The Dog Ate My Homework...
Whoopiedoo, Yiptahootie and Greetings, fellow fishies and other warm hearted friends!
Sorry I've been absent for a day or two. I was at a Van Morrison gig on Friday night (which was great!) and the dog ate my homework...which covers all lame excuses and genuine reasons in one...
Speaking of dogs, here, at last, is my beloved pooch, Nutmeg Blue - also known as Meg. It's taken a while, but I got there!
Hope you like the pic.
Yours as ever
Sock Eye Salmon
Josephine - Meg is wonderful!
How old is she?
Today my dog Ralphie and I were out on a walk and we met an older golden retriever. Her owners - a mom and dad - plus their son came all the way out of their house just to talk about golden retrievers with me and to pet Ralphie! Sometimes it's amazing how dogs can connect people to people!
Meg doesn't LOOK like she ate your homework, sockeye. Was it in that satchel?
Hiya, Fish, dear friend!
Meg will be 4 in September (when I got her in 2006, she was two). She's a collie cross and my best friend. She is indeed wonderful...she's great fun, great company and cheers me up when I'm down. When I'm writing, I talk to Meg as she warms her belly by the fire - she tells me to take a break by putting her nose underneath my elbow so that I stroke her and we go downstairs for a cup of tea...
I know what you mean about dogs connecting with people, Fish, and Ralphie the Wonder Dog is very special indeed. Have you noticed that dogs know when they are being talked about? They look up, their ears stand up and they give you a look...depending what is being discussed, of course!
And they love being petted and talked to!
Dogs are a great way to meet people and make friends - I've made lots of friends because of precious time spent with my previous (now dearly departed) doggies and today with Meg...when I'm not well, Meg is there for me.
She's lying on my bed as I write.
I'll try to upload more pictures of Nutmeg Blue in other poses...she could outdo the best supermodels!
OH! OK....I see the writing on the bag....missed that!
When I'm sick, Ralphie keeps me company, too. He also knows when I am upset....he puts his head in my lap....or he kisses my hand. Funny how he knows I need that!
Dogs just know, Fish. They are more aware than humans give them credit for...that's why I love , too.
Do you find that Ralphie The Wonder Dog has similar facial expressions to ? Amazingly, the Almighty Nick P never owned a dog - but I'm sure he observed many in his life to come up with a genius like 
!
There was a news item in the local paper the other day about a dog that alerted his master because his wife had a stroke in the middle of the night. She was rushed to hospital and she lived to tell the tail/tale. You can read about it (and see the news report) on the following website:
www.manchesteronline.com
It's spooky that the dog, Judy, looks a little bit like Nutmeg.
As the bag says: DOGS ARE GOOD! 
Judy DOES look like Nutmeg! She has such intelligent looking eyes in that film - just like Gromit. I am amazed that Nick Park never had a dog and could create a character like Gromit!
Hi sock-eye and fish! Meg's been at your homework, again, eh? I agree with Fish about Meg's eyes. That's what I was drawn to first. And I was thinking how expressive her eyebrows are, just like 's.
Well, welcome back, sock-eye! Sounds like you had a grand time ("Wild Night") at the VM gig!
I sure did, squigly! Van the Man was, as we say in the North West of England - BELTING! I was rockin' and rollin' away there, clapping my hands until they went raw and was in mintball heaven. I know Van The Man is not everybody's cup of cocoa but I love popular blues, jazz, soul, country, Irish, World etc -pretty ecclectic, don't you think? - and Van ticks all the boxes for sure.
After the gig was over, my friend and I left the Bridgewater Hall (Manchester UK) and we happened to pass by Van's car - I waved at him like a mad windmill, put my OK thumbs up and ... he nicely waved back!
I call Meg Nutmeg because of those eyes - they are the colour of nutmeg (plus, my pooch is a real "spice" girl). The "Blue" bit in her name has nothing to do with a soccer team but its in thanksgiving to God's Mother for helping me find a dog when my previous pooch (Sage - named after a herb) died - it might sound silly to pray for a dog in some people's opinion but I was very lost and lonely without Sage for ages when she passed away. Nutmeg Blue came into my life at the right time and I'm forever grateful for that to happen.
Judy is another Wonder-Dog, Fish. I'm chuffed to mintballs that you found the piece on the website. She behaves like Nutmeg Blue, too, giving kisses and her paw.
Those eyes are expressive, aren't they? They are always reassuring and beautiful...like
Yours as ever
Sock Eye Salmon
cute dog!!!
your bit of a groover then josephine!!!! hehe van the man eh i would love to go to some concerts, your so lucky
and meg looks like a lovely dog i dont belive she ate your homework!!!! naughty naughty!!!!! hehe
nice dog this is one of mine she is called lucy
a homemade coat made by my mum lol. here is benji
lol its actally a girl and yes she can fly around the room she lands on my dogs heads they dont mind lol. she doesnt talk that much but the word she normally says is (Hello what is your name i am charlie) we taught her it
lol i love dogs! i got 4
same, and cats, infact i like all pets, ive got 4 dogs (all working dogs from the farm i live and work on, Bess, Conny, Jen, Megan), 2 cats (Twix and Kitcat)and of course over 560 sheep...lol...it is a farm,
Kind Regards
Arnymate
my dogs are working dogs to lurcher 2whippets and a terrier
Cool about your parrot, modelmaker93! I want a parrot! My Great Uncle (an athiest) had one. When the priest came to call on my Great Aunt (a devout Catholic), the parrot would cuss at him!
My Great Uncle taught him to do that, and I guess after awhile the priest just got used to it, because he didn't stop calling on Aunt Kate! It is one of my favourite family stories.
