Dexter

It’s snowing Lenny, get out of bed.

Yesterday was a dull, dank and dreary day. You know the type of day one where you regret getting out of bed let alone looking through the window to see the grey leaden skies which surrounded us. In any case we went to bed last night leaving the rain falling steadily.

Upon waking up this morning we bimbled downstairs as is our usual ritual, whereby I get some pre breakfast food and Lenny gets tricked into putting his harness on. It always works and he always falls for the ruse. I know I should tell him but, hey, it is fun to see him suffer the indignity of being trussed up against his will. Anyway back to our morning wander. As I stood having a drink I looked up, somewhat bleary eyed, expecting to see the garden wet and unappealing. The white stuff on the ground met my eyes and I was happy. It had snowed lightly and this meant that our walk would be fun, all the scents were closer to the surface and I would continue in my quest to try and get Lenny to eat yellow snow. As we made ready to go out on our morning patrol I was pulled to one side and noticed that there appeared to be a dog coat sitting on the drainer in the utility room. I smiled as I envisioned Lenny being placed within the coat and then felt my heart sink as it was put on me. Apparently it is cold outside, I am an older pup, it’s for my own good and I don’t look like a fool in it.

We made our way out of the house, walked slowly down the driveway in case it was slippery and then turned right into the field in from of the house. Lenny and I were quickly at the end of our respective leads, sniffing for treats hidden in the snow and trying to get as much snow on our noses as possible. We explored both sides of the path and then, once through the first gate, expected to continue our walk along the path. However we were gladdened to see that we were directed into the field to the left and alongside the river. Cue more pulling, huffing and puffing, along with associated shenanigans from the pair of us. Around the field, through the children’s playground and then back out into the field. We went through the deeper snow, around the bends of the river and then through the little line of trees back to where we had originally entered the field. It was here that Lenny and I stood quietly next to each other Lenny nose bumped me and we leapt, gazelle like, in opposite directions. We forgot that we are permanently harnessed to our staff so our bid to escape, and have fun, failed at the first hurdle.

We stopped opposite the church which backs onto the river so we could have a breather, and to allow one of our staff to readjust his harnessing equipment.

By this time our paws were getting a little chilly so we decided we would drag our respective staff back to home and, hopefully, extra treats for being so good on our walk.

Duly cleaned and dried off we ran around the house like a couple of possessed fools until we were warned that breakfast was not being provided until we behaved appropriately. This seemed to calm us down, as breakfast was served and we settled in for the day having had a lovely and fun walk this morning.

Now we just need the snow to freeze, become icy and then watch as our staff fall about all over the place on our walk tomorrow. I still haven’t got Lenny to try yellow snow. Hmmm.

Nothing to report?

It’s been a quiet time here in semi-rural Shropshire. The sun has been hidden behind clouds thanks to anti cyclonic weather blanketing the nations for the last weeks. As a result our noses haven’t been down as much and we have had to make do with dull and boring strolls.

I must however report that I have been escorted to the vet due to my inability to refrain from scratching my ears, making them raw in the process and thus additionally itchy. I have been bound up by the Cone of Shame for over a week in an effort to try and stop my incessant scratching. The vet was good and I was examined, prodded and poked as normal. There weren’t as many personal details expressed this time although I was described as “wriggly” if and when I am being examined or, worse still, being jabbed. On this occasion I got both these crimes against beagling.

I look like an extra from a costume drama.

Lenny and I survived the aural horror of Fireworks Night, or Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night which in the UK has become an excuse for letting off rockets and bangers so loud that us furs as well as many humans fear for our lives. I have wondered (read complained) aloud about the sale and use of these infernal objects for quite some time and I continue to be puzzled. Celebrating the grisly death of a man famous for trying to enact a heinous crime some 419 years ago? The method of punishment and torture was awful, truly grim. Anyway I will continue to advocate for the ban of fireworks to the public for however long I remain alive.

