Salty Old Sea Dogs

Yo Ho All You Woofers!

Salty Old Sea Dogs McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

Have we been doing things that few doggies have ever done before!

First of all we had the fastest run in the forest for a wee and a poo this morning. Old Two Legs rushed us up there and told us to hurry up and 'get on with our business'. I do hate to be rushed at these things! Still, we cooperated as he seem all in a panic, then we rushed back to pick up The Missus.

It was not long before we had parked up and were marching down to the docks where a boat was waiting for us.

It was a bit dodgy jumping from the dock side onto the boat but TM had got on first and OTL just picked us up and tossed us onto the boat!

Sort of puppy press ganged!

It was a little strange at first, the ground seemed to be moving about, sort of rocking from side to side and then up and down. Weird or wot!

Then the engine started and off we went, sort of swaying and wobbling our way across the water!

This was serious stuff you know, us doggies don't do boats as normal and we only get wet when it rains or we have a swim! This boat thing was swimming across the water like a big duck!

The man who owned the boat came up to us and called us 'Sea Dogs' and tickled our chins, so we liked him straight away!

By now we had worked out that we were all going on a Sea Eagle Watching Trip on the boat.

After a while we were getting used to this wobbling about and I even sat on OTL's shoulder to get a better view.

I can sea the Sea!

Holly decided to stay on the floor with TM and not risk sitting on OTL's shoulders in case she fell in the water. She has yet to try swimming and deep paddling is as far as she has gone at the moment!

Very soon we stopped the boat and the captain, (he's the man who owns the boat) was throwing bits of bread out to some gulls that had turned up. Soon we saw the eagle coming from the shore, it was small to begin with, but as it got closer, it got bigger and bigger and then blooming enormous!

This bird had a wing span of about ten feet! I mean, this was no chicken on steroids, this was one almighty great bird with attitude!

One serious looking Chicken!

Holly hid under the chair, I hid behind TM but OTL was standing up and snapping away like mad!

First this bird circled the boat looking for the fish that had been thrown in the water for him. Then it came gliding in and picked up the fish. It's claws or Talons as OTL called them were wicked, like, they could have picked up Holly and me in one swoop!

Sharp looking Talons

It did this fish picking up thing a couple of times and we then saoiled off and left it alone. You see, if we feed it too much it then relies on the man in the boat for fish and loses the need to hunt for it's own food and we are really just a 'Treat' when we throw the fish for them. I suppose it's like when TM gets us our chews on a Friday when the food man calls!

Going in for the Fish!

A seriously exciting day for us all, OTL was happy about some of the photo's he took and Holly was glad to get back on dry land.

Mind you, as we were on our way back, Holly sort of got more awake and we started singing 'Sea Shanty Songs' about the wind and waves and the Mermaids on the rocks!

We've been singing Sea Shanty's!

As Holly says, she is not cut out to be a Salty Sea Dog, and to be honest, neither am I, especially when you get birds that big flying about, chickens we don't mind but White Tailed Sea Eagles, you can keep them!

The rolling of the boat doesn't help either, so I think we will stick to dry land, thank you very much!

Bye for now,

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly, Salty Sea Dogs, (Retired)

Ooooops!

Hello All You Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

We have been on an Adventure today. It started off when we went for our stroll in the forest, Holly and Old Two Legs were having a chat while I was off in the long grass. When I got back I asked what the chat was about, as you do.

Holly said that she had asked OTL if we could dig up a tree and take it home so we can have a Christmas Tree in our back garden and put lights all over it and maybe have more than one Christmas each year.

Holly said that OTL says we could choose one but to make sure it was OK with the tree about being dug up and taken home.

Holly said that we had to sit next to it and ask it if it wanted to come with us and to get the tree to say yes to our question.

Me and Holly chose a small tree and sat next to it and Holly said that it should be me who asks the tree 'cos I was more polite and well spoken than her, which I suppose I am, seeing how I always say please, before mugging any food.

