MERRY CHRISSIEMOUSE EVERYONE

It's official Santa Paws is coming!

Wow, it's official, Santa Paws (no Finn it's Father Chrissie Mouse, Smudge says), is coming. I was getting a bit worried 'cos everyone else had their deco's up but She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed hadn't got ours, but yesterday she put the tree up so it must be true. He is coming soon. He leaves lots of luvvly prezzies under the tree and me and Smudge love opening them, but Tara thiks it's all silly and won't have anything to do with it.

I don't know why she's put a witch on top of the tree instead of the star we usually have though, I hope it doesn;t frighten Santa Paws away! I tried to get it down while she was out, just in case, but the tree fell over and she was cross when she came back and put it all back again. I hope Santa Paws isn't frightened..... I like having prezzies.

There was a party at the dog club I can't get to anymore on Wednesday and they had a photo fancy dress competition. I won it last year with my Bob Dylan imdogonation, This year I did'The pen is mightier than the sword' (her idea, I think it was a stupid idea everyone knows swords hurt more than pens), anyway we didn't win this year, but this is what I looked like.

I just hope no one comes along with a great big sharp sword.

Lazy Morning

All that jumping and running about and meeting relatives at Cardiff this weekend was Very tiring. E is for exhausting aswell!

Finn just had to have a lie in to recover.

The Three 'E's (entertainment, excitement and enjoyment unfortunately also ELIMINATION)

We went to Cardiff yesterday, for the B.H.C. agility show at Wenvoe. The alarm went off at 4.00 am as Mark was suposed to be picking me up at 5.30 on his way to milk next door to Beryl who was taking me. Finn was so excited he was sitting at the gate waiting at 5.00. Mark finally arrived at 6.00. Beryl was waiting at the end of her driveway and Finn jumped out of Mark's car and couldn't wait for Beryl to open the door of hers, he was so keen to get in!






There was a fantastic sunrise as we were driving along the motorway. We arrived at Cardiff in plenty of time but we got lost and wasted a lot of time driving round in circles, narrowly escaping death and causing complete mayhem as we changed from lane to lane in an effort to find the right road (I hate Cardiff, every time I go there we get lost!).


We missed walking the course for the first class, but it was quite straightforward and we watched a few people run it before it was our turn. It was so exciting to be at a show again , and we haven't managed any training since our last show, so I can't blame Finn for getting a little bit carried away and jumping off the dog walk halfway down and jumping the wrong jump at the end! The next class was the helter skelter and it might just as well have been a demolition derby! We were eliminated in that one aswell. The last one was better, it was me who messed up in that and got us eliminated again. Finn was going really well and did everything I told him, unfortunaetly I got in the wrong place and pushed him over the wrong jump. But the main thing was he enjoyed himself.


We did a bit of obedience training on the exercise field with other dogs chasing balls all around him and he didn't break his stay and did almost everything I asked him to do, so I was really pleased with him.


We met his neice, Freya, and nephew, Flynn. He doesn't look too impressed does he?

Tansy looks really pleased with herself. She got a clear round, Finn looks a bit embarassed to have been E'd in all his classes, but he says E is for Entertainment, Enjoyment,and Excitement aswel as Elimination.

The Three Beaches Walk

Finn has had a pretty boring time just lately what with the weatherbeing so awful, so when we woke up yesterday and IT WASN'T RAINING we decided to go for a looong walk. I packed a flask of soup in the rucksack and headed for Penbryn.
We set off for Aberporth, the tide was in so we couldn't go on the beach there, but there is a pathway along the back of the beach onto the green and from there onto the cliffpath to Tresaith. We cut across the beach at Tresaith and stopped for a cuppa and a bit of stick throwing before making our way round the road to Penbryn as the cliffpath between Tresaith and Penbryn is very steep and slippery after all the rain. I haven't managed to do all of it yet, but I will one day!

Finn found it thirsty work and had a drink from a mini waterfall at the side of the road.


We arrived at Penbryn beach just as it started raining again, but Finn didn't mind and played in the sand while I sat under the cliffs (and my silly hat) and had my lunch.

After lunch we walked along the mile and a half beach before turning for home.

The path goes through woodland which along with the beach (which dogs are only allowed on in the winter) is owned by the National Trust.

Looking down on Penbryn beach from the cliff top

We arrived home halfway through the afternoon. Finn was suposed to be as tired as I was, but he still expected me to play ball all evening!

How do you tire a G.S.D. out?

Heather's birthday

It was Heather's birthday yesterday, so Beryl took me over to give her a birthday present. Here are some of the pictures we took while we were there.


Heather with Fly and Finn.


