The disappearing wheelhouse - part 14

Is now May 2008 and we dus be continuin wiv da removal of da wheelhouse. Dey had successfuly ripped out all da interior and dad decided to cut the wheelhouse off in three stages.

Da first stage was the back of the wheelhouse up to the ladder leadin to da roof. Once he'd made all da cuts he needed, they were ready to make the first big lift. Mum dus be operatin da crane an takin photos. Not easy to do boaf, which is why at first she only take photos when dat first load is safely on da ground! Once they got the first one out of da way they realise was all gonna be ok! The crane was copin easily wiv da weight and mum was havin no problems wiv da lifts. Ere dus be da first load safely on da shore.

Woofhoo!! Piece of the cake. I was locked inside during lifts and drops in case da crane did drop its load on ma head.  Errr ok no argument from me mum! Dad seems to be lookin ravar relaxed bout da whole affair ;)).

Dad starts the next cut and decides they gonna remove da front from da wheelhouse. Dis one is a big lift and very heavy so best to get it down as soon as possible. They are losin light fast which aint elpin! Dey put all da chains and hooks in place as he start cuttin and mum puts some tension on da chains to help dad wiv da cuttin. Ere he dus be doin da cuttin wiv da gas axe.

At dis point dad ad to stop cuttin and they had to work out what they was doing wif all da wires, cables and pipes. They spent some time cuttin and removin what wasn't necessary and chasin some of it back to da engine room to see what they had to keep. It took a lot longer dan anticpiated and by the time they were done it was dark. 

They discussed the best fing to do next. They could leave everyfin til da next mornin but now da crane was holdin the front of da wheelhouse in place, dad was worried about stability of the crane, the wind, the tide and all of us safety. They decide to press on and dad say to mum is she sure she can handle da crane in the dark. Let's go for it, she say. So they did. Bloddy bonkers if your arks me! 

Dad continue wiv da cuttin on da starboard side and mum wait pashuntly in da cab of da crane for da next lift. She decided to take me into da crane wif her for safety and I fink for bit of support! Coz she talkin all da time to me tellin me wot goin on  'right Lexie, wot we gonna do now is, we gonna push dat lever forward to bring down the chain, right?'. Ok mum ;)). Ere it goes! Mum pull back da lever and keep slowly increasin da tenshun in da chain. The crane start to tip forward (even a big crawler crane like dat cud be pulled over)  as mum pull back. The front of da wheelhouse suddenly pop free and dere it is hangin in da air!

Dey stop for a moment and mum relax back in da cab and wait for her heartbeat to go back to normal! Phewie! Dat woz bit scary I fink. No time for stopping dad say. Let's get dat bit on da shore as quick as we can! Up, up, up mum dus lift it higher and higher to make sure it can clear Atlantis.

And higher! Keep your nerve now mum!

Mum holds da lift in posishun while dad comes safely ashore to direct mum on da last part to lower it down to da ground. She moves da boom to the right and uses da levers to  bring down the chain at da same time as she lower da arm. It is very dark now! You can see da telegraph pole in dis photo (just) wot she has tt make sure she don't knock down wiv da boom. Is bout 10.30pm at dis time.

 

Dad decide is too dangrious to carry on so they get it all on da ground and den pack up for da night. They can carry on in da mornin coz there is lot of cuttin still to do. 

Wiv dat is off to bediscles for an early start. Tune in next time and you will see the final lifts and Atlantis wifout a wheelhouse.

Now you see it.... now you don't - part 13

Hello! I am here to tell you some more fings bout developments wiv regard to the Atlantis and our journey of turnin her from stinky fishin trawler to beautiful trawler yacht! I fink I said last time we are in the year 2008 (aka Year 5) now.  Operation Bedroom - check! Operation Wheelhouse - check!

You can see all da ova posts ere and there includin when me and mum an dad first got togeva and how da whole boat fing come about in da fing on the right wot dus be called da Archive!

Any road up enough of this twaddle. Let us continue wiv dis bloggy and tell you wot appen next! Mum and dad (and me) was very appy wiv our new lovely bedroom. Dad had builded little seat fing in da corner and mum put ma bed on there for me to relax in. You can see ma bed in the corner ere! There was lots of dust in the room too as you can see, mum slowly vacuumed it all up but we woz all sneezin for a bit!

Dad had put in some lovely stairs wot we could use to go up and down whenever we liked! Mum was mostly usin them for going to toilet in the night - we did larf me and dad - coz mum didn't like to wake us up so she buyed a headtorch for her nightly trips to the toilet! Heehee. Interestin to note: dad did not use headtorch, he just turn on the light and make us all suffer! Tsk.

