The Diary of a Black Labrador

One of those days

2012-01-25T14:03:00.000Z

it's been one of those weeks but today particularly. Nothing simple or straightforward, everything needing extra attention and now Maia has just walked into a hot poker (straight out of Pig's embers) and sizzled her nose! No yelp so not too bad, just another grey mark, poor girl.

It snowed!

2010-12-17T14:38:00.002Z

And I love it...

But my beans don't seem to keen they got this machine in the move all the lovely snow and then went out in the big black car and left me.

Finnegan the foolish hooligan - chapter two

2010-10-27T17:14:00.004+01:00

Well, more of Finn the Destroyer than hooligan.
In the last couple of days he has eaten / damaged / destroyed or otherwise chewed:

three napkins
two towels (only one of which was a dog towel)
two television remote controls
one invoice (not yet sent)
one bottle of nail polish
several emery boards
the TV paper
two pens
part of the daily crossword
the Past Times catalogue -we didn't want anything - well we don't think we did!
the corners of virtually all the dog beds
the edge of the hearth rug
attempted three different sorts of chair
the dining table - only half heartedly not sure if that's because people were present or he was tired
tried and was (thankfully) defeated by a box of tissues
one purse, leather (which distracted him from the money)

Do you think there might be something lacking in his diet?

(Yes, he says, I'll just eat this labrador's leg)

No, no, no

2010-10-25T15:09:00.001+01:00

No, oh no. Why beans why? And most definitely, don't ever think about I'm never doing that!

Dog owners celebrate Halloween by dressing up their pets in bizarre costumes at parades - Telegraph

Dogs recognise their owner's face

2010-10-25T12:31:00.000+01:00

BBC - Earth News - Dogs recognise their owner's face
Hebe says well of course we do and I know when to hide under the table (usually after I've tried the roast dinner) and when to sit down and wait for the inevitable biscuit. I know Beans sometimes find it difficult to tell us apart with the exception of Finnegan, of course (him being big, stripey and grey-ish) the rest of us being black must make it confusing, that nice lady at the Post Office still doesn't know her Maia from her Juno (I always introduce myself, it's only polite).

Shivering Penguins - fire up the Pig

2010-10-20T10:54:00.002+01:00

We awoke to a dusting of snow this morning and the big yellow snow dragon (otherwise known as a gritter) has been spotted but not before several vehicles were seen slithering down the top road, a few slightly sideways.
So -
for the first time this year the Pig has been lit. As it's the first burn of the season a very hot burn is required to retemper the hotbox and now the house is perfumed with the unmistakeable aroma of hot pig (scorched dust and glowing, expanding iron).
To our great surprise Finnegan isn't in the least bit bothered by it, although the coal scuttle on the hearth might just prove too tempting; especially as he is now confined to the ground floor thanks to a stair gate.

I'm not happy about this

2010-10-12T15:06:00.000+01:00

Flippin' Finnegan, gets all the attention and now he's claiming a massive sculpture is of him! I don't think so - well it had better not be or he's going to be positively unbearable.

~What do you think - is this a horse or a dog?

The White Horse of Uffington. Photograph: Alamy

Well someone now thinks it's a dog and not just any dog but a wolfhound!

As reported in the Guardian: It is one of Britain's most-loved ancient hill figures, careering across the downland. Now vets are being urged to question whether the White Horse of Uffington was meant to be a horse at all.
Challenging the traditional description of the Oxfordshire landmark, retired vet Olaf Swarbrick asks whether the "beautiful, stylised" figure might instead be a dog such as a greyhound or wolfhound.
Swarbrick says: "Looking at it again, it seems that it is not a horse at all: the tail and head are wrong for a horse and more suggestive of a dog. It appears more like a large hound at full stretch. I thought it may be a greyhound, but an anthropologist suggests it is a wolfhound, which (assuming it is not a horse) makes more sense." More

Oh, Finn - only an Irish hound

2010-10-01T12:05:00.003+01:00

Could get himself run over - by a stationary car!

Last night on his way back from a post dinner (his not ours) walk Finnegan decided to investigate an interesting noise in the garage and got stuck. Mum came in to say she needed a little help because Finn was stuck. However, on first glance no wolfhound was to be seen. He had gone down the narrow side and then couldn't back up (he's not very good at reversing) so he obviously thought going under the car was a good idea. Closer inspection showed a pair of very long thin wolfhound hind legs lying alongside the back wheel. A torch and a wriggle under the back bumper gave sight of a remarkably calm, insouciant looking hound wedged under the petrol tank with an 'I think I may be a little stuck here' expression on his face. Removal of some of the junk freed his back legs so that they were not wrapped around the wheel. Car in neutral and 'yes, taking the hand brake off might be useful' with a big steady push the car gently rolled forward to expose a grubby hound who with a little wriggle was free. He stood up and shook himself whilst we breathed a huge sigh of relief. And then realised we were all stuck in the garage because the car was now blocking the door (no keys - great thinking). A pull backward and I could slide over the bonnet to push it back in creating enough space to get out.
Finn was dirty and with only a small scuff on the inside of one knee to show for his adventures, half an hour later and he's gallumphing around with Hebe.
Now we all have sore ribs from laughing over the hound who got run over by a stationary car, (there may have been some hysterical laughter in there from sheer relief).
No doubt more chapters in the Adventures of Finnegan the Foolish Hooligan will follow...

Michaelmas Day

2010-09-29T15:52:00.001+01:00

Is grey, wet and miserable. We don't have any Michaelmas daisies any more - not sure why not - but if we did their head would be pointing earthward like so many other plants, my poor thistles are virtually horizontal, I'm going to have to tie them up to stop their crowns rotting and then pray we don't get massive gales to snap off their stems.
The ground is sodden and so are we, we're running out of dog towels - not helped by Finn who emptied the dog dish all over the kitchen floor. This time it really was an accident, his big heavy ball bounced in and tipped it up - however, the flood in the dog house was probably deliberate, thank goodness all the beds are off the floor otherwise we'd be trying to dry those too!

Finnegan

2010-08-09T10:16:00.000+01:00

Ah, now I understand.

Meet Finnegan - my new best mate...

I've been busy teaching him all about life at The Moorlands. Although he's bigger than me he's only a baby, Beans say he's four months old so although we'd really like to play rough and tumble we have to stop coz he's fragile. Juno's teaching him his manners so I'm sure he'll be fine.

Something Strange

2010-07-20T20:09:00.000+01:00

My beans are acting most oddly. First of all I was (well, we all were) banned from the yard by a series of barricades, when it was just one I could jump over but lots within not much space between were beyond even my tiggerishness, we were kept out for about two weeks, which was quite good because we were allowed in teh garden instead. And then this weekend the barriers were taken down and we could go down the yard again but all the lovely grass and nettles had been removed and the concrete cleaned with the smelly stuff. Next was that my puppy bed appeared in the dog house, but the door was shut so I couldn't get in. Very odd.

