Farmacy

One reason why we have been so busy this year is because of this. I was very confused about this to be honest.  I thought a Farmacy was where you had a lot of animals like non-fake sheep and hens, and when Syd said we were getting a Farmacy I was very excited. I thought he was going to be a Farmer and I was planning on being one of those dogs that chases, no, rounds up, sheep. But no, it seems that is a Farm and a Farmacy are not the same. A Farmacy is much less interesting for dogs, but that is what we have.

Here is Syd in his Farmer's outfit. He puts this on and people have to listen to his advice (apart from Sarah). He has worked very hard in this white jacket. We have never seen him work this hard. Every Saturday he had to go there and organize all the medicines and toilet paper. Once I went to help but I got fed up after about 10 minutes and went to sleep under the counter. Sarah has helped a bit by making a cake. Why that was helpful I am not sure. But I did help to eat it.

Country Business

Well at Christmas and afterwards we went to the country a lot. We go all the time now for the weekends. This is our routine. We go in the car and I sleep until we are nearly there but I always wake up at the end of our road when we are 3.5 km from our house and I go 'on duty'. When you are 'on duty' you switch your eyes onto 'beady' (not beardy, though Syd and I are both quite beardy) mode and you do a low sort of noise in your throat, and you stare very hard out of the windows. You are looking for creatures. If you see a creature then the noise in your throat goes very loud and high and squealy and your legs go a bit like Scooby Doo's legs when he has seen a ghost and he is running on the spot, and you do this until you can't see the creature any more, because it ran away or Syd drove past it.

 These are the creatures I mean. There are Roos, there are Echidnas and there are WOMBATS who only come at night so I don't have a photo of them.

 They all live near our house and they go in MY garden when I am not there. That makes me so mad, hence the squealing and beadiness. Once the S's let you out of the car, whilst they are unpacking you run round as fast as you can and you sniff very hard where all the creatures have been and you bark a lot, just to let them know that you are back and that it is NOT ALLOWED for them to come in your garden. It is not really very restful for me in the country actually. As well as being on duty, I have to bark at Tractor, swim for sticks and also have a lot of baths. I have reported previously on how I am not at all keen on baths, but no one seems to have been paying attention.

We have 24 ducks living on our pond now. I have counted them. When I am not barking at wombats, or Tractor, I am barking at ducks. It is a full time job. The neighbours have also got creatures. Look at this. One day I stared all day at this and it never moved. You know why? It's a 'fake sheep'. Seriously. Those neighbours also have none-fake hens. I stare at them too. Sarah says we are getting our own non-fake hens and I am quite excited about that, though I am playing it cool because if the S's think I am too excited at the prospect of eating hens, no sorry I meant to say; eating eggs, they may change their minds.

We made a special veggie patch also which I am not allowed in because I have been seen helping myself to carrots. Gardening is boring, I leave that to Sarah, but digging up food is the good and fun bit. Syd is also not allowed very much in the veggie patch ever since he pulled out the tomato plants as he thought they were weeds. I weed in there once when I was helping myself to a carrot. Yet one more thing on the 'not allowed' list. It is quite long that list.

Sometimes our friends come and stay. Here is Victoria my best

lady friend; when she came we went to the village show. It was very hot but they had cold beer (and water for dogs). They had none-fake sheep too. Look what this man was doing to this poor sheep. Actually it looked like torture but afterwards that sheep told me he was much cooler and happier. Sarah spent ages looking at home made jam (nothing is more boring than that) and was threatening to put her home made things in next year's show. I didn't say anything but I don't think she will be winning many prizes. See for yourself.

she should have stopped at the scarf

I will be regifting this back to Syd for his birthday

Hat. (Syd only wore it in the house, to be polite - then he gave it to ME even though I did not want it).
Jam. (I refused to have it on my toast).
Drink that makes you go silly. (not for dogs)
Carrots! (OK they tasted alright but seriously?)



Apparently this is a carrot




this looks homemade - I would not touch it.



