murphy thoughts from abroad

hello from Norway! We're here visiting friends in beautiful Stavanger to see the New Year in and the only down side is we had to leave Murfs at home. Although he wouldn't like it as they celebrate Hogmanay by setting off fireworks (there were crowds -of men- 6 deep at the firework counters today!) so Murphy would be quite unhappy.

But we have a guest appearance instead from Shannon, Steve & Tina's wonderful Bernese Mountain dog (and 2-year-old Katie's pal, she's rechristened her "Shabby") so we at least do have canine company, if not quite so lively. She's about 8, a good age for her breed, and very fit and healthy; she's a very good leaner, she always comes and leans on you to allow you to clap her.

The old year...

well, poor old murphy is ending the year as he started it... hirpling about with us spending most of our time trying to get him to stop licking his wounded paw...

His limp has become more and more pronounced all week and now he whimpers if you take his paw too roughly so as I was working today I phoned the vet and made an appointment for Richard to take him in (a bit too early for Richard's liking but hey ho, I was up at 6.40am!) and he's on antibiotics and painkillers, to be administered in his food. It's never a problem getting Murphy to take drugs, he thinks everything is a treat - I have to fight him off in the mornings, he wants me to give him my vitamin pills!

Hopefully he won't have to get the lampshade back on to stop him licking it, or we'll all be minus a few kneecaps soon.

Christmas day was lovely, wasn't it? Someone must have heard us all moaning on Christmas eve that we never get white Christmasses anymore, so we woke to a hard frost. Fantastic! I failed to find a church service (difficult to check timings for Christmas Day when you're away the weekend before) so took Murphy a long walk in the woods (at 9am very quiet) and sang christmas carols instead. Not when anyone was about, of course!

Merry Christmas everyone! woof woof!

greetings from Glasgow

Hello from the wet west coast! It was lovely coming down on the train, I much prefer it to driving. I'd love to bring the murfer down with me but the thought of him lurking under a table or trying to sit on everyone instead rather puts me off taking him on a train.

Poor fellow has been in the wars again - his paw was bleeding quite a lot this morning so I cut short his walk (it was only 5 minutes, he was NOT impressed!) and took him home to bathe it in salt water. He doesn't seem to feel any pain but appears to have pulled out one of his claws... don't know whether he's done it previously and it's opened up again or whether he just did it this morning... as usual it's an awkward time with everything closing for Christmas (he stood on glass two years ago in Glasgow at New Year - as you do - and we had to wait a few days to get him to the vets). Richard says he's fine though, so we'll see how it goes. But I don't want bloody pawprints all over the carpets!

Christmas

I introduced Murphy to the crib this morning - it's on the littlest coffee table next to the tree. I sat him down in front of it and pointed out the baby Jesus, and the kings, and the shepherd etc. He listened carefully and had a good old sniff at them all.

"hmm...not food" he thought, and wandered off....

Sunday

ohmygod, stoopid dog! We put the Christmas tree up and decorated it on Sunday - Emily wrapped tinsel round Murphy's neck, he didn't seem to mind and pottered around for a while til I took it off - we needed it for the tree! He hates the (broken) reindeer antlers when we put them on, he stops and scrubs at his face with his paw til he gets them off.

Then he was lying around looking quite woebegon and tired so we thought, "poor Murphy! We've christmassed him out already!"... til Richard came in from the garden with an empty packet, asking if there was supposed to be anything in it - I recognised it - I'd taken it out the freezer to defrost for breakfast then ran out of time...

No wonder he wasn't looking himself - he'd polished off half a packet of frozen bacon!!

so far so good..

well we've had quite a quiet time of it so far.. unlike last year when Murphy managed to embarrass me on 3 levels all at once..

I'd been at a Christmas night out the night before so changed into my PJ's in the bathroom upstairs so as not to wake Richard; at 9am the next morning the doorbell rang and I legged it downstairs, opening the door and keeping a hand on Murphy's collar (he likes to investigate all potential visitors) - it was the usual parcel delivery man so there I was in my vest and PJ bottoms (wishing I'd put a dressing gown or jumper on), listening to him tell me about how the last time he'd left a parcel round the back Murphy jumped on him and knocked him over - but that really the dog was just being friendly, wasn't "she"...

...when out came the monster himself with something in his mouth (he'd obviously got bored with the tale of his past doings). I didn't have my contact lenses in so had to screw my eyes up to see.... horrors!... he was trying to give my bra to the postie!....

home again

Well, we went off for a busy weekend in London and left poor old Murfs behind. He didn't mind, he got to go stay with Lou, the dogwalker and his favourite person (besides us. of course) - she lets him sleep on the bed! She asked me once if we eat at the table all the time - she obviously doesn't cos she said was having a chinese with a friend one evening when she had Murphy and "if he was any closer to me he'd have been sitting in my lap!" .... the main reason we eat at the table...