walks – Dexter

January ramblings

I’ve done it again. After my early January trip to the vet for my persistent ear infection, I have reverted to my thought process of considering nothing has happened that is worthy of publication. No doubt this will be judged by anyone who reads this blog as an effort at a catch up.

My ears seem to have become better in that I am not scratching them beyond the odd itch. I am still being watched constantly to ensure that I do not have any repeat trips to the vet. I suppose it’s for the best that I am surveilled permanently. The assistants seem pleased.

Snow came and went within the space of two days on 5th January so we enjoyed ourselves trying to eat as much snow as possible, which caused concern amongst the assistants that I was going to give myself an upset dietary system. Thankfully I managed to avoid the midnight trips to the garden accompanied by an adult.

The log burner has been running for a while now and it is lovely to toast our toes (metaphorically of course) once we have completed our walk and daily shenanigans. Lenny seems to have taken to the log burner quite easily, although I think it has shown his Cypriot heritage in that he also likes a blanket to snooze beneath.

His inability to keep his extremities under the blanket do correspond with being a beagle as I also seem to be unable to tuck myself in fully with all limbs duly withdrawn from the outside.

We took a stroll to Lady Halton near Ludlow and walked along the road and farm tracks for quite a way. The scenes in the bright morning January sunshine were a tonic for the normal cloudy, foggy days we seem to be having recently. We are promised that the gloom will lift so we will look forward to that happening.

In between times it has rained, been foggy, misty and generally drab. We have got wet and dirty and been washed more times that we would ordinarily care to be cleaned. Lenny has become champion at sleeping for extended periods of the day and I am happy to see that he is feeling so comfortable not only in the house, but in his own fur.

So there you have it, an update of rambling stuff which can either be read or not. However if you have got to this point, then you’ve read it and that’s two minutes of your life you’ll never get back. 😀

Ludlow calling

Last weekend it was decided on our behalf that we would take a little trip to Ludlow. It appears that our assistants had heard about some festive cinnamon buns that were being sold at the local cafe near Ludlow Castle and unless we went to sample the fayre, they may sell out and we would miss out. I hesitate at this point regarding the use of the word “we” as it would be made plainly obvious that particular pronoun was not alluding to beagles.

As we were loaded into our travel crates for the short hop to Bromfield, there was some chatter from the front of the car in relation to the conditions of the lane, whether the correct footwear was used and if a certain beagle would behave himself. I am not sure who this last part is referring to! Down the lane, turn right, turn left, follow the road and turn right at the church. Upon our arrival our pal Griff was being released from his carriage and we made sure he was aware that we had arrived. In fact I think those people in the nearby half mile radius were aware of our presence. Once shackled to an unwilling parent we leapt salmon like from our cells and proceeded to try and walk to Ludlow as quickly as possible all the while forgetting that we were attached to said parent. Initial greetings with Griff were dispensed. We strolled along the lane, over the river, past the gate house, around the next gate and then through the piggery. As happened previously our leads were significantly shortened and we were warned to behave and not eat the treats that were kindly left for us by the resident porcine pals. Parents are no fun sometimes. Lenny also avoided puddles. We continued along the winding lane until we could see the castle and St Laurence church looming on the horizon. Around the bend, over the bridge and four festive pastries were bought, along with coffee to keep the chill at bay. Us beagles sat and waited in a manner in which you expect us to behave, all the while without sampling these delightful festive buns. Lenny and I have a sneaking suspicion that Griff may have got a little corner of bun, but he didn’t let on.

It was decided, again on our behalf, that we would take a more circuitous route for the return journey. So it was that we found ourselves pulling our parents up the steps to Whitcliffe Common and onto the road. Turn right, down the slope and then up onto the No Through Road. This all seemed new and exciting, with plenty of puddles, rivulets coming off the wooded banks and muddy patches to splosh through. Lenny maintained his ability to avoid most of the really dirty areas, which continues to worry both myself and Griff. We were both determined to make up for his cleanliness. As we strolled along the lane a vista opened though a field gate and the Clee Hills showed themselves in the distance. A fine view.

