OTL gets his Bee!

Hello Woofers!

Daisy & Holly here again!

Well, this morning we were out for our walk along The Sea Wall a bit earlier than normal but that didn't help us, the rabbits were nowhere to be seen!

Mr & Mrs Corvid were out looking for breakfast but they didn't stop to chat, seems Mr Corvid is a bit grumpy until he has had his breakfast!

Oi! Got any Whelks?

Old Two Legs was a 'Happy Puppy', he found a couple of Shrill Carder Bees feasting on some flowers and managed to get a reasonable picture for identification. You can see the black spot on it's back, unlike the Brown Banded Carder that has a Honey Brown spot!

Shrill Carder Bee!

 Well, in fact he got two!

Another Shrill Carder Bee, from behind!

You know, there are only seven sites in the UK that these bees have been confirmed since 2000 and we got one right on our daily walking path! The same goes with the Brown Banded Carder as well. We have been looking on the web and really these are Bumble Bees rather than your common or garden bees and they need a flower rich grasslands to survive.

On the way back to the car, Holly spotted a single rabbit out on the path and set off in 'Full Steam' mode only to have the rabbit dive into the hole at the last moment, just to get up Holly's nose!

Stand Still and let me Eat You!

When we got home, OTL gave us our brush down and got rid of some of those nasty grass darts that stick in us, Holly even had one in her ear!

Then we were called into the kitchen for breakfast, Doggy Scoff, Yuk and Double Yuk!

We trotted up to our bowls took one sniff, turned around and went off to find OTL to complain, it is just not good enough, we love heart, liver, chicken, NOT DOGGY SCOFF!

We showed off all morning, we stayed in our beds in OTL's office and refused to get up!

 On our lunch time walk The Missus came as well, just for a breath of fresh air. So, just to make her feel bad, we both had a hunt on the beach to see if there were any whelks that we could chew on!

See any Whelks?

Unfortunately, we didn't find any, so Holly and I sort of whimpered every time we got close to TM!

We even asked OTL, in a loud voice, if we could eat the grasshoppers on the path 'cos we were so hungry!

To eat or not to eat, that is the question!

 I tried to grab it, just for a taste of it's leg, but it was too quick and jumped out of the way into the grass.

Holly and I collapsed onto the path and complained that we were 'Faint with Hunger' and couldn't go a step further without food. It didn't do any good, the grasshoppers all cleared off and TM ignored us!

Faint with Hunger, we fell by the wayside!

OTL spotted a strange looking fly and took it's picture, after getting home we find out it was a Hover Fly called 'Helophilus pendulus', posh name for a fly!

'Helophilus pendulus'

We found it on a web site that had some super pictures of flies, they made OTL all jealous 'cos they were so sharp and in focus!

Have a look and you will see what I mean.


http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/Insight/index.php?page_id=478

Back home and we can sniff that OTL has got Gammon tonight, so we may be in luck for a nibble before he gets stuck in!

If we survive until tomorrow, we will see you then.

Bye bye for now!

Luv,

Daisy & Holly (Poor Hungry Little Puppy's)

What a Hot Day!

Hi Ho Woofers!

Daisy & Holly here again!

What a hot day it has been today, we have been all sort of 'Too Hot To Bother' today. Which is a shame 'cos we had visitors and I'm afraid I showed off a little bit!

You see it was like this, We were out early'ish with Old Two Legs and got to The Sea Wall car park where we were let out of the car to chase a rabbit or two. Well, we saw a couple of rabbits in the long grass and went steaming after them. As we were racing towards them, they sort of looked up from eating the grass and dashed into the bushes. Holly and I were travelling at the speed of light or close but we just didn't stand a chance, those rabbits were gone!

Well, it was a bit of an effort and the sun was hot on our backs, so half way back to OTL we both stopped for a rest under the table 'cos there was some shade.

'...are we getting old or are they getting faster?'

Holly reckons the rabbits are getting quicker!


When we got onto the beach I had a quick swim, just to cool down. Holly declined the offer of a paddle and instead lay on the beach catching up on her tan, but after a while it even got too hot for her!

Is my tail getting tanned?

A bit further along the beach we came to the old water pipe and Holly was tempted to run along and jump into the sea, but as she said, she suddenly got 'Sensible' and went back!

