The handbag's going nowhere.

I've been watching Mum and I've noticed that when she goes out and leaves us she always takes this bag with her SO....

I've started lying on it. That way, if she can't get her bag she can't go out and leave us.

I've also got Freddy, my new toy - I call him Freddy because he's a Frog (Fr) but he's like a Teddy (eddy).

I'm trying to keep him away from our Brandy 'cos he's chewing all the toys and I don't want him to chew Freddy......

That's my job!

Christmas has been and gone!

Mum had promised us that when we woke up on Christmas morning, she would take us for a long walk and then we could open our presents. She has told us the story of Christmas and why we get presents, but we don't really understand how the story relates to us, but we do understand about presents!

All the snow from last week had gone and we had a lovely, long walk in the warm sunshine. This is us on our way back home, hoping Dad had some bacon ready for our breakfast, as he sometimes does.



And he did, a special treat for Christmas, real bacon for breakfast - thanks Dad! The we opened our presents. New toys - we had a Goofy and a Donald Duck. We also had some frogs from Aunty Lucy and some treats but we started on Goofy and Donald first. Our main job is to chew off anything that sticks out, the label, Goofy's teeth and Donald's hair were all gone in the frst 10 minutes.

Later, the frogs'll get it!

Later on we helped Dad carve the turkey, knowing that if we were really good and helped, we would get a little bit for our dinner. Yummee!

Christmas was good this week, I wonder if we have long to wait for the next one?

Winter arrived overnight.

The last time I saw snow was April 2008, when I was just 5 months old. Mum says it was when we used to live in Sheffield. She's shown me photos of me and our Brandy playing in it,

but I don't remember.

Now we get snow here, this was last weekend when we got our second lot of snow. It only lasted for a day so we had to get out there and play in it really quickly before it all melted. Mum says we'll get lots more soon.

Mum says it's nearly Christmas, so we helped her to decorate the tree. It looks like a tree but it doesn't smell like a tree, we prefer the trees outside, they have lots of smells and are much more interesting, but Mum likes this one, so we were happy to help.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Where does the time go?

A week after we moved to our new house, we had our 2nd birthday - can you believe we are 2 years old already? Aunty Lucy and Sophie came over and we had Chicken McNuggets for tea, had a lovely walk and we got some new presents. This is us with our presents from Aunty Lucy, she always gets us good toys.




Our Brandy was a bit sensible and sat at the back of the settee with his, me? I like to live dangerously!




But there are times when it pays to be more attentive.....



Ooops!

I'm probably better off on the floor!

Hey up Bruv, this is mine - stick to your own!

A new wallet for Daddy’s Christmas.

It’s a while since I’ve been able to use the computer ‘cos Mum’s been too busy to help me so I’ve lots to tell you but as it’s Christmas soon I thought I would tell you about what we need to buy our Dad for Christmas – he wants a new wallet.

How can we be so sure?

‘Cos this morning we ate his old one!

Ooops!

Mum had gone shopping and Dad was working in the utility room so me and our Brandy was bored. We had already got into trouble with Mum for pulling the toilet paper off the roll all the way to the door so we knew we couldn’t do that again today and get away with it, so we went to lay down in the bedroom.

And that’s we saw this thing on the table next to where Dad sleeps. It smelled really good and we could reach it so we had a closer look and it all opened up and we found some paper in there that was similar to the loo paper we like to chew, so we pulled at it and got it out.

One had €5 on the corner and that was quite chewy, the next one had €10 on the corner and that one was really quite nice so we ate them both. There was one with €50 on but we had only just started to try that one when Dad came in.

The he started shouting……….

Really loud!

Our Brandy and me ran into our dog crate out of the way ‘cos Mum wasn’t here to hide behind.

We heard Dad on the phone to Mum asking: ‘do you know whether the copy of my driver’s licence in my wallet is a copy or the original?’

Whatever Mum said must have been OK, ‘cos Dad didn’t shout anymore.

So, we now have to buy Dad a new wallet at the market on Saturday.

Ooops!

All systems go!

Brandy and me have been really busy for the last 2 weeks making sure that Mum & Dad don't get too lazy while fixing up our new home. We are having so much fun exploring our new place, but we need to make sure Mum & Dad stick at it. Sometimes, Mum comes and sits outside in the sun with us and sometimes she takes us for a long walk all over the place. It's strange because we are used to seeing other dogs and other people when we are out on walks, but now we don't see anyone, but it also means we don't have to have our leads on and we can run around all day, if we want to.