Last Christmas and Ringo and me

So it really has been so long since I wrote that I have to start with LAST Christmas. That is not just a festive song, by Wham! that we have to listen to at this time of year, it is a real thing. So, last Christmas we had VIPs who visited us. They came on their boat. One of them wore socks and sandals AT THE SAME TIME ( I think I may have already mentioned that but it needs to be said again) and the other one really knew when a dog might like a treat. ('Often' is when a dog likes to have a treat.) She can come again, that lady.

OAP Transportation

A nice lady (and Sarah)

Another nice lady (and that silly old person)

A silly old person

Santa - his beard was longer than mine!

We did a lot of typical Australian Christmas things with the VIPs. Syd calls them the OAPs but I think he got that wrong.  We went to Bondi Beach. We ate prawns. We hid from Fireworks (that was just me). We chased rabbits (also just me). We played Christmas games, we ate lots and we did sightseeing. We dressed silly. Some people drank a lot of wine. Anyway it was quite good. But the best part was afterwards in January when Ringo came to stay with me!  Ringo is not one of the Beatles, he is a Hairedale, like me. Oh yes and he's my brother and he is heavy! Well he's heavier than me.  His family let him come for 2 weeks and we had so much fun. We did a lot of naughty things that I won't go into as we made a pact called 'what goes on tour stays on tour' which means you don't tell the S's what you were doing whilst they were out.

mine, no mine

head wrestling

We did a lot of fighting and swimming and sleeping and eating. I even let Ringo sit on my special big chair with me. He was a bit sad at first when his family left but then he realized how much fun it was going to be, and I explained the rules of our house which are that 1. You don't have to listen to Sarah and 2. You do sometimes have to listen to Syd but only when his voice is really getting cross, then Ringo settled in and made himself at home. If I am honest there was one thing I did not like about having a guest and that was sharing my bones. I am fine about sharing chairs, and toys, beds and rugs.....but bones are a different matter. I can't help it, if there are 2 bones I want them both, in case one is better than the other. I mean, how do you know you got the best one unless you take them both and try them first? Ringo is more 'laid back' than me about bones, which Sarah says is probably a good thing. You only have to say the 'b' word near me and I go all quivery in my tail. Anyway I loved having my brother to stay, we make a very handsome pair of chaps even though I say so myself.

Ringo is about to sneak off and I am doing my face on the side which they always like in a photo

A pile of Hairedales

I don't let just anyone sit on my special chair

my favourite man (not Santa)

Blog without a dog

A very handsome me

Don't panic, I am still here (the dog) but I have not been writing like I promised. It's been another whole year, we had a Christmas again (the S's got out that tree that you must not wee on) and this year has been sooooo busy that in the end I had to just give up my regular updates and I am going to do a 'review of the year' of 2012 for you now instead. Every time my paws felt like typing some news the S's were either; at work, 'too busy', gone out, or asleep. This meant no one could switch on Computer for me so I couldn't do my homework. Yes I can type, but Computer has a fiddly switch at the back that paws can't manage, so that was that. I did ask Santa for an iPad this year; well everyone else in this house has one. iPad's are surely designed with paws in mind, aren't they? 'i' have 'pads'  on my paws, don't I? Get it?! Oh I bet you have missed me!



Here is my paw and here is someone from England wearing socks and sandals AT THE SAME TIME! How funny!

Anyway, we have had Christmas and I have been in holiday mode,  but now it's back to work and so I am catching up on my homework and and am ready with a few stories. I will tell you what the S's have been up to (mostly boring) and what I have been doing (mostly 'not allowed' things) and who I have seen and where I have been. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin....... Actually, it has been so long I had better remind you who we are. First in the pack and most important is Fozzie. I am quite a woolly sheep in this photo as it was winter (you can tell by the scarf).

Handsome but hairy me

Me wondering where my dinner is

Me still wondering where my dinner is

Equal Second in the pack are the S's (Syd is a bit before Sarah; she is definitely 3rd in pack pecking order ok?)  Though she is in charge of rations, including peanut butter, B.O.N.E S ( we are only allowed ever to spell that word, not say it, in case someone gets too excited (not sure who?) and other treats, so I have to be a bit nice to her. I am not sure why she is in charge of such important stuff, I suppose Syd is too busy?