Yes, no, yes, No, NO!

OTL was hunting around in the plants for his Brown Banded Carder which he found!

Problem was, the Brown Banded Carder didn't want to be found and would rather be left alone to feed!

Later at lunch time, it was just as hot, if not hotter! OTL found a big fat spider hanging on it's web, as we got close we heard it call out 'Oi! Got any Flies?' As OTL says, Doesn't that remind you of anyone?

Oi! Got Any Flies?

OTL got another shot of the Brown Banded Carder which was better that the morning shot and confirmed that it was in fact a Brown Banded Carder. Now OTL is a 'Happy OTL' and hopefully we won't get any more of him going on about insects!

Yes, It's the Brown Banded Carder Bee, now go away!

No such luck! What did we see? It was a moth, not a rare one but you know OTL, he hadn't seen it before on the Sea Wall, so he just had to photograph it!

Guess what this is?

Now I'm sure you all recognise the moth, yes it's a Silver Y Moth, so called 'cos it has a silver (off white) letter 'Y' mark on each fore wing!

Having a Snooze!

And here it is having a rest!

When we got back home we had visitors, Mike, Sue and Little Daisy!

We said hello to everyone and tried to get some cool spot to have a snooze but we were in constant demand!

Little Daisy just loved to stroke us and give us a cuddle, which normally would be OK but today we were just too hot to play 'Cuddle Games' and it was then that I had a little grumble at her to leave me alone, which she did and a bit later we had our picture taken by Mike and OTL!

The Missus, Daisy and Daisy!

All friends again really!

Well after this tiring day both Holly and I are off to bed soon  'cos we both feel like a snooze and we may not wake up to start our night time sleep!

Bye bye for now!

See you tomorrow.

Luv,

Daisy & Holly

I Love Mondays!

Hi Woofers!

Daisy & Holly here!

What a gorgeous day today, the sun was shining this morning and except for next door having his drains unblocked at eight fifteen this morning and releasing a terrible pong, it was a good start to the day!

We were off to The Sea Wall as we normally do and went to say 'Hello' to the Bunnies, no bunnies, Holly says that they are trying to ignore us and were being just plain unsociable!

That is a bit like next door last night, the neighbour on the other side of us had a blocked drain and the blockage was under our garden, we think, so, a bit late yesterday evening the man with the unblocking tools arrived but could not get access to the drain from the blocked end, so, they had a look at our garden access and couldn't do anything there. Off they went next door to our other neighbours to ask if he could have a poke down their drain cover.

They said 'No'!

Now we reckon that is a bit 'un neighbourly' especially as that means our first neighbour can't use the toilet and stuff! Not a good thing to happen when your in your eighty's!

Well, the unblocking men came back this morning and did their stuff and released the pong!

All back to normal now but I don't think that our neighbours will be exchanging Christmas Cards this year!


Old Two Legs has been on the lookout for some rare bees that are supposed to lurk around The Sea Wall.

Scruffy? Just like OTL!

So far he has not found any, but he keeps looking!

Is this one?

Brown Banded Carder?

Trouble with bees and bugs like that, they just won't sit still while OTL takes their photo!

Holly has offered to 'Bonk' them so they are stunned but OTL said that wouldn't be fair and anyway, it might hurt the bee!

OTL said he may go back another time with his 105mm macro lens and see what he can find. Bet you when he does, they will all have flown off, just like the rabbits!

Talking of rabbits, Holly still has not perfected the art of 'Creeping Up On Bunny's' instead of creeping through the grass like the foxes do, she has this 'Death or Glory' approach, normally at top speed and with loud woofing!

Holly does 'The Bunny Chase'

Needless to say, she didn't find any bunnies behind the bush!

Hey, guess what? We have got a reply to our question regarding the Hawker Dragonfly.

Ms Claire Install, Conservation Officer at The British Dragonfly Society replied to OTL's email and confirmed that it was a Migrant Hawker and reading the info it seems that it is a bit rare. So, fame for OTL as he has registered it with the Dragonfly Society and we are now a special dot on a map!

We went out with The Missus for our lunch time walk, OTL has been very busy with some manufacturing and has not come out of the office all day.

Boring or what!

Still, we have been stretched out on the patio and around the pond, catching up on our tans!

