Squeak's turn

We've had a pottering sort of day today but went out this evening to meet Tommy who'd been ploughing with my tractor. I thought I'd be kind a let Squeak have a go.

At last!

On the way home we stopped off to give Tommy a hand with cutting silage. At last, I've had a go in the tractor - it's HUGE! Can you see me in the cab? There's a mower on the front and one on the back and they're a bit bigger than the one in the garden. I had a good look at the controls and the GPS system and then off we went. When the field was finished I had to check it over and although I say it myself, it was a job well done and I'm sure the farmer will be pleased. I wonder when I'll get my wages?

They're forgiven

We might not have gone to the barbecue last night (which they enjoyed, unfortunately) but Caroline, Squeak and I did go out to lunch today at Caroline's parents' house. They had their friends Sandy and Jeff staying so it was another sociable gathering. I was given strict instructions to be on my best, grown-up behaviour as they have a little doggy called Polly who is very old and can't see. After lunch I had a snooze on Caroline's mother's lap, a very comfortable place for forty winks. I must have been good because as we were leaving she said, "See you again Bramble".

Mmmm, barbecue

Friends of Caroline and Tommy are having a barbecue this evening. The very thought is making me drool in anticipation - Mr. Pavlov would be proud of me! Sausages, burgers, maybe a steak or two, all sizzling hot from the grill.
And then they dropped the bombshell..... Squeak and I AREN'T GOING. What a swizz. Well I hope they have a miserable time.

Last night

It cleared up last night and lots of people turned out to watch the band. Tommy says that they all had a good time. He came home very late. Caroline still stayed with us though as the dreaded midges were out in force and they love her soft, southern skin!

Dingledangles

Tommy will be donning his kilt etc. and going out this evening as The Dangleberries (http://www.thedangleberries.com/) are playing at the bottom park in the town for Civic Week. Unfortunately it's drizzly and miserable again so Caroline says that she's going to stay at home with us.

Curtain making

Caroline's making curtains this afternoon so I'm helping - walking across the fabric when it's laid out on the floor is a vital part of the operation. She talks to me as I do it but as she has a mouth full of pins, I have no idea what she's saying but I expect it's, "Well done Tiddler, you're doing an excellent job".

Still lagging behind

Silly Squeak

Squeak can't wait for the camping chairs to be taken out of their bags and put up.

An adventure

This afternoon Uncle Ted and Auntie Liz arrived to take me off on an adventure. They were taking their grandson to the castle so they took me as well. Caroline and Squeak came in the car and then walked back home along the railway line. I hope they weren't lonely without me.
We had a lovely time and I enjoyed the afternoon - thank you Uncle Ted and Auntie Liz.

When I got back there was a delicious smell of newly-baked bread and cake wafting from the kitchen, but Caroline says that it's for Tommy which is a shame. Wouldn't he like it to be tested?

But not every evening!

We were out and about in the car today so didn't go on a 'proper' walk until well into the evening. We had a good run across the fields, following the scent of hares and deer until we came to a bit of the river we've never been to before, way beyond the castle. The light was going and the bats were out by the time we got home.

This is how we spend the evening

Important work

Caroline's had the saw out and has been doing some pruning today. I've been helping by chewing one of the offcuts. This is important work as it turns the log into mulch which is very useful in the garden. I don't know how she manages without me.

Mr. Hare

This evening an ENORMOUS hare hopped around the drive, right past the house! We were all on the sofa at the time but we saw it throught the window. Caroline thinks it was taller than me! I wish she'd keep her camera around her neck all the time to capture these amazing sights but she says it gets in the way. So?

If we go down to the woods today.....

Here we are, sniffing out teddy bears having a picnic. We didn't find any but we did have a lovely run around and a good snuffle in the undergrowth which is almost as good.

Red kite at night, shepherd's delight?

Actually we saw this red kite this afternoon when we were along the lane looking back towards the Hill. There was one sitting in one of the chestnut trees in the garden last week but Caroline unfortunately didn't have her camera to hand. Thankfully I was inside at the time or it might have thought I was a tasty meal!

Visitors

Caroline's parents called in for a cup of tea today on their way back from somewhere. It was only a brief visit but I do like a different lap to sit on from time to time.

Smoky quartz brown puddle

David and Fiona might have been enjoying 'miles of pure white sand... and aquamarine blue seas' on North Stradbroke Island but who needs that when there's a nice muddy puddle half a mile from home to wade in?

Raspberries

This evening we found raspberries when we were out on our walk. There are lots in the hedgerows but they're quite high up and silly Caroline dropped them into her basket instead of my mouth. She picked nearly 2lbs so surely she could have spared a few? But on the way home I found a bush that I could reach. They're DELICIOUS!

