DAWNS!

Mabel: Mum is away and, much as I miss her, getting her side of the bed is just great. I do miss the cuddles as well. Dad, Ewen, has been getting up really early to go cold water swimming and we go with him. It's brilliant. I can run around as much as I like. Must have eaten or drunk something nasty though. Got the runs. Had to take the most horrible stuff but it generally came with some ham or a biscuit so I'm not complaing too much.

Morris : I agree runs were amazing. We also did the Tweed and ran in fields too. I miss Pam too but I had Ewen so I was alright. Mabel misses the hair brushing and general fussing she gets from Pam. I just appreciated access to the bed 24/7.

MASH UNIT.

Morris : It's been a rough week. Last week we had some good runs and then when we came home Pam found we both had some bad cuts and scrapes. This meant she spent time behaving as if she was in a MASH unit. Cleaning, sterilising and bandaging. This meant we couldn't get hydro on Thursday and got laser treatment instead. I am not complaining. As usual, it was wonderful. We both fell asleep when we came home we were so chilled. Glorious.

Mabel: I apparently got the worst of the damage and that is because I am brilliant runner, who gives her all and never lets pain stop her speed. Morris just says I'm a lunatic. I do have a sore paw now but Pam is looking after it. At least I don't allow myself to get overheated. Morris does. We went a walk really early yesterday morning because it was hot. Morris had to take a break and cool down in the Tweed.

I did go into the water but to wash my paws. I prefer that. I also like smelling lovely things. Like rabbits and squirrels and roses.

SUMMER! WE THINK NOT.

Mabel: Not been great weather here, warm but wet which plays with my arthritis. Still managed to have a great run about with our friend Murphy. His tongue doesn't hang out as much as ours do? Why is that?

Also noticed my big brother's bum has got really interesting whorls on each side. I'm sure they will be related to some mathematical formulae but my maths was never that good. I mean I can count how many biscuits I get and if Morris gets more than me but beyond that what use is Calculus to me?

Morris : I'm not going to give her discussion on my hair patterns any time at all. I would like to say we have had some spectacular early morning runs with Ewen. Can I just say Mabel is in all of these pictures. You just can't see her because she has a habit of just taking off into the sunrise.

WEE BREAK.

Mabel: We have been away. We've been visiting New Abbey again which means walks at Southerness and races round fields. The graveyard is very neat which makes Pam happy too. Have to say the weather has been a bit changeable. Lovely one minute and then cold, wet and freezing. I am not a great lover of the cold. My hair is a bit thin, due to my Greyhound father, which makes me get cold easy. I like warm and dry.

Morris: I don't mind where I go as long as I can see Ewen. As to the cold, I am more like our Mum, Deerhound, so I am hairier and can put up with the cold more. I do have to say though....it is June and not very warm at all. On warm days we have also been down to the river to cool in but that was just one day.

Morris and Mabel : We are really sad about the loss of one of our friends, Luther. We didn't know him as well as Magnus and Mirren did, but he was one of our pack. He wasn't very well recently and sadly passed away. We hope he has water to paddle in, sand bunkers to roll in and white couches to relax in, plus a bone to chew and bury. His old pals will be pleased to see him.

BEACH AGAIN!!

Mabel : I am so happy. We've been at the beach again and I was allowed to really run. Met a really sweet Black lab pup. We ran and chased and paddled and splashed. Morris also chased me and tried to be the big boss. I showed him. After that he stuck to playing with a ball and sticking next to Ewen. It was just brilliant. The next day I was really tired and was back at hydro. Katie was really gentle with me. She was saying I have lost muscle but have been really amazing. Happy girlie.

Morris: She's not the only one who has lost some muscle. Because I don't always have to check on her I've not been careering about so much either. That pup at the beach was a godsend. Gave me peace. Knackered her as well. Then hydro on Thursday. So tired. Hope we go back to Low Newton. It was glorious. Mind you, it's always good to get back home to survey my homelands!

