OTL gets to a Distillery or Two!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here!

You can tell it's Scotland, we were once told that if you don't like the weather where you are, just hang about for an hour or so and it'll change!

You know, it's right!

Here comes the Sun!

We got up to a cloudy start, went out for our morning wee and came back to wake Old Two Legs up!

After breakfast OTL gets his coat on and outs us on the lead and opens the caravan door, it was a gale blowing with the obligatory horizontal rain!

Well, we got as far as the car and decided we could hold on a bit longer!

Off we went, Holly, OTL, The Missus and me, driving along the road, heading off for an adventure up the north of the island.

OTL had a surprise for us, we stopped at the big beach where we had been chasing rabbits, well, we had a super run along the beach, in bright sun shine!

Us and TM in the sun shine!

Even TM got out of the car for a run on the beach, it was that good!

Next it was off to Port Askiag and down to Caol Ila, the first distillery of the day.

Well OTL likes Caol Ila and when he saw the distillery he said he now knows why it's such a smooth malt whisky!

Caol Ila

It was beautiful, so to mark the occasion, he purchased two bottles of whisky!

Next we went off to the Bunnahabhain Distillery which was down a long single track road and when we got there, it was closed! Now that upset OTL, he was almost crying, until TM said he could come back another day, then he cheered up!

We'll Be Back!

Now, leading from this distillery, there was a road, a road that had no tarmac, just tracks for tyres and it went around in a big circle to join up with a road again. So, OTL being OTL, decided it would be an adventure to drive along the track.

Off we went, bumping along the track, we were thrown from side to side and up and down and things were going 'Thud' underneath the floor! 

Us and The Paps of Jura

OTL was grinning from ear to ear, The Missus was not, you could tell she was not enjoying it in the slightest and she let OTL know!

So after a mile or so we turned the car around and headed back, splashing through the mud and ruts of the track and again OTL was grinning all over his face!

The Beginning!

When we got back onto tarmac roads again we headed off to Bowmore to do some shopping which only took five minutes and then back to our beach again!

This time the tide was almost in and I had a super time chasing the ball into the sea after OTL had thrown it in.

Because it was so shallow, I could run for ages before the water got above my tummy and it took ages for it to get too deep for paddling!

Me, Miles Out to Sea!

Even Holly got her paws wet running after the ball, but not too wet, you know what Holly thinks of water!

Back to the caravan for chicken dinner followed by a snooze before bed.

By the way, OTL & The Missus had a super meal at the hotel restaurant, TM got a Lobster and OTL said he got a bit of cow! 

Tomorrow we are off otter hunting again!

Bye bye for now!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

Serious Rabbit Hunting!

Yo Ho Woofers!

It's us again, McDaisy & Mac Holly!

Have we had some fun today!

First of all it's The Missus & Old Two Legs wedding anniversary today, they have been married twenty five years today. They got married in Gretna Green and we plan to stop there on the way home just so OTL can ask if he can have his money back!

We were up early, all ready for our morning walk and TM took us for our early morning 'Wee Walk' which was OK 'cos it's not raining. However, when OTL took us out, we got as far as the gate and it poured down! OTL was walking down the path in his own little world, all wrapped up against the weather and there was us getting wet!

It's Too Wet for a Walk!

A quick woof sorted him out and as soon as he opened the gate we were off like rockets back to the van!

Well, after a while we were bored and told OTL to make it stop raining!

I'm a Bored, Damp little Doggy!

You know what, after a while it did, so off we went again and this time we had our game on the beach, getting just our feet and tummies wet!

It was good trying to find the rabbits that hide on the beach, but we didn't see any!

I can sniff them, I'm sure they are here!

Holly was playing at being a sailor again and kept calling out 'I see no Ships!'

I see no Ships! (With one eye closed!)

 After that we had a brush back in the caravan and we both looked 'The Business', OTL can do a good job if he puts his mind to it!

TM wanted to make some cards or Tags for her blog so we left her to it and dragged OTL off to the big beach down the road.

We were there yesterday and had caught a sniff of rabbits! OTL had a telephone call from one of his customers, so he had a busy half an hour or so on the phone. That was OK by us 'cos as soon as OTL stopped the car we were out and 'Hunting Rabbit'!