How come it's mid-July? Where's the year going??

2010-07-14T14:25:00.000+01:00

So what's happened since 9 June. Well not a lot and then again loads!
Juno is now officially a teenager having turned thirteen, which is 91 in dog years not that you'd know it; most of the time she behaves just like a youngster but then at other times I catch her in repose and she's got a saggy, baggy face (too many puppies hanging off it) going grey around the muzzle. She's slowing down too but that doesn't stop her from joining in Hebe's mad half hour every now and then.
She's also being dosed with a herbal potion created for her by Katie the herbalist vet, every day she gets milk and honey with extract of compost heap with her breakfast and then two lots of yoghurt also with compost extract. It's done brilliantly well until this last week when she started chewing her feet and then over the weekend progressed to trying to remove her skin. Katie's working on a new improved brew for her.
The garden is looking wonderful, although I can see a few gaps to be filled with plants. This year was designated clear up and tidy year. It's been progressing slowly but I have at last weedkillered the yard and it's beginning to have some effect, the yard fence was washed down and last weekend was painted green – very smart it looks. The new table and chairs have been teak oiled and the recent rain is standing off the wood. Andy has dug out the bed at the foot of the hedge although I've not yet managed to get the new compost and manure dug in but there are very few weeds popping up so that's good. Once it's fully prepped it's going to be a green and white bed (this does kinda come under tidying up because it was just a weedy mess and now it's a patch of clean soil which means it qualifies – at least that's my excuse!) However there is still a lot of weedy gravel and a heap of stone down one side of the house. I have to move the stone before I can tackle the gravel and the stone is going to edge the gravel garden in the back still to be cleared – another job for Andy but we've not had the right sort of conditions so there's another wonderful excuse… And there's no point clearing the drive until I know when I can order more gravel and I might as well order for the paths and the drive. I did order a big table bed planter to be my new herb bed, again this comes under the tidy up campaign because I can get rid of the multitude of untidy pots scattered around. The catalogue said requires some self-assembly, just like the new table and chairs which required approx. four nuts each and came complete with their own spanner. However, the planter arrived as a heap of wood and bags of screws with an instruction novel (yep, that's a novel not sheet). I looked at all the bits, looked at the book and put it away, left it a week then got out the bits, looked at the book and put it away again and then I had a brainwave – my wonderful Uncle John, retired CDT teacher would read the instructions and put it together in 10 minutes. John looked at the bits, scowled at the book, drank some coffee, threw away the book and then put the wood together in the right order taking closer to an hour than the envisaged 10 minutes – note to self don't go buying big planters over the internet. Mum says it looks like a coffin on stilts, it does a bit too but once it's painted soft green and filled with aromatic, tasty herbs it will be glorious.
The new IT system in the office is still causing problems, granted not as many as before allowing my broken hand to mend and fortunately it's not been bad enough for me to smash it into the wall again so I dropped a table on my foot instead!
On the hound front we thought we were going to get a puppy in October but we found out over the weekend that the bitch wasn't in pup so we'll have to carry on waiting but we'll keep on searching and one day soon there'll be a long-legged stripy scragamuffin to join the pack.

Never mind elbows - get your FEET off the table!

2010-06-09T09:40:00.001+01:00

I just walked into the kitchen to find Hebe with two front feet on the table, one hind foot on a chair and the other hovering above the table - if I hadn't walked in I'm sure it would have been on the table! She very rapidly descended to ground level and is now walking about proffering a gift of the dog-nuts - the first thing that came to mouth.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-06-02T09:50:00.001+01:00

I'm three today - so my beans tell me. I got a lovely pink very noisy squeaky and an even better multi-legged softie complete with lots of squeaks.

I have been missing my best mate most dreadful but now I'm feeling much better and can give all my people all the attention they deserve, not that they appreciate it.
In new developments we're now getting two course meals, a starter of milk and yoghurt (it does smell a little funny but it tastes OK) and then the usual bowl of euk, rusk and veggies. This is definitely to be encouraged.

Well mush dash, lots to squeak you know.

Ultimate sadness

2010-04-24T20:19:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we took the heartbreaking decision to put Cara to sleep.

She had developed chronic pancreatitis and despite ours, hers and the vets' best efforts she was in terrible pain - but no longer.

Poor Cara

2010-04-20T17:26:00.001+01:00

She's not very well at all. She has been diagnosed as having pancreatitis. Although she's less stressed now she's back home from a night at the vets she's still not good at all. She doesn't want to eat and is very 'flat'.

I've found her

2010-04-20T16:17:00.001+01:00

She's back with a pink (and you know that's my favourite colour) bandage around her leg. She smells funny and now I've been banished back to the office.

Oh, my whiskers

2010-04-19T16:40:00.001+01:00

paws and pink too.
I've searched and searched and can't find my bestest mate. The beans tell me that Cara is not very well at all and has had to stay at the vets who are trying to make her better.

Vet

2010-04-13T13:54:00.001+01:00

Cara saw the vet this morning, it's good news (we think), it seems that she has very bad gingivitis which is why she doesn't want to eat. So we'll sort this first with antibiotics and some steroids and then look at her nose / hayfever for this year. Poor hound is very down in the ear and looking rather thin.

Busy, busy

2010-04-12T16:54:00.001+01:00

I'm soooo tired.

We spent all weekend outside, except when Cara was out and then I had to come in. Beans did their digging in the ground thing, pulling out some plants and putting other in - I don't think I'll ever understand them.

My best mate Cara is not well, snotty nose and poorly tum, She's off to see the Vet lady tomorrow.

Birthday Blackout

2010-04-07T11:57:00.001+01:00

Maia was 10 yesterday and still naughty! A small heap of pressies was gratefully received by Hebe. One already has a large hole (small destroyer strikes again).

Mid evening the lights went out, then 10-15 mins later a low voltage returned, not enough to run any equipment but for the lights to give a dull glow. The UPS is still without a battery which meant that the server started screaming but wouldn't go off because there was still a little power running through it, we ended up pulling the plugs on all the computers and printers. The evening was passed in conversation, reading and cards. Just after 10 even the low voltage failed and we were plunged into total darkness but Juno's Christmas gift of a head torch saved the day - perfect for power outs. NEDL kept us informed and at one point they said they had over 4,000 properties without power. As we decided to head for bed the lights came back on.

