swimming merit badge

This is to certify that

Doubledaire Trust Me (Gracie)

has earned her Airedale Terrier swimming merit badge.

She successfully passed the stated criteria of

plunging in and swimming to the target (Neil).

We knew you could do it, Gracie! Congratulations!! An Airedale really should be able to swim, I reckon. She even got the hang of jumping over the waves to get to the sticks - but she didn't often get there before me! I love swimming and I am sooo fast.

Here's Gracie demonstrating her new found talent (with her Auntie Megan).

a word from Gracie

Hi - it's me, Gracie. We've had a bit of an adventure and Ruby isn't here to tell you about it. So I'm going to.

First, Neil found another old motorbike to buy. It's a 1930 BSA and it looks like this:

Except it really looks like this:

We had to drive all the way to Victoria to get it last weekend. Neil was very happy about it. But even better, the motorbike lived right in the same area as my Dad - Romper Stomper.

I had never actually met him, so I was really excited that we were going to go visit. Ruby was excited too. It has been ages since she has seen him.

They were so happy to see each other after all this time. He was big and shaggy and very handsome. We played chase around the paddock while everyone else had a cuppa tea. He is great fun.

Then, when it was time to go... Ruby decided to stay longer. Something about they wanted a little 'together time' or something.

Neil and Kay and I came back to Sydney that night - and gosh, that was a long drive - 16 hours by my calculation. We were in the car forever and hardly ever stopped. I complained loudly from the backseat...quite a lot. So boring.

I've been an only dog ever since. At first I didn't like it, but then I realised that I get all the attention, I get all the petting, I get all the balls -now I think it's pretty good.

Ruby is coming home sometime next week - she's flying back from Melbourne (1.5hr flight). Smart dog.

Callan Park revisited

Gee, it's been a long time since we updated our blog. Our lives are generally not that exciting, just the same old, same old most of the time, so it doesn't seem that newsworthy or someone has forgotten the camera...

But this morning was lovely and cool, so we headed off for a romp in our favourite Callan Park.

It was a hospital grounds many years ago and there are wonderful old trees, garden features and stone walls still there to investigate.

And some great stuff to sniff too.

We played hide and seek with Neil and Kay. They are always amazed that we find them so quickly, but honestly, how easy is it to sniff out your human??

And lastly, here is a recent tongue-shot for Anna's Spectacular Tongue-Tacular contest. This was on a warmer day and our tongues were lolling.

dance of the Airedale

Kay and I have a new training method these days. It's called 'training in drive' and I love it. So far, it involves me trying to catch a tug toy and then I hang on and do NOT let go...even when I'm supposed to. We are still working on that bit. I just can't bring myself to give it up once I've locked onto it with my jaws of steel.







It's a great workout for both of us. Kay says I am getting stronger and she can barely keep hold of the tug... that of course is my plan. This is the best kind of training we've tried so far - right down a terrier's alley!

She's back

Kay finally got back from the USA and true to her word, she brought us lots of prezzies for a belated Christmas party.

I love getting presents!

There were the usual rubbery-squeaky things that this Airedale can demolish in seconds flat. And then there were some very interesting stuffies that honked and squeaked. Gracie and I particularly liked this one, shaped like a duck.

I tried to sneak it off the bed without Gracie seeing, but she was right there in a flash to grab it by the head. He was my favourite, until Kay unpacked the other birdies.

I don't have a picture of them, but maybe you know the ones I mean... they are round like fluff balls and look like a cardinal or a mockingbird - and they have the most captivating tweeting sound. Supposedly it sounds just like the real birds do - I love them. I love them so much that I go quite berserk and can't think of anything else when they are around. And then, when I finally get one in my mouth and they tweet and tweet... it's just heavenly.

But after the fun of the birdies and the other new toys, we both had to have a bath. And then we had to get clippered all over - which wasn't any fun at all (but it does feel lovely be rid of all that hot hair).

It's great to have Kay back and now both our people are home and that's how it should be.

Merry Christmas!

Well, it's Christmas morning here - but there are no presents for dogs. Kay had to jet off to America to visit her Mom and has left us with Neil. He is very good for walkies and runs on the beach, but not so good for presents.

Neil's presents have been hidden around the house - Kay is going to send clues on where they are, but I bet we can help him find them with just our superior noses. We have been promised our prezzies when she gets back. We can wait, no worries.

Here's the kind of fun we have with Neil, we're not supposed to use the kids play equipment, but when no one is looking we have a bit of fun!

To all our blogging friends, we want to wish you a very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year.

All the best, Ruby and Gracie (and Neil).

Airedale fun day

We had our end-of-year Airedale fun day a few weeks ago. It was held at the Nuringingy Reserve - a nice private, bush area near Blacktown.
We met a new Dale - Finn. He's come all the way from America - that's him at the front. He was a very handsome fellow (That's Gracie and Teddy at the back).

His dad, Jon, took some great pictures on the day...many of them were of us!

Look how good we look.

Gracie and me.

Me.
Gracie.

But enough posing, it was time for the games to begin.

Here I am waiting for my turn at the obstacle course relay. Kay thought she had designed a really easy course that anyone could do...but not so.

From the Dales that slipped their collars and ran away when asked to go through the hula hoops, to Billy who couldn't leave the tennis balls in the bucket (he had to carry one back to the finish line), it was Airedale chaos!

Luckily we had three latecomers arrive just about the time we were filming, so we regrouped and ran the event again.

It went a bit better the second time around, although Legend remained adamant she wasn't doing the hula hoop second time or any time.

We had a fancy dress parade, but didn't manage to get any photos. It was a fun day out, not too hot and always great to see our Airedale friends.