So I sat down with Holly and asked the tree, but it didn't answer my question, so, at Holly's prompting, I asked again, and again, and again. Then I got a bit upset and woofed at the tree, asking if his ears were made from wood or was he a thick as two short planks, which he couldn't be 'cos he hadn't grown up enough to be even one short plank!

It was then that I saw OTL with the camera and heard Holly laughing her tail off, they both were having a great joke at my expense!

The jokes on Me!

Just wait, I'll get my own back before the holiday is over!

We went down to the harbour where the RNLI was holding a fund raising day and The Missus bought a Teddy Bear dressed in a Lifeboat man’s jumper. OTL named him Cedric and now he has joined the 'Gang'. While TM was getting Cedric, we went with OTL to take some photographs of Tobermory, OTL tried to get all artistic with the anchors and a tree branch!

Tobermory Harbour and an Anchor or Two!

After that, we decided to go down to a park near us which has a super big lake that OTL wanted to photograph. The road down to the park was very narrow and as we were going down, another car wanted to go up the road. So, OTL moved over the side of the road so the other car could get past, but, OTL went over too far and the side of the road collapsed and the wheels of our car started to slide into the ditch!

At first OTL tried to drive out, being that the car is a four wheel drive, but as soon as he started to go forward the car slid further into the ditch. OTL stopped trying and telephoned the AA!

Ooops!

It was about four hours later that a man with a big tow truck arrived and with a little messing about, pulled the car out of the ditch.

So, we never got to see the lake and take pictures, so we will have to go back again to take the pictures. This time OTL says that if any car comes up while he is going down, then they can just reverse back down or he will jump all over them!

We are all set for our boat trip tomorrow morning to see the White Tailed Eagles. All we got to do is make sure they go for the fish and not us!

We'll let you know how it turns out.

Bye for now,

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

A Day with OTL

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

Today we have been out with Old Two Legs in the car today, all the way down to The Ross of Mull. That is really the little bit at the end of the 'southern arm' of The Isle of Mull!

We know these things 'cos we have been reading the tourist books on the whole island!

It started off being a little cloudy this morning but it soon brightened up, just after OTL had posted yesterdays blog for us.

We started off with our normal walk in the forest and OTL took a picture of Holly posing on top of a rock with some heather at her paws and a small conifer growing out of a crack in the rock.

Looking Good Miss MacHolly!

OTL says it was a reasonably well composed picture. Holly says it makes her look slim.

I think she is just a show off!

Off we went and after a while we stopped at a waterfall OTL had seen before, he said he wanted to take a photograph and see how it came out, we reckon it was sort of OK but not a 'Wow' picture.

Waterfall & Puddle!

Further on we came to a beach with loads of sea weed on it,so we just had to have a run in that stuff. It kept on going 'POP' every time we stood on it, it was fun trying to make a tune out of stepping on the seaweed. I tried to make the tune 'Pop goes the Weasel' but kept on getting lost!

Musical Seaweed

Holly reckons she was doing 'Who let the dogs out' but it just sounded like OTL's camera when he is trying to catch us running, sort of click, click,click,click,click,click but very fast!

Us playing Musical Seaweed!

Finally we got down to Fiddon and Fiddon Farm and we went out for a stroll around the fields looking for wild life but all we found was sheep!

So, I showed Holly how she should pose for OTL and I especially like the 'wind blown' look, Holly said it looks like I was blowing wind! Saucy Puppy!

Me looking all wild and windblown!

On the way back we were doing our 'leaning out of the window' bit woofing at everything and a sheep dog woofed at us as we passed, so, we both woofed back and told him what we would do if he came any closer.

Next thing we knew, this sheep dog had run up to the side of the car door and was woofing fit to bust, I mean, he had a real attitude problem. Mixing with too many sheep I think, anyway, me and Holly stopped barking for a moment to ask OTL if he could drive a little faster!

The sheepdog soon got left behind and we leaned out of the window and woofed and growled and blew raspberries at him!

Along the road a little, OTL stopped and showed us Iona, an island, not far off the shore. He said lots of people go there and he might take us one day if we are good. That means we'll never get there then!