My day away

This morning Caroline packed up a bag of necessities and told me that I had a treat in store. Then she took me off to see Claire and Kevin! I spent the whole day with them and had a lovely time, cavorting around the garden with a new friend, Finlay, who is Kevin's cousin's doggy. He's younger than me so I was the grown-up for a change. It was very tiring!

No wonder we look unimpressed

Caroline has just done a terrible thing. Not only has she washed the car, she's also (horror of horrors) cleaned the inside. It's not doggified at all - it smells clean, fresh and HORRID. Why won't she leave well alone? There's nothing wrong with a little 'odeurs de chiens'.

A message for David

Caroline says that although I'm lovely, I'm too hairy to live here all the time. I KNOW it was you who wrote that post about a 'full time transfer' - Fiona would NEVER suggest it.

Have a look at their holiday blog http://adventureswithskippy.blogspot.com/ to find out what he's been saying about me.

What are those?

On the way to the post box this afternoon we came across these strange birdies. Squeak and I were desperate to say 'Hello' *. Caroline says that they're guinea fowl and they look lovely in a pot with white wine, Puy lentils and pancetta.

* Oh alright, we really wanted to chase them!

It's amazing what rain can do!

I know we've had a lot of rain in the last few days but I didn't know that getting wet makes horses shrink.

Entertainment

Tommy came home early as the weather was so horrid but he stayed outside and pressure-washed the caravan. It looked like a rather dull job so I went out and entertained him by chasing leaves that were being blown around by the wind. I'm sure he appreciated it.

The forecasters were wrong

It didn't clear up at all but we were fearlessly intrepid and ventured out anyway. Not for very long but we did go out.......


(in the back of the car!)

The forecasters were right

Squeak and I aren't falling out of the sky but it's raining cats and dogs this morning, as predicted. Well, RAIN was predicted, not the cats and dogs bit. It's supposed to clear up later so we're keeping our paws crossed as we'd like to go out and play.

Soggy Sunday

It's a miserable, drizzly day so we're staying on the sofa where it's cosy and comfortable.

The answer

For those of you who are puzzling over 11 Down, the answer is STRIA. Now the crossword needs to be posted and Caroline might win £200 and a copy of Whitaker's Almanac, again!

Finishing the crossword

Caroline has virtually finished the Telegraph General Knowledge Crossword but is stuck on the last clue so I'm giving it some thought.....

11 Down: 'Collection of nerves in the brain, longitudinal in length'. S_R_A.

Any ideas anyone?

My favourite programme is.....

'The Bionic Vet'. The friends, Liz and Patrick (who aren't old) got held up so while we were waiting for them to arrive we watched a bit of television and this programme is BRILLIANT. You can see how much I enjoyed it.

We had a very sociable evening and Squeak and I got LOTS of attention.

Thank you very much Caroline's parents for having me to stay. I had a lovely time!

Packing my overnight bag

I've just packed my bag as we're off to Caroline's parents' house for supper and to stay overnight. I haven't been there for ages so I'm very excited! They've got old friends staying - does that mean that the friends are old or that Caroline and her parents have known them for a long time? I'll find out later.

Where have I been?

Bramble dog, Bramble dog, where have you been? I've been to C.D. to visit the Queen!

H.M. The Queen was in town this afternoon, looking at a cow at the mart and we went to see her (the Queen, not the cow).

Something exciting might be living in here

I was supposed to be helping Tommy to rebuild this dyke but I thought that having a good sniff was more interesting. You never know what might be lurking between the stones. Can you see Squeak's stumpy tail in the background? (You can click on the photograph to enlarge it). She wasn't helping either.

Ooh, Caroline's going to be in trouble.....!

Caroline's just read David and Fiona's blog http://adventureswithskippy.blogspot.com/ and discovered that they're most disapproving of the bad language in our video masterpiece. I know it was Tommy who said the rude word but I expect it'll be Caroline who gets ticked off. I bet David wrote that post and I don't remember him being so virtuous so I think it's the pot calling the kettle black!

Fetch, The Movie (with apologies for Tommy's fruity language!)

Fetch!

Spot the ball

Wait for me.......

Squeak wouldn't wait for me, she was just a dot in the distance. We were on the railway part of the Threave Estate walk, our reward for waiting patiently in the car when Caroline was in town.

Disgraceful behaviour

Well we were very well behaved last night but they came home all giggly and silly and then Caroline fell asleep on the sofa. Disgraceful! Squeak and I didn't really mind though as we got to snuggle up with her and weren't packed off to our own beds. Maybe they should go out more often!

Grrrrr. We're guard dogs!

Caroline and Tommy are off out to a posh do, all togged up to the nines so we're in charge of the house! Tommy's nice father is going to come and check up on us but otherwise we'll have the place to ourselves. Now, what sort of mischief can we get up to?