Green thingy

2010-03-31T15:09:00.000+01:00

I think my beans are really rotten spoilsports. I've spent months working out how to get the lid off the black bin by the back door, it's always full of lovely smelly, really tasty things. I finally worked out how to get stuff from the bottom by balancing on my elbows; it's not advisable to put both front feet in because then you can't get out again so your "help me" barks get all muffled and if a bean hears you you get scragged or if you tip it up to get out the contents get nicked by the other dogs but at least then everyone gets scragged when the bean turns up. Anyway, after working out how to nudge the lid aside and to pull out the really best bits now those rotten beans have gone and tied the lid on with a green stretchy thingy. I've tried nudging the lid up, pushing it sideways with my nose, pulling with my paws but it just won't shift. I'm watching them very carefully because they don't seem to have any problems. There must be a way in....

Cough, cough, splutter

2010-03-22T14:58:00.001Z

Back in the land of the living - well sort of, just don't ask me anything complicated I think Hebe has my brain...!
I hate being ill, I can cope with a damaged limb or bleeding digit and just get on with stuff.

What a strange week

2010-03-19T11:23:00.001Z

I didn't get my walk on Monday and then The Bean was missing all day on Tuesday, well apart from a couple of appearances. Wednesday was much the same but she arrived at lunch time and instead of going to work we went upstairs and watched the talking box. Perhaps it's a holiday - but then she went away again early in the evening. Very strange. Thursday was similar, although I really did like lying on the sofa with her as a pillow. Today she's around but making odd spluttery noises and she sounds odd when she speaks to me. Most peculiar.

Now then don't go getting ideas...

2010-03-10T12:11:00.002Z

From today's Daily Telegraph:

Yes, Hebe, it's you I'm talking to!

More on the tooth

2010-03-08T09:28:00.001Z

It's Monday morning and of course the phone line is jammed. Ring back is a wonderful invention.
Finally spoke with someone and they can't fit me in until middle of next week, no gas for the knockout out today or tomorrow, the dentist doesn't work Wednesday and they don't have any computers on Thursday or Friday. Early next week is very busy and won't have a space long enough so it will have to be the end of next week but I already have an appointment on Tuesday and that will have to do. I'm speechless.
Good old NHS....

Urgh!

2010-03-07T15:51:00.001Z

Opened the cupboard to get the ingredients to make some bread and the top shelf was infested with hundreds of small brown beetles which were tumbling down onto the other shelves and, as we soon discovered, down in the cupboards below. I think they must have come in with the new wheatgerm I bought a couple of weeks ago. They had eaten into the bags holding the old wheatgerm and oatmeal which, of course, then flew everywhere when the bags were picked up. Needless to say the cupboards have been emptied, thoroughly cleaned and every jar, bag and bowl checked, cleaned and as there haven't been any beetle sightings for 24 hours have now been replaced.

The tooth saga continues, the new filling disintegrated less than 12 hours after being put in and this time took a chunk of tooth, dentist closed over the weekend so fingers crossed for an early appointment next week...

D-B-S, just lost my new filling.

2010-03-03T14:35:00.001Z

What a saga, started nearly 18 months ago now, all to save one tooth! The latest bit of work, completed on Monday has just disintegrated and I'm spitting bits of filling, that's more information than you really needed. Back again on Friday for a patch up, good job it's only needles and dentists I'm phobic about...

Holiday

2010-03-01T15:11:00.001Z

So last week I was off work for 'gardening leave'. The real sort where you weed the flower beds and prune the shrubs - and what did it do? Snow, rain, hail, gale etc. Resulting in very little gardening (or many walks says Hebe). Today back in the office (after a tortuous morning at the dentist) and it's gloriously sunny and warm! Typical.

Horrid beans

2010-02-17T14:09:00.004Z

This morning my toy box was nearly empty. I thought all my favourites had been stolen away by some other dog.

But now I've found them - here they are:

What an awful thing to do. All clean and bright and hanging out of reach. My beans can be really horrid to me (and my toys).

The long blue one on the left is my bestest, it's Okopus. The pink one is my next bestest, that's Fifi. Both are good to fetch and carry and throw around.

Spring

2010-02-15T10:42:00.001Z

Spent lots of time playing in the shed. Compost and pots and stuff. But not so good was lots of time in front of the magic box with the beans getting exciting about the oval ball thingy.

Little Excursion

2010-02-03T17:15:00.001Z

Hebe writes: I get bored waiting outside the shop for the beans. So this morning when I found my lead wasn't quite as firmly fixed as usual I took myself off for a wander. There were lots of lovely smells and interesting things and then I found a nice person, but he led me back to the Post Office which rather spoilt my excursion. I'll have to be more sneaky next time...

Great excitement

2010-01-16T16:22:00.001Z

After weeks of white stuff today there are muddy footprints on the kitchen floor. We'll be cursing them before too long but today they were a very welcome sight...!

Double glazing - pah

2009-10-28T09:46:00.001Z

This morning every one of our new double glazed window was covered in condensation, on the outside! All the old single glazed windows were perfectly clear. Thank you EU, we didn't want double glazing and now look - oh no we can't, we can''t see out...

Wet, wet, wet

2009-10-21T13:34:00.001+01:00

and then some more wet.
The rain has fallen for what seems most of the night and a large chunk of the day. The garden is rapidly turning into a mudbath, the dogs are soggy and the house is damp (two loads of washing don't help!). So we've given in and lit Pig who's now chuntering away nicely.

Dining Room update

2009-10-13T17:25:00.002+01:00

I collected the curtains at the weekend, they look very fine hanging at the windows. Then we went on a table hunt and found the perfect table at Beevers. Unfortunately it has to be ordered and shipped in (they need to fill a container) so we can't have it until next year. Next small delay, the lady who makes loose covers and is going to recover the easy chair for us has broken her arm! But if we can't have the table until next year then I don't think the chair is urgent, and to be honest it doesn't look too horrendous now that the rest of the room has changed.
No aga or heating tomorrow (servicing) so we've kicked Pig into action and he's quietly sizzling away.

Explosive events

2009-10-08T17:14:00.002+01:00

Hebe has discovered the conkers strewn around the house, they're just too tempting, last night I took one off her and put it down with a load of other stuff which was subsequently thrown on the open fire.
We went out to feed pigs and sort out plants in the greenhouse; when we came back there was a very funny slightly burnt smell and shards of cooked conker skin in the hall! Fortunately no-one was around, no-one got injured and nothing got burnt (slightly singed maybe...), phew.

What is THAT??

2009-09-30T20:13:00.005+01:00

A small heap of brown objects, it's autumn so it must be conkers? Correct. And aren't these very artistically positioned?

Yes, very neatly arranged, on the side of the bath. Yes, that's right the BATH

Well, where do you store conkers? In this house, this autumn, on the bath, on the window sills, in small bowls dotted around in unexpected places. But why? I hear you ask, as you well might. Well, have you heard about the spider invasion? Lots and lots of them had a wonderful summer and are now heading indoors for a pleasant autumn and are really quite looking forward to Christmas...
The resident arachnophobe read that conkers are an excellent spider deterrent - thus conkers all over the house!

