Special Delivery

Dru-mum, why are you at the pooter again?
There are balls to throw, you know...

Yes, Nobby, but this is important. Don't you remember that we had a couple of things for Aunty Yamini in memory of Gail? They need to be sent to her, so I'm making this parcel and need to organise the courier. Is that okay with you?

Oh, yes, I remember. Thank you for helping with that.
As we are thinking of YAM-aunty, why don't we post the photo we took of that boat here? Aunty really, really, really likes boats!

If you are interested, you can read about what was in the parcel over at YAM-aunty's blog. 

In other 'administrative news', Dru and Stephen finally wrangled all the re-registration needed to become my true, proper, and permanent Peeps. They truly are my pawrents now!

See you next week, friends, for a Nature Friday post!

Toodle-pip...

Morning kisses

Guess who's come to visit?

Many readers will recognise our dear friend YAM-aunty.

You can see my tail was wagging with such enthusiasm that it looks all blurry in the photo.

If Gail had a tail it would be have been wagging with delight too.

Feeling at home

If you are a van called 'The Grey' then I can guarantee you'll feel right at home as soon as soon as you arrive on my street in Aberdeen. 

If you are the Grey's owner (whom some of you already know as YAM-aunty), I will invite you into my house and onto my sofa, and soon you will feel quite at home sat beside me.

In return, I might later be taken for a ride in YAM-aunty's magnificent electric vehicle, sitting on the lap of my very impressed human, and both of us will feel right at home in there too.

And of course, as you know, I will always feel right at home if I am taken for a nice walk in the woods at Crathes. (Even if my human fails to capture my look of delight on camera.)

People can sometimes be wrong

We need to talk about weather. And about how even one's favourite human can be wrong about stuff sometimes.

So the car was piled high with rainproof clothing, towels, boots, umbrella etc. in preparation for our trip down to see YAM-aunty in Dunoon last week. It was wet enough in Aberdeen, and as every resident in Scotland knows, it's always wetter out west. 

Hmmm. Or so they say. 

But the Gore-Tex over-trousers were not deployed and the brolly remained unfurled as YAM-aunty, Gail and I enjoyed a stroll along the southern end of the Dunoon promenade on Friday morning. The rain showers danced around us on the water but did not make landfall, and I diverted onto the shingle beach to enjoy an encounter with a lively young schnauzer. 

By the time we reached the Boat House café the sun was warm enough for the humans to want to sit outside while indulging themselves with hot drinks and cakes. This threatened to be rather tedious as Gail never ever gives me treats from the table and, disappointingly, had instructed Yam to follow suit.

(photo by YAM-aunty)

The two friends nattered on and on but, just as I was about to die of boredom, relief appeared in the form of a terrier Gang of Four. There ensued much sniffing of rear ends while the humans discussed which type of terrier is most stubborn. (The Scotties won).

Later in the day, I settled down on Yam's beautifully crocheted blanket while the two humans were glued to the TV, watching a rugby game* and it soon became clear they were supporting different teams.

All through my visit to Dunoon I took great pains to alert the humans to threatening sounds in and around the 'Hutch'. And if some might interpret this as being "too noisy", and particularly bad form when staying in a tenement building, I would like to point out that our hostess was not actually all that quiet while the rugby was on...

Oh and by the way, it didn't rain until we were east of Crianlarich on the way home on Saturday.

*England versus Argentina

Autumn colours and a special friend

So Gail and I are staying with our lovely friend YAM-aunty this week, and I have been busy demonstrating how both 'Nice Nobby' and 'Naughty Nobby' are appropriate names for me. (Gail says perhaps 'Noisy Nobby' should be added to the list...) 

In between defending our friend's cosy 'Hutch' from invaders (noisily) I have been out and about enjoying the pretty autumn colours. I hope you like them too.

Happy Nature Friday! 

Full disclosure time....

So Gail and I have been staying down in Dunoon with our dear friend YAM-aunty for a few days.

Everything has been nice. 

Nice walkies in the forest.

Nice visits to the café.

Nice new friends by the River Eachaig.

(Especially Myrtle the Airedale. She was really Nice.)

Then there was Nice digging on the beach.

Exceptionally Nice weather 

And of course Nice cuddles with YAM-aunty. 

So it all adds up to Nice Nobby, right? 

We don't really have to tell everyone about YAM-aunty's favourite woolly hat, do we Gail? 

Oh apparently we do. 

And apparently the fact that this treasured family heirloom now has a hole chewed in the side and is mysteriously minus its bobble is considered to be a Bad Thing.

Naughty Nobby? Surely not! 

Sunshine in Dunoon!

First things first. Readers of my previous post can rest assured that, after Wednesday's Ilkley Moor peat bog adventure, I was dunked in the relatively clean water of a model boat pond before being allowed back in the car, and I later submitted - though not without a struggle - to a second rinse and shampoo in the hotel bathroom. Gail then finally pronounced me clean enough to accompany her for a bite to eat in the pub next door.

When we checked out of the hotel on Thursday morning I did wonder if the ablutions had really been necessary...

It was a bright morning for the drive from Ilkley to Dunoon, and as we drove though the beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Dales with the radio on in the background, Gail was warning me not to get my hopes too high regarding summer weather on the final stop of our Tour of Northern Britain. 

But then, at around 9:00 am, she suddenly interrupted her lecture and, most uncharacteristically, she punched the air and cried out "Yes! He's finally resigned!"  

That little excitement over, my owner calmed down and continued on her earlier theme, telling me how it's almost always raining in Dunoon, and scarcely ever sunny. But she also said it didn't matter because we were going to stay with blog pal YAM-aunty and we were guaranteed the warmest of welcomes inside the 'Hutch', and would have a fine time whatever the conditions outdoors.

Well I'm pleased to report that Gail was absolutely spot on about the hospitality and totally wrong about the weather.  

Gosh it was fun getting to know YAM-aunty. 

I soon felt right at home in the 'Hutch'.

At night I settled down comfortably in my 'Hutch within a Hutch'.

I was delighted to provide moral support when our lovely blogpal needed to sort out a wee hiccup with her Chromebook.

I even found a convenient sunpuddle.

And talking of sun....

Can this really be the Dunoon area?

Where are the grey skies and the incessant rain?

Perhaps we should be grateful that Gail did not take up a career in meteorology.