Modelmaker93 - love your dogs, too! They are well cool. Lucy looks just a little bit like the singing dog in the VW car commercial in the UK. Is Benji a Westie?. And a parrot, too! I'm chuffed to mintballs that they all get on together. A house is not a home without a pet...especially a dog!
Arnymate - are all your dogs collies or labradors on your farm? Twix and Kitkat are two great names for your cats - are they Chocolate-Pointed Siamese?
(Seriously, there is a breed of cat called chocolate-pointed Siamese... - whoosh! There goes the virtual tumbleweed... and a breed of labrador called chocolate labrador. One celebrity actor called his Cadbury - after a famous British chocolate maker).
How's the lambing season going on the farm, arny? I bet you are cream-crackered with those early mornings with the ewes giving birth to cute little lambs.
Fish, your Great Uncle's parrot had me doubled up with mirth Thanks for cheering me up and for sharing that story with us. It's a good job that there are some priests, nuns, rabbis etc. that see the funny side of animals in their respective parish communities!
One of the priests who was celebrant at my Gran's funeral last year would play with Nutmeg Blue when he'd come round to the house...and, when he had to go, he end up with more hair on his black clerical clothes than on the dog!
You know, Fish, if we gather all the anecdotes about the religious and their relationship with their pets, it would be a best selling book!
Hi Josephine!,
We have three collies (Bes, Jen, Connie) and one Cocker Spaniel (Meg) so sorry no labradors, Its busy to, 20 lambed just yesterday, Its the bussiest week weve had yet, Lots of lovely lambs though!
Kind Regards
Arnymate
O...and both cats are tortoshell, I think, and ive heard of that name before, I'm sure i would have called them cadbury and Mars if they were Chocolate-Pointed Siamese...he he
We have so many pet lovers on this forum. It's no wonder since W&G is about a man and his ever faithful companion/pet .
Arnymate, are your dogs all females?
Hi P&B...hardly see your guitar strummin avatar around lately.
MM93, lucy's pink coat kind of looks like a super cape (as in superdog). And benji is a cutie - he seems like a perpetual motion type of dog.
Fish, loved that family story about the cursing parrot. That is so hilarious!!!
sock-eye...Reader's Digest? Chewing on your book? Got it. Recall that virtual tumbleweed! lol
they are both jack russels lucy is a short haired one and benji is a wirey type they are still cute lucy is sitting on my windowsill looking at my mum and dad outside
Yes Suigly all our dogs are females
Kind regards
Arnymate
really, i havent got a dog!! wats it gotta do with anamation though,,, oh well!!! u r aloud to chat!
Josephine, writing a book sounds good to me. I bet a lot of people don't realize how funny and human nuns and priests can be. In this culture we only hear about the abusive ones on the news. And writing about them with their pets - or other people's pets would be really fun!
That parrot of my Great Uncle also used to call to the dog imitating Aunt Kate's voice. The dog was a Scottie. If the parrot called him while he was upstairs he'd run down the stairs as fast as he could, given his short legs. He'd hit the rug on the landing and slide every time! Evidently the parrot thought this was funny! At least that's how the family interpretted his squawking! 
Uncle Sherman WAS a character. After he died, Aunt Kate had a window dedicated to him in the Catholic church where she attended. In the many years since, most of the family is of the opinion that she must have done so with some spite, despite the "loving memory of" on the plaque. Uncle Sherman would never step foot into that church - or any other!
Hiya, Fish, old friend! Love the story about the Parrot and the Scottie dog! lol!!!!!!!!!!!!! It could be straight out of a W&G movie!!!! Brilliant!!!
I think there is a book entitled "Dog Collar" about clerics and their pets. My parish priest had a doggie many years ago and wanted the parish to pray for it when it became ill and had to go to the vet (it had to be put to sleep because the cancer had spread). I'll never forget the tins of dog chow that were donated by the parishoners every week... he can't have a dog now because he shares the rectory with another priest... but, given the choice, he'd love one for company.
I agree, too, that there is so much bad press about the clergy and not enough about the good ones who risk their lives and give their time up to help people.
Pope Benedict XVI is a cat person (he used to talk to the cats in Rome as he went to work in the Vatican before he became pope) and another Pope had a pet canary...Dunno about a parrot, though! They are not cuddly, are they?
I don't know for sure if she kept him after Uncle Sherman died. She was very kind hearted, however and I'd say she probably did keep him....mouth and all!
Er, Janique1 - what on earth do you mean? I've not changed at all...I'm sorry if that is how I come across to you right now but I do care...
Fish (I hope you don't mind, fish) was talking about his auntie's parrot and I was continuing his thread...
Hope this helps, pet!
Sock Eye Salmon
Sorry, Janique1 - I should have titled that post to gromitlove. I was just responding to his question - which was the last post when I started. But then I got interupted and didn't post my reply for several minutes.
Janique1, petal, it's OK. You are very kind...
Sorry I came back 3 hours late...I got absorbed in something and the time flew...
Fish, I bet your late uncle was doing spin-cycle in his grave when your aunt made that dedication to him in the church! My gran's brother-in-law (my Uncle George RIP) was agnostic (which means he's open to opinion about the existence of a Supreme Being). He would moan about bible-bashers and God-botherers etc. but his wife (Aunt Nancy RIP)
was like your aunt - devout.
The main thing is they loved one another... 
Josephine, do you reckon I can at least tell what gender I am on this forum? I mean....we know sharkie is a guy. And we know you are "grown woman" because you told us that on one of the threads - and got away with it too! We even know Cinders is Conty's mum! I've seen pictures of Jordan and Conty. But I'd hate to get kicked out of here! 
It's just me and squigly in the realms of the unknown....