PS I'm not really at work but my home account won't work!

Dining room update

2009-09-29T22:16:00.000+01:00

It's all going swimmingly. Quite literally for the fishes. So last weekend (Sat 19 & Sun 20) we had to clear everything out prior to the arrival of the decorator. Books, ornaments etc are really quite simple, box them up and carry out, dining chairs also easy, just pick them up. But a 16stone fish tank complete with fish? No, not really something to even consider picking up. Managed to borrow a 3 foot tank (thanks to Helen and Helen's dad), wonderful we can just transfer water and fish from one tank to another, however, nothing is ever that simple is it? Especially not in this house...
Friday we started by setting out water to stand and for the water treatment chemicals to evaporate. Saturday morning dogs and I set off for Pickering to collect medicine for Maia and to buy some additional gravel. Upon our return we set to with a will by starting with cleaning out the borrowed tank and to make sure it was water tight, then cleaned all the new gravel, desludged the large filter to ensure the water was as clean as possible and also removed some bits of tank decoration to be cleaned. Then everything needs to dry before we go any further so that leaves the rest of the afternoon for moving more stuff and a small bit of destruction - my favourite job and I'm quite good with a lump hammer! But seriously I wanted to remove the additional molding from the picture rail which was really quite an easy task for the strip above the bay window and it certainly made it all look so much better, showing off the cleaner lines and so much more in keeping with the house. Everything done and cleaned up in time to watch tigers first home match of the season which they duly won but didn't manage a try - never mind, 11 players out injured and we still won. The new Cat stand looks amazing, there's always next week.
Sunday rolls round and it's time for the fish to move house, water decanted by the crate full and dragged across the hall before being poured in the temporary tank in the sitting room. About halfway down and it's time to move the fish before they get sucked up the siphon. The small fish were very good, easy to catch and carry across in water filled bowls. But then came the big ones and the algae eater (Edgar) and the YoYo loaches were not so accommodating - I was soaked, man are they strong?, and really, really big. You don't realise when they're in the tank but Edgar and Mrs Bossy were both bigger than the bowl. Anyway all in the new tank, clean decorations added and new water. Time for lunch. Then the grotty business of emptying the old tank and cleaning it, a very smelly job but not that difficult. finally the fish are sorted. Next on the list, photocopiers. Well they came in this way, they must go through the doorway. A spot of applied geometry and rather a lot of brute force later and the one we're keeping is out in the hall. The other one can wait for the logistics team to collect. And at last I can get at the second piece of molding, this one was not so compliant as the first one and decided to part company with the picture rail and the affixing nails but off it came, in several pieces and the nails came out too, one by one.
And that's it, we're done, just one final job - block the office door so Hebe can't help with the decorating.

Monday and Lon arrives to start, we discuss the paint and I set off to buy many, many gallons of varying shades of yellow. Upon our return there's a message on the answerphone, the logistics team will collect the old printer today - hooray!

Lon finishes on Thursday a day ahead of schedule, for TM that's a miracle! And it all looks fantastic - I'll post up pictures when it's done.
So this weekend we've been polishing and cleaning furniture. The bookcases have come up a treat and if you didn't know you can't tell that the top of the new fish tank table has been varnished. Carpet will be laid on Thursday to give the gloss time to set.
And finally - for now, the first lamp arrived today and we assembled it this evening, the tall uplighter and it fits the scheme very well.

So that's it, you're just about up to date. When the next phase goes according to plan (I can hope can't I?) I'll tell you all about that too!

plums and fences

2009-09-10T17:47:00.002+01:00

Since Juno's escapade with the plums (internal blockage leading to a very poorly dog and very large vets bill) we've made sure the dogs can't gorge on plums. Which makes autumn a little awkward. The plums are now ripe and beginning to drop, not that Hebe or Cara wait for that, picking their own straight from the tree. So every reachable plum has been picked and suitable ones bagged up and dropped in the deep freeze for use later on. But there is still the odd one or two which escaped or dropped before the harvest and is hidden in the undergrowth. Needless to say this is great hunting for the girls who rummage about collecting and eating every little scrap they can find but the odd little piece is not going to cause problems so we've let them be. Today the small black monster (a.k.a Hebe) wasn't content with the plums in our garden and smashed her way through the fence to rootle around on the other side of the hedge. There is now a large Labrador shaped hole in the bottom of the fence by the tree. Until it's fixed labs are on escorted visits to the back garden...

Dining room colour scheme

2009-09-05T17:09:00.002+01:00

Malton this morning to pick up the wallpaper. It's every bit as lovely as I remember. Took one roll up to Stitches to look at fabric, they have even more books of fabric samples than the wallpaper shop has of paper! I thought Indian red would look good against the yellow of the paper and found a lovely red silk with golden embroidery but then I saw a golden woven tapestry like fabric with red motif so brought them both home. The silk is completely wrong and although I love the golden one I have red fixed in my head. So like a nutter off to Beavers to look at carpet and more fabric. Carpet was quite easy, lovely green with flecks of yellow, gold and shades of green. Also found a lovely red damask so brought than home too but that's not quite right (and Mum hates it!).
So yellow paper, golden curtains and green carpet, now selecting the paint, a toning colour for the woodwork and bright but warm yellow for the painted wall above Pig. Not a bad day all in all.
Dogs are exhausted having run all the way to Malton and back this morning and then into Whitby and back.

Weekend cow & garden

2009-08-29T17:02:00.005+01:00

We've been across to Glaisdale today and came home with several large chunks of cow! The girls can't wait until tea tomorrow when they may just get some of the trimmings from the beef. The roads were mad and several visitors in cars, on bikes and on foot tried to write themselves (and their dog on one occcasion)
Spent the rest of the day in the garden, have finally transplanted the hosta to under the new witch hazel - which is supposed to have red flowers in the spring but has small yellow ribbons already! A check with Crocus is in order I think. Then weeding and tidying, a very productive day. But now it's trying to rain.

Both vet patients seem to be improving. Juno's neck is looking much better and Cara's not huffing quite so much. Got some new alternaitve medicines for them this morning. However, Maia's feeling left out and has developed a gluey ear, a few drops of calendula and Merc Cor pills should sort it out.

Vet's sign off (we hope).

2009-08-25T09:20:00.002+01:00

Juno had her stitches out yesterday and has healed well. However, she's got an infection in the skin on her neck, probably where the collar caught on the exposed patch where the blood was taken for pre-anaesthesia checks. So now she's back on the anti0biotics (different ones this time, pink ones which of course means Hebe wants them!) and fuciderm on the oozing patch. It's looking a little better this morning.
Cara is much improved still huffing a little but nowhere near as much and is back to her usual houndish self, didn't realise how off colour (a bit difficult with a grey dog) and quiet she was.

