Whooo-hoooo

Whoooo-hooooo its windy.  I love the wind, its exciting.  It makes me run and run and when I come back to Mum I jump up and bump her glasses with my nose ... such fun.  She has to bribe me off with an extra come-back treat.  :))

The wind blows my ears about so that they flap like wings...... I look like I'm gonna take off and fly.

With the wind on my tail I can reach the other side of the field behind me before you could say Jack Robinson.

Mum says the wind today is called Frank.  I didn't know that the wind has names.  Humans are funny you know, fancy giving the wind a name!

Well, Frank blew Mum over.  She was trying to get a pic of me bounding back along the bridleway with my ears flapping and not paying attention to the uneven gound.  Frank caught her and blew her down on the path.  I was there in a flash, jumping all over her, licking her nose and knocking her glasses squiffy.  She really appreciated me helping like that, kept saying my name and something that sounded like gerrofff Callie, Callie gerroff.  Anyway I got an extra treat for helping, so I'm sure she appreciated it.

This is me jumping after a field mouse ... they run then freeze you know, and if I am not sure just where they are I jump up and down - that makes them run again and I have another chance to catch one.  I have done this lots and lots of times now ..... but I still haven't caught one!  Still, you never know your luck, maybe one day.

He DID come ... that fat man in the red coat DID come ...

 Its Christmas morning.

Wake up sleepyheads ...

Oh drat, why?  I'm nice and snuggled and all toasty.  oh alright then .... oh what's this?
  A package ... for me?  Let me get my nose inside then ....I can pull it out all my myself .. I think I know who it comes from ....




I do, I know that smell ...

Thanks, First Dad.  I love it.


Oh my goodness, what's this?  Boz was right there IS a fat man in a red coat who comes down the chimney .... I didn't even hear him land his reindeer on my roof .......
                                                                                      .

Boz said he leaves a toy and treats .. lets get it up onto the bed so I can get at it properly ...

This is fun.  I'm glad I didn't chase him off the roof so he couldn't come down the chimney ...  in fact he can come down my chimney any night he  likes ....








Phew ... that was a job ... glad Mum was there to help, its quite heavy ... bet it got lots of food inside .....









I'll just bat it about a bit first and see if anything falls out ...... no ... oh well, I'll just had to get my nose inside! 

Boz was right ... treats and a squeaky furry thing .. I like this Christmas lark .... how often does it happen?  I'll have to ask Boz ...

I can smell turkey cooking ... oh boy I REALLY like this Christmas lark ....

AND A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOUR'S.

Christmas Visiting

Something really different happened ....

I saw one of my beds being put into the back of the car, and I knew something was up.  I stuck very  close to my folks while they faffed about indoors, then they put me in the back of the car in my bed and we went for a drive.  I knew we weren't going to the field cos it took much longer to get there.  When we did it was somewhere strange.  A house I had not been to before - with a big dog called Boz. Boz is a Rhodesion Ridgeback so he is a big boy.  Mind you he had nice manners and didn't mind me going into his house.  I explored a bit, then smelled something good .... and my folks and Boz's folks sat down to dinner.  I did my best poor starving Pointer act, but no-one was buying it, worse luck.

Boz said that every year at this time a fat man in a red coat parks his sleigh and reindeer on the roof and comes down the chimney ..... well, I'm not sure I'm letting anyone come down MY chimney ...

 Boz and Callie round the Christmas tree

Paying the Price for a Duck Roll

Traumatised.  Totally. ... and it wasn't just Her this time, my lovely Daddy actually helped Her instead of rescuing me! .... the shampoo and buckets of warm water torture .... then, to crown it all, She could still smell some of the good stuff I rolled in ... and she sprayed me, SPRAYED me with that awful dog deodorant stuff .... and she said she could still smell it and that it ought to be done ALL OVER AGAIN .. but Dad did rescue me then - I think he was tired of getting all those buckets of water ... anyway I escaped then.  I'm staying close to Dad .. and not going anywhere near Her nose, no, not all ...

.. but, oh boy, was it worth it!  I managed to get across the river at a shallow part and splashed around in the muddy reeds ... and you will never guess what my nose told me .. DUCKS it said, ducks were here not long ago ... so they must be near ...

I climbed up the bank and found farm fields, lovely to run across the ploughed up mud.  Also they had spread something really pungent all over the place, and I managed to find a spot where they had dropped a heap of it, so I had a lovely lovely roll.  I could see Mum on the other side, waving her arms about and jumping up and down.  Doing exercises or something ... nothing to do with me ...

Had a smashing time, running free and then came back to the river to hunt through the undergrowth on the banks ... and there they were ... three of them .... on the river - sitting ducks!  Well, they weren't sitting for long, I can tell you.  I had them up in the air squawking their silly heads off ..

