The Most Dog Friendly Community Online
Join Dog Forum to Discuss Breeds, Training, Food and More

Muphys memoires

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register
It was only after a couple of shots that I started to wonder why it hadnt moved...Then I heard a load of school kids coming over the bridge and I realised it was stuffed ! An exhibit placed there for them to see on a discover wildlife walk organised by the forestry commission. :D It had us and Murphy fooled..
DSCN6405.JPG
 
Ha Ha Love it!! It looks very realistic!
 
.

It *is* real, but i knew it was taxidermied, being poised on the log only, above the grass - plus the otter's tail is oddly stiff, a live otter's tail would drape & bend. This one's a flagpole, but horizontal, LOL.
:D

I'm sure the kids were thrilled with their walk, & the otter is certainly effective - it's a good mount.
but how far is the otter-mount from the water? The surroundings seem to be a footpath or small clearing, in wooded upland.
- terry

.
 
.

It *is* real, but i knew it was taxidermied, being poised on the log only, above the grass - plus the otter's tail is oddly stiff, a live otter's tail would drape & bend. This one's a flagpole, but horizontal, LOL.
:D

I'm sure the kids were thrilled with their walk, & the otter is certainly effective - it's a good mount.
but how far is the otter-mount from the water? The surroundings seem to be a footpath or small clearing, in wooded upland.
- terry

.

Hi the whole area is a wetland nature reserve in what used to be an area where turf was harvested, we know that otters do live there, it was only about a foot from the nearest water and of course being its a nature reserve you dont expect stuffed animals to be on show. Sheer shock at rounding the bend and seeing it stops clear thinking..
 
.

Good! - glad they set the otter in a likely spot, that's excellent. :) . I wouldn't want to see an otter in a place where i'd expect a groundhog, fox, or pine-marten. ;)

I was thrilled to see wild river otters just twice in my life, once in Centre Co, PA, during a hike - in a large free-running stone-bottomed creek, a good 8 to 10-ft across, & 3 to 5-ft deep, with strong riffles - clean freshwater stream -
& the second time, astonishingly, in the narrow TIDAL CREEK paralleling the bike-path, just off Great Neck Rd in Va Beach, VA!

I was on my way to work, it's 10:30-am, & i took it at a distance for a muskrat, making ripples in the water while swimming - then it dove, & later came up just 8 or 10-ft ahead... Unmistakably a large adult otter, dark brown, about 3-ft nose to tail-tip in length.
I was astonished - this is brackish water, much-more salt than fresh, just off the Chesapeake Bay, & none too clean, either. Plus, we're just 2 city-blocks inland from Shore Drive, a major traffic artery & shopping thoroughfare. I could clearly hear diesel-powered 18-wheelers & heavy auto traffic, & here's this otter, in a muddy sandy-bottomed drainage ditch that rises & falls with the tide!
Astonishing.

- terry

.
 
Murphy will be two in exactly one months time. So to celebrate and to share a little love he and I are trying a fundraiser on FB to see if we can raise money to help dogs who are not so loved and cherished as he is..

Lets hope it isnt a total flop and I dont end up having to pledge all the money for him!
DSCN6497.JPG
 
Last edited:
.

QUOTE, Sezzy:

I’m not on Facebook (shock, horror... :eek:), do you need to be a FB member to donate?
_________________________________________
.

@Sezzy , there's also the fundraiser link on Mad's blog. :) See below...


__________________________________
QUOTE, Mad Murphy:

It's on [Murphy's] FB page, and my blog.
FB:
Murphy's fundraiser for All Dogs Matter
Blog: author-site

______________________________

HTH,
- terry


.
 
Well the fundraiser is going ok.. Of course we will push it a bit in the next few weeks to see how much we can squeeze from Murphys friends.
I might try blackmail...They only get to see a photo of him if someone donates!

This morning we had a nice walk with not a lot going on until a small group of birds approached ..
RSCN6669.JPG

At first I thought they were egrets but as they went overhead I realised they were spoonbills.. A first for us and a hasty photo snapped as they went past but I will be keeping my eyes peeled now I know they are in the area.
 
Todays walk turned up some more interesting things... Tombstones! In the middle of the woods a church from town has placed all the very old (16 & 1700's ) tombstones on a mound in the middle of the woods.. Murphy was more interested in ducks and weasels.

DSCN6686.JPG
DSCN6677.JPG
DSCN6708.JPG
DSCN6703.JPG
 
Well an exciting evening for Murphy , of course we still have contact with his mum and dad Bijke and Zico and one of his brothers also called Bijke.. But this evening...... contact from one of his sisters called Brecht..

I wonder if she is as much of a hunter and swimmer as Murphy and Bijke... Loooking forward to finding out.

Bijke..top Brecht bottom


Bijke.jpg
Brecht.jpg
 

Welcome to Dog Forum!

Join our vibrant online community dedicated to all things canine. Whether you're a seasoned owner or new to the world of dogs, our forum is your go-to hub for sharing stories, seeking advice, and connecting with fellow dog lovers. From training tips to health concerns, we cover it all. Register now and unleash the full potential of your dog-loving experience!

Login or Register
Back
Top