It’s become chillier over the last few days. The clouds have broken and the nights to become cooler. We have taken advantage of the clearer mornings on our separate walks to enjoy the sights and scents that the local area has to offer. We walk separately as we are beagles and tend to try and reach the same scent at the same time, with the result that arms and shoulders are regularly almost disjointed. We tend to be calmer when Lenny and I are apart. We did take a walk across to Cheney Longville over the weekend together though and we were amazed by an older chaps garden, sporting the largest cauliflowers we have ever seen (we are easily impressed). Beyond that we have walked separately and enjoyed our trips with the respective immovable object attached to us, spoiling our intended fun of chasing rabbits, squirrels and anything else that moves.

The days are becoming shorter and the scents are sticking around much more so I think we will be in for a bumper selection of walks and adventures in the coming months. The trees are shedding their leaves and the colours are a wonderful pastiche of brown, yellow and green.

There is much yet to enjoy this autumn and we intend to make the most of it. Stay tuned.

Carding Mill Valley

This morning, at an hour far too early for Lenny, we were cajoled out of bed and into our harnesses. This usually meant there was a little trip on the cards and today proved no different. A quick patrol around the garden and we were loaded into our travel crates. Along the lane, turn right, right again, follow the road, left, right, left and then park in a steep sided valley.

Before the boot was opened we were chatting to another dog who happened to wander past with her owner. As we were trussed up and then unloaded from our crates we looked around at the beautiful colours of the hills, with the leaves on the small trees changing to a light brown and the bracken becoming browned as autumn encroached. We strolled along the road and passed a lady whose daughter had two beagles both of whom had sadly made their longest journey quite recently. We greeted the lady in true beagle fashion and were rewarded with a big smile. As we followed the road along the base of the valley, we looked up now and again to see the lovely colours of the hills stretching away into the distance.

Scents filled our noses, and wondrous sights filled our eyes. The path grew a little steeper and the tarmac gave way to gravel. I was allowed to splosh through the little brook running alongside the path so I could quench my thirst. An allegation was directed toward me that all the pulling, huffing, puffing and shouting was making me more thirsty. We turned left and strolled along a smaller stony path which led through some streams and then to stone steps. As we ascended the steps we were told to behave and not pull. This instruction was, of course, unheeded. As we got to the top of the steps there was a small reservoir in a bowl in the contours of the hill. We weren’t allowed to go for a dip sadly although Lenny seems to be allergic to puddles and water generally.

At this point there was another smaller gravel path which ran along the side of the hill but it wasn’t deemed suitable for an older beagle who has little or no idea of what “being careful” means. I think it was aimed at me but! We turned around and descended along the original path. We scented each leaf and frond, Lenny found something disgusting to eat and then we wandered along the lane back to the car.

Back at home we were released to run around the garden but we both stood and waited for the door to be opened. A beagle never forgets that a breakfast has been missed. Having eaten we went off for snoozes.

It wasn’t a long walk but we had fun, scented everything, pulled on our leads and let many people know we were in Carding Mill Valley. We are slowly finding more places to go and each time they fill us with wonder and happiness. We will return to CMV, very probably for a longer stroll.

Then it rained.

Another update later than I would like. Early last week the area where we live was warned that there was prolonged rain on its way. This isn’t particularly unusual and the locals will tell you this is the reason it’s so green and fresh around these parts.

In any case we went out in the rain for our early morning walk on Wednesday. It had started raining on Tuesday night so we knew we were going to get a little damp on our stroll around town. Returning home, Lenny and I were duly towelled down and we took breakfast in the utility room. After this we retired to our favourite lazing around beds and awaited the break in the weather so we could be ushered outside for our calls of nature. Hours passed and the break was nowhere to be seen. We went out quickly in any case and were duly towelled down again upon our return. The rain continued. Each time we looked out of the windows we could see that the river flowing through the meadow to the front of our house was rising. This didn’t cause us too much concern as we know there is flood plain surrounding the river and this would keep us safe from the water of the rising river.