Now dat we all comftily sorted in our new bedroom dad decided to top off da luxury wiv brand new 32" flat screen telly and delishush heater so me and mum can watch our favourite filums and be all cosy! 

Now he cuds to turn attenshuns to removin da wheelhouse.  When they originally buyed the boat, they had fort they wud just refurbish the wheelhouse becoz dad was not sure he was skilled enough to build new one! Err hello!! Earf to dad ... earf to dad! Are you mad or what!!! So mum say, yes do it!  

Ere dus be pictcha of da wheelhouse wot we gonna get rid of! Oh look at dis photo and you will see ma bestest pal wot dus be Jared in da corner.

Mum an dad also say they be so appy to see the back of da wheelhouse as it ugly and remind them of freezin winters and boilin summers tryin to sleep! First of all they stripped da inside back to da bare metal on the back wall. Dad's plan was to cut the back of the wheelhouse off so they could easily remove everyfink inside. He had to decide what instruments we woz keepin like da radar, depf sounder and dat kind of fing. This photo shows some of the early walls comin out - dad is pretendin he is gonna get rid of it but woz mum wot dun it all!

First fing he dun was to pull out da walls at da back. Then he just cut the back off! Just like dat! Well maybe not just like dat but pretty quickly!! He was using his gas axe as it can be done wifout worryin bout burnin dat ova parts coz they all bein disposed of anyways! Wot is Gas Axe I hears you arks? Well, I tell you! It dus be a Oxyacetelene cutting torch.  It be called dis becoz of it run on gas  air an it cut fings really quick.

Once the back was off da wheelhouse, was possible to start removin da rest of all the fings inside like da walls, seats, shelvin an fings. They did use big sledge hammer to get rid of lots of fings. I was not impressed dat my beanbag had taken a bit of a kickin!! Pftttt dey forgot to move it! Mum didn't seem to appy bout her rug eiva ;)))). That is dads for ya!

More strippin work continued frewout da week. As you can see the wheelhouse was built to a high quality! heehee. The more they pulled out the happier they woz wiv da decishun. Speshully when dad did find holes all along base of da wheelhouse dat woz filled wiv builders foam. ;)).

During the removal phase dad had to make sure he knew if there was any wirin and cables wot he had to keep for da new one as well. Here are some wires wot he had to fink about (rather im dan me):

Dad wanted to get the wheelhouse off in a munf (dat be four weeks to you landlubbers - oh no wait we seafarers also says dat!)  becoz he didn't want to have too many sleepless nights worryin bout da structure. He was also worried becoz we wud have huge hole straight down to the engine room so he was concerned about da weava too. They agreed that they wud work until it was done and mum took some time off work to be there every day and elp wiv what she cuds. Of course, dis did include relaxin wiv da Lexie ;)).

Dad wod work on smashin everfink up and den mum wud take it all to the shore where they wud put fings in skip or, where possible, burn the wood.

Every time mum goes off to make a cuppa or some lunch or wotnot dere be more stuff to get off da boat!  Not sure she was expectin so much of dis! She had to walk across those precarious planks! As we all know only too well, not somfink mum too good at! Den down the ladder,off the boat to the shore, then back an do it all over again! Many times. She was certainly gettin a workout dad say to her! Rassssspp she say to dad.

Slowly but surely da wheelhouse started to get cleared out an dad cud start finkin bout cutin the rest of da wheelhouse off!

Ere dus be front of wheelhouse. This dus be tidy compared to ow it started! Mum did get very sore hands and arms (even though she was wearin glves) coz of all da fibre glass around. I was not allowed in dere for obvious reasons. Dus you see dat fing on the right hand window? Dat is a whirly fing wot go round really fast and was so dat if was raining the helmsman could see frew it! Dat was the fishermens wot had that.

Here dus be some more of da wheelhouse comin out. You can see here is da fibreglass wot I telled you about wot give mum da itchy arms. It also did make them cough a lot!

Ere dus be da bonfire wot they woz puttin all da wood on. Here is just a small pile of da wood wot mum piled up on da shore. Dat is mum and dad powerboat behind wot was 007! Or James as mum liked to call it ;).

I fink overall did take about 2 weeks to completely strip da wheelhouse. The weava was not great eiva but me an mum did av some R&R walkin around enjoyin da mud! Well, I say we, I mean me!! Heehee. Dis ma muddy boots and ma sheep look - all da rage in 2008 I can tell you.