Sophie is coming to stay in a couple ofweeks, and she'll be with us for ages, so we will have loads of places to take her.

Mum says we're moving in on Sunday, whatever that means!

Mum keeps checking my ears because now they are all better, she doesn't want them to get sore again and she's a bit worried I picked something up on one of our walks. I don't want them to get sore again either 'cos I didn't like having them drops in my ears - that was all yucky!

I've not been very well this week.

Mum noticed a few days ago that I was shaking my head a lot, and then she looked in my ears and saw that one of them was really dirty. So, out came the baby wipes and cotton buds and she set to, cleaning my ears - yuch!

A couple of days later it was still as bad and I was still shaking my head a lot 'cos it felt all funny, so she took me to the vet. He had a look and said I had an infection and needed tablets, and ear drops. Now, I don't mind taking the tablets but really don't like having the drops in my ear.

I've been taking the tablets for a few days now and it's a lot better. I don't shake my head as much and Mum says I don't need the drops anymore, only the tablets.

Our Brandy's not had the infection, so he hasn't had to have things stuck in his ears BUT he still gets the same number of buscuits as me. I don't think that's very fair!

We have new harnesses

We've always travelled in the back of the car where we can't see mum or dad and can't really see out of the window.

But this week mum's got us these new harness things so we can sit on the back seat.

This is great 'cos we can see where we are going & we can see mum & dad.

Don't we look good?

Busy Week!

Last week we had visitors from California, which mum says is a really, really long way again

This is Lynn & Andy, who are really good friends of Mum & Dad, and talk with a really odd accent. They been staying for a few days and Andy kept saying we were girls, which got very confusing at times. But he gave good cuddles and rubbed our cheeks which felt nice, so we let him off. They left yesterday.

Then today we've been up to our new house in the mountains. It's brill 'cos there's loads of room to run around and no cars or other dogs or anything. This is me & our Brandy having a look around.

We'd been running around for ages and it got really hot, so I found a bit of shade where I could sleep without Mum and Dad forgetting about me.

I don't know when we'll be moving to our new house but I think it'll be good up there.

All pals together.

Tonight is the first night for ages that it's just me, our Brandy, mum & dad.

Firstly we had Sophie come to stay while her mum was away. She was supposed to go home on Saturday and Craig was due to arrive.

But on Friday, Sophie's mum called to say she wouldn't be home until today and could Sophie stay a few more days.

So since Saturday our house has been crowded out - there was me and Brandy, mum & dad, Craig & Samantha, and Sophie.

It was really hard just to get to my dinner, and bedtime was chaos.

Well, Craig and Sam went home last night

And Aunty Lucy came home today, so we helped Sophie pack her stuff up and she's gone home too.

So tonight, it's just me & our Brandy with mum & dad!

Brill!

A day of highs & lows!

Aunty Lucy still isn't well enough to take Sophie for her morning walks so we're still all going out together, and this morning we went on a really long walk because it wasn't as hot as it's been for ages. We had a brilliant time, running all over the place 'cos Mum had taken or leads off. A definite high!

Then a low - Mum noticed I wasn't as clean as I could be and I was unceremoniously chucked in the back of the car , and once home I was equally unceremoniously dumped in the bath and half drowned.

Then there was another high, 'cos it was a bit colder today and the sun wasn't out this morning, Mum wrapped me in a big towel and sat and cuddled me dry - lovely!

This afternoon our Brandy's been a bully. He wouldn't let me have any dinner, he wouldn't let me have any toys and he wouldn't let me sit next to Mum - another low.

But we've finised on a high - Dad gave us leftovers from their dinner - sirloin steak - served finely chopped - with mixed veg & gravy - delicious!

A good day or a bad day?

On balance - definitely a good day!

I've found a new place to stay cool!

It's still hot here during the day but it is cooler at night. Mum leaves the door to the roof terrace open at night and me & our Brandy lay in front of it to sleep.

But during the day we're always looking for ways to cool down and today I spotted a new place to settle down, what do you think?

Good place?

An unexpected bath..........!

I've been getting on a lot better with Sophie this week, after all we've spent a lot of time with her and she's been really good fun.