Dont know what ducks use for brains, but the daft things just flew up the river a bit and then settled down again .... so I had another go, and up they went again.  Only this time they really flew away - spoilsports ... and talking about spoilsports, when I went back to Mum all bouncy and pleased with myself, she brought me home and inflicted the water torture on me.

...... but with a bit of luck I might get to do it all over again ....

PS  Mum said they had been muck-spreading .....with chicken manure and the stuff off the bottom of the cow shed and pig sties ...

PPS  ...and she send my lovely Dad out to try to clean the stink out of the back of the car ... good luck with that Dad!

Wonderful Wednesday ...

Had such fun this morning.  Went to new place for walk.  It was lovely, all new smells and things to do.  I tend to get bored with the same old thing, so I had a great time.  Bridleway, footpath, crop field and meadows - what more could a Pointer require? .... to know that breakfast was waiting for me, of course, but it always is ...

Spot Callie ...






                 BOO!               



















 Get out the treats bag, here I come ...  smoked pork sausage today, that's worth coming back for.
                                        

G

Drat! I was nearly under that gate into the cow field when she spotted me.  What's the hassle - no cows in there at moment .... oh cow pats - I really hadn't noticed ....  (next time I'll be quicker!)






There is something just so much more appealing in a muddy puddle than a boring old water bowl ...






..and now home for breakfast and a snooze ..

Santa's Little Helper

 Well, does it suit me? 

Add caption

Who are you laughing at?

Its not funny, you know.  I'm doing my best to help -

..and I have no idea why Mum says its taking her three times as long to do anything...

Here I am again.

Well here I am again.  We have experienced a bit of trouble - our computer caught a virus, then Mum caught it off the computer and then Dad caught it off Mum.  I was the only healthy one in the house!  Mind you, its easier to get away with things when they haven't the energy to object.  We have now firmly established that Callie IS allowed on the furniture. 

I even get cushions, nice one huh?

They held out for a while, but I wore them down and they gave in and just put a cover over the small settee for me.  I knew I would get there in the end so I did persevere, sometimes you just have to when your people are being uncooperative.

There's my old mate, Peanut with his Mum.  For some reason Peanut is wearing some sort of strap on blanket.  I reckon that is okay for a small dog who doesn't have an image to keep up.  Just hope that my Mum doesn't get ideas from that ....

Peanut's Mum has a ball and a sort of throwing stick.  Peanut cant take his eyes off it.  Must admit I am not really all that interested.




That stick does throw the ball a long way, though, and Peanut  - and the other dog who joined us that I dont know - run after it.

I took the opportunity to go hoover up some rabbit currants while Mum wasn't looking.  For some reason she objects.  I will never work out why humans object to the most simple pleasures of dogs, like eating rabbit droppings and rolling in fox poo. But there it is, so I have to manage it when her attention is elsewhere.

At the moment there is a lot of interesting stuff happening in the house.  All to do with something called Christmas .......  I expect I shall find out all about it ... after all my nose is in everything ....

On a cold and frosty morning...

All I have to say is you can jolly well forget it!  My friends would laugh their socks off.

Think what it would do to my reputation as a Big Hunter.  No.  No way.  Not going there.  Besides, purple is just not my colour.


Phew, that was close, but thank goodness Mum got the message.  I agree with Dad that I dont need a sleeping jersey.  If I get a bit chilled in the night I just cuddle up to Dad and he covers me over with my blanket and I'm soon all toasty.


I know she's also got a sheepskin lined waterproof jacket hidden away in the wardrobe, but so far she hasn't brought that out, so we will deal with that when it happens.  Its no good, you know, I am just going to have to stop her going to Pets at Home unsupervised.

It may be cold out, but I run a lot and that keeps me warm.  There was frost on the grounds this morning, ice instead of puddles .. but that doesn't stop me going in the Splash.  Especially if my mate Toffee is there ... what a silly name that is, Toffee, but that is what they called him in the Dog Shelter because he is toffee coloured (or so I'm told, being as the meanies dont give me toffee its difficult to judge for myself).

 This is Toffee.  He is a bit of a mental case (there's a lot of it about, you know).  He discovered a large rock over by the other bank and he is determined to drag is over to this side.

Its big.  Toffee keeps going.  He is not going to be beaten by an uncooperative rock.  He is determined.






It takes a while but he gets it to this side.  I had no idea how he waas going to get it home.  However, his new Dad loves him to bits and said he is going to bring his barrow down and get it home that way.

He may have been a stray, and put in a Dog Shelter, but he knew what he was doing when he picked his new Dad.  Mental yes, daft no, our Toffee.

Awww, come ON, Toffee, my paws are getting cold and I'm out of this freezing water!