More in da next chapter bout wheelhouse removal. Mum become da family crane operator and dad realises he can do anyfink if he put his mind to it. I continue to enjoy walks and relaxations wiv da family.

Down the wooden hill to bedfordshire at last - part 12

Hello! Fanx for continuin wiv reading bout our story. Here quick refresher: da year is 2008 and will become known as Year of the Bedroom! Is also known as Operation Wheelhouse!

Now last year we was all sposed to move into our new bedroom but fings bein as dey dus be, it didn’t appen. Wot I fink I explains now is dat boat building time not like normal time. Fings always end up bein more complicated dan first imagined. Sometimes some big problems come up wot dad has to deal wif before he can finish somfink else.

Like the time when they did strip out da bow bedroom in the early days and den they accidentally broke da pipe wot did go from da galley (dat is kitchen remember) to da outside of da boat. It was unrepairable coz of bein so old, so dad had to fabricate new one and weld in place!

Anyways, before we cuds move into da bedroom dad had to have somewhere where he could do a lot of the bedroom preparation work. He needed a big room to build the bed, parts of the walls and make the doors. He did make the doors himself from scratch! They decided that first of all they wud ave to do some work in the saloon to get ready for making fings for da bedroom.

They worked in da saloon all frew da early munfs of 2008 – January frew to March. Was very cold there and to access the saloon at the time, they did av to go outside and walk along the walkway to the back door. 

There was no direct access from the galley or wheelhouse at dat time so it was a cold walk from the galley around the outside of the boat to the newly installed back door in the saloon! Mum and dad considerately put annuva dog flap in for me but I preferred to stay warm in da galley during those winter munfs! Plus I had builded up ma coat to protect me ;)). I calls it da  Larry the Lamb look!

Dey was workin on puttin da walls in place and workin on the doors. Was very cold in there as the windows let in lots of cold air so they work hard and fast to get everyfink ready. Dad was concentratin on da walls and the curves, den he started  building the bed frame along wiv a small wardrobe wot they cuds keep mums clothes in.

Dad didn't need to keeps his clothes in dere coz they too dirty and orrible he say! Is for mum's work stuff so she can keeps it all clean. You can see da wardrobe and part of the bed in dis pic. Not very big wardrobe is it? Dad say space is always at a premium in a boat, even one as big as Atlantis! I fink is his way of stoppin mum buyin too many outfits!

All da walls are gonna be has cherry veneer wot dad dus then stain and lacquer an den polishes (mum dus that bit) to bring to a bootiful colour and shine. Here is da befores an afters pics of wot dad dun wiv da walls to the en suite shower. You can see wot dad dun step by step to get a bootiful colours wot you can sees your face in it! Pay attenshuns, here come the science bit (heehee I nicked dat from advertisement wot I seed one time).

Step 1 - laminate da wall out of plywood
Step 2 - sheath in veneer (North American Cherry and very expensive!) using contact adhesive
Step 3 - give Lex a sossidge (haha just put dat in for fun, so I check you readin!)
Step 4 - stain orange
Step 5 - stain brown
Step 6 - laquer
Step 7 - colour-sand (make it smoove) and polish
Step 8  - do all of dat again (from step 3!) about 10 times

Hey Preston! You has your bootiful walls thusly:

So tick tockety tickety tick ---- bedroom is coming!!!! Mum and me gettin really eggsited bout it too! Dad workin really hard and tryin to get everyfink done quick. I fink I mighta said dat already ;). Here dus be the bed all ready for da mattress wot gonna be put on top! Mum never telled dad til later but she imaginin herself fallin off it! Dad built everyfink himself. He has to custom builds everyfink coz you can't buy dis sort of stuff in da shops. Da more obserbant readers will notice that dad has been testing the bed out (pillows and dad shaped dust!) for size!

Mum not overly impressed wiv da access dat dad has had to hastily arranged! She finkin of those nights when she has to go to the loo up the ladder. Mum an ladders are a deadly mix!! Dad tell mum she just has to put up wiv it! He has not the time nor the inclination to put in a staircase. Deal wiv it he tell her. She get da hump dat is for sure and go off in a strop!

Wot dad dussnt tell da mum is he wanna surprises her. She has to go away for a few days to do some training and he bin tellin her dat the bedroom not gonna be finish for a few more weeks, so she just has to be patient. Patient she say! Ha --- she bin sleepin on a floor for 5 years, dat is patient ain't it?! Harumph and off she go for her trainin.

