OH DEAR!

Morris : Been a quiet week. We went to see Katie but I wasn't really involved. They took my wee sister away and did a whole lot of things to her. I missed her. When she came back she wasn't allowed to run about. She's on the lead for six weeks. This means I get a lot more freedom. I don't have to keep checking on her all the time. Nor does she keep ambushing and attacking me. And I get to give smells a really good sniffing without being interrupted by Mabel sticking her nose in. It has its benefits. On the other hand she is the one that finds things to chase and I'm missing that.

Mabel : Thursday was a bit brutal. They said I was going to visit Katie, our physio, to get some laser on my knee. When I got there Katie gave me an examination and led me off to see a vet. Next thing I know I'm being led away and then I wake up in a strange bed. And then I'm given drugs that make me a bit woozy. I really needed a run to clear my head but I'm not allowed. I had to make do with sticking my head out the window and letting the wind clear my ears. Very fed up. No running. Hurrmmppphh.

Mabel had a bit of a limp. We took her to see their favourite, wonderful physio and hydrotherapist Katie Roethenbaugh, at Greenside Regenerative Therapies and Rehabilitation. Katie gave her a once over and took her off to see one of the vets there Suzie Bendall. The stars alligned. Suzie had a cancellation. She didn't like the feel of Mabel's back right knee. Over the next few hours Mabel was given an absolute work over. Every part of her body was X-rayed, with the practice head Andy Armitage checking in too. At not even 5 years old, it turns out Mabel has bad arthritis in her knee, which has given her arthritis in that left shoulder she's always moaning about. She even has it in her toes. She's on limited walks for six weeks, medication and physio. We cannot convey how amazingly lucky we feel to have Greenside so near. They have become friends and are so supportive. It was perfect fate on Thursday. We are so thankful. Katie and Suzie were just AMAZING. Mabel, like Pam, will always have arthritis but with care, physio and some meds we hope she'll be running again soon. Maybe not up hills and dunes but enough to feel the wind in her ears and enough to seriously irritate Morris.

CLOCK CHANGE.

Mabel and Morris : The clocks have changed and we are out seeing a lot of dawns now. We have to admit the change in time and loss of an hours sleep did knock us a bit. We are up early to catch the early rabbits. We wish!! Met the dog walking group. Mabel just loves Wee Hector. He's a Yorkie. Leader of the pack, he is. Small but feisty.

RUNNING.

Mabel : I like to run. And I like to chase. When we go to the beach I can do both. We went in Pam's car because ir's cheaper to run than Ewen's mobile kennel. Apparently someone has started a war and it's affecting fuel prices??? Anyway, we got to go to the beach again which I just loved.

Morris : She does love to run. She'll chase anything. Rabbits, birds, other dogs but especially me. Just look at her legs in that picture!!!!!

HOLIDAYS.

Mabel and Morris : This is going to be a biggie because we have been away and have been visiting places, meeting new things and an awful lot of new people! It all started at the beginning of February. We left, duriing the night of the first and arrived on the Isle of Wight in the morning. It was our first ferry ride. We were allowed in the main salon because we were so well behaved.

The weather wasn't great but we soon settled in. We went to a beach in Yaverland A LOT. There we could run for ages, play ball, try and attack each other and meet new dogs. It was a really friendly place.

We also discovered Apply beach which we both adored. It was busy and we met lots of new admirers. We played golf, with Ewen, at Freshwater and the people there remembered us , but not Ewen, when we played again.

We walked to see the Needles. Bit scary steep!!

We went to a big house where we fitted in well.

The whole island was really dog friendly, bars, cafes and even restaurants. We were different from any other dog there, so we got a lot of attention.

But that went to a new level when we went to the Cotswolds. There are lots of Asian visitors in the Cotswolds and they hadn't seen dogs like us before. They either avoided us as if we had fleas or they wanted a picture of us......and even wanted their picture taken holding us. It was tiring but Mabel, in particular, showed off. We visited lots of lovely wee villages and towns. We visited Bath and ate out. We went to Glouscester and Cheltenham, Chepstow and Quenington and Bibury and Burford.

Then we went to Oxford and had our picture taken with a bunch of lovely Japanese people who kept stroking us and saying ooooo. In the pub we were surrounded by Australians who reckoned we would be good for the rabbits........ and we got our picture taken. All this fame and attention is lovely but sooooo exhausting It's just cause we're big dogs. Luther, Orry and Murphy would have been the same. All the dogs we saw were wee, apart for the odd Labrador. We had a fab time but getting back to our own beds was just bliss.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hally New Year! We're back. We have had a very busy time doing stuff. But now we are back. Morris: I disgraced myself at the begining of the festive by trying to eat a Santa hat which I then had to wear..

Got over that and had some amazing walks on the beach but then I made a fool of myself again in Christmas day. I managed to get over excited about unwrapping presents and got my head stuck in one of the boxes. Not a good look but fortunately I overcame my embarrassment and managed to thrash Mabel at Brain Gym.

Brilliant Christmas in North Berwick and had a great stretch on 27th at Gullane beach.

Mabel : He did NOT thrash me at Brain Gym. I just couldn't concentrate for laughing. I have to admit I get a tad chilly at this time of year. We received new polo necked jumpers for presents and new waterproof warm coats. I'll model them another time. Morris was so knackered with all the excitement of presents he fell asleep.

Had good walks in Lauder as well as the beach.

And then I need to get wrapped up and rest.

Have to say he did look good in Mum's new hat!!!

MEMORIES!

Mabel : It's been a busy week. We had hydro on Thursday. Thankfully Pam and Ewen slept in so we just had a quick walk before hydro. That meant we weren't quite so exhausted.......... but still appreciated their bed afterwards. Since it's Christmas we also visited Magnus's memorial. I was wearing Mirren's coat.

Maybe that brought back some memories. Someone has put up chimes. It's lovely that som.............RABBIT!!!

Morris: Finishing for my prey activated sister ....it's lovely that someone has put them up and the noise they make is beautiful. Again, lovely to see Katie again. It makes me so happy when I get a massage from her. I love just relaxing, sitting on her lap, in warm water. CHILLED!

SNOW AND SNUGGLES.

Mabel: It's been really chilly here. We've even had snow. I've solved a lot of my warmth problems by staying in their bed or moving on to a "Big Sitting Room " couch where it's warmer. I've heard rumours of "jumpers" maybe we are getting rabbits or kangaroos for Christma??

Morris : My sister can be a bit of an airhead. The jumpers are woolly things we wear to keep warm. I'm not as bare skinned as she is. I have a lot more Deerhound in me, like our Mum, so I have a hairier coat. She's more after our Dad, the Greyhound, and she gets really cold in the winter. Yes, we've had snow and I love it. The big, mobile kennel hasn't been working well so it's been in the garage quite a lot. That means we haven't been anywhere exciting. I help keep Mabel cosy by cuddling up. She may drive me nuts, chase and tease me, but she is my wee sister.