.. and this is Finn.  You only have to look at him to know that he is a right nutter. ... but he is just what one needs when the paws are cold and need warming up with a great run-and-chase session.

..and I have no idea who these two are or how they sneaked up on me ... just because I was engrossed in nibbling on rabbits poo and away with the fairies I didn't hear or see them coming.  Quite took me by surprise they did.

Us looking noble to have our picture taken.  Mum says you would never imagine that rabbit poo was on the menu just a moment ago...

Interesting day.

The fields have dried out a lot due to the windy days we have had lately, which means that Dad can take me there and let me run all over the place doing my thing, and I dont come home muddy to the eyeballs.  Those pheasants dont know what's hit them!

It also means that Mum walks further over the meadows when she doesn't have to keep yanking her boots out of the mud.  Why does she bother with those things?  I dont have them and I know I couldn't run half as fast with those silly things on my feet.  Of course, if she didn't have them on she would have to sit on the mat and have her feet rubbed clean when we got home........

oh do hurry up, I've been waiting AGES!

I can run very fast and I get there so quick, which means I have to wait for AGES for her to catch up and open the gate.  Why dont they make gates that Pointers can open?

there's gotta be a rabbit down there ...

This is my mate Mad Eddy. 
He is rabbit crazy.
Totally bonkers.  If he cant see any to chase, he tries his hardest to dig them up, and boy oh boy can he dig! When he does get his head out of the hole - which isn't often I must admit - he can run fast too.  Mum says that he is a bitsof, a bit of spaniel, a bit of something spotty and heavens knows what else.  The only bit missing is the brain.Eddy is friendly and Mum says he is adorable.  When she says something like that she has to give me an extra piece of cheese or sausage so I dont sulk.

Meet the Powder Puff Mafia.:  

Help!  Surrounded!

... and this is only half of them!  There I was, minding my own business (sniffing around the bushes for something interesting) when I turned around and found myself surrounded.  That's the boss (the white one, he's the biggest and he only comes up to my knees if you dont count the tail).  He comes to say hello, the rest just potter about.

All of a sudden this - something - comes up and tries to lick my nose ...

whatever IS it? 

but there is no way it can reach, even standing on  its back legs, so I have to go down to it - not sure what it is, its about the size of a toy, and wearing a woolly jumper ....
then its on its back with its legs in the air .... I didn't shove it, really I didn't, just nosed it a bit and it rolls over ... honest ...



...er ... is it supposed to do that ?                                                                                                                                                                                                   Look, I didn't do anything!  It just rolled over all by itself .... well okay, I nosed it, but didn't shove! 

I was very relieved when the boss turned up and said it was okay, it did that all the time.  Its only a little baby powder puff thingie and its brain isn't working yet ...

Well, all in all, a most interesting day.

6th November

Well, the most dreaded day of the year is over.  5th November.  All that noise.  I dont like it one bit, but if Mum sits on the floor with me and tickles my tummy I forget all about the noise.  So I had a lot of tummy tickles from both Mum and Dad and it was soon all over.  Once I went to bed I didn't worry about a few stray bangs cos I had Mum one side and Dad the other and I was all nice an snuggled in the middle.  So the dreaded day came and went.  No problem.

...and today its windy.  I love the wind, it blows my ears about.  When its windy its exciting and I have to run and run, faster and faster.  Must have gone all around the meadows at least three times while Mum just walked across.  I went too fast for her to get a picture of me.  Its been raining a lot and its a bit muddy, well, ok, very muddy, but I dont mind a bit.  Mum, however, is apt to be a bit unreasonalbe about mud.  

see how pathetic I can look, not that it gets me anywhere!

I have to sit on the mat while I get my paws cleaned.  I ask you, how unnecessary is that?  Besides, there are carpets, I can wipe them myself on the carpets, no problem, but no, she has to have her way and I have to sit on the mat.  I can tend to sulk a bit until its over and I can dash inside to get my breakfast which lovely Daddy has put down for me.  I am Daddy's girl, his Gorgeous Girl he says.




Remember those swans I met some time ago?  Well, I met their Mum and Dad.  I dashed down to the ford for a paddle and there they were, sitting on the water.  I looked at them and they looked at me.  Well, what could I do? I'm a bird dog after all, so I had a little bark -just a little one.   They started to come over to say hello, but I didn't like the look in their eye so I backed off up the bank, on the understanding that *she who barks and runs away, lives to bark another day*.  Smart, huh?

looking for Mum

time to go home

 Last week we had some lovely sunny mornings, but by evening time the mist came down and I could hardly see the nose in front of me.

But the best is the dark-time when, very occasionally, Dad will take me out for an extra walk over the fields.  Its magic, I can sneak up on the pheasants and they cant see me until the last minute.  Dad cant see me either, but he knows where I am by the pheasants sqwarking as I put them up in the air.  They are lazy birds and soon come down again and I get to sneak up all over again.  Love that.