When she gone, dad an Jared (wiv some elps from da Lexie - mainly testin fings and dat) finish off da bedroom double quick. Dey put some nice lightin in and finish off da wardrobe wif rail and lights inside. They dus some shelvin so mum can put her nice fings on dem like her smelly candles wot she like. Dad get a new telly and dvd player so she can watch her favourite movies in bed if she likes. Dad finish off by puttin in da mattress and makin the bed up all nice. Mum gonna love it we finks!  Don't it look cosy!

Den he and Jared work hard to builds new staircase for runnin up and down as much as we likes! I test it and it is all good! Better than the ladder. Dad was only doin ladder for joke and know wiv mum track record she cant be goin up a ladder in the middle of the night. They finish off da staircase and everyfink ready  for when mum come home. She is now officially got a real bedroom complete wiv bed and staircase access!  Hoorah!

So they offishully move in an spend their first night in their new bedroom. I be in there too but I am free to go up and down the stairs when I likes. Mum has put ma bed nearby so I can sleep in it if I wants but I lie wiv dem anyway ;)). You be pleased to know she has never fall out of dat bed yet! Although she did spend a fitful night wonderin if she would! Silly moo!

Tune in next time to find out about how they finally gets rid of dat old wheelhouse and open up the back of the boat when dad removes the upper engine room.

Abbysinya! (there is a joke about dat but I forgets it now!)

Looks like the bedroom will have to wait annuva year - part 11

Last time I telled you dat 2007 was big push for da bedroom. Dad was very keen to get rid of the old wheelhouse so he could complete all the steelwork as soon as possibles.

He started buildin the rooms down in what was the old fish-hold. You remember that? There was no trace of fishy smells any more coz mum and dad had cleaned out each bilge compartment and jetwashed any remainin icky stuff!

In case you forgetted, here is da fish-hold before (wif some strip out too):

And here it dus be after, ready for fittin out (blasted and painted):

The first fing dad dun was to weld new plate into old access route and cut a new bigger hol by the bulkhead wall where da new staircase would go. The fish-hold was big enough for two bedrooms, a small hall and an en-suite for da bigger bedroom. Dat was gonna be mum and dad's bedroom (and mine of course) for a while.

Next fing wot dey dun was get all the wood for walls and floor down the hole into the hold. Altogeva they dun about 20 big sheets of wood wot measured bout 3m. They was very heavy! Mum was puttin them down the hole and dad was loadin them togeva.

She fink she got the raw end of the deal but dad telled her was good for her dinner lady arms!! I won't tell you wot she said to dat!!  Troof was dat the bilge was not covered over and dad, knowin mum's track record, decided it was too risky for her to cross. She would fall in for sure!

Next fing wot need to be done was to put in a new door to da engine room wot never had no access there before. Dad did cut out the hole and they put in the new door. Until dat time, they had to go down few annuva ladder! They always goin up and down ladders! If I wants to go wiv dem, I has to be carried.

Ere dus be new door. Please everyone control your excitement! Ahhh bless mum and dad they saddo's they got very eggsited bout their new door I can tell you!

After that dad start battenin out da walls wiv some strips of wood. He also gotta spray foam da walls wif da erm .... spray foamy stuff! Once that done he can start to put up walls and put in da floor! Bedroom here we come. Oh wait .... 2007 is finished! Guess we not gonna be in da bedroom this year! Never mind, we dus be used to dat. Sometimes is just the way of fings. So we carries on sleepin on da floor in the wheelhouse for a little longer. Mum dussnt as to worry bout fallin out of bed just yet ;)).

Oh just in case you wondrin wot da Lexie up to! Well here I dus be relaxin in ma favorit place in da galley where is warm and toasty! Mainly coz mum got the oven on for heat for us! As you can see dem seat cushions has seen better days. No I didn't claw them! Well ok I did claw them but they were already mankazoid anyway!

See you in 2008 definitely be in the bedroom den I can feel it in ma bones!!

It must be frew da ... round window - part 10

Well hello furriends! Is still 2007 - was a very busy year you know? Dad, never content wiv one or two fings on da go at once, decides to buy the drydock where we was living at the workin wharf.

Before he know where he at, he's workin on Atlantis, Auldyn River, anovva houseboat build and boats comin in and out da drydock. Here he is stick weldin on some fingamabobbies wot is called anodes on a boat in dere. Dat his old weldin elmet he did arsk me to point out! (dog knows why!!)