On we journeyed until Griff took a sharp right along a farm track heading back toward the piggery. Once at the piggery our leads were shortened and the now usual instruction was given regarding our scavenging abilities. Through the gate, down the dip, up past the Lady Halton turning and across the river to the car. Five and a half miles of fun, scenting and adventures were over. We were forced to say our goodbyes to Griff who was being towelled down after having had a “dip” in the small stream flowing a way back up the road. Lenny and I then suffered the ignominy of being towelled down to get some of the dirt off of our paws. We slept in the car on the return home and it was as much as we could manage to eat our breakfast once we had been washed and cleaned down. This time we noticed that shampoo was used on us. For the remainder of the day and into the next day we slept soundly and dreamed of our adventures.

We are finding our paws much more now we have been here a while. It is a great walk from Bromfield to Ludlow and we have been promised that we will be shown the longer version of the walk in the new year, once the weather has dried up and the fields and lanes don’t resemble quagmires in places.

It is clear that Lenny has no stamina and I am getting older. That’s my excuse for sleeping long and soundly, and I am sticking to it. 😀

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.

Well, that was all a bit exciting

After I had experienced the theft and then return of all my toys, beds and food, it was apparently time to settle in to my new home. I call it my new kennel but my parents insist it’s a home. In any case it is warm, comfy and very different to my previous kennel, sorry I mean home. For a start its on two levels and has these strange things called stairs. Lenny and I have wasted no time in chasing each other up and down these strange stair contraptions that take us to another place called “upstairs”.

Lenny and I also wasted no time in taking our parents out to explore the local area to try and sample the delights it has to offer. So it was that dad woke up with a beautifully executed beagle kidney pounce nice and early on the first full day and he was dispatched to make a cup of tea. We don’t want him slacking now, do we? Within a short time we were exploring the village and met a beagle who lived close by. He was very well behaved and wasn’t on a lead which was both surprising and disappointing. Surprising that he was well behaved and equally as disappointing that he wasn’t up to shenanigans. I suppose we will have to make up for his polite behaviour. Not yet however as we still had to scent where the local critters lived. We went down the road, across a road, up a road, across another road, under a bigger road, over the bridge, along another road and then found another road to walk along. All the while our noses were no more than 5 centimetres (that’s 1.9685 inches to old money aficionados) off the ground. We had to take in all the new smells that the village had to offer us. We had to be careful though as street lights were in different places to those we were used to and we found ourselves too regularly almost upon them. We returned home and rested whilst mum and dad did some unpacking of their belongings. Our stuff had already been unpacked and put away in cupboards, so it was good to see them get their priorities right. We went out a couple more times on the first full day and fell into our beds for a long lazy snooze. In fact I was so tired that I snoozed on Lenny’s bed which was a bit dangerous as he is a bit of a vampire. I think he was equally tired so didn’t bother trying to attack me.

The peace and tranquility was shattered on the first Sunday we were here however. We went out across the fields and were having a great time exploring and seeing new places to enjoy in the future. Suddenly Lenny was pulling and jerking on his lead whilst all the time baying at the top of his voice. Whatever could have possibly caused this commotion. As I looked up, there were seven Roe deer prancing through the field in front of us, maybe 100 yards away. It would have been rude of me if I hadn’t joined in the general commotion so I duly obliged mum and dad by doubling the volume of baying. I am not sure they were all that impressed as we were swiftly turned around and we walked a different path all the time listening to mum and dad muttering something about “why didnt we get Labradors or Poodles?” Then we went out on our final constitutional of the day and a fox must have wandered past the front of our home a short time before. We managed to bay, pull and jerk for the entire walk around the block whilst conveniently forgetting that we had “things” to do. We were quickly reminded of our duties however. Apparently it’s lucky we don’t have neighbours yet.

Then, during the week, we found the lane which leads to the path which leads to the pub which isn’t open yet. Mum and dad seemed happy to have found the path to the pub.

We have behaved ourselves really well so far, even if I do say so myself. There has been quite a bit of disruption to our daily routine. There has been so much unpacking and moving things about that we sometimes didnt know if we were coming or going. We haven’t yet been allowed out into our garden as the turf and soil need time to bed in apparently. It is tantalisingly out of reach for another week or so.

