Special Report - Part Two

Following on with Fergus' report ....

So here is our Dery with her rosette and a huge bag of food she was also given.

and a sneaky photo of me having a snooze

 After all the excitement and a phone call to Dad to let him know how she got on. it was back to the pub for dinner and a well earned sleep. 

Sunday was also a bright and sunny morning.  We set off for another first for the girls, a ride on a train.  At this point I should state that I have been on a proper big train as is evidenced below having an ice cream

 Sunday's train ride was courtesy of the Evesham Vale Light Railway.  

It was a short journey of about 7 minutes before we got off and had a lovely walk along the River Avon before catching the train again for another short journey back to the station.  I took it all in my stride being  a seasoned traveller and I am pleased to report both Dery and Lola enjoyed the journey, even if it was a bit of a squish  with two hoomans and 3 dogs in a very small carriage.

A final drink for everyone and then we all headed home fir us to collect Max and Inca and for Aunty Sandra to be greeted by what I can only imagine was a slightly miffed Merlin and Murphy.

This Fergus signing off (I forgot how tiring being a roving reporter can be).

I would like to say thank you to Fergus for his report on the weekend, I like to know what Mum gets up to when she leaves me at home.  Just a footnote - Murphy and I had a nice weekend helping Dad in the garden.

Mum has asked me to say she had a great weekend and thinks she may have got the job of kennel maid to Miss Dery.  That's fine by me, as long as this going away without me doesn't become too much of a habit.

As a final word, I should like to add Murphy and my congratulations to Aunty Debbie and Dery.  On wards and upwards young lady ..... what's next??

Special Report

Today's post is courtesy of our roving reported Fergus.  He has been relatively quiet since his epic walk and regular updates last summer, although I should add he is a working chap and was very busy between October and February.

Fergus has also had to contend with welcoming not one but two new additions to the family since last September .... and both of them girls.  Of course I know them both as the two newest members of my harem (or so I would like to think)  - Lola and Dery!

So, today's post is all about a weekend away that strangely my Mum joined without me.  Over to Fergus .....

Friday started with taking Max and Inca for their weekend away with friends before I helped pack our camper van - Mum managed to put the two girls in when I wasn't looking - and we headed off for a weekend away.  After a couple of hours we stopped for a cup of tea (quite a few of those were drunk over the weekend) when suddenly to our surprise Aunty Sandra appeared.   

 After a chat and a walk we headed to where we were all staying for the weekend - The Wheatsheaf at Badsey - had dinner and settled down for the night.  Saturday morning was fine and sunny, so after breakfast we all set off to meet with lots of other Welshies for what turned out to be Madam's (Dery to the family, Isfryn Spotless if we are using Sunday names) first WSS Working Test.

Dery was running in the puppy class and at 7 months old was some 9-10 months younger than the others in the class.  Lola and I were left in the van while she did the test (Mum said something about messing about and noise) so I can only rely on Aunty Sandra's report of how she did.  

Apparently she was really good!  She hunted nicely and did a great sit to the shot (super fast) followed by a nice retrieve.  

We watched a few other competitors in the Novice class and later in the afternoon came the results and prize giving.  I attended with Mum and was quite surprised at some of the results:  there were three classes - Puppy, Novice and Open - with 25 dogs running in total.  Of those 25 only 3 were awarded places and rosettes (all second place) and of those 3 only 1 was a Welshie.  

Guess my surprise when I realised that the only placed Welshie was our Dery having been judged the best in her class!!!   

Everyone is very pleased and proud of her winning her first rosette so young.  I guess this means I will have to take some of the praise too as I have helped Mum learn all she knows and then to pass it all on to these youngsters.

Thanks to Fergus for his report.  I understand there was more fun had on Sunday, so watch this space for the next installment.  (It will only be delayed slightly while I go and bark at the milkman.)

Belton HT Photos

Dad has managed to sort out his many photos from the Belton weekend.  Here are just a few of his (and my) favourites.

Well done Dad, some great shots as usual.

Showjumping in the Grantham Cup

Belton House makes a great background

In the warm-up area for the cross country

Pippa Funnell and Bettina Hoy

Bettina Hoy and the legendary Sir Mark Todd and Leonidas

Out on the course

Sam Watson (Aus)

The water splash is always good for a photo

Belton Weekend

So, we woke on Saturday morning to this view from the bedroom window.

