OUR 4TH ANNIVERSARY.

Morris: It's been a busy few days. We've been getting up early and going to the beach. It's apparently good for Mabel's paws. Thursday was especially special. It was our fourth anniversary. Four years since we came to live with Pam and Ewen. So, we went to Gullane beach and it was deserted. We ran and played and chased each other, and paddled, and chased birds and ate treats and chased a ball and had a brilliant time.

Then we went to Musselburgh and had Lorne sausage and we met a Wolfhound puppy called Darcy. She was very shy. Then on Friday, Kitty and Mark visited from Hitchin with their two dogs Gus and Aggie. We were very well behaved and apart from trying to squash Gus, a wee, black spaniel, I behaved very well. Mabel : I have had a great week and my shoulder feels better because my paw feels better. The beach is just amazing. I love to just run and when it's quiet, I can. Morris plays some of the time and we play and chase each other but he likes to stay close to ewen. I like to run about and meet new friends. It's exhausting and fabulous. The visitors were fine but I got over excited and had a wee accident of the toilet kind. Pam was really quick and sleaned it up before anyine saw but i was mortified and had to go and lie down and hide. SO embarrassing. Mabel and Morris : Our brother, Bran, his dad made posters from some of our pictures. Pam has framed them!!!

SEPTEMBER WEATHER.

Morris: Well, I think that's summer over. Temperatures have dropped and its back to raining. We've had our torches and our raincoats on already. We have also had some splendid walks and some really good runs. Mabel and I love to spend the first few minutes of a walk trying to outrun each other. We've stopped tryng to kill each other, which Pam says is a really good thing. All this running about requires a bit of a snooze later!

Mabel: He's not got a lot to worry about. I am being subjected to twice a day pawdicures. Apparently I have Greyhound corns. So I get my feet soaked, waxed and then I have to wear little socks/bootees to help the pressure. It's either this or get the tendons cut. I have amazingly high set paws. Like I'm wearing platform shoes. I actually don't mind the socks. They are amazingly comfortable and they don't stop me running like a cheetah in the Serengeti.

SCHOOLS ARE BACK.

Mabel and Morris : It's a tad chilly here. Temperatures in our back garden have gone from 30C to 12C. Pam is wrapping up warm. We are sleeping better because it's not so close. It's only happened once before, in 49years, Pam didn't go to school this week. We have her at home with us all the time now. Not that she comes more walks but we are hoping that'll change!!xxx

Common Riding 2025.

Mabel: Well that's it all over for another year. Christmas next. All those horses and people. Pam and Ewen were busy so we spent most of the time at home. It was quite warm so probably the best. Been up early for walks but it's already getting darker. The corn is growing now too. We try not to flatten it but it's great fun chasing rabbits.

Haven't caught any. I might have to have ultra sound on my left shoulder. Katie, at hydro, found a wee lump. Vet couldn't feel it the next day but Pam and Ewen are keeping an eye on me. Benefits are, I get a lot of cuddles and free range of the bed. Suits me. Even better was our visit to Seacliff beach the other day, with Murphy.

Morris : I really have to keep an eye on her. If it's not with black labradors and spaniels it's Simon. If she's not sniffing something out she's off chasing after something or other. She loves people and keeps trying to lick them. She's ALWAYS up to something. She is my wee sister and I worry about her. I had to keep Murphy inline the other day when he started sniffing but a growling and a shoulder push sorted him out. I have to just stand and watch her. Been out in our PupMobile too. Great views of the horses.

HOLIDAYS.

Morris : We've been away on a wee journey up north. To a place called Monachyle Mhor on the banks of Loch Doine. It was brilliant. We went on trips to Comrie, Crieff and Lochearnhead. We had our heads out the windows for most of the time. It was just great fun. We were patted and cuddled and photographed and we ate like kings. I do hope we go back.

Mabel: I do hope we go back. Simon would enjoy it too. Very comfortable hotel with lovely staff and food. Grassy banks and lawns to play and lie on. I am sure I could develop a role for myself as a Hotel Reviewer for Dogs. You'll be pleased to hear my nose is healing perfectly. Pam keeps an eye on it with wipes and antibiotic powder. It won't even be seen.