Finn (out of shot) wanted Fly to play. But Fly didn't want to



Tansy looking cute




Fly looking innocent



Finn and Tansy

Finn and Fly......Truce

Finn looking puzzled, why won't Fly play with me?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER

Lost Dog

Yesterday, as we were returning from our walk, a strange brown chocolate labrador ran and hid in our gateway. It was a stand off for a few seconds, with the lab waiting for us to go on and me wondering how to get past him. He was friendly, but quite nervous and lacking in the steetcred of a seasoned street walker. In the end I got Finn to sit while I caught him and checked his collar, luckily he had a tag with a phone number on, so I put finn indoors, left him in the garden and phoned the number, naturally there was no reply, so I left a message saying where he was. When I went back outside he had escaped into next door! I retrieved him and put him on Finn's lead and wondered what on earth to do with him. I didn't want to take him indoors as both cats were in and Tara still hasn't recovered from her advevture with the R.S.P.C.A. yet and I didn't want to traumatise her anymore. I remembered hearing but never seeing a large dog barking at the end of the road, was this were he had come from? so off we went to find out. No they had a black labrador, back we came, none of the neighbours Knew him and I was getting really worried by now, I didn't want to have him indoors, I couldn't let him go as I'd left the message saying were he was and he didn't look as though he was used to fending for himself anyway, I didn't want to get in touch with the R.S.P.C.A. after all my comments regarding my neighbours and Tara, and I REALLY didn't want to stay in the rain in the garden with him! luckily at this point a car came along the road with his owner in. She was really pleased to find him and he was pleased to see her and everything ended happily. It just shows how important it is to make sure the name tag hasn't got lost...........must check Finns.

Frosty Morning

I woke up yesterday morning and realised that the sun was shining! It was a lovely crisp frosty morning, just right for tramping across the fields with my camera, so before we'd evan had breakfast off we went. Here are some of the photos we took.

This side of the hedge the sun was shining.

And this side was thick frost, the first we've had this winter.

The wood pigeons were still asleep in the hedge.

We went to the end of the track and then turned round and came back again.

Past the disused sewage works which is now an unofficial nature reserve were you can usually hear several different birds singing at once.

And back home for breakfast, egg and bacon for me and dog food for Finn.

Guy Fawkes Night

Finn had a wonderful time barking at all the whizz bang whistle noises happening outside tonight. To be honest it was only the whistley fireworks which made him bark, he didn't really take much notice of the others. Poor Smudge dived behind the sofa at the first 'pht' and Tara really must be going deaf because she just sat still and didn't take any notice at all.
Sorry there aren't any pics for this but I was eating my dinner while all this was happening.

Autumn Leaves

Finn has been helping in the garden, the sound of a broom or wire rack drives him demented, and he does enjoy being 'helpful'

Would somebody please tell him we couldget the job done twice as fast if he DIDN'T help

Photo of the week

tadpole, originally uploaded by finnandblue.

This week has been spent clearing the leaves from this little fella's home, there was only about 2'' of water above all the debris

Tara cat is going a bit senile. She must be getting on for 15 and spends most of the day sitting in the middle of the road,expecting cars to go round her! When she's not doing this she's either playing dead sleeping in nextdoors garden and upsetting all the local children or visiting the neighbours pretending to be starving.
A couple of months ago she found some new people to feed her and I had to keep dragging her back home hissing and spitting. Then instead of coming in 3 times a day for food she started coming home about once or twice a week until last week when I didn't see her at all. I wasn't really worried because she often disappears for a week or so and I know she has lots of places she goes for food.
Anyway I was talking to a friend this afternoon and she happened to mention that there was an ad in the local paper saying a thin black and white cat had been found IN OUR ROAD. I found the number and it was the local branch of the R.S.P.C.A! When I phoned up I was told she was with one of their fosterers about 20 miles away and when could I go and get her. I was a little bit annoyed to say the least, not only I haven't got a car, but my cat had been catnapped from the road she was born in by some do gooder who couldn't even bother to ask if anyone knew where she lived. She was taken to the local vet (who thought she was about 1 year old and couldn't even tell whether she was male or female) and vaccinated. then whisked away to a strange house with lots of strange cats (she's not very sociable)and put in a cage which she hated. When I got there she had been liberated from the cage and was hiding in a corner, she came out purring when I called her and since she's been home she's not moved from the top of the carrycase she came home in, except to have a bowl of food and a saucer of milk.


I know she is a small cat, but her coat is shiny and she's not bony, I know she spends most of her time outside, that's where she's happy. The road is her territory and she's staked her claim on it for the last 14_15 years, why can't people mind there own business and let her get on with hers? I'm scared to let her out now and she's going to go mad if I don't!
Thankyou Joanne for taking me to get her back. She might be a bit of a grump indoors but we missed her when she wasn't here.

My Bed pt. 2

Finn doesn't like his new bed and refuses to get in it.

But Smudge has taken to it.

My New Bed

Finn has been given a new bed, he's not too sure about it yet, he usually prefers to sleep on the floor. or his half of the sofa.


What's this?


Am I meant to fit into THIS?



It's a bit small