Then the river broke its banks and started to flood the field, gradually moving across toward the house. The sheep who were grazing the field in the morning had been moved to another field, higher up and out of harms way.

Then we had a break in the rain and went out into the garden to have a quick break. The water from the fields behind the house were washing the contents of the clouds down toward the house, through the retaining wall, onto the patio and into the central heating plant room of our house. Lenny and I were duly placed back inside whilst drains were opened and baling out of the plant room was taken care of. With the help of one of our friends, we managed to drain the water and it then started raining again. And boy did it rain, for a few hours constantly, all the while filling up the patio and re-flooding the plant room. The drain holes were barely coping so storm drains were opened to try and remove as much as the water as possible. The retaining wall became a water feature, a garden fountain spouting the rainy contents of the field onto the patio. It was of course a water feature that wasn’t wanted or needed. We could hear the water rushing over the front of our garden and into the small lane leading toward the river. Then, around 10 pm, it stopped raining. There was silence apart from the continuing streams of rain water rushing off the fields and onto the patio.

Thursday morning arrived and we feared the worst. Venturing outside the inspect the likely destruction we were greeted with weak sunshine and the plant room moist but not flooded. The flooding from the river had covered the field and turned it into a giant duck pond. The lane was passable so it was decided to have a road walk. We strolled across the bridge toward the town and the river had flooded the entire field, small picnic carpark and almost into surrounding streets.

Our walk was shortened as we heard that the local nature reserve had also suffered significant flooding. For the rest of the day we walked around the garden and thanked our lucky stars that we live a little way above the flood plain that caught all of the water.

We won’t get flooded from the river but we are taking steps to try and make sure we don’t get flooded from the fields.

A salutary tale. Stay safe everyone

Is that Ludlow I spy?

It started as a normal walk in the morning last Thursday. We had no idea what was ahead for us. Out of bed and we were dressed ready for the day ahead. Lenny looked at me, I looked at him and we wandered around the house watching the pesky rabbits cavorting in our garden, just out of our reach through the doors. Once we were allowed into the garden the rabbits had disappeared, along with the possibility of us having some fun chasing them around. Out the gate and we were loaded into the car? What was this sorcery? Along the lane, turn right, then left and follow the road until we make a sharp right and left and we are parked. As soon as the boot is opened we sing the song of the breed whilst impatiently waiting to be released for the inevitable shenanigans to commence.

As we leapt from the car we were both warned to behave ourselves and off we trotted along the estate road toward Ludlow. We’ve walked this route before so we knew roughly what to expect along the way. We were not disappointed.

Rounding the first bend there were cows to the right and squirrels running across the road ahead of us. I watched in disbelief as Lenny stood and stared, silently, at the squirrel which wandered across his path, no more than 10 metres away. No pulling, no shouting and no wild eyed intent to dentally lobotomise it. Just watched it trot across his path! As we strolled on, the road rose and fell through the contours of the wood. Through the gate and toward the piggery which is always a good source of snacks for prying noses and beagle teeth. Sadly our parents were wise to our intentions and our leads were shortened significantly. I went splashing through puddles and then looked in horror once more as Lenny avoided walking through the puddles. I was in shock. On we went, past the potato fields and around the corners to see Ludlow Castle and St Laurence church loom into view. We crossed the bridge at Dinham, in the shadow of the castle, and then wandered down to the river so I could have a drink. Apparently all the puffing, pulling and singing since we had left the car made me thirsty. Then we went up the hill into the town which was a bonus. The market had just started, people were arriving for work and the town was getting ready for a new day.

We peeked down little alleys, wandered along medieval lanes, strolled past old shops and churches and then down along a broad street which was, aptly enough, called Broad Street.