Garden racing will have to wait I suppose.

Did aliens eat my town?

We decided we would be out and about early this morning. Lenny and I were quickly on our toes into the garden for a pre-walk snooter around the grounds. I had already checked the garden at 03.30 with dad, although he wasn’t best pleased to be out in the freezing cold. We managed to snaffle our first breakfast and then got harnessed to a human for our morning patrol.

Out of the house we turned right and went up the hill which meant only one thing. We were going to the woods and were about to enjoy its contents of sniffs, creatures and gooey sticky muddy paths. Lenny and I marched on with silly grins on our faces at the thought of what we could get up to. As we walked up the road, the traffic fumes filled our lungs but we knew we would soon be away from the cars and vans for the majority of the walk.

Across the road and over the fallen trees, we found ourselves in the woods. Suddenly Lenny hit a trail and started baying. I found a separate trail and followed suit with the noisy alarm likely scaring off all creatures within a mile radius. When we get on muddy paths our parents have to be careful as we tend to pull this way and that. Its not our fault we have four paw drive and they’re only rear wheel drive. We got through the first section of the woods which had an eerie foggy atmosphere to them and made our baying sound even louder as it resonated through the trees.

Into the open pasture we were still on our trails and we pulled the parents off the paths and through the longer grass. Sadly they both had wellies so we didn’t have the joy of listening to them grumbling about wet feet. Into the next field and the gloom hung like a blanket over the view. We decided to turn right and head towards the mile field where we hoped the fallen tree was still lying in situ. If it was there we knew we would have to walk across the claggy mud which is extra slippery for our parents and usually makes for some fruity language as they try to stay upright whilst negotiating the furrows of the ploughed field. We reached a gap in the hedge and looked back to where we live. We both stood there, aghast and agog, as Chesham wasn’t there. It had disappeared, indeed it had vanished having been swallowed by the gloom of the morning fog. Lenny wondered where it had gone. It’s a bit difficult trying to explain meteorology to a two year old pup, so I didn’t bother. Instead I just told him that aliens had eaten the town. We saw that the fallen tree was no longer there so we trudged around the mile field and back to the top of the hill. Still Chesham wasn’t there and when I looked at Lenny I could see he was a bit worried about the aliens having consumed his home. Again I couldn’t be bothered to let him in on the real reason just yet. It’s good to see him worry about nothing sometimes.

We descended past the copse and then back onto the track leading through the field toward the houses which began to emerge from the gloom. As it dawned on him that I may have been spinning him a yarn for some time on our walk, he wanted to bite me to show his appreciation. However mum was a bit quick with the lead and he was left biting thin foggy air instead of my neck. We managed to get back home just before the fog lifted properly so the town still hadn’t emerged from the misty gloom.

I might have to use that line about aliens again, it was fun watching Lenny try to work out if I was pulling his tail.

Timber!

I sometimes think my life is really dull and boring. You know the thing, you just plod through your days dragging a parent out on a walk whilst looking at trees and fields. When I get back, my brother is usually there readying himself to attack me in the style of the vampiric Beagle that he is. Anyway, this is how it all started on the Saturday just passed.