We managed to find a couple of rabbits in the gorse bushes and had a glorious time chasing them from hole to hole!

We finally ended up at the gorse bush at the far end of the line of gorse bushes, the rabbit had run out of holes!

Holly and I were working as a team, she stood guard in case the rabbit tried to escape from any of the other holes and I took to digging the rabbit hole to make it bigger so we could get inside!

Team Work!

 I was a 'Puppy Possessed'! There I was digging like crazy, the roots that were in the way I tore at them with my teeth and ripped them from the ground! I was snarling and woofing and growling!

Mind you, it didn't help having a Gorse Bush Spikes stinging at your bottom!

I got spikes under my tail!

Holly was having a dig as well when I got a sniff from another hole, but most of the time it was me doing the digging!

Keep going, we are nearly there!

Well, it was at this point that OTL finally finished with his telephone calls and got out of the car to find out what we were doing.

He was not pleased with us 'cos we were filthy, from the tip of our tail to the tip of our noses!

That was it, he dragged us out and put us on the lead to stop us from going back in again!

Two Grubby Puppies!

I really didn't see what was wrong, I mean, it is part of our job description that we can get grubby every so often!

I'm not 'Really Grubby', just sort of 'Work Worn'!

Well that's it, we were confined to the caravan after we got washed, all over, and TM & OTL told us we had to be good puppies 'cos they were going out for a meal, without us, as a anniversary celebration.

So, it looks like an evening of snoozing on their bed until they come back. Mind you, we need a rest after all that digging today!

See you tomorrow!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

An All Night Gale!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here again!

Hey Archie, now the boss is away you can really get some fun going!

We thought that we were going to get blown away last night. It started in the evening with some more of this Horizontal Rain that seems to be the only type of rain they have up here! Then it started to blow, I mean really blow, like a Hurricane that Holly was talking about yesterday!

Well, it didn't stop until this morning about seven. All night long it was rocking and rolling the caravan about, The Missus was jumping about in the bed 'cos she couldn't get to sleep, Old Two Legs was moving about trying to get out of TM's way and poor us were kicked about all over the bed by TM, so none of us got any sleep!

You know, in the end Holly and I had to go back to our own bed for some sleep!

In the morning we found out that four tents were wrecked, just thrown in the dustbin and the campers have gone off to find a Bed & Breakfast to finish the holiday!

We were OK 'cos OTL never did get around to putting the awning up, so we suffered just a little loss of sleep!

Looking for Shipwrecks!

 Holly and I were out early looking for shipwrecks on our beach but as hard as we tried, we couldn't find even one!

So, I decided to go in for a paddle instead of a swim 'cos Holly had found a new sniff and I didn't want to miss out!

A Little Paddle Today!

We did a thorough search of the beach in case there were any stuff washed overboard from the ships last night but again, other than an old bean can, there was nothing, so we stood to attention in our best Nautical Fashion and declared it to be a 'Disaster Free Zone'!

Nautical Us!

Off we went with OTL and TM to Bowmore to do some shopping, well TM did and we went off to the beach with OTL to see what we could find!

Well, we found a couple of men sitting by the wall with a big bag of beer cans and they were enjoying themselves waiting for the distillery to open, well that's what OTL said!

Waiting for the doors to open!

 Our next stop was the beach just up the road from the camp site, we had loads of fun hunting rabbit in the gorse bushes!

Here Bunnies!

Then we went looking for crabs among the rocks and in the rock pools but all we could find were small velvet crabs that are unsociable 'cos they never say hello when we call out to them!

Among the Rocks!

 Later in the afternoon we went off with OTL to a place called Portnahaven which had a light house on the big island across from the harbour.

OTL pointed out the rain storm that was coming in behind it, well we could have told him that 'cos we sniffed it before we even saw it!

Us dogs have very sensitive noses you know!

There's a storm coming!

 Well, after all that running about today, Holly and me were both worn out, Holly fell asleep straight after dinner and didn't wake up again until OTL got his shortbread out!

Do I sniff Shortbread?