Through the old gate we headed back down to the River Teme at Ludford Bridge. We (Lenny and I) were getting hungry as we realised we had missed our breakfast to come on this jaunt so we turned the parents around and strolled them back up through the old gate. At this point we were turned left and we explored some narrow winding lanes which we hoped would lead us back to the first bridge at Dinham and thereafter back to the car. Having navigated past some lovely houses and courtyard properties we found ourselves descending toward the bridge and back along the road. As we strolled along it was clear that we were getting more tired as our pulling and general lead shenanigans had decreased. Apparently this was good news for our parents shoulders. As we wandered back through the piggery the leads were shortened, puddles were again avoided by a certain brother and we found ourselves soon back at the car for the return journey.

We had to make a quick pit stop at the local produce farm food shop as the food is delicious.

Once home we ensured that our missing breakfast was adequately fulfilled and then we snoozed off the 10km walk that we had just performed. Ludlow is a nice place with plenty of history and places to explore. We will go again I am certain, maybe to explore some other parts of it. For the time being I will rest easy knowing I have explored some of it. I must admit though, I am rather worried about Lenny and his apparent lack of Beagle-ness.

Mists and mellow fruitfulness

Ok, Ok I may have borrowed the title from someone more famous.

It’s got chillier recently. As a beagle of an advancing age I can feel the chill more in my bones now. This doesn’t mean I don’t run around the garden in the rain and wind like a hound possessed, all the while singing the song of the breed so the locals all know I am out and about.

Lenny went for a walk earlier this week and saw the mists sitting across the field which fronts our house. We live behind the trees in the picture.

Then it rained. And rained. And rained. Just for one day and one night. The river rose around 2 metres and the field turned into a giant swimming pool for the ducks and geese, the sheep had to graze on the higher grounds and our walks were taken in slightly different directions.

It has receded now, to be replaced by some excellent muddy soggy patches where we can go splashing through, all the while give ourselves dirty bellies. Returning home to be towelled and dried, provided with food and being forced to sleep on/in our comfy warm beds makes us feel very fortunate to have a safe home.

This will be the norm for the next few months whilst winter spreads her icy fingers across our lives and pushes us to snooze more often in front of the log burner. I may be feeling the chill, but it won’t stop me going out and exploring. There is so much to see and appreciate where we live and to see the seasons give us new palettes of colour every day.

Llangollen Canal & Pontcysyllte Viaduct

Well, where do I start on this little adventure? We were rudely awoken yesterday and surprised to see that we were being hustled around for our normal morning, pre breakfast routine. Usually it’s a somewhat slower pace on a Sunday morning. Yesterday it was collars on, harnesses on and travel bags checked, before we wandered around the garden. We were then hooked up for a brief walk across the field in front of our house. We returned quickly and whilst we ate our breakfast we noticed that items were being loaded to the car. Soon after we had finished eating we were again hustled outside and found the car boot being opened and we were invited to jump into our travel crates. Never ones to turn down the chance of an adventure, we found ourselves duly locked away and we were off, who knows where. Down the lane, turn right, along the road, turn right, keep going around the windy wiggly road to a big roundabout and then left along another road. We had settled in as we sensed we were going somewhere we had not visited before so this could be exciting. We saw the sign that said “Welcome to Wales” as we sped past it. As long as it wasn’t the vets, we were sure it would be fun. An hour after being loaded into the car we parked and the boot was opened. We were in a car park, on our own, no other cars or people. This didn’t look like fun!

Out of the car and off we trotted, all the while hoping that this little trip would improve. Turning a corner into another car park we sensed that friends were nearby and, sure enough, there looming into view were three of our beagle buddies, Smudgey, Ted and Griff. We greeted each other in usual beagle fashion attracting many peoples attention whilst doing so. We still weren’t sure where we were, but the trip had got better just by seeing our friends, especially as Smudgey & Ted lived in France so this was a long way from home for them. As we wandered along our noses smelled another pal. We strolled along a path when the wonderful Sasha beagle came into view. She had brought her friend Luna, a Black Labrador, along for some company. We hadn’t noticed much of our surroundings until this point but there was a lot of water and some narrow boats very close by. We had arrived at the Llangollen Canal for a meet up.

