Milling About and Maxing It Up!

It has been a couple of weeks since the previous chapter and for those of you that take a regular peek, my apologies. However, how life flies before your eyes these days - middle age or just so flipping busy?! I prefer to think it's because we're busy (Middle age indeed, I'm barely out of my 30s!!!). 

I'm going to get you for this Dad!!!!!!!

The Puppies have had a bit of a rude awakening (no pun intended) as they now get a morning walk with Dad No.1 at the ungodly hour of around 6am ish. It's a delight when I get up as they're both back in their beds, slumbering gently while I get ready for work. I take them in the mornings now and again, but I do need my beauty sleep (my Husband doesn't need any seeing how handsome he is already and so I think it's only fair!).

Max plays in the Autumn leaves...

As I normally get home first, it's my turn to take them to the park and cemetery in the evenings. It's normally such a relaxing experience in the dusk light, watching the sky turn darker by the second while the puppies flashing collars get brighter and brighter. However, we had a little bit of a scary experience on Thursday evening when we *thought* we were the only ones in the park.....we weren't! 

Millie in her new harness

It was only when I heard some bloke screaming for his dog and saw a dark, FAST shadow approaching that I picked up the little'uns and we RAN! The dog snarled and growled around my ankles, Millie wanted to get down and kill it and Max was enjoying the ride.....it was horrible! It is my personal belief that if you must own a 'dangerous breed' and it's untrustworthy off the lead, DON'T let it off the lead, EVER!!! We got home and did I need a drink or what....the puppies were, as always, marvellous and both of them received a 'gravy bone' which they love.

Peckham Rye and a Tennis Ball = PLAY!

The destruction in the home has, mercifully, been minimal of late and we haven't really seen any form of wanton vandalism by either Max or Millie. Well, they made up for it recently by taking their puppy rage out on one of their beds, wilfully gutting it of a healthy amount of  stuffing and leaving it strewn around the dining room floor.

Hide Millie, if we're lucky he won't notice

As well as upping the stakes on the destruction, Millie seems to have developed a rather odd habit. A number of times now she has deliberately got INSIDE the duvet cover with the quilt. Odd yes, but also a tad worrying when you come home from work and there's only one dog in the house! I ran around the garden and home screaming her name, worried sick that she had escaped when I heard a pathetic wimper from the bedroom (they don't have access to the bedroom, so she must have "broken in"!).

Millie tries on her Halloween Ghost outfit!!!

I do not know how long she was caught up in there, it could have been all day or just 5 minutes, but to be honest I'm glad I don't know, it's enough knowing that she was in there, the poor mite. I'm still expecting the RSPCA (or even Aunty Kay!) to come round and confiscate my puppies because I'm an irresponsible dog owner....it's only happened twice (and I only video'd once when it happened while I was at home, honest!)...the first time WAS funny!

Beautiful

Hard as it is to believe, our Puppies will be 1 year old next week. We've decided upon 1st November as their 'official' birthday and it's very exciting, but again, how time flies by. It seems only yesterday Max, the little tiny puppy came into our lives and Millie has been with us over 2 months now! We will be celebrating this milestone in Cheshire as we are visiting Nana Joyce next weekend and M&M can have their birthday 'party' with Miss Penelope Ellis (Nana Joyce's dog) and probably get spoiled rotten, although I think it's Nana Joyce that's going to get spoilt!

Max is VERY excited about his birthday...

Don't forget to put your clocks back tonight everyone!

Ooh, it's Halloween tomorrow isn't it?!?! 

Watch this space...

Oh. My. God.....Children!

Recipe for Carnage

Take the following and mix generously with as much joy, excitement, fun, devastation and noise as possible for three days:

1 Bedroom Flat

2 Children

3 Dogs

4 Adults

Max in his new outfit courtesy of Jemima!!!

