Tag: Mannie

Winter Coats and Morning Tea

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
20130607_191203
Me and my daddy.

I said the other day that the man was “crying” and that I lifted him up and sat with him for a little while. He  seemed quite content to stay cuddled up. Herself  took the photograph. She was born in Scotland but I have a faint suspicion  that there is Revolutionary French genes in there somewhere because she keeps cutting people’s heads off.  Anyway, she got the little man and that’s the important thing. He was quite happy to stay where he was – still, he is about 13+ The reason he is wearing his overcoat is he was at the groom the other day and we had his coat cut a bit shorter than normal, but it is winter so hence the coat.  I’m not silly, I stay where it’s warm!!!

I am always amazed by the things people can do with their dogs. I spent a fortune on toys and balls only to have them sniffed at and rejected out of hand ( or should that be paw?). Other people have felt the need to buy a toy for one of my dogs and  were a bit miffed when it got the same treatment. I have no idea why it should be so, but they have never been play dogs – or at least, dogs that play with toys. They will play and I will chase them and fight them and get down on the floor with them. Outside I chase them and if I turn away  one, usually Chienna, will  jump on the back of my legs, I turn around and the chase begins again. So in that respect they are play dogs – just not with toys.  It’s like the cartoon where the person throws a ball and the dog looks as if is saying “Well, you threw it – You go get it”

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The Biggest Cup of Tea

Every year the ladies put on their version of  “Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea” The cost  is a mere $5 per person and you get coffee, tea, cakes sandwiches and scones. Those who read here know that I am very partial to scones. This is the event I will be missing next Saturday  and I am not going to forget it in a hurry – herself will see to that  :o) What is it, well it’s a national fundraising event for Cancer Research. All across the country,  from May to July, clubs, pubs, hotels, community groups and schools put on their own particular version of the event and all the money goes to The Cancer Research Council of Australia. So far, we manage  about $800 for our event each year – and yes, I will be paying my $5 before I leave.  You didn’t think I would get out of that did you???

Easter, rain and digging dogs

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The covered in pergola
The covered in pergola

The rain stopped for a while last night and as it was not fully dark yet, I decided to take the dogs  for a walk.  It was so funny, Chienna – being the lady she is – delicately  jumps over the puddles whereas, Mannie, on the other hand, just walks right through them – no variation of the path he wants to go, just directly ahead, puddles and all.

Because of the rain and my feeling not quite the best, I have not been to the Arid Lands Garden, but I really must try and get over this week. I said before it is  150klm round trip but  it’s a good morning out and the prices in the Nursery are very reasonable. I am not in a great rush because I have not quite finished the area I want to put the new plants into, but if it stays dry tomorrow (Monday) I will see if I feel up to continuing with the cleaning and preparation. It should not take all that long.  Tomorrow is a public holiday so we can’t go anywhere anyway All-in-all, it has not been the best Easter we have had for a while.. I also have some concreting to do. Some dogs  (Two) on the far side of the property have started to dig under the fence. They are big dogs and they can’t possibly get through, but they have dug a hole big enough for my little ones to get through. It is only an area  9 feet long by about 14 inches wide so it should be fairly easy to do. I have just  closed one of the gates to keep the dogs out of that area for the moment. I could complain to the neighbours about their dogs but that could led to complications.  The House next to me is a State Government owned house and it is a police house – we never see them, which is probably a good thing.. Better I  just attend to the area and leave well alone.  I hope to be able to do this in the next day or so.

The “Dreaded Lurghi”  is starting to loose its grip and whilst it still hurts a bit when I cough, it’s not nearly as bad as it was. Still, I have to be thankful in that I have heard of some people being confined to bed and being really sick and it’s only just the start of the “Flu Season”.   I will just have to keep an eye of things and make sure that I don’t overdo things and allow myself to get run down.  I have to take Alan to the hospital again this morning and  see how the Warfarin  is behaving.

I don’t think I am going to be able to get over to the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens until after I take Alan back to Adelaide. Given some of the things that has been happening I think it’s safer ( for  my peace of mind!) that I delay the trip for the moment. Anyway, colds and flu notwithstanding, I have enough to be going on with at the moment. I have to say that we are only a week or so into Autumn (Fall) and since it has been a hot and windy summer there are no further leaves to come down from the tree, so once I have cleaned up this present lot, that should be it for a while and I can retire the vac-blower for a bit.  I might even be able to sling mu hammock without getting it covered leaves.

The rain it falleth on the Just.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Scruffy was the first ever Australian dog. She was a stray that someone found and my sister suggested that I might take her. I was a bit reluctant at first but she sort of grew on us and we had her for over 12 years. She left a very big hole when she died. We thought we had gone some way to filling it when we took Buster, and for a while it seemed ok. When I was away my son took him out for long walks. One night when he came home he noticed that the biscuit dish was empty so he started to fill it and as he did so the dog attacked him and opened up a nasty cut on his face. My wife got him to the hospital and he had a few stitches. She telephoned me and told me what had happened and that no one really trusted him any more and that she herself was a bit scared of him. I told her to take him to the RSPCA, which she did. I came home for a while a week or so later.

Misty was a rescue dog – a West Highland Terrier Cross – and we loved her. Sadly she had a troubled and abused past and she was not with us very long – we looked after her for about five years. I became so attached to her and I missed her.  After Misty came Chienna and then Mannie and these are our dogs today. At the moment they are inside sleeping. It’s been  raining  for the last two days –  raining to the extent that it is necessary to beware of falling animals if one goes outside  :o)

The rain it falleth on the just and on the unjust fella

But more upon the just because the unjust stole the just’s umberlla

All about dogs – past and present.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
This is my Main Man – the MalteseTerrorist!

I have had both of my dogs for over ten years now. Chienna we bought when she was seven weeks old, Mannie we rescued from the Pound and, according to the Vet. at the time, he was about 18 months to two years. Over the years they have been great associates and I  miss them when I have to go away – even just for a couple of days. Thankfully that does not happen too often these days and the last two meetings have been cancelled.  When I come home after being away for a couple of days I get out the car and into the house and the dogs are going nuts and even my wife tells me “Go out and see your associates before they go crazy” so I do. Once I have settled the dogs down again I can then talk about the trip and the meetings to my wife . Generally, when I am not working, I take the dogs out twice a day – first thing in the morning , sometimes when it’s still dark, and later in the evening after we have all been fed, wife, me and dogs. The little one – the Maltese – is, I think, starting to show his age. Either that or he is a very good little conman because I have to carry him for a little while until he gets his second wind. He starts off well, but halfway through the walk, he starts to slow down and I have to carry him for a little while. It’s ok – he’s not heavy –  Ohhh a song title I believe.. If I am working, it’s only once –  in the evening. In the summer when it’s hot I carry a pack with me which contains two bottles of water and a dish – one bottle for me. In the last 34 years I have had five dogs including the present two. The previous dogs were Misty, a West Highland Terrier  Cross that we rescued, Buster an Australian Cattle Dog that attacked my son, and Scruffy, a bitsa that was given to me. She was a doll and everyone adored her. Unfortunately  I do not have any photographs of Scruffy on line. I must attend to that sometime. I am also Secretary of the local branch of the Royal Flying Doctors Service, fundraising group but , hopefully, that’s about to end soon. I have decided not to stand for re-election but knowing how this group is with no one willing to take a position, I expect I will be secretary again, although I would like to think not.

Do you have to point that thing at me?