PARTY TIME!

Mabel: It was our birthday party at the weekend. We were missing Mum and Marla this year cause Keith isn't well but Bran was back. It was lovely to see all the humans as well as the brothers. I was the only girl there. I really like Simon. He's a pal of Mac's. We just played all day. We're the fastest so we just ran everyone else of their paws. I did get hurt on the nose, no fault of mine, but it did sting for a while. Mac has recently lost three toes and someone stood on his back paw. It wasn't me but I was lying near Simon and was the nearest, when he lashed out. Even Norman has had an op on his paw to cut a ligament to stop his corns. I liked Simon. He was kind.

Morris : Grief, I had to run about protecting her ALL day. At least I had no distractions this year because I usually try to snuggle up to Mum, Doris and Sis, Marla but they couldn't make it. Us boys all did the "I'm the Big Man" thing for a while but settled down quite quickly. The humans seemed to have a good time too and spent a lot of the time eating. It rained a lot, which didn't bother us, but it irritated them. Then Jenny (hostess) brought out our birthday cake. It's REALLY good. We chomped our way through that pretty quickly. Jenny and Angus have us every year, which is so nice. Norman, their dog, and my brother, is a pretty laid back kinda guy. Bran is bigger then me but I think he's all hair. He's a surfer dude. Goes paddle boarding. Very cool. Mac and Simon are from the New Forest. Simon isn't one of the family but he looks like us. He's Mabel's new beau. At least he's not a labrador or a spaniel........

JULY!

Mabel: It's been lovely and warm and it's been chucking it down. Supreme weather for ticks I think. Pam thought so too which was just as well after our massive walk up the hills with Ewen. It was magnificent. We just ran and ran. We rolled in the heather and played and chased. I loved it. Very tired later but we had good sleeps that afternoon, in the restaurant in Kelso. Scott's Bridge Street Bistro lets Morris and I in and we just lay on our beds ( Pam took them with us) and slept. Great smells too and sometimes bits would fall off the table, like a bit duck or some ice cream.

Morris : It's been lovely recently. We've had great walks first hours of the morning and, in most cases, avoided the rain. Pam's not been out much because it's too early for her and she's had a sore foot. We've been in Dumfries, to New Abbey, which we both adore but the walk the other morning was just brilliant. Me and Ewen and Mabel. Perfect. Bit tired when we got home but we always have lots of cuddles and I even cuddle my wee sister.

MELROSE WEEK.

Morris : It was brilliant on Monday. The weather was great and Pam seems to have woken up from her holiday!!! She suggested a walk along the river Tweed, in Melrose. What a suggestion. We walked, paddled, chased each other, ate biscuits and had an ice cream. What a great day. Have to admit the swing bridge was swinging a bit and that Leonberger was a big chap but other than that it was just a great day out.

Mabel: Pam always has the biscuits so we kept pretty close to her. It is great having her back because I always get lots of cuddles. I gave Morris a good chasing along the river but a biscuit makes him run back to Pam and stops the chase. That ice cream was a joy because we were both knackered and hot when we got back to the car.

OUR HOLIDAYS.

Mabel : Well, in our last post we said we were going away with Ewen. It was just a brilliant four days. He played golf and we went round the course with him. That was a bit tiring because we weren't allowed to run about but we did have pit stops on the way. The best bit was going back to Sandyhills. The tide was out and I could run. Really run, It was just perfect. Miles and miles of open, very flat sand. We did the grave visit before we left and went to put flowers on our humans's parents. Dogs don't do that??

Morris: I do agree. I have to watch my hip, you know, so I love a good run on the flat. Sandyhills is just that.

Of course. When we got home we were just knackered but still enjoyed a visit up Lauder Golf Course. We have a great view of our home and it's good to check everything is alright, afer having been away.

Then we went to Goswick with Ewen and had another beach day.

Mabel and Morris : And just to finish our week we got to play with our pal, Murphy. He even came in the car with us. He can run too and it's good to play with friends your own size!