I'm not keen on the mist.  Mum gets lost and it takes me a while to find her.  The whistle helps, but it can still be a bit of a job, so I take her home.

dont bother me now, I'm busy

I have an amazing nose. You wouldn't believe how much information I get from my amazing nose.  I can sniff out so much stuff that I get engrossed in it and you can call me until you are blue in the face and I wont hear you until I'm done.  Even the whistle wont disturb my concentration.

PS :  I'm very good at detecting interesting stuff in waste bins as well.

The New Toy

thanks Mum

When Mum came home from shopping she bought me a new toy.  This one has five squeekers inside, lovely.  Must admit I go through toys pretty quickly, but I'm having a lot of fun with this one.

anyone watching?

no? I'll just bury this under the sofa.

I like shoving toys under the sofa.  Once I get them

there I can whine and fuss until someone comes and 

gets it out for me.  Then I toss it around a bit - then 

rebury underr the sofa.  I can keep this up for AGES.

I have a lot more patience than the folks - and 

stamina, lots of stamina.   It takes stamina to be

a perfect nuisance - and I, of course, am Perfect.

and pull the sofa cover and cushions off ....

another one bites the dust ... and in record time as well .. under 5 minutes from new toy to empty toyskin and litter .....      

wot new toy?  dont see one .....

Its a tough life.

These funny little mud-mountains have been popping up all over the park.  Mum says they are molehills.  I reckon that where there are molehills there are moles - I would love to meet a mole so I do a little excavating to see if I can find one home ... so far, no luck.

molehill before Cally

molehill after Cally

But I am determined and I just know if I keep digging.....

You know, when you come to think about it, the odds are stacked against us GSPs.  Rabbits and moles disappear under the ground, squirrels nip up the nearest tree and pheasants fly off squawking.  Sometimes life just aint fair.

... did I say that?  I must have known ...... both Mum and Dad have just attacked me with a bowl of suddsy water ... I have been soaped within an inch of my life .... dried and, oh the horror of it - sprayed with groom spray, which is just the equivalent of doggie deodorant!  Oh the cruelty.  Fancy them being so mean when all I did was have a lovely roll in the middle of the field.  Well, yes, there was a trifle of fox poo there, okay, maybe a bit more than a trifle .... but does that justify their behavior?  ... and its not the first time I have been subjected to this treatment.  I ask you, all that fuss because of a totally superficial coating of fox poo.

Oh wait a minute, I think I see some corned beef coming my way ... perhaps life isn't quite so bad after all ....

Wakey Wakey ...

The dog who doesn't do mornings .....

Wakey Wakey .... Rise and Shine












 ......er .... wot?  Do I HAVE to?  I'm nice and
snuggly here ....

.

Awwwww ... Mummm .... did you HAVE to put these pictures on ... how embarrassing is this!!


....any chance of breakfast ... snap, crackle and pop?

All in a day's play.

No-one around to play with, so I make do with the ball for a while.  Gotta do something! I have a whole lot of energy to work off.     










 Oh wait a moment, things are looking up - there's Peanut just arrived.







 





 Hi Peanut.  Haven't seen you for a while, where you been?  Dog Sitter?  What's a Dog Sitter?  Oh, someone who looks after you while your folks go away for a week, and where you have a lot of fun.  That's good, bet you are glad to have them back though.                                                                            

  .. er .... Peanut ... that's MY ball!  Okay, the chase is ON!










Went over the meadows later, and there was this loud chuff chuff noise coming from behind the hedge, over the river.  Then this thing came into view.  Never seen one of them before.  Boy was it noisy, but it was over the other side of the river so I didn't panic.  All of a sudden it made this awful WheeWhoWhistle so loud it made me and Mum nearly jump out of our skins.  But I was brave, I protected Mum (from behind her, of course - I'm brave but not stupid! ).  Luckily it counldn't get across the river so we were safe.

There were lots of people and dogs about, and I met Zak.  Isn't he super.  He's a German Wirehaired Pointer.  Dont see many of them.   Wish Zak lived here, but he was just visiting his folks people.  Zak is only 18 months old and he runs ... and runs ... and boy is he fast.  Neat on the turn as well.  He looks a bit scruffy because he has been in the river - besides GWPs are not as beautiful as GSPs .

                   And I, of course, am Georgeous.  Dad says so.  Come visiting again soon Zak.
                  ... and yes, you guessd, that IS the rolypoly beagle in the background.  He may be a bit
                  ....  er .... generous of figure, but he can still run!  Couldn''t catch us though. :))

Gottago.  Lunch is ready, then a nap I think ...