They decides is time to take on more peoples and dad starts a small boat buildin business. Headin up da team dus be ma favouritest person Jared! We also has is bruvva workin for us he has long hair wot dus be called dreadlocks an he likes to run after me in da yard tryin to steal ma ball! We also has annova couple called Fry and Leela  (like from da futurama - dat is not they real names but wot we called dem for fun). They dus let me eat some of dey samwuches but we dussnt tell mum bout dat! Dat is just between us ok???

Mum dus be workin from ome quite a bit an has set up her office in da galley (kitchen). We is quite cozy in dere although sometime she get wet from da hole in da roof where dad is cuttin away old metal ready to make it easier to remove da wheelhouse. She has to wear her cagule. There be lots of noise goin on too but she dussnt mind, she all fixed up wif appropriate cloavin as you an see! Is dark in there so she has to squint ;)).

When mum is at ome I dus make maself comftibles in da galley as well. Is nice and warm in dere most of da time. We turns the cooker on for extra warmf if it get too cold. Mum make sure she sorts me out wif ma comfy cushion next to her in da galley as well!

Course as we knows, before dad cud take off da wheelhouse, he had to build da bedroom and before he cud do that, he had to finish off da back structure (wot we calls da saloon). Oh, I forgot, fings were made a lot easier wif dad's latest purchase - a big crane! Here he is sittin in da cab.

Dad also used da crane to build the two-storey wooden structure wot would go on top of da lighter he was buildin as a houseboat for a customer. Dey builded da structure on da land by da wharf and then wud use da crane to move it onto da lighter which was moored next to Atlantis. Ere dus be da wooden structure. Dem windows is from China!

Meanwhile back on Atlantis, Dad and Jared was workin on preparing da back structure for da windows. First of all they dun painted da structure so it would be easier to mark out da windows. Then they use a template made of some stuff wot is called MDF and cutout all da steel to form da windows. Here dus be a before and da after shot - can you see dem differences?

Before:

After:

Here's da view from da inside after dey had blasted and painted it.

Maybe you dus remember dat it looked like dis at da start back in 2003 and mum is standin in roughly da same place for boaf photos!

I fink 2007 was their hardest year. They worked really hard and achieved a lot dat year. I hasn't even telled you bout all da ovva fings yet! So I leave it there for now with a lovely sunset over da river.

Bye for now pals fanx for readin ... in da next episode ..... mum and dad get a bedroom complete wiv bed!

I've started ..... so I'll finish ..... beep beep beep .....

That ansome border terrier Marley Magnusson as put me under da spotlight and makins me sit in da black chair! He dun arsk some questions coz someone dun aksed him some! Dis wot he dun arks me!

1. Wot is the favourite fing wot your pawsons and hoomans duz for you?

Oh gawd! Just one fing? Mmmm ang on i be finkin...... Marley dat such an unfair question! They dus so many fings for me is really ard to say. Ok ere we dus go:

• Mum - I fink is da fact that she is never ever ever too tired to play wif me. Dussnt matter what time it is, or what she bin doin. She always got time for playin wif da ball or tuggin da rope or, one wot we boaf dus love doin, playin hide and seek!
• Dad - He ma protector an in da mornin mum dus get up early and I gets into da bed and me and dad has cuddles and he tickles ma tummy til I go into da trance! 

Me and dad avin ..... fun ... apparently

2. Iz time for noms, wot you eatin?

Sossidge, wiv a side order of sossidge on a sossidge coulis with sossidge wine! Did I menshun sossidges? Hahaaaa of course dis is a joke becoz I dus not be allowed sossidges all da time, only one a day! These days I dus av chicken chub wot as herbs in it so I dussnt get da gurglies.

Sossidge anyone?

3. Duz you ave an embarassin abits?

No, defnitally not. nope, no way,none whatsoeva! Weeeell .......ok I dus have two! Da first one is dat I occashunally has a kling-on on ma starboard bow if you get ma drift? Mum has to errm ...... assist wif removal procedure. Second fing is dat I torks in ma sleep and they dus sometimes call me da snoffle-offagus!  

Snoffle, snuffle, pppffffff

4. Wot is your favourite animal fillum?

Born Free - wot is bout lioness called Elsa! An I dus love da feem toon as well - Born Freeeeeeee as free as da wind blows!!! Teehee! 

5. If you comin to a pawty at my ouse, wot you bringin wiv you?

Sossidges of course!

Right dat is me dun! Now I gonna ask dese five questions to some pals!