Definite nip of autumn in the air this morning, though it was a bit yesterday but today needed my fleece to go down the yard and out to do jobs this morning. The robins are whistling their territories, a sure sign of the days on the turn.

Vets

2009-08-17T10:05:00.002+01:00

Well, I really think we should take out shares! Juno got a good progress report on Saturday, her wounds are healing well and she's showing no side effects. We've changed Cara appointment to Tuesday afternoon so that she can go straight in for her x-rays and won't have to kept in a holding cage whilst they deal with other cases (very reasonable but a real trauma for Cara).
Hebe, the little monster, has learnt to take the lid of the rubbish bin and is helping herself to kitchen scraps and spreading rubbish across the verandah. She is also standing on the back of the sofa by the window so that she can see out and watch the world go by and give teh rest of the of the pack progress updates in a loud voice.
Although our swifts left about two weeks ago on the way out this morning I heard a single scream and looking up there was one solitary swift circling above the swallows and martins.

Bank holiday weekend

2009-05-25T16:47:00.002+01:00

and we've been out nearly all weekend, but back indoors now so a good time to update the blog.
We've planted, weeded and played in the garden all weekend. And we've been painting some windows a lovely blue / green colour. Maia liked it so much she picked up a bit on her side and has a lovely bluey streak, I think I'd like some blue-lights too - but don't tell my Bean, I think she'd be cross!
It's not all been playtime, I did some practicing with the proper "bring back" stuff, it was very hard but Bean was very happy so that's all right then.
And then I tried to help with the croquet game, those balls are very hard but apparently I'm not supposed to bring those back and had to watch the sidelines - that was not good.

Beans been away

2009-05-21T17:03:00.001+01:00

It's that time of year, the beans have been away fro a day. it's very stressful, we have to keep watch all day for their return and to double sniff all visitors. Our Amy-Amy let us out and took care of us and gave us our tea (a most important job) but then shut us up again and went away and it was years before our beans returned. Cara had a mad spell of throwing dog bag beds around but Boss Bean wouldn't let me join in.

Welcome back

2009-05-21T17:01:00.002+01:00

I know, a veeeerrrrryyyy long time since I last posted anything. But well I've been busy growing up, destroying things - you know the general small labrador sort of thing but I'm nearly two now and have lots more to say, as you can see I have lots more words but still the same interests.

Ball gone missing

2008-06-04T11:15:00.001+01:00

My lovely birthday ball went missing, I've found bits of its stuffing but the ball is no where to be found. However, whilst searching for it I found an open drawer and in there was another sort of ball. This one was hard and smelly, I brought it downstairs to play with and chew a bit. When I started breaking bits off it left foamy bits in my mouth that tasted disgusting so I left it alone and went to find my GirlBean, she took one look at me with white lather all round my mouth and promptly dunked my head in the water bucket which also filled with the foamy stuff, so she threw it away, filled the bucket with lovely fresh water and then did it again and not only that but she poured water into my mouth and rubbed round my teeth - yuck! But it got rid of the foul taste and the foam.

It's my Birthday!

2008-06-02T10:13:00.003+01:00

Today I am ONE!!!!

I like birthday's.

I got a soft football, two pairs of socks of my very own and a purple softie that might be a cat or could be a dog but what ever it's called 'Purple Thing', it's got beads in it and it's brill for throwing around. The ball's good for that too and for pulling out the stuffing which is squishy and wiry, strange but nice.

Sorry about the long break, I have been keeping my blog, but just not finding time to post it online. I'll get Bean to post it somewhere and give you a link.

gardens in the rain

2007-12-03T17:01:00.000Z

We had a busy weekend, on Saturday I got two walks, the first with both M+J and the second on my own, and we played for hours in the garden, the beans were moving bits of garden around – very strange. Sunday was one longish walk to collect the paper from the post office but then it started raining and it seems that beans aren't waterproof like me, I know I get wet but my skin stays warm and dry – it's really good, I just shake and go. Instead of another walk we played fetch indoors and wreck the cardboard box, I'm very good at that, but after tea I still had lots of energy and was rather bored so I asked Cara to play and she said yes but the beans said no – boring old beans. So I snoozled for a bit and then woke ready to go again and this time my bean gave me a kong stuffed with bread and cheese, that was lovely and kept me quiet for a while, until almost bed time.

Today I've been having 'serious training' I'm not sure about this, it involves lovely meaty treats, today it was corned beef, but it also means having to behave and if I forget myself, which if I'm honest I do rather easily, I'm a Gemini with a butterfly brain apparently, then I get pulled into line and growled at or ignored and I don't like that.

I'm back!

2007-11-30T15:39:00.000Z

I'm not very good at this – when we're near computers all I do is sleep, work is sooooo boring.

But when we're not near computers – wow, can I go.

I'm nearly all growed up now and am wearing grown up clothes – meaning yesterday I took off my second puppy collar and when I'm at home I don't wear another one, just my dogskin. Although unlike J+M I still wear a collar when out and about along with my lovely burgundy slip lead. I got a brand new snazzy black leather collar yesterday but the Mother Bean says I look like a rotweiler – rotten thing. We go out nearly every day to fetch the newspaper from the Post Office, I'm very good at this. Then sometimes we go again but now it's usually dark and we need the portable light (Maia says it's a torch and I must start using the proper words) so sometimes we play fetch indoors or in the garden which I think I like even better than going out in the dark on a string. But a bad thing now all big is that I don’t seem get supper any more, I have once this week but it was hardly worth calling supper more of a snack, still a Labrador never turns her nose up at anything even vaguely edible.

Ah, so that's what's it's for.

2007-10-17T16:05:00.001+01:00

I didn't like to write before as it's been very difficult and has upset the household no end – but at last I understand. The puppy really is for me. We went for a proper, off the lead, walk down the incline and Hebe came too. It was brilliant she ran with me and I was brave enough to run out of sight of the Girl. I've not felt able to do that on my own, so that's absolutely ages ago since Juno last came for real walks with us. I ran and ran and ran and Hebe ran too but she did begin to tire and she can't really run as fast as me but even so it was great. I hope we go again soon.

sorry, folks - I've been busy.

2007-10-05T12:14:00.000+01:00

I've been very busy - too busy to tell you all about it. But when I write it down it sounds rather boring.

I've done lots of walking, a bit of training, been out in the big black car on the back seat wearing my green harness (which has had to be let out a couple of times) and in the dog compartment with Maia. But nothing really exciting has happened. We go to work, I sleep, I go out, I sleep some more, we finish work, we eat, I go for a walk, I torment the hound a bit, we watch the box with the moving pictures, especially the game with the oval ball which makes the Beans very excited, we all go to bed – and that's it really. Although I have been making some discoveries when not sleeping.

