Stories by Arthur Witten
Arthur Witten resides in Australia. Over the decades, he has shared his heart and home with multiple Newfs. His colourful posts to Newf-L have been preserved on his page for all to enjoy.
Affectionate Bovines and other creatures
Years ago, when we had more land here, cattle grazed the place. I’d feed them Lucerne (alfalfa?) cubes in the stockyards to get them wanting to go in there whether they needed rounding up or not. It wasn’t long before I could call the cows, and they would...
Affectionate Bovines
Thriller’s interaction with the neighbor’s cows has improved greatly since coming to share her life with me just three months ago. Then, whenever Her Ladyship saw a bovine in the neighbor’s paddock (not always easy given that they have allowed the land to...
An Issue with Worms!
For two days last week, Thriller and her dad had three workmen here replacing the air conditioning system, or most of it. After nearly 28-years of faithful service, the unit had valiantly held on and breathed its last cooling exhalation as the...
Madam Moves!!!!
Thriller seemed in little hurry to attend her number ones and number twos this morning, so we patrolled the boundary fence in the back paddock, only going clockwise today – usually Thriller patrols anticlockwise. All was well until approaching a ten-foot...
I Have Created a Monster!!!!
Yes, a “MAGNUM MONSTER”!!!! Last night, nearing the bewitching hour of midnight, Thriller rose from her red bed and made for the great blackness outside which that hour brings. Lights turned on in the breezeway and a lead prudently attached to Thriller...
An Interest in Bunnies
Over many years, successive generations of rabbits here have had nothing to fear from the procession of Newfoundlands who have owned me. Once Liquorice an Keaton passed through adolescence all those years ago, rabbits could, and would, cheerfully graze to...
A Problem Both Silly and Sweet
Before being taken for an amble in the front paddock this evening by my venerable oldie, the Lady Thriller, I popped a “Fantail” into my mouth. Fantails are a yummy chocolate covered hard caramel much favored by the aforesaid Thriller’s...
Crowd Control
My Landseer boy Ruggles had an early morning semi-routine medical appointment necessitating our navigating our way through Sydney’s clogged morning peak “hour” traffic. The appeal of sitting in a car going near nowhere for seeming hours at a...
Ruggles Does Buxton
Ruggles and I journeyed south to the small bush settlement of Buxton last Sunday morning where they were celebrating Christmas one month early with their annual festival – and it was a much larger affair than anticipated with very many stalls...
Mothers, how to embarrass a ten year old daughter
Ruggles and I journeyed to the shopping center today, not that Ruggles is allowed inside; sadly such things are forbidden in this unenlightened land “Downunder”. Ruggles did have a good walk around the perimeter of the building and carpark area...
A Confession
Life is made up of fleeting little moments with occasional happenings that surprise and give one that inner glow. Today you have given me a “welcome home” that left me both surprised and gave me that warming "inner glow", and I am most very...
Returning Home
After an absence of some years I am returning “home”, to the Newf List. Some listers of long standing may remember me, or better, they may have memories of my little darling Liquorice, young master Keaton, and their “oldies”. Sadly, Liquorice...
Warning: Bath Day Danger!
Today found the happy confluence of events, an autumn day Downunder suited for the ritual washing of Newfoundlands, being a day filled with sunshine and breeze, and my being the proud possessor of two Newfoundlands with need of laundering. But,...
Barbara
There was a particular elderly lady at the hospital when Liquorice and Keaton visited. She was terribly frail, and had dementia. Despite the best efforts of the nursing staff and her family, Barbara has hardly eaten a thing while she has been...
The Medicinal Power Of A Newfie Fix!
Recent weeks have found my father's health failing, currently he is in hospital, and on Monday the outlook was quite dim. Tuesday the hospital rang, just after 9am, to request that I take Liquorice and Keaton over to visit with "Arthur" (Dad...
Buster Keaton
The old master Buster Keaton himself would have looked down from Heaven upon his namesake with approval this day. The "Great Stoneface" may even have cracked a wry smile at young Keaton's talent for mayhem! After lunch found me lying on the...
Donuts!
Liquorice, Keaton and I did not hear the mini-bus returning Ma this afternoon, from her weekly outing to the local Senior Center, until it was leaving. I was enjoying coffee following a late lunch when Keaton raced out of the vestibule to the...
Good Girls Deserve Tummy Rubs
We had an all too seldom visit from my cousin Cherylyn giving my father the much-needed benefit of her nursing expertise. Cherylyn has met Liquorice previously, though not Keaton. She brought her teenage daughter, Amy, along to meet us and to...