The drowned rat look

I eventually managed to haul myself out of bed and we all (Tommy included, what a treat) went for a rain sodden walk. I had fun tearing around the fields and eating moo poo when no-one was looking and was worn out by the time we got home. After drying off it was time for another snooze. It's such an exhausting life.

Zzzzzzz

It's a dreich, miserable day so I'm staying in bed. Squeak's made it as far as the sofa but I just can't be bothered. I hope there's a bucket nearby!

Success!

It's only taken us two days but we've already managed to put a stop to Caroline's ridiculous behaviour with our leads before we go out for a walk. Today we waited quietly and she came straight out with no fuss. I have to say, she's a quick learner.

Has Squeak shrunk?

Where's her body gone?

A message from Tommy

Tommy has asked me to tell you all that, before his wife got her hands on his lustrous locks, his hairstyle was in fact an homage to a koala bear looking out of a eucalyptus tree. He even managed to say it with a straight face!

Aaaargh, it gets worse!

Now she's attacking poor Tommy's hair with the scissors! She says he looks like a 'hoolet looking out of a whin bush'. Huh, that's the look that I sport and I don't see that there's anything wrong with it, actually. She'd better not come near me with those nasty things. She donated blood yesterday and I think it's done strange things to her head. I was worrying about what David and Fiona might get up to with extra blood in their heads and I should have been concerned about what happens when it gets taken out here. Come back you two, all is forgiven!

What's wrong with Caroline?

Something rather frightening is happening here today. After a lovely walk Caroline has, I can hardly bear to say this, started doing HOUSEWORK. Not only has she got all the equipment out, vacuum cleaner, dusters, window cleaner etc., but she's using it all too. Squeak and I are so scared by this abnormal behaviour that we've retreated to the safety of the garden before we get tidied away. What's wrong with her? Has she had some sort of fit? Tommy's going to think he's come to the wrong house when he gets home!

My water bowl just got bigger

Upside down

David, Fiona and Ellie have arrived safely on the other side of the world (phew) so they must be upside down now. All their blood will have rushed to their heads so I hope they don't do anything too silly.....

Weeding

Caroline's been doing some weeding this afternoon so I thought I would give her some assistance. She says that I'm a great hindrance - I don't know what that word means but it begins with 'h' so my guess is that it's the same as 'help'. I was being very helpful so I must be right!

And neither is this one!

Squeak's ball isn't very robust

Uh oh, she DOES mean it!

I was wrong. This morning when Caroline picked up our leads, Squeak and I did our barking and yapping/singing routine to encourage her and what did she do? Turned round, put our leads down and told us to go to our beds. She did this THREE TIMES! Maybe if we just look enthusiastic we'll get out a bit quicker. We'll have to give it a go and see what happens.

I miss........ Wobble

I'm having lots of fun with Squeak but I do miss my other friend Wobble (or Tess as she was really called) who sadly died two weeks ago. She was very old but I enjoyed snuggling up with her on the sofa. Now there's a Wobble-sized gap there. Caroline, Tommy and Squeak are being very brave but they all miss her very much. She's buried in the garden and we say "Hello" when we pass her.

Taz lookalike

Did anyone spot my likeness to Taz, the cartoon Tasmanian Devil in the photograph on my first posting? Caroline noticed the similarity between me in action and a Taz t-shirt she has (she's so grown-up). For those of you who didn't have your specs on, here's the enlarged version of me and the image on said t-shirt for comparison. See what I mean?

Teamwork

Squeak and I are quite a team. It's fun playing around outside but if we want to go for a proper walk, Squeak does a particular type of bark and I join in with a bit of yapping/singing and before we know it, Caroline's putting on her boots and getting our leads! She says that she's going to do some training to stop us from "Making that blasted racket" but I'm sure she doesn't mean it.

Making myself useful

Whilst David, Fiona and Ellie are in the air enjoying their Champagne and canapés before the first gourmet meal arrives (or passing around the packet of sandwiches Fiona made at the crack of dawn if David booked the tickets), I've been making myself useful by cutting the grass. Having mastered the computer I thought I'd have a go on the mower and soon got the hang of it, whizzing around the garden in no time. I can't wait to have a go in Tommy's tractor!

I'VE ARRIVED!

I'm so excited! A double whammy - my arrival at the Hill and my first ever post on my new blog (I hope that you're all suitably impressed with my amazing technological know-how, not bad for a little dog, eh?). Firstly I had to bark frantically at Squeak as I know how much she likes me doing that and then I had to sniff my way around the garden. Caroline made me stop to say goodbye to Fiona and David but I soon got back to the more important matter of smelling what was going on. Then some serious rushing around before going indoors to make sure that the sofa is as comfortable as the last time I was here. It is... ah, bliss! I was going to write this earlier but I felt a little snooze coming on and it gave Caroline time to upload my photographs so that you can see me in all my glory. Now I'm exhausted so I'm off to see if my bed has been made the way I like it. Night night all.