The family arrived on Thursday evening and returned to Cornwall today...what a fab few days it has been. We've had such fun, playing, going to the play park, the Horniman Museum. The children took great delight in collecting eggs from the Hen House and then enjoyed the fruits of their labours with toast soldiers.....The adults took great delight in the kids going to bed and enjoyed the fruits of their labours with alcohol!!!!!

Jemima, Ferdi & Uncle 'Digger'

Max & Millie deserve 5 stars for their conduct and behaviour throughout the whole weekend. Not only did they have the kids to deal, there was also Daisy, who would appear to be a 'super-sized' version of Millie with added tail.

Daisy.....or Millie really needs to diet!

Millie wasn't overly impressed with Daisy and took a bit of a dislike to her which is a shame as Max and Daisy get on famously and play and play and play. However when the going got tough Millie just ran to her Dads and took comfort hiding under one of us on the sofa.

Max learning the meaning of the word "share"...

Whilst the "Famille au Cornwall" were with us Dad No 1 was in Cheshire with Nana Joyce for a couple of days helping her buy some new furniture for the house and so it was I, Dad No 2 that was thrust into the melee that is our wonderful God Children....

 Uncle Pigger, er I mean Digger!

I think I was pretty successful in my God Fatherly duties.......the pink Princess Palace being the pinnacle of my achievements I fear (God Children's Dad, Lawrence knackered in the background of the picture below...I know how he feels!!!).

The things you do for your God Daughter....(I loved it!!!)

John and I are actually called the FGFs (Fairy God Fathers) and the kids are the FGCs (Fairy God Children). John is Uncle Evil (a long story!) and I am Uncle Dahlia (as I grow Dahlias) although this weekend saw Dahlia morph into Digger....so now I am Uncle Digger!

Uncle Digger at the Park with M&M....

We had a wonderful weekend with the FGCs and their parents which was made all the more wonderful when Uncle Evil returned from Cheshire to join in the fun, laughter and general full-on manic excitement that has been our home for the past 3 days. 

'Evil' and the 'Dark Empress'

The house is now quiet and peaceful, the puppies are sleeping, I am blogging and 'Evil' is relaxing....

Thank You Cornwall for a marvellous 3 days....let's not leave it so long next time!

Max's face says it all!!!

The Darkness is Coming

As Autumn continues to forge ahead, turning the once green and leafy landscape into a palette of ambers and golds, we begin to notice that the evenings are becoming darker, earlier. Although not much of an issue for us, it's definitely going to be an issue for the puppies when we take them out for a walk and we cannot see them, especially since both of them are black! So......we've bought them 'high vis' flashing collars.....

Move over Naomi Campbell, there's a new black Supermodel on the block!

I'm almost looking forward to watching two little red flashes darting about the park in the dark of night. It's certainly going to make the next few months of evening dog walking very interesting....if at all possible, there will be video!

Max is a Lumberjack and he's ok...!

Not only did M&M get new winter walk collars, Max also got a new 'every day' collar. He's never actually had one although he does have his 'best' collar which has his camouflage bandana on it that Aunty Kay bought him and only comes out on special occasions, when he needs to look particularly smart. 

Sod the collar Dad, is that food over there???

We're also very pleased with Millie's progress to date, not only with settling in, calming down and being (almost) normal, but she's also getting her coat back and the small patches of mange she had on her ears have completely gone...she is, in a word, gorgeous!

Millie - A Beauty

It's hard to believe that in a few weeks time they will both be ONE....yes, it's birthdays all round for the McEllis Puppies in November. As they're both rescues and we know nothing of their lives before us, the date is approximate but it will be the same for both of them, yet to be decided....

My teeth are bigger than your teeth, so NER!

Help the Ickle Homeless Puppies (Oh, and the Kittens I s'pose!)

I don't need to remind any of you that Maximillian Sydney Bruiser and Millicent Hermione Oprah were once homeless and in need of a loving, safe and stable home. Alas, the poor little buggers got us!