Apparently there was a aqueduct built by Thomas Telford a very famous civil engineer who also oversaw the building of the Menai Straits Suspension Bridge, The Shrewsbury Canal, The Ellesemere Canal (both in Shropshire), The Caledonian Canal in Scotland and the original A5 road. He was a clever man. Anyway back to the adventures. Once we had all greeted each other we set off toward the aqueduct with Lenny in the lead.

As we got onto the aqueduct itself we saw that Lenny was trying to poke his head through the railings and at a few points actually had his shoulders through them. The drop to the river beneath is 126 feet (38 metres) and Lenny seemed to be quite spooked with trying to cross the aqueduct which is 1,008 feet in length (307 metres) and all with iron railings to one side. As Lenny wasn’t feeling safe or confident on the crossing we decided to just admire the structure from the safety of ground level. It is indeed a wonderful feat of engineering. Anyway the Llangollen Canal runs from the town of Llangollen up to and over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct so we thought we would take a stroll along the canal towpath toward Llangollen. We strolled and chatted, all the while watching the narrowboats glide past us.

People were canoeing in the canal too, somewhat oblivious to the light rain and drizzle that was falling intermittently. I was dragging my human along, huffing and puffing like the proverbial steam train, Sasha tried to get on board one of the moored narrowboats, Luna walked along enjoying the company, Smudgey & Ted drank some water from the canal and walked through the muddiest of the puddles, Griff wandered along sniffing the grass and then occasionally running to catch up with the rest of us whilst Lenny strolled along taking in all the sights and scents he could now he had his paws safely on terra firma.

After a few miles we turned round as people were getting hungry and thirsty so we returned to the canal basin to the south of the Aqueduct.

The local cafe which had been recommended to us was “rammed” so we wandered quickly along to The Telford Inn just as the heavens opened. Everyone sat for a while chattering, eating some snacks and chattering some more. I would point out at this juncture that the “cheesy chips” we saw in bowls on the table did not sadly make their way into us. In fact we were all quite tired and slept or looked out of the window waiting for the rain to stop. Smudgey and Ted said their goodbyes to us as they had to leave earlier than the rest of us. It was good to see them again and to catch up on their news.

We left and wandered back to the cars to say our farewells to one another after a great day of seeing a new place, meeting old buddies (and Luna of course) and having a good time. Hopefully we can all meet up again soon as it’s always good to make friends. I’m not sure we will be asking Lenny to try and cross aqueducts though, maybe he’s best with his feet well and truly grounded. For some reason Lenny & I slept for the whole return journey, before managing a slow wander around the garden. It is alleged that I slept like a puppy last night.

Lastly all the photographs are thanks to our wonderful friends who met up with us.

Croeso i Gmyru

There we were last Sunday morning, awakening to the sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains where Lenny peeks out into the garden, hoping to see rabbits or squirrels cavorting across our grounds. Somewhat deflated on this occasion he returned to his bed and laid there nibbling a patch of fur on his leg which was giving him the itches.

When the parents connected us to our leads and harnesses we had no idea what was about to occur. Out of the garden and Lenny was immediately onto a strong scent. He didn’t make it past the car. Suddenly we were being loaded into our prison crates for another adventure. We fairly leapt into the car and settled down for the trip ahead. Out of the road, turn right, right again, then left after a while. Follow the road was the comment from the front of the car. As the road snaked away we realised that we were somewhere new when we passed a sign that said “Powys Croeso i Gymru”. We turned right and slowly climbed the hill, along narrow lanes which needed some careful navigation. After a while we arrived in a carpark along a very narrow and bumpy lane. The boot was opened and scent filled our noses. Welcome to Roundton Hill Nature Reserve read the sign on the gate.