The parents woke up later than usual and decided it would be a good idea to go for a walk across the fields. It had been raining for the last few days so the ground was fairly wet. Lenny and I knew this meant there would be plenty of mud and puddles to splash about it, as well as drink from. Off we set, going via the alleyway where there is always a black cat that sits there goading us into trying to have fisticuffs with him. We try to entertain the feline mauler but we forget that we are shackled to a human and they are fairly adroit at spotting said furry hooligan. Turn left at the end of the alleyway and up the hill towards the fields. As we go through the gate the pastures stretch away in front of us and we are allowed to roam, pull and wander about at the end of our respective leads. Rabbits scatter for their burrows and the deer in the field to our right look up, no doubt sighing, and wander off to a safer place to eat the farmers crops. Straight through the first of numerous large muddy puddles and we skirt the edge of the woods at the top of the hillock only to come back down to earth and into the first ploughed field. We see another dog along the top path and say hello from across the field, much to the non amusement of the parents. Along the path by the hedge and just as we enter the second field we turn sharp left then right and take a walk around the edge of Penn Grove. More of Penn Grove later in the tail (see what I did there). We arrive at the opening in the hedges where the gravel track crosses, at which point we see the mile field ahead. Let the fun begin. We manage to pull and jerk on the leads so much that the parents are slipping whilst trying to regain some degree of control. It’s only when they notice that we have seen a deer some way off in the field that they realise why we seem to be entering a competition for “Best Sled Dog Beagle Team in Bucks, UK”. Having regained our composure as the errant deer strolled away we navigate our way around the field all the while ensuring that all the muddy puddles are navigated centrally with all our paws as well as the wellington boots of the relevant parent. I am sure they will thank us at some point. We manage to circumnavigate the field and find ourselves near the burn site where the farmer makes ash from various hedge cutting activities. It is starting to rain so the parents decide it’s best to take the direct route along the gravel track, through Penn Grove and back towards home. I give Lenny the nod and he applies the beagle brakes whilst attached to mum. We get into the wooded area and Lenny is still applying the beagle brakes, somewhat to the annoyance of mum and much to my pride, that I have taught him well. Dad and I marched on ahead and suddenly heard this Crack, Whoosh, Thud as a tree in front of us falls directly across our path. Timber! It wasn’t a big tree, maybe 70 foot tall (that’s about 21.3 metres to you metric aficionados). We stopped and looked back at mum and Lenny. They were aghast and agog whilst we just had silly grins on our faces with the excitement. With the swish of his catlike tail Lenny had turned mum around and was walking swiftly back the way we had come, so we could take a treeless detour and not have any trees falling on our heads. When we got to the other side of the horizontal tree we could see that the root was very shallow and very waterlogged. It was now that we heard and saw our pals Charley and Bromley, accompanied by their mums as usual, telling us that a tree had fallen down. Don’t we know it pals, it nearly hit us on the heads.

Shall we take this stick home — Phew, that was close

Home and a race around the garden chewing each others ears was clearly needed. I don’t live a quiet and dull life, sometimes excitement is just around the corner. On this occasion, waiting to fall on my head.

On Dexters patch

Today I am allowing Lenny to write a blog. I will be checking to make sure it is all fine and dandy later. Anyway I will hand over to Lenny.

Hello everyone, it is I Lenny. Today I decided that I would explore one of Dexters favourite walks. Mum, dad and I conspired to keep it quiet from Dexter so he wouldn’t get too jealous. He went out with mum as he’s still on fairly short walks and I went off with dad.

So, let me take you on a little walk. Across the little bridge over the tube line and up the steep slope to the big field to Dungrove Farm.

We went through the gate into the Alpaca field very carefully and quietly but they were clearly not at home today as the field was empty. Across the next field and around the edge of the barley crop. Down the slope toward the byway and turn left into the tunnel of trees. This was fun as there were so many scents of squirrel and rabbit here. I was very happy. We turned right and went into the big field which is Dex’s favourite field anywhere.

As we crested the hill I thought it would be fun to go for a jog through the woods, so dad had to jog through the woods with me. Eventually we arrived at the path where we should turn right and head back downhill. Not today, let’s turn left and see if there are any squirrels running down the path ahead of us, I woofed. Dad had no choice in the matter and we immediately spied a squirrel running down the path ahead of us. This was my lucky day, a squirrel to chase. Once I had finished chasing said squirrel and the pace slackened somewhat, we came out into a small lane with some nice houses. Turn right said dad and we can go back via a little quiet lane which will take us towards home. We ended up dodging various cars and vans on our way down the hill. I thought dad said it was a quiet lane.

Is that where we’ve been, or where we’re going?

Anyway, we took the opportunity to get off the lane and onto the footpath across the fields towards home. One last road cross and we were at The Moor. I ventured into the raging torrent of a river to quench my thirst after all my exertions. Ok, maybe the river was about 4 inches deep at the edge but I am still learning about water so it felt like I was being brave. All in all, it was six miles of fun.

When I got home I couldn’t help but tell Dex where I had been and what I had got up to. He was a bit jealous of me but said he had a nice walk too with mum. Then we were back to chasing each other around the garden, snout jousting and generally being silly.

It’s a hard life.