See you all tomorrow, we are off to do some running through the forest with TM & OTL, providing it doesn't rain!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

Dead Sheep Pong!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here!

Wow! It has been some terrific winds up here! Last night the wind direction changed, so, from a gentle rocking backwards and forwards, the caravan started to sway from side to side! Holly says it was making her sick! That was until she got up and had a look out the window, then her tummy settled, just in time for breakfast!

The caravans to our left look like they are packing up to leave today, so they are taking their awnings down, what a sight! The thing is flapping all over the place and the whole family is hanging onto the awning and trying not to let it blow away!

We had our walk on the beach and although it's windy, it's not cold, in fact it is rather warm.

Holly says that is a good sign that a hurricane is heading our way!

Cheerful little ball of fur she is this morning!

A Chew on seaweed to clean our teeth!

We had a game of 'Stick Running' again and Holly dug a couple of holes for us to roll in!

Rollin in the Hole!

Then we had a game of 'Possession' until the seaweed broke!

SsssMine! I saw it first!

On the way out we had words with the sheep!

OK, Who wants to be a Lamb Chop Today?

After Old Two Legs did all his chores, we were off for another day of exploring around the island.

We spotted a Goshawk that was surprised by us driving past where he was looking out for his dinner!

OTL took us back down to the big beach behind the airport and we had a super run all along the beach.

The wind was blowing so hard, it was blowing the sand back into the sea again!

The Sand going for a Swim!

We went along to the rocks in the middle of the beach.

Then we had a search for the rabbits we knew were hiding underground, we sniffed, then we woofed, then we tried digging the hole bigger, but they stayed hidden inside and refused to come out!

We know you're in there, we can hear you breathing!

After a while we decided to leave them alone and went off for a sniff of that dead sheep. It was getting a good pong about it 'cos it had been there for a long time and Holly said it was just right for having a roll in, but OTL wouldn't allow it!

Go On, just One Roll?

We stopped at an old church that had lost it's roof many years ago and OTL took some pictures of the church, this one is outside, looking in and then out the front door to the outside again, if you get what I mean!

Outside, looking inside, looking out!

On the way back, OTL stopped at a distillery that was a farm and grew all it's own barley and made it's own whisky. OTL had never heard of this one before, so, OTL, being OTL, just had to get a bottle, or two, to try when we get home!

It was a good job The Missus was not here, she may have stopped him going in there in the first place!

Just as we got back to the caravan site it started to pour down, the rain was almost horizontal and was trying to blow the caravan back across the site!

We dived in and TM got our dinner ready, chicken and biscuits, which was great. Then she turned to OTL and said 'There's no water in the tank and the barrel is empty, you had better get some, now!'

Poor OTL, out in the rain and the wind filling up the water tank, still, we did give him a cuddle and helped him eat the last of his shortbread!

See you tomorrow, we're off shopping in Bowmore tomorrow and while TM is shopping, OTL is going to sneak into the distillery, if he's quick!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

A day looking for Frolicking Otters!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here in sunny Isle of Islay.

This morning we were down on our private beach when a load of sheep came wandering through and even had the cheek to stop an stare at us! Holly gave one of her 'Grumbly Growls' and they all ran off!

Nosey Sheep!

I went straight in for my dip in the 'Plunge Pool' which tones up my fur and makes my tail stand up!

Daisy's Plunge Pool!

 After that Holly said I should try the Bubble bath a bit further out, but I said I was not that stupid!

Mind you it did look inviting!

Bubble Bath?

After a quick roll in the sand to dry off we went 'rock pooling', just to see if any pirate treasure had been washed up over night but all we found was more Nelly Fish and a stick!

Rock Pooling!

The stick was great, it was big enough for OTL to get a good throw to it and long enough for Holly and I to get a good hold on it and best of all it was strong enough not to break when we had a fight over it!

Stick Running!

This afternoon we went out with OTL and The Missus and found this wonderful beach, I mean, it went on for miles and miles and better still, we were the only ones on the beach, except for a dead sheep!

Our Beach!

OTL told us off for sniffin the sheep so we had a super game of 'Chase the Ball' and 'Digging the Biggest Hole'

Then to finish it off, we both jumped into the hole and had a good roll around!