Okay, so its hardly any snow, but it is the middle of April and we had a full weekend at Belton Horse Trials ahead of us.

Being the hardy souls we are we headed off and didn't get wet all day!  It was very cold and windy and nowhere near as muddy as we expected it to be.

Mum was hoping to buy some new stuff for her riding ... new hat, maybe some gloves, a crop but came away instead with a new member of our pack who is going to live on the new patio.

Dad has called him Tayto which is what he wanted to call Murphy 13 years ago.  Thankfully for Murph Mum said NO back then as Tayto is the name of Dad's favourite brand of crisps in Ireland! You have a lot to be thankful for Murph.

Sunday was the complete opposite to Saturday, a lovely sunny day and actually quite warm.  We walked the cross country course a couple of times, this is me checking underneath one of the jumps. I was certain there was something under there.

There will be horsey photos to follow when Dad has gone through the no doubt hundreds he took.

Coming along nicely

We have been sent three video links this weekend by Aunty Debbie.  They are of young Dery doing some training and showing that either she or Aunty Debbie or perhaps both know a bit about this stuff.

Here's the first one -steadiness and retrieve making sure the dummy is dead before picking it up

https://youtu.be/dBA1u-Uk57k

The other two videos show that another water babe has landed.  I ask you, how many of those 

do you need in one family??

https://youtu.be/1R8-37RrZwk

https://youtu.be/TH3PLVm2HlM

Another birthday

This time it's mine!!!!

I am seven years old today and even though I am posting this myself, I think I was quite cute when I first came home

This was me on 5th June 2009 when I made the trip from my Derbyshire birthplace to my forever home.  I was born with a very posh Sunday name of Amiro Oratorio, but my hoomans thought I suited the name Merlin.

This is me just a couple of weeks ago taken in the garden and looking good I think.

I have had a very nice day.  We went to see Nana this morning, then Dad took us out for a walk - just us as Tigger went home yesterday.  Mum went out this afternoon and came home with a new toy each for Murphy and Me.  Murphy got a squeaky lion and I got a monkey... she said the choice was very appropriate, whatever that means.

We have had chicken for our dinner and are now waiting for our nightly Bonio before settling down for a snooze before bedtime.  It's not a bad life!

Men at work

We have had men working in the garden this week.  They have taken up our deck (which was a favourite place to catch the sun in the summer) and are replacing it with a patio.

So far on Monday, which was Day One, the garden looked like this

About 9.30am and half the deck has gone already

Dinner time and the ground is prepared for slabs - we are not allowed on it

Today, Day Two, we have been out for most of the day and have come back to this

Not quite finished but still not allowed on it

The men (Neil and Jack) will be back tomorrow morning to finish off and then hopefully we can test that Mum hasn't taken away our sunbathing spot.

Tigger

Tigger didn't come with us to the beach yesterday as he was in charge of Nana and Hannah who had come down for the weekend.

Dad took a couple of lovely photos of him when we got home.  We sent the close up to his Mum on holiday in America - hope she gets it and isn't too upset seeing her boy!

Mum is just out of shot with a sweetie!

Beach Day

We set off yesterday morning for our annual birthday beach day and had a really great time.  The weather was lovely and sunny - we have been on the beach i8n almost every kind o9f weather you could imagine ... except snow!

We had a great walk along the beach.  Is this a good moment to say we 'lost' Lola for a few seconds and couldn't figure out where she was hiding as the beach was empty?

Hint to hoomans:  when looking for one of Aunty Debbie's gang on the beach check out the water! There she was having a great time bouncing in the waves behind us!

After returning to the cars and stopping for a very welcome coffee (Mum was getting desperate by this point) it was time for the very important photo op.  I think we got an especially good one this time followed by a few nice close ups.

Back left to right: Max, Inca, Lola
Front left to right: Me, Murphy, Fergus, Dery

The two elder statesmen of the group: Murphy (13 years) and Fergus (9 years)

and the two youngsters: Lola (15 months) and Dery (7 months yesterday)

Happy Birthday

A very special birthday for Murphy - he is 13 years old today.  We all love him very much and hope he has a lovely birthday.

Here are  a few photos from down the years

2003, just home

2010

2005

2014

2009

2006

Canicross

We've heard about Canicross and seen loads of videos on Facebook of Welshies doing it very well.

So here is our version - much more sedate I think you will agree.

Tired Tigger

This is what a greyhound looks like after walking with us for an hour or so.