Iona from Fiddon

Before we got onto the main road we stopped by some rocks to have a sniff and a wee but Holly suggested we do some rock climbing, she said it made a change from climbing trees!

Rock Climbing Puppies!

We stopped a couple more times on the way home, just to have a run on the beach or look for otters but we didn't see any otters, just a black mink who scurried across the road and headed for the hen house!

We got home a bit late and The Missus was getting worried we had got lost or something. We gave her a big lick and a cuddle then in double quick time finished off a large bowl of chicken and biscuits.

Then a snooze just to let the food settle before mugging OTL for some shortbread.

Tomorrow we are off to a RNLI Life Boat Day Show Thingy Wossit that OTL and TM want to see.

So, bye bye for now and we will see you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

Chariot Racing and Shells

Hello Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

Today we went down to Calgary Bay again, a super place for running and digging holes in the sand.

A Race Down the Beach!

Old Two Legs fell down one hole and we are sure it was one we dug yesterday!

This time The Missus came with us and she spent most of the time looking for twiddly little sea shells to stick onto her cards. Holly reckons that she should go for a BIG shell and stick that on the front of the card, that will save loads of work!

We met up with a doggy called Charlie who had lost his ball and thought that me and Holly had it. We told him that we didn't have the ball but he didn't believe us, until Holly got fed up and told him to Woof Off!

Woof Off your dealing with MacHolly here!

Then we found a long bit of sea weed and Holly and me played at 'Chariots', running side by side along the beach as fast as we could go!

Chariot Racing on Calgary Beach!

We went after the rabbits again but never saw any, but they do dig big holes!

OTL spotted some small holes where the Sand Martins had built their nests and we even saw one go into a hole, but OTL thinks it is a youngster going back for a rest 'cos all the eggs should be hatched by now and the birds should be thinking of moving south again!

The forecast for the afternoon was , cloudy, with rain showers, so we went off and did the shopping and OTL loaded yesterdays blog onto the internet. I would do it but they don't allow doggies in the shop 'cos it sells food and they are afraid that we will eat all the food, or summat!

It costs OTL a cup of drinking chocolate every time he goes in, 'cos they won't let him use their internet connection without him buying something!

The afternoon we spent having a game of chase with the ball then a snooze 'cos the rain came down and we dashed inside and refused to go out and get wet!

Even OTL and TM had a snooze as well!

All set for some liver and biscuits tonight for dinner and afterwards we will try to mug OTL for a bit of his 'Meat Free Curry' that TM is doing for the first time!

OTL is horrified!

We think she is taking this re cycling and saving the plant bit too far, a curry with no meat! What next, doggy dinner with just vegetables? That will give us the wind and she complains about our wind as it is so what will it be like if we are fed on vegetables only!

Terrifying!

Tomorrow, if it is not raining, OTL wants to go walking all the way to a lighthouse he has seen. He said that he and TM once tried to get there but TM fell in a big puddle and refused to go any further!

So, tomorrow, a 'New Place' for us all, except that TM will be staying at the caravan to make cards with her sea shells!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

Sandcastles and Holes and Whales

Hello Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

Today we have spent some time with Old Two Legs 'cos TM has gone to see some Whales, a sort of anniversary present from OTL!

It was super sunshine when we waved her good bye from the dock side and off she went as happy as you like.

Bye Bye TM

After TM had sailed off, we went back to the caravan park to get our swimming costumes and guess what?...........It started to rain!

So we settled down to a snooze after our breakfast while OTL did all the housework and get the water from the well and clean TM wellies, as she had told him he must do, before she gets back.

OTL says sometimes he feels just like Cinderella!

We got a message on the mobile telephone from TM saying she had seen whales, but didn't say what type! When she came back she showed us a picture of a whale she saw and she says it's called Minkki!

Hello Minkki!

By then the rain had stopped and we went for a walk up the forest and OTL started looking into big puddles and taking photographs, he looked right strange, and so does his picture!

Looking in a Puddle!

