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.