What is going on??

Did you see a fly?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Not much to report from Down Under other than a complete whinge about the hot weathe - boy, has it been hot - we have had 7 days of 38-42 degrees (celcius!) and I'm over it. I have to wait until at least 8pm for my evening walk (it's usually 5pm) and even though I've managed three long walks to the river (and a lot of swims) over the weekend, it's not the same. I'm over it. I'm going to whinge about it, I don't care - the Two Legged Ones say 'oh, well, it could be worse' - yes, I know it could, but it doesn't make me feel any better.

And, on top of that, I've heard the Two Legged Ones are going to Melbourne for a short break soon - without me, AGAIN. Boy, am I grumpy today.

On a completely separate note, thank you for your kind comments on Lily. She will be greatly missed and all our thoughts are with Kay.

A very grumpy, fed up woof for now.

Groucho

A sad day

There are no photographs today as we are all very sad. Lily, my first ever buddy, has gone to the big park in the sky. The Two Legged Ones are very sad and so am I - when I was a wee puppy, just new out of the pound, all bouncy and 'energetic' (some would say 'annoying' but I prefer energetic), Lily put up with me - she let me run around, being all 'energetic', she let me eat her food when I went to her house for a doggy date, she even stood by while I dug up her bones and ate them. Lily was a Westie, just like me, although a lot smaller so it was very good of her to let me be so 'annoying'.

When I first moved in with the Two Legged Ones, the She Two Legged One was working from home most of the time, so, every day,around lunch time, we went for a walk with Lily and Kay, Lily's two legged one. I loved those walks - Lily helped me learn to be around other four legged ones and she and I would run, run, bark, sniff, do Westie Rolls together and, I have to say, we looked very cute - two Westies, one big, one small, out and about together! And, often, after our walk, Kay would take me back to her house because she had a big garden, and I would stay with her and Lily all afternoon, eating treats, taking over Lily's bed (well, in fact, the whole house, what with me being the sort of Westie I am!) and Lily took it all with good grace.

I haven't seen Lily for a while, well, not since we moved Down Under, but I always thought she would be there, ready for our walks again, when we moved back to Ireland. We are all very sad and this post is in memory and honour of my wee friend, Lily, who we will miss so much. And it's for Kay as well, as we know she will miss her Lily so very, very much.

Until we meet in the Big Park in the Sky, Lily.

Woof for now.

Groucho

My after dinner ritual

After we come back from a walk in the evening, I often do 'homework' (currently, my homework is learning 'turn' and 'back' - I know how to do them, I'm just pretending I don't so I can get more 'training treats') then, after I have my dinner, I go upstairs:

and I wait for my after dinner treat - apparently I wait impatiently although, in my humble opinion, I believe my expression indicates a very patient Westie:

BUT, if the treat is not thrown up to me in a timely manner (ie when I want it, not when the Two Legged Ones think it's appropriate), I am sometimes forced to become demanding:

Usually, when I adopt the demanding pose, the Two Legged Ones realise the error of their ways and the treat is thrown to me immediately. I let them off if they are a bit tardy - it's not their fault, after all, they are only Two Legged Ones .....

Woof for now.

Groucho

PS I don't have green eyes, don't worry, I haven't some strange disease, it's just the She Two Legged One again - she really doesn't have any idea does try hard to take decent photographs of me but fails dismally has a lot to learn. (edits by said She Two Legged One!)

It's a bit cooler ..... so ....

Well, yesterday afternoon, didn't the sea breeze come howling in (thank goodness!) off the ocean. Oh, we love the sea breeze, the Two Legged Ones and I as it turns a horrible, sticky hot day into a lovely fresh, almost cold day - it's like a huge outdoor air conditioner, sitting right there, in your face. It's just the best thing - without it, summer where I live 'Down Under' would be like Summer back in Dubai! So, in celebration, the Two Legged Ones hurried home from work, collected me and off we went to - well, take a guess - my favourite river - and I had a swim (not at first though as, really, seriously, that sea breeze makes it rather chilly!) and I ran like crazy around the cricket oval. The Two Legged Ones kept saying that I was like a puppy again (in my mind, I still am - I may be 6 years old but I have the mental agility and attitude of a 6 month old!), I was running and doing circle work and I did so many Westie Rolls that I was dizzy. And I met loads of other four legged ones who, like me, said how wonderful it was to have that sea breeze in as we could go for long walks again!

Woof for now.

Groucho