I like I like loo roll, just like the puppy on the television (all loo roll now removed from range –Beans are rotten).

I like gardening – well I think I do, bull rushes are very tasty, sweet pea flowers are quite tasty too. But I have found some plants that fight back, there's the green one that stings and the long spiky one that grabs you which is very painful if it's your ear or nose. I also met the buzzy stripy flying things, they go crunch but apparently (according to Cara) they can make your mouth blow up – which would not be good, I have to eat. But I have discovered digging which is very good so perhaps I'll be archaeologist.

On the new front: I have several new teeth and a new collar too.

Also I got weighed, I'm now 2stone 12lbs or roughly 18kg, our scales aren't that accurate.

New teeth, new toys.

2007-09-17T17:16:00.000+01:00

I have two new teeth – they're going to be my big teeth, I think I ate the little needley ones.

I also have a new toy – it's called Wayne Deer (new teeth have caused a speech impediment!). He's bigger than I am and lovely and soft with several sticky out bits which are perfect for testing my new teeth and working my annoying old ones. I had a purple rubber bone as well but I was rather too good at chewing and it only lasted 15 minutes before the Beans removed it.

I'm a big brave puppy, I am.

2007-09-12T13:47:00.001+01:00

Last week there were men in the garden putting up big poles all over my house, I think it's called scaffolding. Today different men arrived and have been banging around on the roof all day (can’t a puppy get any sleep around here?). Well, one of them came into my garden whilst I was out on my own. I didn't think he should be there without permission so I barked at him, big woofs; although he ignored me and went up the ladder the girls came to see me and The Girl came and told me I was a good girl protecting my garden. So I feel very brave.

Walks and new dish

2007-09-05T11:54:00.000+01:00

I've been out again, lots and lots of times. In the morning I go with the big girls to "get the paper" This means we walk to a building called 'Post Office'; we wait outside whilst The Girl goes in and then comes out again with a bag. Then we go home again. In the last couple of days I've been allowed to run with the girls on our road - without my lead. I go out again in the evening, usually on my own (well, with The Girl but not other dogs) we go lots of different places and see and meet lots of new people and things - it's all sooo exciting. At the weekend I went on my own on a different route and walked across a lot of grass and met these greyish woolly beasts called sheep. I'm not allowed to look at these - not sure why but anyway they're boring so that's OK.

But the really big news is that I have a new dish! it's the same as everyone elses. it's shiny stainless steel and holds more food than my little blue puppy dish. I'm growing fast and need lots of Euk. I was two stone on Saturday, that's around 13kg.

I went for a WALK!

2007-08-27T16:29:00.001+01:00

What a big exciting world it is out there.

I went out of the gate on my new lead! Maia and I walked (well pranced a bit) 'around the block' turn left out of the gate, through another gate, along a hard road, across a bit of grass, along another road, turn left again and along our rumbly bumby road back our gate. I saw so many new things, hedges, gardens, people and cars. Loads of new smells too. Oh wow – can I go again please???

Ah, that's what it's for!

2007-08-24T15:17:00.000+01:00

I know what the green harness is for. You wear it to go in the back of the car, not on the dog shelf but sitting on the back seat! We tried it out yesterday evening. I'm not sure about it, the other girls know where they sit and I've not found my place yet, I'm sure they'll make space for me; we'll have to try again.

New Clothes

2007-08-23T16:24:00.001+01:00

Yesterday (Wednesday) was very good. To start with I got a new lead. It very smart, rope like the big girls but it clips onto my collar. It's a lovely shade of deep purply-red. And for once it's brand new not a hand-me-down. I got to try it out by walking round the garden, it goes very well. Then after a bit of sleep we went upstairs and flapped a yellow duster around – that's great fun. We also looked in lots more cupboards and out of one of them came a green harness. It fits round my chest and over my back; the girl fiddled with the straps and buckles and made it fit me very comfortably. I can run and jump and play and it doesn't bother me at all. But then it was taken off and I've not seen it since.

A weekend of outings.

2007-08-21T16:48:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I went in the car four times! First time was to the vet for another needle. It was very interesting. There were lots of other animals and I got weighed again. I'm 9.7kg – even the vet (a nice lady vet this time) said I was big for my age and she commented on the glossiness of my coat. Then back in the car for trip number two and this time we came back to the house. I was just settling down when I was put in the car again; this was a quick one with a very short stop but only The Mother got out of the car and then got back in and we ended up back at the house. I had a good sleep after that and then – we got in the car again! This time all my people got out and I was left in the car with only Maia. But it wasn't for too long and my Girl came back and we set off again only to end up back at the house again. After tea the other black girls went out (in the car I think) leaving me to play with Cara. When they came back they brought nice smells of food. We got some of it, it's called rice and it's sticky but tastes very nice which makes it worth while chasing the silly little bits all over the floor.

I'm getting very good at stairs now and can even manage to dismantle and climb over the barrier at the bottom of the stairs to go exploring.

I've had some more time walking round and round the garden on my lead. I think I'm getting better.

More adventures....

2007-08-17T18:12:00.000+01:00

Monday - We had visitors today. Flag came to say hello, he's been in the wars and is wearing the most ridiculous lampshade. He was quite embarrassed about it and didn't want to play.

Tuesday – today's excitement was a new toy – it's a bell with a ball around it and it jingles when you roll it. It's really, really good. And more visitors, the people from the 'shop' (whatever that is) came to say 'Hi', they really liked me and stayed for a while. They have two Labradors but I wasn't allowed to meet them.

Wednesday – another boring day although there was a delivery of lots of boxes which were carried upstairs. After the boxes went upstairs they came back down again! My people do some very strange things. But I was allowed to investigate the boxes and I had lots of bits of cardboard to play with. I like cardboard. Later on after tea I worked out how to get past the boxes and climb the stairs, it's really good up there, lots of new rooms and things to sniff, lick, pounce on. And the doggie in the window is still there, I wonder it what it does when we're not there. I hope it doesn't get lonely.

When I went out after supper there was a strange browny green waddling thing, it didn’t taste very nice at all. Maia says it's a toad and to pick them up you carefully slide your bottom jaw under its belly and lift, that way you don't get the nasty taste on your tongue, but I don't think my mouth is big enough yet. I hope it comes back soon then I can try it.

Thursday. More office work, but I've been upstairs again. I really do like it up there. I walked round the garden on my lead again today. I'd still rather explore on my own but then again I do like all the good girls.

Oh no.

2007-08-17T15:44:00.001+01:00

That damn puppy is now back in our bedroom so there's no rest at all. I must say it's stopped yipping and Maia is very good at diversions.