MELROSE.

Mabel : I am doing so well but still no mad running about, chasing rabbits or running up hill. But I do feel really good. This morning I ran a field perimeter. All on the flat. No jerking around after things, just a real stretch out. Utter bliss. Ewen's golfing. I'll get his side of the bed.

Morris: Ewen has left me!!! Devastated. I know he'll be home soon but I worry. I'm nowhere happier than just trotting along beside him.

These walks along the River Tweed, in Melrose, are just fabulous.

FUR.

Morris : The walks continue to be brilliant and she's still on the lead. The vets went well on Thursday. Basically I got two more weeks of semi freedom. She can have a trot but no running or chasing. Unfortunately one of her trots took her off into some trees and I had to get back to my guardianship and go find her. We had a lovely paddle though.

Mabel : I have made an incredible recovery. Still need to be careful, and no racing up sand dunes or trying to mutilate Morris but at least I can get off the lead now. The big thing just now is that Pam has been redecorating. I mean I adore the furry throws she lets us sleep on. They are so soft and cosy.

But this new one is just a different leaque. It's my new favourite place and I don't need to go under. I can just lie on top and S. T. R. E. T. C. H !

INJURIES!

Mabel: Well I've had a visit to Katie and she says I'm much better. BUT THEY STILL WON"T LET ME OFF THE LEAD. I'm like this until Friday. They do allow me to trot and I got to paddle on Tuesday but it's all getting so boring. I just want to run and chase and ambush and run. I've also got a boot on. Again. Because we're doing so much walking on hard surfaces my paw is getting hard and I'm getting wax on to soften it. Morris gets to do what he wants but then he's been limping too. He's skinned a pad so he's wearing a boot too. Ewen has a sore knee so he's wearing a support, sometimes two. We are all so decrepit!!

Morris: No matter how sore Pam or Ewen are we always get our walks. I'm enjoying the peace but my paw was sore the past few days. I really skinned a pad on my back paw and had to walk hen-toed and limpy. Mabel says it's because males always make a bigger thing of it when they are ill. Females just have to get on with it. The boot helped. I also enjoyed getting some attention. It's all been about Mabel recently. Making sure she's on the lead, making sure she's getting walked where she can't want to run, keeping us away from rabbit and tree rabbit areas so she doesn't want to chase, no ball throwing because she'd want to run. It's all so BORING!

FED UP!

Mabel : This staying on the lead thing is driving me nuts. I am very fed up. Morris, bless him, doesn't help. He keeps running after things and then coming back and asking me why I'm not running too. We usually chase together. Ii's nice to know he's missing me. I've has laser again and at least it meant I didn't have to do hydro. Just watched Morris do his.

Morris: It's not so much fun chasing things on my own. There's no one to compete with or do pincer moves with or to egg me on. I'm trying to get her involved but she's on the lead all the time. I know she's getting fed up. In the long run I know it's better for her but she is getting a tad upset.

LEADS!

Morris: I am having the most amazing time. Mabel is lead bound so I get to run about without worrying what's she's up to, where she is, or does she need a hand chasing something. I get to play with the ball without being charged down, ambushed or tackled. I've made chums with some new pets because she's not there sticking her nose in, being the life and soul of the party. All in all it's been quite fun. I am more tired because I'm running about more but this is just idyllic. Mabel: I had laser and massage on Wednesday. It was brilliant. I just fell asleep. So warm and relaxing. Things are lookng better already but I'm still on this lead thing. I managed to break it the other day. which astounded everyone. I saw our friends Lexi and Murphy and wanted to say hello. Pulled Ewen over and pulled the lead to bits. Pam kept going on about F=ma or something like that and that I really must have leapt forward.

Anyway, having sore joints means that I need to be comfortable when I lie down. Usually it's Pam who gves me jacket, coat or jumper. Managed to crack Ewen!!!!

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!!!!!