Shortbread tonight and a cuddle with OTL before heading off for a pre night time snooze, before bed propper!

Bye by for now!

Luv,

Daisy & Holly

F1 Racing And Welcome Invaders!

Hi Woofers!

Daisy & Holly back again!

It has been a funny old Sunday today, a sort of busy but nothing really doing if you know what I mean?

There are some Sundays when we go on adventures and some Sundays when we have trouble staying awake!

This Sunday we went out good and late 'cos Old Two Legs was late in waking up, despite Holly and me giving him a good ear licking first thing this morning, I think it was around four thirty!

Well, we got down to The Sea Wall and immediately went off hunting rabbit but they had been up and gone back to bed by the time we got down there!

Where have all the rabbits gone, long time passing?

Holly and I had a 'Good Idea', you see when we were in Scotland we found that the rabbits all liked the sandy beach and made their homes in the sand cliffs. So, remembering this, we shot off to the big piles of sand that the Two Legs had dug out of the ground and had a good sniff for rabbits. Trouble was, we didn't tell OTL what we were going to do, so, Holly had to run back and fetch him! Then she had to find me, so up she went to the top of the sand pile to call for me!

Daaaiiisssyyyyy!!!

OTL seemed not too happy that we had run off and I got put on the lead as punishment for thirty minutes!

Lunch time we got back down again but this time we were more intersted in the number of fishermen there were on the beach, not the 'Professional' ones we see during the week but the 'Amateurs' with not much idea!

Weekend Amateurs!

We think they were more interested in just sitting on the beach and having a chat!

We got home just in time to see the F1 racing, what a start that was!

Well done to Jenson, he drove like a champion all the way through!

OTL went back to the gardening and spent the afternoon clearing the unwanted weeds from the path and the flower beds. That's a joke, we think that most of the plants were weeds anyway!

Towards the end of the afternoon I went out and gave him a cuddle, well, I climbed up onto his lap and we had a 'Snuggle' until he spots a big Dragonfly, not the Darters or Chasers we had seen before. This one looks like a Hawker!

An Unknown Hawker

In fact there were two buzzing around the pond and landing in the trees above the pond!

OTL was well pleased and even called The Missus out to see them!

So, that was a well pleased OTL, the pond is attracting the sort of insects OTL wants, and a bit quicker than he thought, so we have a 'Happy OTL' who plans to do some photography of the insects in and around the pond, maybe next year when it settles down!

As he could not identify the species he has sent an email to British Dragonfly Society who should be able to identify the little devil for OTL!

Tonight I think OTL will have a celebratory slurp of the 'Water of Life', so that means we get a nibble of 'The Biscuit of Scotland'!

Back to work tomorrow but we are expecting sun shine, so it ain't all bad!

Bye bye for now!

Luv,

Daisy & Holly

OTL has been working!

Hi Woofers!

Daisy & Holly here!

We are NOT Happy Puppies!

Today we had planned to get Old Two Legs to take us down for a really long walk on The Farm, instead, what did he do?

Gardening!

I mean, just 'cos he hasn't been near the garden for almost a month, another couple of days wouldn't have hurt!

After our morning walk he started by giving Holly and me our morning brush. If there is one thing that OTL does right, it is giving us a brush!

You know, I could really fall asleep while he brushes me, especially when he uses the 'Soft Brush', that's the one he uses on our tummy!

Heaven, just Heaven!

After our brush it was Lambs Heart for breakfast and then an 'After Breakfast Snooze', leaving OTL to get on with the garden.

Well, he started off by clearing all the leaves out of the pond and while he was doing that, he found a Red Chaser, a small Dragonfly, dead floating on the water.

So, he fishes it out and we decide that it must have died today 'cos it was still all bright and shiny and the wings were still all stiff.

Dead but................

OTL was a bit excited about it, of course sorry it was dead but excited that the thing had found our pond and had some how come to a sticky end in Our Pond!

We left OTL to get on with the garden and went off to have a sulk and a snooze in the bedroom!

Lunchtime came and we were off to The Sea Wall again. The first thing we saw were a couple of canoe type of boats being paddled towards the Thames. Holly reckons they were looking to get across to Southend on Sea but the tide had just turned and they would have been taken out to sea, so they sensibly kept close to the Kent Coast!