We had an interesting weekend.

2007-08-17T15:42:00.000+01:00

Friday was a boring day, in the office again and despite my best efforts I couldn't distract the people but later on we opened lots of boxes and did things with heaps of paper. I like the boxes, they are lovely for chewing. Having had a boring day I wasn't very tired so I kept calling for playmates and distractions, but my people didn't seem too pleased to be out playing in the garden whilst it was still dark. Saturday morning we did interesting things in the house and garden, I got to investigate those cupboards again, I've not found any more yet but I'm sure there must be some somewhere. We trued the string on my collar again and I discovered that Maia has one too! She doesn't have a collar like mine just a big blue bit of rope that goes over her head. It's a lovely bit of rope just the right size for my mouth. We walked round and round the garden and backwards and forwards. Apparently this is 'doing figures of eight' whatever that is. Well whatever it is I get lots of good girls so I think I like it. In the afternoon the people watched that rugby again, it took longer this time so that was lots of time to sleep. As I'd slept so much during the day I didn't really need to go to bed when it got dark but everyone else went so I thought I would too but I was bored so I decided to explore what I can fit in my mouth. It turn's out to be lots of things if I scrabble at them with my paws first and then gnaw a bit. I like plaster but not wallpaper – that's sticky and tastes funny. But even with all that to entertain me I get lonely and cried for company. It was the Girl who came to see me tonight and she wasn't happy at all. I thought she'd be lonely too and would want to play. Apparently not – oh well.

So eventually we get to Sunday morning and everyone is up and about. We did interesting things in the big doghouse. Everything got moved and there was loads of fluff – I love fluff – but it was all swept up and put in the big black bin. Then even more amazing my cage bed was flattened, moved and made 3d again but in the doghouse! Wow…. And when it was dark that was where I went to bed, with the other black girls but no hound. I don't know where she went but she was there again on Monday morning so it can't have been that far. Everyone keep disappearing up those stairs, I must try to get upstairs again and have another explore.

(sorry it's late folks - there so much to do I keep forgetting to tell you all about it!)

Lots and lots of news

2007-08-10T17:04:00.000+01:00

I have such a lot to tell you. The vital bit of electric string that connects Goathland with the rest of the world broke and we've been incommunicado ever since – well until now obviously.

Monday was a day of discoveries. First I discovered cupboards – this house has lots of them, some of them with plates in, others with human bean food, some hot ones (called aga), others which are cold and called fridge and one which is very, very, very cold and is called freezer. Then there are magic cupboards there's the one with the round door where the people put in nice smelly clothes and they come out all wet and not smelly. And then there the one where all the plates that I'd like to lick go, they stay there for a day or so and like the clothes they come our all clean too.
After my post-lunch snooze I went out and found this lovely black rock it leaves black lines on the yard and makes my tongue all black too. The people didn’t approve and took it away, Maia says it called coal and they burn it in the winter to make a lovely warm fire (not sure what all of that is yet but I'll let you know). My last discovery of the day was the big black car which is called discovery – it says it on the door. Maia and I got in the big door at the back and Juno sat on the seat in front– don't know why she doesn't come with us, perhaps there's not enough room. Anyway the noisy bit started and then we went out, I can just see out and I watched some of the world go by, but there was an envelope in the door and tearing that was more interesting. After a bit we stopped and we all got out and guess what? – we'd not gone anywhere at all we were still outside the house, this needs more investigation.

Tuesday I went off on an adventure. There are lots of stairs, the people and Maia too sometime go up them. Well, obviously, I was curious and wanted to know why they kept going up them, so I saved my energy and I went up too. There's another whole house up there – it's amazing. And there's this strange window which has another little doggie in it – wherever I went it followed but it couldn't come out of the window so I had to leave it behind.

Wednesday was a bit boring. There are boxes on the stairs and I can't get past them to carry on my adventure. The people seemed very concerned about the lack of string to the rest of the world and much time was spent plugging in new bits of string and new bits of machinery appeared – it all made strange noises and so did the people there were lots of sighs and huffs and grunts. After tea we went in the big black car again, we were in there longer and the view was different but we ended up back at the house again – very strange we'll have to go again.

Thursday was another boring day in the office – it's very tiring this 'work' lark. In the evening when it got cooler I was playing the garden practising being a gardener which was great. Then all the other dogs were made to go inside and the Girl attached a bit of rope to my collar and pulled it. I didn’t like that and tried my very best to stop it and I yelped and pulled backwards at one point I even fell over but my Girl who is usually so kind and caring just stood there and watched me. When I stood up again and walked a little bit she told me I was good girl and we went a bit further. Then I tried to get out of my collar again and my Girl just stood and stopped talking to me. I like being talked to especially when it's nice words like good girl and well done. I seem to get these when I walk along so I'll try that for a bit and see how it goes – I'll let you know the results.

What a busy weekend.

2007-08-06T14:37:00.000+01:00

On Friday afternoon I woke up from my post lunchtime snooze and I was wearing my frock (that's a collar to the uninitiated) I'm not sure I like it that much although everyone says how fetching it looks. It's a bit annoying but I forget about it quite quickly.

Saturday we went in the big black car, I sat on The Mother's lap. It was a long way and I got a bit restless so they pressed a button and suddenly a strange man started singing out of the door – most peculiar but it didn't last long. We stopped and The Girl carried me to a new building, I had to sit still for a bit and then another strange man called us into a room. He looked at me and poked and prodded a bit and THEN he stuck a needle in my scruff – it's a good job I've got lots of spare skin there otherwise it would have really, really hurt but I'm a big bold girl so I didn't grumble about it. I got weighed too, I've put on 1.25kilos in a week, I'm now 7.75kg! After that we came back home and I slept a lot. Maia and Juno say the man with the needle is call 'Vet'.

Saturday evening we watched the talking box - this is really interesting with moving pictures and sound. It was obviously very good because the humans kept jumping up and down and shouting. Maia says it's something called rugby and they normally do this in the winter not usually in the summer.

More discoveries on Sunday. We did lots of things and did lots of sleeping because it was sooo hot! I know about rain we've had lots of that since I was born but this hot ball of fire in the sky is something new. And then I met the guinea pigs. These are small brown and white beings, they go 'weeeaak' and scuttle about a bit in a cage on the grass. They seem quite friendly and came to greet me but they went back to munching the grass and when the cage is moved they behind lovely long bits of very chewy paper. Cara likes these too.

I love my puppy!

2007-08-03T16:35:00.000+01:00

I love my puppy although I wish she would leave my ears alone, I've got a thing about my ears and she insists on inspecting them. I have to keep telling her to leave them alone. She's not leaving me as much food now but we cuddle up to snooze and I protect her from strange things. The Girl keeps telling me what a good girl I am so she's obviously pleased we're getting on so well.

