Happy Birthday Megan! 11 Today!

Ooops - what a negligent Pup I have been, not posting since the weekend, what with T coming over from Ireland and Dad working long hours - things have been a bit chaotic

But today is Meggie's 11th Birthday; 77 in "real money"! Happy Birthday Megs! Will I ever be that old? (Not if you persist in the trouser-biting-on-the-stairs routine! Dad). Her Birthday "cake" will be raw pork-ribs, which is Westie Heaven

I have a report that brother Archie has been found guilty of muppetry. First-Mum, was given a picture of real Mum and Dad (Hector and Mollie) sitting on their sofa, as a present by New Mum and Dad (lorks!) when they collected me as a pup, and she's been using it as a wall paper on her computer ever since. Well allegedly Archie spotted it the other day and started shouting at it, trying to climb the furniture to get at it and would not leave First-Mum any peace to work, so she was forced to change the wall paper. Dogs on TV is bad enough (see our Crufts entries earlier) but pups taking agin' your humble PC is another thing

Wildlife Dept.

1) Grey squirrels are now a regular visitor to our garden, and when we spot them they are regular users of the safe haven which is the Albertine rose all up the back of the house. When we "tree" a squirrel up there, Megan and I are steely-eyed killer dogs, sitting with ears and eyes (eyes fixed and dilated!) focussed on the squirrels' hidey hole, willing him to come down and play with us. We won't hurt you, little squirrel! We whimper and cry occasionally and sometimes do that single "YAP!" thing, which is all about shocking the little treasure into falling out of the Albertine. My pic, by the way, is Meggie looking out of the back door - the Albertine is directly above her head, out of shot.

2) Collared doves are now so intent on requiting, that today in the Rec there were two billing and coo-ing (and um... requiting) that I raced over to get them, but they didn't fly away, so I slowed and slowed (Mum laughing out loud at my indecision), till I was 3 feet away. Then I stopped, willing them to scarper, so I could chase them.... nothing doing. Eventually frustration got the better of me and I sat down and went "REFFF!!" at them. They flew off then!

Love from us all - and more Birthday Greetings for the ol' gal

Deefer

Buzzed

Happy Birthday today , Dad. 50! Officially an old git! Nice cards from lots of people, but mean age-ist ones from his brothers!

He reckons on your 50th birthday you should do lots of things you want to do and nobody should make you do anything you don't want to do. He decides it's warm (hot) enough for us all to need a good ol' buzz over with the clippers, so out comes the wooden board, the patented non-skid sheet of left-over pond liner, and the tupperware box full of clippers, blade oil and bits and pieces.

We are rounded up one by one (I am last) and given the works. In Meg and the H's case, they also get a trim up around the feet, as their pads are so wide with fluff they look like snow shoes. Dad is, by his own admission, no expert, but he's getting neater with the practise and Meg and H say it's nowhere near as embarrassing to go out in public with recent efforts than it was when they were younger.

Anyway, I think I look quite neat and tidy - very smooth around my back, flanks, rump and neck - No 5 with the grain over most of it, against the grain up my neck, No 3 around my bum and a scissor cut round the head and ears and along the tail. I was very brave and did not object to it, except once when Dad disappeared round the back out of sight. I remember when he combed me once as a pup and caught a knot of tangled hair and made me yip. I thought it was going to happen again, so I yipped pre-emptively, but I was told to shoosh, and it went OK after that.

Cooler now in the sun

Look after yourselves. Humans are off to see chum Abdulk for a restaurant meal tonight, so we'll be left to fend, I guess

Deefer