So, yesterday when we were all out on our morning walk she told me she knew a really good place to go and explore and I should go with her, so I did.

Now, this was away from Mum and over the hill and I couldn't see my Mum once we got there but Sophie said it would be OK 'cos she knew where Mum was and would be able to take us back after we'd looked around.

I'd never been up there before and our Brandy hadn't come with us so this was the first time I'd been with Sophie on my own. Anyway, we had a good sniff around all the nooks and crannies up there 'cos we could smell something close by.

Then we found it - it was all smelly and gooey and I just couldn't help myself, I had to roll in it. I never stopped to think whether Mum would mind, it was good fun. Sophie just stood by and watched me. After a few minutes I heard Mum calling me & Sophie and we both ran back really quickly because if we go to Mum when she calls us we get a biscuit.

Only, when I got back to Mum she didn't look very happy and she shouted at me and I didn't know what I'd done wrong because I'd run back when she called me. She put me on my lead and made me walk behind her all the way home.

When we got home she made me stay outside and wouldn't let me in with the others and I didn't know why. But the door was open and I could hear her talking to Aunty Lucy and she seemed to keep saying things about me being covered in something really smelly, and Fox poo was mentioned a few times, and that it was everywhere, even in my ears.

Next thing I knew I was being marched straight through the room to where the bath is and I was dumped in the bath and made to stand there for ages while Mum poured water all over me from the shower. Then, as if that's not bad enough, I also got shampoo'ed, then showered down again, and then she did it again.

When Mum seemed to think I was wet enough she wrapped me in a big towel and took me outside. She wasn't happy.

I looked across at Sophie to see if she knew what I'd done wrong and I'm sure she was laughing at me. I think she's done this before and knew what would happen to me if she took me up there. Just as I was getting to like her too!

The bottom step means chocolate buttons!

Every day our Dad sits on the bottom step and gives us a treat of 3 chocolate buttons (each!). This week we've included Sophie. Mum says they're safe for us 'cos they're made from doggy chocolate 'cos the chocolate Mum eats could poison us and make us unwell.

We can all 'sit' for choccy buttons!

Good friends help out in times of need!

Last Friday Sophie came to stay for the day while her Mummy had to go somewhere, and in the end she stayed overnight 'cos her Mummy didn't get back until really, really late.



What we didn't know was that her Mummy had been to hospital because she had a really poorly foot. It's all swollen up and back & blue.

Well, it turns out Lucy has been either stung or bitten, and the poison had gone really bad. She had really bad pains upto her knee and all her leg was bright red and it was just awful. Anyway, when she came back from the hospital she wasn't allowed to walk on it until the swelling's gone down and it's not painful anymore and she has these sticks to help her walk that mum says are crutches. We think they're a bit scary so we stay away from them.

Now, I know what you're thinking, what's all this got to do with me and our Brandy - well, think about it. Sophie's Mum can't walk - so guess who's taking Sophie out - OUR MUM.

So, our routine this week has been up early, in the car, down to get Sophie.

Walk, run, play for about half an hour before the sun gets up.

Then, when we take Sophie back we have to wait while she gets fed, (but we're not allowed anything - does Mum have any idea how difficult that is?) before we get back in the car, back home and breakfast. Actually, thinking about it - our breakfast is a lot nicer than Sophie's. She gets dog biscuity food with a bit of gravy on it whilst we get bacon bits and a drink of chilled milk. Second thoughts Mum, we're happy to wait until we get home.

Then all this is repeated at night - what a palaver. (Mum told me how to spell that word, 'cos it's difficult)

Sophie's mum is getting better but I think it'll be a few more days before we're back to just being me, our Brandy and our Mum! But Mum says you have to help out when you can, and Sophie isn't as bad as she was when we first knew her.

If you can't see her, is she really here?

Mum had phone call today from Aunty Lucy to say she had to go somewhere and could Sophie come and stay with us for the day. Well, we're used to her being here (secretly I quite like her, but don't tell anyone!) so Mum said yes, she could come up.

But I don't think Sophie wants us to know she's here - she's trying to blend into the house - look.

If it wasn't for her white paws - would we know she was here? No chance of Mum losing us like this.

Come on Mum, it's bedtime!