Can you believe no one wanted this cute ickle puppy?!?!?!

Well, our lovely (and rather gorgeous) friend Deborah Hermione (no relation to Millicent Hermione) is taking part in The Royal Parks Half Marathon 2010 raising funds for The Blue Cross (Boys, this also means she is fit innit!!!). Now I know M&M didn't come to us through The Blue Cross, however it is a very worthy pet charity.

Once a stray....Now a much loved member of the Family

Debs works in The Blue Cross communications team, where they get a constant flow of stories coming in to the office from their centres.  Last week they had a scared and hungry little terrier who was found giving birth under a car - she and her 6 puppies are now doing well at their Kimpton centre (No, we are not having anymore puppies!!!). The money will also go to help Evil Bird Murderers and Chicken Stalkers.....er, I mean cats and kittens!

The Hubby and Deborah Hermione

Any amount you choose to give will really help towards the following everyday Blue Cross costs:

• £25 will pay for the vaccinations kittens need to protect them from life-threatening diseases
• £100 will care for a cat at one of our adoption centres for a month
• £150 will buy a folding cage for use in animal ambulance
• £250 will cover basic veterinary health treatments for each horse that comes into one of our equine centres
• £447 will care for a dog during it’s stay in one of our adoption centres.

If you can, and believe me, I know times is 'ard, please support Debs and The Blue Cross by making a pledge through the secure online donation by clicking on the link below:

http://my.artezglobal.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=310025

M&M recreate Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy!

On behalf of Debs....Thank You

1,000

WOW people!!!!!


We've just reached 1,000 views on the blog, yes that's 1,000!!!!

Max says "Thank You"

I know we're not quite in the same league as those pesky chickens, but with your ongoing interest in the 'dog blog', we're getting there.

Millie says "Thank You"

Thanks Everyone!

River Deep, Mountain High

Max & Millie had their first holiday together from 11th to 18th September in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales and they LOVED it, they had an absolutely wonderful time!

The Puppies travel to North Wales

We hired a lovely big house in Beddgelert Village, deep in the National Park, surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers and woodland - idyllic for us and a giant playground for the dogs....We were going to be joined by 'Nana Joyce' and Aunty Joanie, but unfortunately my lovely Mother-in-Law was taken ill just days before we were due to go and Joanie stayed to look after Penny, Joyce's dog, so in the end it was just us with Max & Millie. 

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery back to the cheeky Minx we all know and love!

The Mother in Law

Get Well Soon Gorgeous Lady!

When we arrived, the weather in Wales was lovely, sunny and warm and big fluffy clouds in the sky. We got there on the Saturday afternoon and on the Sunday it was absolutely scorchio, really hot and sunny and what Summer SHOULD feel like.  

Gorgeous & Gorgeous-er!

So, as it was warm and sunny, we thought we'd take the dogs to the beach. Of course, you all know Max has been to Cornwall but as far as we are aware Millie has never been to the seaside.....we took them to Borth-y-Gest near Porthmadog which has lovely sandy beaches and they both had a marvellous time playing in the sea and running around on the sand.

'The Kids' cool off

While on holiday, we saw a bit of a change in Millie, becoming more settled with us and towards us, feeling more comfortable in our company. It was good to see and more importantly to watch.....as you can see, when they want to play they really do go for it.....!

Yes, that IS Max in Millie's jaws!!!! 

They had so much fun, they were completely and utterly knackered every single night, which was a blessing considering what they're usually like at home. They must have walked miles on their little legs, but they were game for it, so we milked it for as much as we could get!

My Perfect Family at Aberglaslyn Bridge

There were a couple of things that we both REALLY wanted to do with the dogs while we were in North Wales. One was to take them up '3 Lake Walk' to the foot of Snowdon's summit and the other was to take them to Blackrock Sands, not far from Borth-y-Gest. 

Blackrock Sands

Blackrock Sands is a HUGE golden sandy beach where you can see Harlech Castle on the distant horizon and the mountains of Snowdonia behind you.

How big is that stick Max is dragging?!?!?!

Well, the beach trip was accomplished without too much fanfare and the dogs really enjoyed it - Millie was even let off the lead and she didn't run away!!!!

Millie off the lead

Three Lake Walk was not so straight forward to achieve. We tried it on the Wednesday of our holiday and the weather was a bit wet to say the least. It always seemed ok until we opened the car doors and then the rain descended in curtains. I do believe we experienced the Welsh Mountain Monsoon!!! There are no photographs of this attempt as the weather was too wet to get the camera out, never mind take pictures of us all looking like drowned rats - even Max stopped walking and started crying!

3 Lake Walk - Attempt No. 2 and Millie has had enough!

We tried again on the Friday and I am pleased to report that we did it.....yes, as you can see above we got wet again, however it wasn't until we were halfway back that the heavens opened and we experienced another deluge. The walk is about 3 miles each way and when the weather is pleasant it's a lovely walk, I recommend it to everyone.

We Did It ! ! ! !

So, apart from the obvious disappointment of not having Nana Joyce and Aunty Joanie with us, we had a lovely time in the mountains of Snowdonia.

Me and my Boy on the way to Snowdon - May we return again very soon!

Is THAT a Chihuahua???

As a regular visitor to the Marvellous Adventure of Max & Millie you will already be more than aware that we take the dogs for walks through Camberwell New Cemetery which is across the road from us and next to the allotment. On these walks it's pretty much the norm that we don't really bump into anyone and have the entire place to ourselves which is bliss. However......one evening last week we were walking through the Cemetery and there were a group of young people (how OLD do I sound?!?!) sitting down on the grass, probably planning their next robbery no doubt, and one of them asked us, "Is that a Chihuahua?" pointing (condescendingly) at Maximillian Sydney Bruiser McEllis!!!

Does I look like a Chihuahua to you?!

Well, you can imagine my horror as I responded with, "Does HE look like a Chihuahua to you? He's a miniature Rottweiller thank you very much!" and I then promptly flounced off....Max is not an 'It' or a 'That', he's a cute little dawg and it's more than obvious that he is in fact a Boy!!! I'm pretty sure I also heard a doggy-style snigger from Millie after this unwanted question of Max's lineage but perhaps that was my overly fertile imagination....

Me and my "Chihuahua"...

This week also saw another milestone for Millie - she now uses the dog flap automatically, with no help or guidance from us....*Go Millie, Go Millie*......

Millie gets in a flap

The Girls (Poultry Stars of http://hensinthecity.blogspot.com) have been VERY lucky this week...in fact they escaped with their lives, literally! On Thursday evening my Husband called me at work and asked me, "What would be your worst nightmare?"....I was thinking along the lines of another perm would be quite bad or indeed wearing banana yellow corduroy trousers with red patent leather shoes in public again would be a rather hideous crime against fashion, but no, not THAT sort of nightmare (by the way, both examples given are fact not fiction, from the memory archives of Mr John McKenna!!!).

 Millie, Max and The Girls

When Dad 1 got home, there were no dogs in the house, so he checked their outside area and again, no dogs, BUT, the barrier to the garden had been opened and they had got in with the Hens!!! Dad 1 feared the absolute worst and ran to the garden and found 3 hens and Max all alive and well but no Millie or Tallulah. After a search of the garden, the missing culprits were found in the shed....they were both alive and unharmed (Tallulah can be quite formidable when the mood takes her!). So, Millie is fine with the Hens and there's nothing for us to worry about.......HOW lucky were we??? It could have been sooooooo bad!

 Miss Millicent Hermione Oprah McEllis

This only reinforces what we as their 'Dads' already know....that we have the best little dogs in the world, little diamonds who are a joy and a pleasure (except when they're really bloody annoying!!).

Max & Millie ROCK!