Is it Left or Right?

 We came across a fisherman who had two women sitting on chairs and watching him fish. Now I don't know about you but that must have been the most boring thing to do when you're at the seaside!

Even the worms had spikes on them!

Holly thought that it was very funny though and couldn't walk past them without collapsing on the ground for a good laugh!

These Two Legs are So Funny!

 The afternoon was spent watching OTL slave away in the garden, he managed to clear about half of the path and patio of weeds that had grown in the cracks between the blocks and slabs in the path.

Tomorrow he has the rest to do plus start removing the grass at the back of the garden where he plans to put a 'Wild Flower Meadow' and a layer of stones so that at least he won't ever have to cut the grass again.

Well, that's his plan!

This evening was spent mugging him for some shortbread and watching a DVD.

All very relaxing and sleepy!

So, off to bed now and I've got my chew, just in case I get peckish during the night!

 See you tomorrow woofers!

Luv,

Daisy & Holly

Small and NOISY!

Hey Ho Woofers!

Daisy & Holly back with you.

Old Two Legs got up late today, poor thing has been working too hard. He reckons that by bed time he should be up to date. So that means we will get some adventures this weekend, Squirrels, Rabbits, Rats, Woofers and maybe a Badger!

Well we got plans the get him over The Farm where there are some very long walks across the fields, that's providing it's not raining!

Today has been very sunny and a bit blowy. The wind was whipping up off the sea and blowing all the insects out of the air and into the grass and onto the path!

OTL spotted this Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly on the path, Holly wanted to give it a bonk on the head to stop it moving, just like she has done with rabbits!

Small Tortoiseshell

Then she said that it looked like it was suffering from dandruff!

OTL told her to leave it alone, so off she went chasing a Dragonfly!

It was then that we heard a load of woofing noise, well, more like yapping and when we found out the source we both had to laugh. It was a little dog with ambitions to take over the world!

What a noise and what a funny thing!

Holly looked sideways at it and did one of her WOOF's and the little doggy ran off!

As Holly says, 'That'll teach him!'

WOOF off Shorty!

I spotted a strange looking sight, it looks like a tree was growing out of the mud. Holly said it was really a fossilised tree that has been exposed by the tide.

Fossilised Tree?

OTL said it was a stick someone had left on the beach. Well, we will find out tomorrow when the tide has exposed some more. Who knows, it maybe the start of a fossilised forest!

Fossilised Daisy!

 Holly said that if I went and stood in the mud I could become fossilised by tomorrow!

Lunch time it was getting a bit blowy as the tide came in and the waves were breaking over the breakwater.

Autumn winds a coming?

Then Holly spotted some big ships looking like they were going to run over a sailing ship! We stood and watched but all was well and every one missed each other, just!

This is going to be Tight!

While we were all watching the ships, Holly whispers in my ear, 'Fancy a Swim?' but it was too cold for me so I told her to jump in instead!

You can take a jump as well!

As we got back to the car, there was a funny sound coming from the sky and OTL had a look then started taking photographs. He said there was a fly past of old WWII planes and he thinks that there were three Spitfires and one Hurricane plus a modern looking one. Still, it made him happy to see them, pity they didn't fly in a circle around us so he could take some more pictures!

Fly Past for OTL

Back home for a snooze in the garden then up to OTL's bed for a pre dinner snooze!

See you tomorrow and with a bit of luck we should have some squirrel skins to make a hat for Trevor!

Bye bye for now!

Luv,

Daisy & Holly

All I wanted was a swim!

Hi Ho Woofers!

Daisy & Holly back again!

What a day we have had or haven't had!

Old Two Legs has been working in the office today sorting out loads of paperwork that he didn't sort out 'cos he was away on holiday!

So Holly and I have been left to ourselves today to try not to be too bored, but it's hard!

We went out for our normal walk this morning with OTL and the first thing we saw was a Dragonfly giving us the old 'Hairy Eyeball'!

It was as if it was trying to scare OTL away as he poked his camera closer!

Wot You Want?

After a while we worked out that he was looking into the lens and seeing his own reflection and thinking, 'I could sort him out!'

Back home we got our morning brush but I didn't fancy breakfast, Lambs Heart and Liver, you know, some times you just can't get the jaws working!

In the garden we had a wander around and Holly found a couple of snails on the path. So, we decided that they should race to the other end of the garden and the winner got some grass to eat!

Well, Holly's snail just went back into it's shell and refused to come out!

My one turned around and went the other way, saying something about being a professional racer and won't run for free!

'Lightening' the Racing Snail!

Oooo! says Holly, I'll tell the Thrush about you and then we'll see how fast you can run!


Lunch time we were down on the beach again and while Holly was intimidating some fishermen, I called out to OTL for him to throw the ball for me so I can have a swim!

OTL said that the tide was going out and it would not be safe for me to have a swim, which was a real pain 'cos I just fancied a splosh about in the surf!

Aw! Come on just a little Splosh!

Back home I decided it was time for some nosh, so I did my 'Food Please' look for The Missus and she got my bowl down and I had a royal feast, then just in case Holly got any ideas, I took some of the left overs up to my bed in the office and hid them under the cushion for later!

Tonight we have been promised some short bread, so it looks like we are to get some attention!

Bye Bye for now and keep your claws crossed for some sunny days over the weekend!

luv,

Daisy & Holly

We're Back!

Hi Woofers!

Daisy & Holly back home again!

Ever since we were puppies, Holly and I have been travelling around in cars to get from some place to another but I will admit, the trip home yesterday just wore us both out!

We've spent most of the day asleep on Old Two Legs bed or cuddled up in our own bed in his office.

We have found a picture OTL took of us on the ferry, just before our tummies started to do the 'Grumbly Grumblies' !

Batten Down The Hatches it's going to be a Bumpy Ride!

When you are not too sure of what is going to happen it is always good to have a sister to cuddle up to!

We were out with OTL this morning to The Sea Wall to check out all the new sniffs. There were some strange new ones indicating a couple of new dogs in the area. OTL says that maybe they are on holiday, like wot we were!

Checking Sniffs.

OTL just had to find a Dragon Fly to poke his lens at of course!

Another 4 Spot!

Holly was up to her normal tricks as soon as she came across a fisherman, 'Oi! Got any food?' 

Got any Food?

All he had was worms, the ones he was teaching to swim, not the other type that we get pills from the vet to keep away!

In the afternoon we went out with OTL to do some banking and afterwards it was off to The Forest for a bit of Squirrel Chasing!

Hunting Squirrel!

We hunted everywhere, we did spot a couple but they were high in the trees. We thought we spotted one on the ground but that turned out to be a big leaf being blown in the wind!

Is that one?

OTL says that they may have gone on holiday but I think they were just trying to keep out of the rain!

I think we may have got too good at rabbit chasing and have forgotten the tricks of 'Squirrel Chasing' especially in the rain!

That reminds me, we should get delivery of our new coats in a day or two, just in time for the 'Rainy Season' which in this country lasts all year!

Tomorrow we plan to get down to The New Park and see if I can do my swimming in the Swimming Hole, if OTL allows me!

Bye bye for now!

Luv,

Daisy & Holly

Even Nelson was Sea Sick!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here!

What a tale we have for you today, no pictures I'm afraid but let me tell you the tale.

Last night after uploading the blog, we all settled down to watch a bit of TV but the wind started to blow, and it blew and it blew. In fact it was so blowy that Old Two Legs put the satellite dish down before the wind could do any damage.

All night long the wind blew and no one slept. The caravan was being rocked from side to side and the wind was trying to get into every nook or cranny of the van.

None of us slept a wink!

Four thirty came and the alarm went off for us all to get up and head off to the ferry in Port Ellen.

It took us an hour to get there and all the way there the car and caravan was being blown from one side of the road to the other!

When we got to the port, the ferry was already there and even in the port you could see it was rocking with the wind.

On board, we headed up to the top deck where us doggies were allowed to be and settled down in our bed.

The boat left the harbour and Holly and me decided to catch up on our sleep.

The captain came on over the loud speaker system and told us all where the 'Muster Stations' were in case of trouble then said that there may be a little 'Motion' 'cos the wind was blowing a bit.

Blowing a bit!

Let me tell you, every one was sea sick, that boat was bouncing around like a cork in the water. I looked out of the window from the safety of OTL's arms and saw …............. sea, sky, sea, sky, sea, sky, sea, sky, sea, sky, sea, sky!