Holey Rollers!

Then we found another beach where we were chased by a youngster who wanted to stick her nose under my tail all the time, until I gave it a good wash in the water!

I'm just Cooling Off!

OTL wanted to visit an old church and while we were there we spotted this old cross, seems like it was 1,300 years old, wow, that's even older than OTL!

The Kildalton Cross.

Just to let you know what it is all about, here is the notice by it's side!

The Details!

On our way back to the caravan, guess what we found?

Another Beach!

We Was Here!

So after another quick swim to cool down, we built this, just to prove we were here!

You know what, we were looking all day for the Frolicking Otters OTL saw mentioned on a poster in the centre. Well, the only thing that was 'Frolicking' today was us!

A long and tiring day, so I see an early night coming!

See you tomorrow!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

Highland Not Not's

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here!

It has been a bit windy today, we were listening to the weather forecast on the TV and the lady said that it would be a 'Bit Breezy'

It was a Force 8 Gale!

Breezy!

Still, it didn't stop us from having fun. Holly and I were down on our private beach having a mooch around when all of a sudden we got the feeling someone was looking at us!

So, slowly, not to let anyone know we were looking at them looking at us, we very slowly raised our eyes to see.............................Not Not's!

Highland Not Not's

Well, that was it, we weren’t going to have Highland Not Not's looking at us on our private beach, so we woofed and woofed and they ran off!

It was then that Holly decided to go back to her favourite beach thing.............rolling in something smelly!

Rolling in it Again!

It was there that Holly spotted something on the beach and asked OTL if she could roll in it!

OTL said it would get smelly later but it had stinging things that could hurt little puppies like us!

He said it was called a Nelly Fish, but Holly said it didn't look like any fish she had ever seen before! 

Beached Nelly Fish!

Later on we went off to Bowmore to do some shopping, Holly and I had a run along the beach while The Missus was on the Co-op. Old Two Legs wanted to go in the Bowmore Distillery but TM wouldn't let him!

Never mind, we gave his ear a lick as we headed back to the caravan and promised him a return trip soon!

The afternoon was spent snoozing while OTL & TM played on their computers in the big building where they have Hi-Fi or Wi-Fi or whatever it is to make the Internet work!

See you tomorrow!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

And we have our own private beach!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here!

Our first day here on Isle of Islay. We are at a place called Port Charlotte, well, just down the road really. It is the local Community Hall and camp site. We think that they really cater for Motor homes and Tents rather than caravans 'cos the caravan plot is rather small and our van is rather big!

But as we said yesterday, the view is to die for and we have our own sandy beach, just for us and the sheep!

A view to die for!

Holly and I went with Old Two Legs to investigate this morning, we had a ball! 

Sharing a Hole with Sis!

Running around chasing each other, digging holes, having paddles, woofing at OTL and rolling in new sniffs!

A Private Sniff to roll in on our Private beach!

A big Black Backed Gull landed on the rocks and introduced himself as the Life Guard, he said he normally works with fish but he would do his best if we got into problems!

Our Life Guard

I was in and out of the water for my swim but I only really had a 'Deep Paddle' 'cos I was not too sure about the Life Guard!

Who needs a Life Guard, I got OTL!

Today it looks like being a bit cloudy and wet, so we are going out in the car for an investigate while The Missus makes a card or two 'cos she says she is 'Inspired', not sure what by, Wind, rocks, sea or the sun coming up in the morning across the bay!

We went to the local RSPB site and had a look around but other than 'Little Brown Jobs' there was nothing too exciting to see. So, off we went on a tour of the South West of Islay. OTL passed three distilleries but only saw two, both shut!

So, he stopped at a local shop and purchased a bottle of a new whisky he has not tried before, so we know what he will be doing tonight!

Of course, there will be shortbread, so we are OK as well!

Just before we got back to the caravan, OTL stopped the car, jumped out and was looking through his binoculars and getting all excited 'cos he was watching a Golden Eagle gliding around on the wind looking for it's dinner!

That's another good reason for getting the shortbread out!

Good or wot!

See you tomorrow!

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly