Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Willow - the first few months...

    As previously posted, with the Warthog trying to remove her rear left leg just below the hock in a blatant attempt at becoming the centre of our households attention (probably felt left out with the arrival of the chickens!) walking the trails has been cancelled for the last week or so. As I've lamented before, a rotund hobbit like chappy walking alone in the woods seems to make some folk a tad uncomfortable, but dragging a dog along the same walker becomes instantly a trust worthy character to be engaged in conversation with out a second thought. I really find this difficult to understand, after all I'm still the same good ol' axe wielding mad man whether or not young Willow is tearing along at my side! 


  So walking has taken second fiddle to even more DIY and gardening (you can imagine the state of that holy shrine, the Garage, at the moment). Which in turn means that I have no tall tales to replenish you with or any of my sub standard attempts at photography to give you hope that you're at least capable of taken better pictures than at least one person.


  But one thing that the rear leg incident, as it has now become known, has made me realise is how much the little tyke has wormed her way into the very fabric of our lives. She only arrived in the beginning of the year, a scrawny and very malnourished scruff bag with pleading eyes and, a later to be found, tenacity that is totally out of proportion for such a small dog.




  So as a way of hopefully showing how she's come on, with the tenacity still there but now coupled with a clear sense of belonging here and with muscles like iron in her wiry frame here are some photos from the last few months of the most un-photogenic hound you'll ever come across.




















  Soon we'll both be hitting them trials as hard as ever and hopefully bringing you more tall tales, bad pictures and hopefully all the emotions that go with being 'out there'.


  Till then take care my friends,


John

21 comments:

2 Tramps said...

Aw, she is just about the cutest thing ever! So wonderful that she found such a great home with you. It has to just fill her little heart to know that she is loved so very much!

murphyfish said...

Thank you 2T's, still could murder the little bugger though upon occasion ;o)

John Going Gently said...

thus is the way of dogs
they get under your skin!
and stay there for good

murphyfish said...

Tis indeed true what you say Mr. Gray, they kind of grow upon you, rather like a fungus!

danontherock said...

Beautiful pictures. They do get into our hearts don't they?

Janet said...

Had to laugh to myself -I felt the same way about our little rescue dog-couldn`t bear to be without her now- Yours is one lucky lady !

Keith said...

Does Willow have much contact with the chooks, even through the wire? Good idea to let them have some contact, & make sure Willow gets some attention whilst doing so.
Good to hear Willow is on the mend, a great looking dog.
Keith.
http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com

Casey said...

She's a beaut, John! Good job on the pics chasing that flying furball around. She's a lucky girl, to be sure - congrats, my man.

Gorges Smythe said...

People figure if your dog is happy, you must treat her well, and that speaks well for an axe-weilding maniac. And what's not to love about a face like that?

Bob Mc said...

The back lighted photo, 7th from the top in the series, reveals the body of a real running dog!

Kath said...

When they were young, we had loads of blurry pics of our lurchers. Now they are 10 and 13, I seem to take loads of sleep "can't be arsed" sort of photos LOL
Hope you'll soon be back together under that green cathedral roof.

murphyfish said...

Dan,
Willow is the third dog that we’ve ‘owned’ since been married, but we have never thought of them as possessions, to us they are 100% part of our family deserving all of our love. This love they return tenfold (even though she is driving me up the wall at the moment!)

Hi Janet,
I think that we’re the lucky ones for all the swearing she causes me to utter she brings so much to my life.

Keith,
She’s as good as gold when she’s the other side of the wire but I wouldn’t trust her when they’re out in the garden, her hunting instinct over rides everything at the moment.
She’s not a bad looker though is she?

Cheers Casey,
I guess the luck goes both ways hers for being taken from where, whether by ignorance or spite, she was so obviously not treated right and ours for the roller coaster of emotions she stirs in us.

Mr. Smythe,
I’m not sure that is always the case, I’ve seen dogs treated in some pretty damn awful ways but they turn and look up at the perpetrator with love in there eyes n bodies, I guess it’s because they have a different understanding of life than ourselves and if they know no better from birth then they seem content in their lot – no matter how bad it may seem to us. Willow is a great example, I’ve been around dogs since my birth and the way she appeared upon her arrival pretty much saddened me. The person from whence she came spoke all the right words upon the phone and when we finally met talked as if she was the best treated hound ever, although her appearance immediately laid his lies bare. As I said to Casey whether her treatment was through ignorance or spite I’ll never truly know. But my point is that Willow knew now different and she howled and whimpered for over a week as if we we’re demons and she missed her ‘wonderful’ life! I only hope now she is better disposed to us :o)
Oh and I assume that your talking about her face and not mine?

Hi Bob,
You don’t know how right you are, at home she appears to be no more than a scruffy fur ball with little interest for speed unless a squirrel enters the garden that is. But out on the trial her true nature and breeding shines through toi the fore. I’ve yet to be on a walk when her sheer speed at full pelt fails to amaze me and bring the twitch of a smile to me lips.

Morning Kath,
She does take some catching on the trial, the sofa seems the best place to snap her at the moment :o).
‘Green cathedral roof’ – now I like that me dear, mind if I pinch it?

To all,
Thanks again for your comments and time to make them, it still surprises me that folk read my ramblings. - John

Kath said...

Be my guest. I'm not usually very poetic, I surprised myself there LOL

murphyfish said...

Then I'll try to use it in my next post, when ever that may be!!

Damn The Broccoli said...

For those who love animals, I think they get into your life very quickly. My friends sadly jsut lost their Kitten. They had only had him for 5 weeks and he was only 13 weeks old when a mystery illness took him very quickly.
They were devastated, particularly as he was the one they got once they were ready when their old cat died of kidney problems.

The picture of you and Willow is amazing, there is a soulful look in her eyes that shows how she feels about you.

murphyfish said...

Eh up Damn,
They do sneak in there don't they, sorry to hear about your friend's kitten - something like that is truly devastating my friend.
As for Willow's soulful look, pound to a penny she was after something!

Wolfy said...

John - after an all too lengthy leave-of-abscence from the cyber world, I'm back! It is sort of nice to be totally disconnected from the www, but there are parts of it you miss. Things you've become attached to, things that become part of who you are- sort of like the Warthog has become for you.

My favorite blogs are like that for me, and I've always counted yours as one of my favorites.

So - I'm back and anxious to continue keeping up on your musings from across the pond.

Joe

Mark Kautz said...

Hi John. Come on, she's cute, photogenic, and loves her Mom & Dad. What more could you ask for. Maybe to stay out of the chicken coop?

Mark

murphyfish said...

Hey Joe,
We seem to have 'known' each other via the blogs for sometime now my friend - it's always a pleasure to have your comments and to read your own musings. Must do more to stay in touch.

Mark,
Steady on my man or she'll be getting big headed! To be honest she is rather special, well to me at least!

Karen Thomason/Gordon Setter Crossing said...

Oh sure John, blame sweet little Willow for the bad pictures you took. It's always the poor innocent dog that gets blamed. (ha ha)

murphyfish said...

Poor! innocent? my dear Karen are we talking about Willow here or some dog that you've sadly confused her with? :o)