When we got back we jumped into the car and went off to Calgary Bay for a race and a dig in the sand!

First of all I went sort of 'swimming', my feet came off the sandy bottom when it dipped away and I was swimming for a moment until I turned around and swam to shore again!

Me Swimming!

OTL said that it would have been fun if he had brought our ball so we could chase it in the water!

Rock Pooling.

Then we had a go at 'Rock Pooling' but we didn't find anything worth eating!

Holly and me ran all over the beach and then we had a go at digging holes, then we built a sandcastle and after that we chased all around another sandcastle that had a mote!

Our Sandcastle!

I bet you didn't know we could build sandcastles as well as dig big holes!

Mote Racing!

We were in plenty of time to meet TM off the boat, we got there early and sat on the dock front where we saw a notice about doggies that didn't concern us 'cos OTL looks after our every need!

Early to bed tonight as we are tired puppies and OTL has some special plans for tomorrow, we just hope it involves sand and beaches and more hole digging!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

More White Tailed Eagles!

Hello Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

Today we have spent some time with The Missus 'cos Old Two Legs has gone off to photograph these pesky White Tailed Eagles.

Well, in fact he left us all at about midday and we stood at the window to wave good bye as he drove out of the caravan site.

We then had a game of 'Chase the Ball' with TM and woofed at a couple of Hooded Crows that were sitting on the wires above the road. They took no notice of us at all, so Holly stuck her tongue out and blew a big raspberry, but that didn't do any good either, so we left them alone and went back to chasing the ball.

OTL cam back late afternoon, after we had eaten lunch, then had a long snooze, then a walk around the camp site, (twice) and finally another snooze!

We gave him a big 'welcome back' woof and a lick on the ear, just to make him welcome, then setted back to see the photographs.

OTL was not happy with the pictures, not what he was looking for, but, as he says, they are wild birds and don't take direction very well when he wants to photograph them, all they want is a herring that is thrown in by the boat owner!

Still, have a look at these!

We like the one of the Gull who wants to grow up to be a White Tailed Eagle, he's got a lot of growing up to do!

Tomorrow TM is going off on a Whale Watching trip on a boat that will take seven hours, so OTL and us are off to the beach for another run on the sand and maybe dig an even bigger hole, not that will be fun!

We hope TM comes back with some super photographs of Killer Whales and Dolphins and stuff like that 'cos they will be nearly as interesting as our sand holes that we will dig and get OTL to take photographs of!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

Today it rained, for a change!

Hello Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here on the very wet Isle of Mull!

Today the rain has been pouring down, we woke up to the sound of a thousand squirrels charging across the caravan roof, well that's what Holly thought it was until we worked out it was just the rain dancing on the roof.

However, our barking did wake The Missus up and when she got out of bed, we jumped in, to give Old Two Legs a lick and a cuddle!

We went for our morning walk down the forest with OTL, but because it was raining so much, we decided to go for a walk in the forest instead of down the track!

It's dry in here!

It was fun charging about the tree trunks, jumping over the rocks, the ones the trees had pushed up out of the ground as they grew taller!

Strong trees!

OTL decided that as he couldn't get us to walk on the path, he might as well join us in the forest, so he had some fun photographing the trees and the fungi that was growing on the forest floor!

A woody game of 'Chase'

This one is called Rufous Milk Cap (we think) and it grows under conifers, which are the trees in the forest, so we reckon we are right. OTL says they are not poisonousness but taste like milk which turns to a horrible 'acrid' taste after about a minute.

Rufous Milk Cap

So we don't touch them at all!

As it has been raining we stayed in the caravan and had a snooze for a change and OTL and TM did some reading.

This afternoon we went down to the town and TM booked up a day out on a boat searching for whales, porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks, other stuff like that!

We will be spending the day with OTL so we are going to get him to take us back to Calgary Bay again 'cos we want to have another run on the sand, and dig a bigger hole this time!

Chicken tonight and a cuddle with TM 'cos OTL is off photographing eagles tomorrow, again, let's hope he gets a good picture this time!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

Machair, sand & Mountains

Yo Ho Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

What a super day today, we started off in the forest as normal, and Old Two Legs started taking some photo's of the wild life. He said he saw a Coal Tit, Blue Tit and a Great Tit. Holly said all he needed was a Crested Tit and a Long Tailed Tit and he would have had the full set!

Coal Tit

When we got back to the van we had to wait for The Missus to finish getting ready, she take sooo long getting ready that we got bored and started to have a 'Rough & Tumble' on the seats.

'Rough & Tumble'

That was when OTL told us off and made us sit still. Boring or what?

Finally we were off and we stopped at a small harbour to see if there were any Herons fishing 'cos OTL has them on his 'List' of things to photograph.

Nothing there, just a few ducks and a gull or two!

Next stop was Calgary Bay, it was Amazing!

The beach was all sand for what seemed like miles. We raced through the machair and just ran, I mean full bore, flat out, head down, tail straight up type of run.

Speed it a drug!

It was brilliant!

Holly and me went all over the beach, into the water, into the stream that ran into the sea and Holly found a super sniff she just had to roll in!

A sailing sniff for Holly!

The best bit was, we dug the most enormous hole in the sand and OTL and TM just stood there laughing at us doing it!

Dual Digging!

We dug together, then on our own then side by side and finally we threw some sand at OTL for fun!

Here's sand in your face!

Back home they would be all upset, but here, it was all fun, fun, fun!

After we had finished on the beach we went across the water in a boat called a 'Ferry'. OTL had to throw us in and out of the 'Ferry' because it was so small!

We landed on an island called Ulva which was very strange 'cos there were no roads there and you had to walk everywhere!

OTL & TM had lunch and we just had to mug OTL for some of his ham sandwich 'cos TM sat there and finished off her prawns without offering us a nibble!

Aww! Common, Gissa Bit of Ham?

We have voted TM the meanest person today because all we wanted was a taste, or two, or three!

OTL pointed out a mountain called Ben More that was in full view, it normally has clouds at the top. He told us the story of when he climbed it, again, he can get soo boring when he goes on about his mountains!

Ben More across the Loch

Still, it does look a long way to the top!

We got some liver tonight so both Holly and me have got 'Grumbly Tums' just thinking about it!

Early to bed tonight 'cos we may get to go back to Calgary Bay tomorrow, if we are lucky!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly

Paddling in a Loch or two

Hello Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

The sun has been shining today and Old Two Legs and us have been out in the car visiting new places, well new for us but OTL has been there before!

First of all we went up to the forest for a run and a wee before setting off. OTL was playing with his camera, so, while we waited for him we chased some rabbits and a couple of mice we thought we heard rustling in the grass!

Inside looking Out!

We visited a place called Lochbuie, there must be no more than six or seven houses there and a church. The beach was all stony but when the tide went out we managed to have a run along the sand, and a paddle!

Lochbuie  Beach

There were some sheep there as well but OTL wouldn't let us chase them!

Paddling in Lochbuie

We were just about to head back to the car when we spotted a rams horn, just one, all on it's own, on top of a rock. Well we had a sniff, trying to work out why it had dropped off. Holly said that they always drop off if you chase them and did I know that a lizard can drop his tail if you chase him, it makes him lighter and so he can run faster!

Well, it wasn't us!

 I said she was talking through her tail!

Then we had a fight and OTL told us both off!

Our next stop was a place called Groggan, it was at the end of a long road and we woofed at the sheep and a couple of Herons sitting on some rocks.

Then we got out and had another game of 'Chase' and a paddle!

Chase me if you can!

This time we didn't see any sheep, so we were good little puppies and just woofed at the Gulls.

The clouds above the mountains looked good and so did a waterfall under a bridge, so OTL took a picture!

Pretty waterfall!

When we got back to the caravan, there was chicken for dinner and afterwards we had a chase around the field, loads of fun beating each other up!

We are off with The Missus tomorrow, so we will be on our best behaviour.

Not sure just where we are going but we bet it will be fun!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly