the usual (obligatory) photograph.  Thanks to Uncle Dave for snapping this one.

From left to right: Bryn, Gwen, Lily, Flo, Lola, Inca, Fergus. Murphy and Me

Update

We've been busy this last week making Christmas cakes!  Mum has to make six this year and has done four so far.  I wouldn't mind but we never get to try any because they have loads of fruit in them which Mum says is bad for us.  The upside is, she likes hers with cheese on top (strange I know) so we always get a bit of that instead.

Murphy isn't getting much food at all these days as he has been a bit unwell with a poorly tummy, so he has been having chicken and mashed potato for his meals ( he can't eat rice and only likes pasta if it has a yummy sauce on it!).  We have been to the vet a couple of times and are hoping that he will be better soon ... I should say he is just as bouncy and barky as ever so probably not too much wrong with him.  The good thing for me is that he is having small meals three times a day to make it easier on his tummy and that means I get three meals a day too as that makes it easier for Mum.  My meals don't seem the usual size, so I think she is being crafty and just giving me the same amount of food split into three which I think is a tad unfair.

We are going to Aunty Debbie's on Sunday for an Apple Day.  I think that means we are going to help her pick all her apples because she has so many this year.  Mum has been busy preparing this afternoon and by the smell of the cooking she has made some of my favourite biscuits - garlic and parmesan.  I hope she doesn't put them all in a bag to take with us to share with all the Labs that live with Aunty Debbie these days.  Poor Fergus will be pleased to see us for a little Welshie support.

I am joking of course, we love Inca, Max and Lola.

Mum has also been busy giving me a haircut as she said I looked very woolly and needed to be smartened up before I go visiting on Sunday.  Here I am after the deed (and after rolling around on her bed to get rid of all the loose hair but she didn't see that!)

A day out in October

A long time since I posted and we have been busy doing ... well, not really sure to be honest!  We have had a weekend at the 'van and today looked after Nana while Mum and Dad went out for lunch.

Yesterday we went to Osberton Horse Trials and had a great day walking the cross country course and watching the dressage.  We saw two Welshies but sadly not close enough to say hello.  We did say hello to one of the nice ladies who works at our vets practice and Mum said she was pleased we were polite.  As if we wouldn't be!!!

Dad took loads of photos (300 at the last count) but not a single one of Murphy or Me, so I will share some of what he did take.  There were lots of grey horses competing which kept Mum happy as they are her favourite.

William Fox-Pitt

This little cutie was with the gundog demo team

And finally, guess who was a hero at the end of the day ... my Dad!  He took this photo of a crashing fall - both horse and rider got up and were okay but the horse ran off straight towards where Dad was standing.  He caught it and walked it back to the rider who was very grateful.

Ouch!

Rockingham

The site we stay on is within what was Rockingham Forest, so on Sunday we went to see Rockingham Castle and had a lovely walk through the grounds.  In fact, Rockingham is a great place to go as we were allowed in the formal gardens too.

This is me in the doorway to the old ice house

It was lovely and peaceful, that is until I saw 3 partridge in the field next to where we were walking and decided to let everyone else visiting about them.  Apparently that is not what a gun dog is supposed to do.
Dad said he was pleased I had missed the one that ran across our footpath and the squirrel too!

Rutland Water

We were away at the weekend for a visit to our van.  Once the rain has stopped on Saturday, we took a trip to Rutland Water for a walk.

Mum managed (eventually) to get a couple of nice shots of us both but only after I was rudely photo-bombed by none other than the Murph-dog.

Here are the proper photos

Autumn

There's a chill in the air now we have entered September and autumn, so much so that I was wrapped up this morning all warm and cosy

The truth is the bed was made around me because I didn't want to get off!

New girl in town

I would like to introduce you to Lola.

She is an 8 month old Labrador who has recently arrived to live with Fergus, Max and Inca. First reports are that she has settled in very well, taken the biggest bed in the house for her own and is an absolutely sweetie.

Mum met her the other day and is completely smitten!

Fergus Walk

Yesterday we met up with a whole group of friends, some we hadn't seen for quite some time, for a walk to celebrate Fergus and his hoomans' great walk for the AHT.

We met at Thorsby Park in the morning pausing for a group photo before we set off - Mum wanted to get one of us whilst we were all still clean!  I thought we did extremely well to pose as we did, and well done to the photographer (Dad) for getting such a good shot.

Left to right we have: Rufus, Jasper, Milly, Wilberforce, Me, Murphy, Fergus, Max, Inca, Milly, Poppy and Boris

Jasper - not the only one to find a muddy puddle 

Poppy

Old friends Rufus and Fergus saying hello

Me keeping an eye on everyone .. actually I was bird spotting!

Heading back to the car for a lie down while the hoomans had lunch

we met Harris who had brought this hooman who owns my Mum and sister (does that make her my hooman Grandma?) for lunch.  I think he looks exceedingly well for 14 years!

Thank you to everyone who travelled a long way to join us.  I know we dogs all had a good time and were really pleased to be able to say well done again to Fergus and his support team.