Stories by Arthur Witten

Liquorice, my Newfoundland puppy (who has her fifth birthday on Monday - she will be all of five months-<vbg>), has a smile that washes away all the troubles and stress that life can bring. Until last night her smiley face has had an...

It is not just my aging body that has noticed the autumn nights getting cooler here in Sydney, Australia. This morning I noticed the Noisy Minors (birds) collecting the hair Liquorice had left on her day bed in the breezeway. She has another on the back...

Our morning walk across the front paddock was interrupted when Liquorice saw an orange and black "Wanderer" butterfly fluttering about the freshly mown grass doing whatever orange and black butterflies do to amuse themselves of a cool morning....

Baby Liquorice accompanied us into Camden as Ma and Pa had an appointment to see their Podiatrist. It is not often that they have an appointment as close to home as Camden, which is about ten miles away and our nearest town, not counting...

Once again, Liquorice has been found guilty and sentenced to a lifetime ban from ever setting foot in the downstairs bathroom! The sentence was imposed by a Judge far less lenient than I am. You see she was apprehended at the scene of the crime...

Liquorice and I sat together in the breezeway this morning when I let her out to do what a girl must do first thing of a morning but as I often sit and give her a nurse she prefers that to her other morning pleasures. She is getting to big to...

We arrived home from another trip to the doctors. I walked across the breezeway, opened the laundry door for my father to make his dash to the loo. Traditional on these occasions. As I walked back to assist Ma from the car I noticed something...

Now that the weather is cooler I decided to prune some of the branches from the Jacarandas that line our driveway. They have been in for ten years but have not grown evenly. With the recent rains and the summer's growth a number of branches...

The gentleman who services our septic tank every three months, having completed his task, brought his report over to our house. He was given a good Newfie greeting from Liquorice, our black puppy who is now almost four months old and around...

While Nanny, our previous Newfoundland, was alive the Noisy Minor birds displayed no fear of us. We could walk within two to three feet of them without their flying away. After Nanny passed away last May, even though they have been sharing the...

I used to bathe the four-legged ones who owned us just inside of the big door of the farm shed, on the smooth concrete floor that sloped, so that if the rain blew in it just drained outside. Ultra basic, no fancy grooming rooms or wash-baths...

My parents are not able to actively enjoy Liquorice, our Newfoundland pup, as much as I. They are unable to take her for walks or get down to her level for a game. Still they have their moments. One evening last week I was to go into Sydney. Ma and Pa came...

Liquorice enjoyed herself this morning while I picked some zucchini, a couple of cucumbers, a few small tomatoes from vines nearing the end of their crop and a handful of raspberries. Liquorice ate the raspberries, one of her favorite treats....

Early yesterday morning young Liquorice and I were at the end of the breezeway. We had just started enjoying the crisp early morning air and sunshine and I was thinking it so different to the heatwave recent weeks had brought us followed then...

Liquorice came for a long and slow trek this afternoon, well, she may have been less than two hundred yards from home at the furthest point, but she thought it a long way. She handled it well and will sleep, and dream happily tonight. We went...

Liquorice sneaks into the bathroom and sits by the toilet and slowly pulls on the toilet paper, unrolling it about two feet at a time. It's our fault she does this as we were amused when we first found her and watched as she played. And it...

Liquorice our little twelve-week young Newflette has brought fun and distraction back into our home after so many months of being Newfless. Here are a few silly things I thought I would share. Nothing momentous or clever, just silly little...

Poor little Liquorice had a terrible fright this afternoon. I had collected some branches that had blown off the trees in last night's wind and placed them outside the shed. I removed the small leafy pieces with the pruner, watched closely all...