Our boys are never difficult at bedtime, a bedtime pee, a bedtime biscuit and off they go. Last night however, they were ready for bed before we were and this was my boys at 11.15pm last night trying to tell us they wanted to go to bed.

Needless to say, they won!

Caught in the Act!

I've always liked getting the end of the loo roll down and chewing the paper. I like getting old bits of envelope or paper out of mum's waste bin and chewing them. It was something I did as a pup and something I still do today. Often no-one knows it me for sure, so our Brandy sometimes gets blamed as well.......

but today .................

Mum caught me re-handed!

No blaming our Brandy then!

Found some shade.

Mum's told you in her blog how hot it is at the moment, well - how do you think we're finding it in our fur coats. OK, mum keeps them clipped shortish (but she has to leave some fur otherwise we get sunburnt).



Well, this morning after she'd put us in the bath for a rinse down me & Brandy went looking for some shade - and we found some under the chairs - it was nice there because there was a breeze coming round the corner.





It's actually cooler in the house than outside so we tend to stay in most of the time, but we like our early morning walk when it's the coolest part of the day - that's the best part of the day.

This is me, cleaned and clipped!

So, what do you think?

Handsome, or what?

(Thanks for 'blinging' me, Aunty J.)

Watch out, Mum's got the clippers out!

This little blue bag spells trouble for me and our Brandy. How much trouble depends on how many items Mum takes out.

Often it's just this & this:

Occasionally it's also these:

And we know we are in bother when this comes out:

But today, total horror, she also got this out and that means only one thing!

Today, we're getting the works!!! Time to run for cover!

We're not expensive to entertain.

For €1 Mum buys one of these.

It splits into 2 halves and has a little toy, a lollipop and other bits for kids - we don't get those bits.

And then it becomes 2 ice-hockey style pucks which we can chase all over the tiles - it's a great game and if we want to play together we can, and if not - well, we have one each.

This is me out in the garden doing my 'Ronaldo' style footwork.

I look good, don't I?

This is me having collected a few together:

And when we're tired from chasing them around - we just settle down and destroy them!

At least if we get lost, they know where to send us!

When we were little Mum had us micro chipped so that if we got lost the 'officials' would know where to send us back.

When we came to Spain, over a year ago, Mum told us not to get lost because if we did and someone found us - they wouldn't be bringing us back to Mum, they'd be sending us back to Sheffield 'cos that's where our microchips said we lived.

When we moved into this house Mum took us to the vets to get the details changed on our microchips so that they would know to bring us back here to our Mum.

First of all they stuck new bar codes in our passports, it's the little brown bit at the bottom of the page:

It has an embossed (I had to ask Mum about this word) number on it, that puts us on a new register here in Spain:

All this was done in January when we had our rabies boosters.

This was sent off and we were told it would take about 8 weeks for the new info to come through.

Well, it's been a long 8 weeks - but they arrived today. We now have new ID cards - just like real people. We have one each.

Mum's been on the website for me to check they have the correct address for us and it's all OK. This is the website which keeps a list of all the animals in the Murcia region. http://www.siamu.org/ .

Now I know, we live in Almeria - but, our vet is in Murcia so that's why we're on their list. It's not a problem - the return to sender address gets us back to our Mum! Mum said she had to pay to have this done, but that we're worth it.

Halfway up the stairs!

Do you remember the song that Robin (Kermit the frogs nephew) sang - halfway up the stairs?

Well, how could you not think of that when you see our Brinkley's new place to sleep!




Here's a link incase you want to hear it again!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6193790015295984279



Bless!

How to keep cool when it's right hot!

Mum says you are all having hot and because it's unusual you don't know how to stay cool, so this is how it's done!

First fill a bath with cold water...

Then plunge in and get wet.

It's so good - we queue up to get in.

We still need Mum's help to get in but it keeps us cool for ages and ages.

What's orange, full of water and in our garden?

THIS!!!!

It just appeared one day................

Now me and our Brandy have had a look, keeping our distance of course - it could be a trap!

And when nothing happened our Brandy got a bit braver and took a closer look.

And then he told me he'd sussed it out........

It's so that when we get back from walks and we're both really really thirsty - we can both have a drink at the same time! What a brilliant idea!

We had a long walk today.

Please don't disturb me - I'm wacked!

I've found a new place where our Brandy can't get me!

And I can still keep an eye on everything that's going on.