It was horrible!

Every one was nose deep into white paper bags shouting for Hughy, or some one like that!

Two and a half hours later, (it seemed longer!) We landed, all of us looked a strange green colour and were doing a lot of Ooo'ing!

The wind was still blowing and the rain was coming down and the puddles on the roads looked like lochs!

We had to stop a couple of times to let Holly and I have a wee and a breather and give OTL a bit of fresh air!

By the time we arrived at Gretna Green we were all feeling much better, so much so, OTL and The Missus got in a Chinese Meal and Holly and I had the last of the Rump Steak, medium rare and a few biscuits. Then we mugged OTL for a couple of Plawn Clackers!

Now we are off to bed to try to catch up on our sleep.

I don't think it will be an early start, but at least the wind has stopped!

See you tomorrow when we get home!

Bye bye for now.

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly

We Get A Wabbit, We Get A Wabbit!

Hi Woofers!

McDaisy & Mac Holly here!

It's our last day here on the Isle of Islay, Old Two Legs had turned the caravan around so he can hitch it up tomorrow morning without too much aggravation and noise.

The view is terrible, all we can see is the football pitch!

To make up for it, we made two new friends on our Private Beach this morning, there was Oscar the Bichon Frise and Toby the Labrador, we exchanged sniffs and I woofed at Toby for sniffin too close to my tail!

Toby & Holly play Chase!

While OTL was having breakfast I did my, 'I want to go Out' act and OTL said that as it was our last day he would take us down to the Big Beach where the rabbits were!

When we got there it was covered with cattle out for their 'Sunday on The Beach' party and they didn't care that we wanted to chase rabbits!

OTL moved off further down the beach and let us off the lead!

Well it was not our normal gorse bushes but very soon we had flushed a couple of rabbits and one was a bit slow to get going, so we had got closer before it got into top gear!

The Chase is ON!

In a flash we were on it, Holly gave it a smack on the nose with her paw and I got in front to stop it getting away. It crouched down and gave a squeal to say it had given up and wanted a breather!

OK, I give up!

By then OTL had arrived and told us to 'leave it alone', which was a bit much 'cos it was the first rabbit we had stopped all holiday! Which was a bit much 'cos we wanted to take it home to Trev, just to show him we can catch rabbits!

We got our leads clipped on and had to go for a walk with that to stop us chasing more rabbits!

We walked close to the sea and I fancied a swim, so I tried dragging Holly into the water but she is not one for swimming!

OTL said that providing I was a good puppy and just played in the water he would let me off the lead, so I went swimming!

Look! I Got The Ball!

First of all I had a paddle in the shallow bit, then OTL threw the ball and off I went into the deeper bit!

You know, before long I was swimming with all of my paws off the bottom!

Well I was having such a good time it seemed to be a shame when OTL clipped me back onto the lead hand headed for the car. By the time we got there I was shivering, so OTL gave me a good rubbing down with one of our 'Doggy Towels' which helped me stop shivering, that and the heated seat in the car!

We got back to the caravan and told The Missus about the rabbit and my swim and Holly smacking the rabbit with her paw and TM said we were clever puppies and deserved a treat, so she bought an ice cream cone for herself but she let us have a lick!

Well, you know what Holly and I are like with ice cream! We just didn't give it back to TM, we woofed the lot down and even had a nibble of the cone!

Me Licking!

And of course, Holly with her large, long tongue, made sure she got a good helping!

Holly getting Stuck In, Nose and All!

After all that we had a game of 'Chase The Ball' with OTL on the football pitch and in the end we all collapsed in a heap on the touch line!

After the Game!

OTL says we should get a new picture for the blog and one without his knobbly knees!

So, shall we put in the one above or the one below or shall we go after one showing his knobbly knees!

OTL on a Good Day!

Off tomorrow morning at some terrible time to catch the ferry back to the mainland but that means we will be in Gretna Green good and early enough for OTL to try and get his money back!

By the way, TM decided she didn't like the tin shed picture, so she got OTL to take another.

TM's New Old Tin Shed!

 It still looks like a Tin Shed to us!

Bye bye for now.

See you tomorrow

Luv,

McDaisy & Mac Holly