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

Dad's Big Birthday!

Last weekend was a major birthday for Dad.  We had a big family get together which included some members of the family from Ireland I had never met before.  I was a bit nervous at first, but was fine after i got used to them and even allowed myself to be taken for a walk.

The hoomans all went out for a slap up lunch and then came back to our house for cake.

We tried it of course and can happily it was good!

We got a special present for Dad - a portrait of Murphy which was done by a lovely lady called Clare who was recommended to Mum.  The photo below is what the portrait was based on.  We are all so pleased with the result, it is our Murphy exactly.

Fergus goes to Crufts

Wow!  Not many chaps can say they make their showing debut at Crufts and at the age of 10!  He was able to go because last year he won a Kennel Club Working Test and so had a certificate to collect.  The next thing he knew ..he was entered for two classes!

Nothing seems to bother Fergus, so off he went on Friday with Aunty Debbie, and my Mum as helper, to firstly stay overnight at a very luxurious hotel - okay so it was the Travelodge at the motorway services at Tamworth - and then on to the NEC very early on Saturday morning.

They were settled in on their bench well before 8am.

Aunty Debbie was saved from having to go into the ring with him as Tina offered to do it - actually it may have been a condition  of turning up, I'm not sure.  The first class was the Special Working Gundog in the Welshie breed ring. Off went entrant number 15907 to struct his stuff

He came third and received a very nice yellow certificate and rosette

The other class he was entered in was a Gamekeeper's Class for Working Gundogs and especially anything that isn't an ESS.  

The clever chap was shortlisted and received a Very Highly Commended award - a purple rosette and certificate this time.

Well done Fergus!!!

Oops!

The day started so well with a nice early walk with Dad, and it was almost daylight!

The fact that the morning went downhill after that is probably my fault, although I do appreciate Aunty Debbie's support on my FB post.

So what happened?  Well Mum had a container on the kitchen worktop with 2 cooked chicken breasts and 2 sausages in it.  She turned her back to get something from the next room and I saw my chance, pulled the container onto the floor and managed to eat the sausages and 1 piece of chicken before being caught.

A big telling off for me.  Mum went back into the other room, didn't think to put the other piece of chicken into the fridge, so I snaffled that too.

Such a telling off, sent to my bed and she ignored me for a full 10 minutes (which is a long time for her) even though I had my 'I'm sorry' face on.

When she did speak to me she said something like 'nothing more until dinner time' which is a bit off seeing as how I hadn't even had my proper breakfast yet.  Hey ho, at least she's talking to me again, I hate the silent treatment.

Better

Another cold shower for me yesterday, but this morning had a lovely walk in the daylight and sunshine with Murphy and Mum.

Strange mornings, Houdini ponies and an interesting rumour

We've had a busy couple of weeks with some mornings, like today for example, starting off very strangely.

We are used to being woken up around 5.45am most days by Murphy ... Mum says it's like having a puppy all over again: when he is up and awake he needs to go outside!  Bless him, once he has successfully woken everyone up and gone outside to do whatever he needs to, he waits for the lounge door to be opened and then curls up in his bed there and goes back to sleep.  Meanwhile the hoomans are wide awake, so there's no going back to bed for them.

As for me, well I can go back to sleep or stay awake, I am not fussy.  Which leads me to the strange starts to the day ... Dad and I have been going out for walk in the dark.  Because we are all out of bed so early and because Murphy doesn't walk as far as he used to (and gets upset if we leave him behind) my walks with Mum during the day have been shortened.  So Dad has decided (with some persuasion from certain quarters) that he and I should have a walk before he goes to work.

Now I know loads of dogs out there have early walks, but I have to be honest we have never been part of that crowd.  So it's been very interesting going for a walk at 6am with Dad and a torch.  I think I like it .. although this morning it was a bit off when we got back and I had the hosepipe put on me as I was muddy.  Mum said it was because she was in the middle of making marmalade and couldn't give me a warm water wash.  At 6.30am??

Onto Mena news ... she has escaped her stable again.  She did it a few weeks ago with Mum and charged up the yard to steal a hay net from one of the ponies.  Apparently on Sunday, she spotted a slightly open stable door and went for it, heading up the yard again only to find no spare hay nets around.  Not put off, she headed for one of the fields clearing a 4 foot gate in the process.  We all knew she liked to jump, but didn't know she could jump that high and be fully rugged up at the time.  Apparently all the girls in the yard were so surprised they just stood and watched!  She was successfully persuaded to return to her stable and no harm was done to pony, girls or hay nets.

And so to the interesting rumour that has reached my ears.  I understand that on Sunday Aunty Debbie sent a photo of someone called Amber who had just moved into their house.  I believe she is from Ireland (Dad has offered to translate if need be) and I am hoping to find out more about her later this week if Mum gets a chance to pay a visit.

In the meantime, this is her - she looks quite at home.

More photos

The humans should really get the photo sessions done before we have our run around to avoid all the long tongues

This one is from August when we went to Theddlethorpe with the usual gang and Milly.  It was also the day that the humans had decided to have a barbecue at the beach and ended up using the cars as wind breaks and Dad cooking burgers under a gazebo in the pouring rain!


A different mix of us last year on the annual Birthday Beach Bash and if I remember correctly the weather wasn't too bad for April.  Lovely walk followed by the usual fish and chip lunch for the humans.

Photos

Still going through the website and stacks of old photos when we came across these showing what water babes we all are

Me

Fergus

Taking a drink in the water cascade at Chatsworth

Milly and Fergus at Skipwith Common

All change

Mum is having a tidy up of our website, so you may see some changes here too as she is transferring some of the detail over here.

We found these two photos that are some of her very favourite of me ..she says they show me off perfectly.

Under Mum's bed!

Of course I can't forget these of Murphy - just two of all the lovely ones we have of him

Christmas

Not so many photos of presents this year, Dad seemed to be concentrating on food and especially me eating loads and feeling the after effects.

Christmas Day was really nice with a lovely sausage for breakfast followed by a few treats from our stockings and then a full turkey dinner later in the day.  Embarrassingly he filmed me enjoying my dinner and then posted it on my Facebook page for everyone to see.

Waiting for pudding

Feeling stuffed!

We got loads of treats and new toys, one of which Mum has taken off me as she said I was getting a bit 'territorial' with it.  Mena got a new fleece and head collar which looked very smart.

Then on Tuesday we had a trip to a big horse superstore and she got another fleece (apparently she needs a different one when she travels anywhere) and another turnout rug which makes 4 all of varying cosiness.

Lovely crisp walks this week and looking forward to more over the weekend.

Happy New Year and I hope your resolutions are all good ones .. and achievable!  I haven't decided on mine yet but I am sure Mum will tell me what they are over the weekend.

Christmas Roundup

So our tree is up (finally) and Mum has decorated it this year.  Somehow I think there may be  few extra bits go on it later - Dad thinks it looks a bit bare.  The presents are fake ones, just empty boxes wrapped up nicely, but they make the tree looked loved I think.

Last weekend Mum had a day out with some friends from the stables and took Mena to a place where they have an all weather arena with show jumps and cross country jumps and a water splash.  They all had a great time and Mena really enjoyed herself although I am told she did seem a little wary about the water and tried to jump in!

Arrived and taking it all in

Ella putting her through her paces

Last Monday we met up with Aunty Debbie, Uncle Dave, Trevor and Joan for our pre-Christmas walk.  Four hoomans to seven dogs - Fergus, Inca, Lola, Dery, Milly, Murphy and Me - seems quite a good number to me but sadly no photos as it was very grey and wet and the hoomans wanted to get to their Christmas lunch. Typical! But at least mum brought turkey sausages for all of us.

So just seven sleeps to go before I get to see properly what has been hiding in the Christmas drawer for the last few weeks.  She who should be obeyed won't let me have a good rummage even though I know there are things in there for us!

I am pleased to say most of our present buying and wrapping has been done.  Mum says there is more food to buy (?) and of course the turkey to collect and a final visit to see Mena on Friday and that's it.  Mum is taking her out on Boxing Day when we will give hand over her presents .. oh yes she has more in addition to the winter turnout rug Dad bought and that she has been wearing (and rolling around in the field in) for the last 3 weeks.

Murphy and I would like to wish a very Happy Christmas to everyone out there.

Loads happening

So it's ages since I posted and loads has been going on for me and my friends. So this is a bit like an early Round Robin that come with Christmas cards to catch up with what's been going on over the last few weeks.

Back in November young Dery almost swept the boards with all her first places and 'best of' awards at the Spanish Water Dog Club Working Test.  Since then she has run in  a pairs test (didn't do quite so well) and had her first real outing on a shoot.

On top of all that, she has a new posh name - Isfryn Spotless at Ferderyn, but she will always be young Dery to me.

Our newest recruit Mena has settled in well at the stables.  She spends her days either out in the field eating and rolling in the mud or in her box eating and rolling in her bed.  Mum rides her about 4 times a week and is taking  her out for some cross country schooling next Sunday.
Uncle Dave made a really lovely name plate for her stable and she has already had an early Christmas present of a new rug from Dad.

Murphy was quite poorly for a while in November but is much better now and eating really well.  He is a bit wobbly on his legs sometimes, but then  he is 13 and a half.  He likes to come out for walks with Mum and me although we don't go as far with him as we used to.

As for me, well I have been as busy as usual keeping an eye on who comes into our garden (birds, cats, hedgehogs etc), who comes to the house (visitors, postman) and making sure nothing goes on that I don't know about.
A couple of weeks ago Aunty Debbie visited with another friend Tina who I know from when we used to go to Welshie training days.  Before I know what was going on, I was up on the grooming table and Tina was making me look a lot smarter than when she arrived.

Before

After

So now we are busy getting ready for Christmas.  Quite a few sleeps to go yet but we have at least opened the Advent Calendar .. which reminds me, haven't had todays chocolate yet.