Roundton Hill was an Iron Age hill fort around 2,000 years ago. Since then it has been grazed and even used for mining precious metals. Nowadays it’s an excellent lookout point for the surrounding area. Out of the car and along the grass track, through the gate and up the hill, head right and through the next gate, across the field and still we were climbing. We could peek through the hedge at the landscape beyond and we were loving every moment.

Our noses were to the ground and I was puffing like a steam train uphill and down dale, through gates and across fields. As we passed through the last gate we realised we had gone slightly the wrong route but it didn’t matter as the views away into Wales were great.

We saw the top of Roundton Hill and vowed to come back soon so we could try to get to the summit. Retracing our steps we descended to the car and were returned to our travel crates for the journey home.

I am originally from Wales, so it was good to see where I came from. The views were great and it was really quiet, apart from the sheep bleating and the odd errant song of the beagle breed. We have been promised a return so we can actually summit Roundton Hill. For now we sleep and dream of a good day had by all.

Town Brook Traverse

As it was Lenny’s birthday yesterday we decided to take him on a little stroll to a place no one had been to before. So we were loaded into the car once I had run around the garden singing the song of the beagle for around ten minutes. It was 7 am and our assistants weren’t too pleased at my ability to awaken all the neighbours.

Along to the end of the lane and we turned right, right again, travelled for around eight miles, turned left, left again and then right. Up the winding road toward a small car park in a wooded area at Rectory Wood. As the boot was opened we thought it a good idea to sing our song again to a chap who’d been out for a run. He didn’t look as if he would be putting us forward for any competitions. Out of the boot, through the kissing gate and then up the first slope toward a path signposted as Pole Bank. We saw the gradient of the slope through the woods and our assistants considered it safer to have all their limbs intact and not to have something akin to a mad dash through the tangled tree roots and down a vertiginous hill or two, dragged along by a couple of excitable beagles.

We turned right, walked along the path and then descended back down through a gate to the town. We were having a great time, scenting everything and making sure we greeted everyone we came across. Through the town, left up the hill and then to a sign that proudly said “The Long Mynd” and the road snaked steeply up the hill past the sign.

We made the choice to turn left and follow a gravel path along the Town Brook on part of the Burway Loop. We strolled and pulled. I paddled in the stream at very regular intervals. Lenny scented everything and we got our leads tangled whenever we could, as it doesn’t seem to amuse our assistants.

The path started to ascend and I was puffing like a steam train so we were forced to stop our exploration on the basis that I get very overexcited and I am likely to do myself some harm. We returned along the path until we saw a small branch off which lead down to a pool and around the edge of the wood, close by to where we had parked. Back up the slope and left into the shaded carpark. We were reloaded to the car and returned home with grins like Cheshire Cats on our faces.

Once breakfast had been served we thought it only right to snooze and dream of the brilliant adventure we had this morning. I hope Lenny has plenty more birthdays as I want to go many more times to the Long Mynd and Town Brook.

Happy birthday Lenny

It’s been over five years since Lenny as an eight month old pup was dropped into my safe and secure little world. He arrived like a whirlwind, which then blew itself out after a couple of hours chasing each other around the garden. He proceeded to make himself very comfortable in his new life. He’s been involved in two house moves, holidays away to Cornwall and the Lake District as well as numerous weekends and day trips to see places and meet new friends.

Throughout the time he has been here, we have bonded and now we are like brothers. Sometimes we fight and squabble, with a subsequent telling off given to us (usually me 🙄). More often though we will just get along and play nicely, stroll around the garden or pull our respective parent around the garden, field or country lane.

When he first arrived I wondered what was happening to me. Now I see that he’s the best thing that happened to me, aside from me being adopted in 2013.

Happy sixth birthday Lenny, I hope you have fun and enjoy your day running around being silly. I might even let you win at bitey face.