home sweet home

We were off again at the weekend, so Murfs had another holiday. The dogwalker took him off to visit her brother with the 11 working dogs, so he had a great time running around and got lots of exercise - and food! They had a BBQ on the saturday night and once it cooled down he and a partner in crime (Jack by name) were discovered nicking sausages and veggie burgers off it! That's my boy...

Meanwhile we were on a beach in Cornwall watching a pair of golden retrievers play with each other in that rough-and-tumble way, straight through the middle of someone's picnic!

We went away for my birthday and check out the photo - we're all smiling for the camera but look at where Murphy's looking...

the day after my birthday

murphy's contribution - after some persuasion he came with me at 4.30am to go and see the sunrise on my momentous day - he recovered from his initial lethargy enough to make me scared he was going to start barking up a tree as normal, he was so bouncy. There's rabbits EVERYWHERE at that time in the morning!

He didn't quite get the idea of the whole "commune with nature and reflect on your life" thing about it though - it's quite hard to do with a large dog sitting on you and trying to lick your face! It knackered him so much though that he missed breakfast. we went back to bed and he slept through Richard getting up and I assumed he'd been fed. Och well, it'll do him no harm.

We have picture of domestic bliss tonight - Richard watching the Champion's League Final on TV, Emily writing her report for college, me blogging and Murphy stretched out on the sofa next to Emily, fast asleep with his head on the cat's cushion - his only chance at revenge

PS he didn't get to give his real contribution - as you can see from the photo he only had eyes for the cake!

an exciting night

what a time Murphy had last night! I had the girls round to see the wedding photos and (the real reason) have a drink and a catchup. Lynn & Julia came (sans dogs) and Murphy was just SO delighted to see them! He tried to sit on Lynn twice during the evening and had to be dragged off. It was a bit of a shame really, all the nibbles were on the coffee table which is just at shoulder height for him, but to give him his due he only licked one plate! - and that was after we'd had pizza slices and the plate was finished with...

Gizzy stayed very aloof most of the time, asleep in the sun room. She came and gave us the once over, walked over Karen and Julia then retired to the turn in the stairs - another favourite corner

NYC - a different breed

If anyone's out there, sorry I haven't posted for a wee while. I've no idea what date it is but we're off on our travels again, without the monsters. We're in New York, city that never sleeps etc etc - and aving a whale of a time, I have to say! you really can eat any sort of food - we've been reliving past enjoyments and been to a cajun place, last night was greek and we've of course had italian too.

We had fantastic weather (spent the first afternoon drinking wine in Central park laughing (or wondering) at the odd sort of rowing there was going on on the boating pond) and wondered why wellies,albeit highly pattered/decorated - were so big for the fashionable NY ladees - we found out yesterday! It poured all day and the puddles were immense...

Only heard of one doing of the Murfs in our absence - a 6.30am call from Emily saying he had a tick - so altogether seems like all going well. Richard wouldn't let me buy a doggy raincoat for him though, so he's going to be very disappointed, I'm afraid....

wednesday morning

Gizzy brought in a mouse on Wednesday morning - a live one, then dropped it when Murphy came and stood over her and looked down - she went outside, the mouse ran under the shelves and Murphy thought his job was done and came over for praise... but got bundled out of the way so Gizzy would come back in and remove the mouse. She did - one paw under and into the mouth and off she went - unfortunately she ran upstairs with it and under our bed! Richard had a day off and was trying to have a lie-in - not possible when I'm running round screaming at the cat...