It's learning

2007-08-03T15:51:00.001+01:00

Well, it's still yipping at me but we're all getting lots of attention. However, I'm settled in my routine and she keeps interrupting me especially when I'm sleeping, as boss (and most senior) of this pack I need a lot of sleep. She's learning to play nicely but does seem a little slow in learning her lessons. I'm sure she'll there – Cara did in the end.

More photos

2007-08-01T16:17:00.000+01:00

So click on "Photos of Me" in the left margin.

I've been very busy, in fact I was a bit too busy yesterday so today I've mostly slept. I still found time for a new activity - it's called gardening and it involves a long green snake which makes strange noises, big containers of water which splash all over, and sometime you pull up plants - I'm very good at that. Perhaps that's what I'll be - a gardener.

What a lot of words

2007-07-31T16:23:00.000+01:00

I'm learning lots of new words, I know my name – it's Hebe by the way; I know "No" – I don't like that one and I seem to hear it a lot; I think I know "come here" and "drop" means that whatever I'm carrying is about to be removed – again I don't much like that one. "Good girl" I hear a lot and I like that one because it's usually with a cuddle and I like lots of those.

Today I met a new beast it's called a hoover. It makes a lot of noise for no apparent reason, not sure I like that either but the girls don't seem to mind.

I like it here. I was a bit lonely to begin with and I missed my playmates but I've got loads of toys and I don't have to share them which is great.

By the way the flashing thing (Juno says it's a camera) has been out again so some new photos soon...

I've joined a choir.

2007-07-30T16:53:00.001+01:00

We practice at dawn or in the early morning. I'm not sure I understand this, I get a-aahed at for barking in the house and the other dogs scowl at me when I yip to invite them to play but then I asked to be let out this morning and the big grey one joined in and then Boss Juno did too but not my friend Maia. We sang for a couple of verses and then we all went out to play on the big grassy area. Then it was breakfast and then outside again and then – oh it was all too much I had to go to sleep.

Oh, wow a puppy all of my very own.

2007-07-30T11:02:00.001+01:00

This is fantastic. We run, we play, I get to finish her meals of which there seem to be loads more than I get. And when she's asleep I get to play with the Girl and I'm getting extra cuddles which is great.

Ho Hum.

2007-07-30T10:57:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure about this at all.
Blasted puppy keeps waking me up and yipping at me, I growl back and it stops but I have a feeling it's going to take a while for it to learn its manners. But on the plus side I've been allowed back on the sofa and anything that prompts that is, I suppose, alright by me. Monday morning is going almost like normal we're back in the office and I can have a good sleep. My sister Polly came to visit - her Janey wanted to see the puppy. Pol and I had a good grumpy old dog session, she's been staying with family who've got a Rottweiler puppy which she says has very big teeth - at least we've not got big teeth...yet.

Big news - new start

2007-07-29T13:12:00.000+01:00

On Thursday big brother Dan went away with some people. On Saturday my people came and I left the rest of my litter behind and started on my new life. I was sad to leave them and I don’t think they really wanted me to go but this is what we’ve been getting ready for.
After a short time in a moving box - they tell me it’s called a car – we arrived at my new home. I was carried into a large room with lots of furniture and then a Labrador came to greet me. I like her a lot, she’s called Maia. After we’d said hello we then went into a different room and there was another Labrador and a huge grey dog she's an Irish Wolfhound, I’m not sure about her she’s a bit big and rather standoffish. I ran around and around and played with Maia and barked at Juno (she’s the other Labrador) but it’s been a very busy day so I fell asleep under the table.
When I woke up I went outside, the other Labradors came too, we explored the garden it’s got loads of places to hide and things to pick up and run around with and loads of space to dash backwards and forwards, oh and there are lots of plants to nibble and chew too. So much to do…..

more on 'the cage'

2007-07-27T11:29:00.000+01:00

Not sure I approve of developments. Cara cage was moved into my doghouse yesterday. Maia was quite happy hoping in and out but it's taking up space and Cara won't fit in so everyone had to be on the big mattress. It worked out OK though, Maia slept in the cage, I wonder if she'll do that with the pup? And there have been muttering about sorting out the toybox, now that is definitely not acceptable. We do have rather a lot but I think I'll have to hide my favourites.

Big developments

2007-07-23T14:39:00.000+01:00

The people hauled Cara's (she's the Irish Wolfhound) cage out of the store room – I helped of course. It was a big thing, we had to move the old trunks, the big box of bonios, log baskets, bins of bird food, big white cushions and then lift up and over the trunks and assorted boxes. It rattled and clanked and finally was out on the landing, covered in lovely cobwebs, while I investigated these to see if any spiders remained the people pushed all the junk back to the end of the store room. Then they carried the cage (or indoor kennel as they insist on calling it) downstairs, the cobwebs got mostly removed and the thing put together. I'd forgotten how big it really is although Cara can't get in it now. Poor her, it's a good place to be as you get treats, food and toys but I'm not that keen on having the door closed behind me.

The Diary of Black Labrador

2007-07-16T15:37:00.001+01:00

Maia's first thoughts

2007-07-16T12:11:00.000+01:00

I'm getting very excited about the new arrival. I like the idea of having a new play mate although I'm not sure if I want to share all my toys, I do like having Bill around and he's OK with my toys but he goes home at the end of the day and he's not here every day. I'm not sure about having to share The Girl, she promises me that it will be fine – we'll see, I'll have to ask Juno see what she thinks.

Growing up fast -

2007-07-13T13:54:00.001+01:00

Sorry, I'm not very good at this diary lark yet. My life is one long round of eating, sleeping and destroying something. But there are some more photos of us all, we get to go outside now. The outside world is a big green place full of lots of friendly people and lot and lots of things to jump on, in, hide under and chew but it all gets a bit too much sometimes and it's nice to fall in a heap with the rest.

One month old

2007-07-13T13:52:00.000+01:00

We're all four weeks old now and we've got some photos of us. I'm one of this heap.
We're beginning to annoy mum so we're starting on real food. We've all got a bit more energy now and are beginning to get bored so our people very kindly brought us all of these interesting things to mouth and chew.
(oiginally posted 30 June)

Hello world.

2007-06-13T14:22:00.000+01:00

My name is (or rather it will be) Hebe. At the moment I'm a small black bundle in a heap of other black bundles. I'm only a week old - ah - and I'm in a box with my mum, she's called Brandy, and my three brothers and one sister. My new family came to see me at the weekend but as my eyes aren't open yet I couldn't see them, in case you've not guessed I'm a black labrador puppy. This is my blog, or perhaps a blurt, where I and my family can record all my adventures and growing pains.
Well time to sleep again. More news soon...