1. Who would you share your last treat wiv and why?

2. What is your favourite song?

3. What would you do if you had a time machine?

4. What is your favourite colour?
5. What superpower would you like to have and why?

These are da pals wot I be arksin da questions: @Mariodacat, @Jazzydacat, @Flocatlady, @Mattiedog, @MrsFiddlesticks

I thank you!
Lexie-loo signin off
Bye bye

oh i dus like to be beside da seaside!!

♫ oh i do likes to be beside da sea
oh i do like to stroll along da prom prom prom
where da brass-band play tiddly sossidge song ♫

Hee-hee! I dussnt even know wot a prom prom prom is! We did av a lovely time coz we went to da seaside da ovva week! You know what I really enjoys? Yes dat is right, swimmin! I fink you know me wells enuff to say you dus knows dat bout me! Dis me in da surf at ma favrit beach in Essex - Walton.

So where did this obesshun come from? Am I really a fish in disguise? Maybe, I mean they dus call us border terriers the otter dog coz we has a head shaped like an otter and when we is in da water you cuds mistake us for one. But it wasn't always dis way! There was a time when I was afraid of da water..........

When I was little an livin wif da orridbles man you may members dat I was trapped on his boat a lot on ma own. You also remembers dat I got fed up of bein on ma own one night and jump off his boat and swim round to mum and dad to be!  You can read about dat ere if you likes to but you dussnt av to!

Annova fing wot maded me bit more scared appen before mum an dad fitted Lexie's security door to da side of Atlantis (large piece of metal - no expense spared :0). Mum an dad had to go to a weddin. I hadn't been wif dem very long and it was da first time dey left me on ma own for a long period of time.

They had gone on little outins and they had teached me som code words 'back soon button moon'. Dis mean take a chill-pill Lexie we be back before you can say 'antidistinctlymintystablishmentism' fingy.

I notice that they was gone long time, longer dan usual! I got a bit worked up bout it an fink I go look for dem. They obviously forgetted where they dus live. I manage to jump ova from Atlantis onto Mamba wifout any problems. Now da hard but, jump from Mamba to da steps. I has never dun this coz mum always carry me up da steps.

One .. two ... free ... jump! Oops plop I goes! I missed da steps and fell between da boat and da steps into the mud. Luckily, the tide was out. Oh dear! I spended some time slappin about in da mud, plop plop plop round I went to Atlantis, nope can't get on dere. Plop, plop, plop back to Mamba. Nope no good there! Mmm fing was if I standed still too long I start sinkin in da mud. Oh gawd, wot gonna appen! I just keep ploppin round dat is the ticket!

After a bit, I dus hear voices and I can hear dat it be da mum and dad! Oh fanx goodness! Bark bark bark plop plop plop I goes. I hear mum say ' Lex knows we're back then' and larfs. Humph, you might larf woman, I be ploppin around in dis mud down ere!

They comes down the steps and jump onto Mamba, then they walk across and go on board Atlantis, wifout a care in da world! Oi, you two, over ere!!!! Bark bark plop plop. Wot is wrong wif dem? Is dey mutton jeff or sufmink?

I hear dem come runnin back onto Mamba and see dad head pop over the side above me. Finally tsssk! You know what they dun then? They larf at me! Pffft I mean really! Anyway, dad did get da boathook and pulled me up by my collar. I used to wear it all da time den, not like now where I dus take it off when I relaxin at ome! You be please to know dat I recovered from my trommactic experience.

Only fing was as a consquienz of dat I did get bit scaredy of water and swimmin. Not really sofmink you should be when you is ship dog! Mum and dad try to get me to go in the water but I wasn't avin none of it.

Mum decided da best fing to do was go swimmin erself so I wud follow er. Fing is wif regards to da mum we did has such a strong bond now dat she know I dus follow er wherever she go. Mum goes, I goes! Guess what? It did work! And now?

Well, you can't keep me outta da water. I likes to swim in da sea most of all. I don't mind da river but it dus give me da gurgly tummy. We fink is becoz of da brackishness of it. Mmm say we, I mean mum becoz I dussnt even know what dat mean! I'm a dog!

It was our dearest friend Kafleen (@pasikas), who worked it out from da very beginning and she was right! Our latest acquisition (fanks to Kafleen again) is a paddlin pool wot I can go in to keep cool in da hot summer. It was also from da advice of @henryandfriends dat I was brave enuff to finally go in da pool as well! You can read wot him sed to do in da Anipal Times.
















So dat dus be ma obesheshun - water! Good job really aint it? Oh and dis me  in action avin swim at Walton - Baywatch styley! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts2mcH5TDqM.