Tuesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

To 03
July 2012
Walk Dogs on walk Sailing to Bonaly Reservoir Length 6 miles

Archie, Gina, Finlay, Jerry, Martha, Otis, Solo, Tim

Sailing is how it felt today. Me all togged up in my waterproofs like the captain of the yacht. Ready to take on the unpredictable weather and heavy waters with my crew of well prepared sea dogs. We disembarked from the car and set out for the track leading us into the rolling, surf like hills of the Pentlands. The dogs raising their sails and driving forward. Against the flow of the river which had decided to make the track its temporary home. Heaving too we pushed upward. The dogs finding their own little tasks to do. Some checking out the depth of the water. Others watching for banks of mud upon which we could founder. Some hanging close to me as if awaiting their orders. We navigated the river and got out onto the lower moorland. Tim and Jerry trying to chase through the grass but it was too long and soon swamped them almost capsizing them. The rest stayed on the path with is slim stream meandering on its knobbly topography. Another gate, like passing through locks on a canal, and we turned to head upwards a

little more steeply where the hills were crashing onto the moor, like waves on a beach. Coming out of the sky of dispersing cloud, making my waterproofs almost redundant. All but my trousers which were getting wet up to almost my knees. Maybe time to call on the dogs to bail out our ship. As the long grass brushed past us like the ripples on the surface of the water. Up we climbed to reach the shoulder of Harbour Hill. Aptly named today. But no harbour for us as it turned out. Deep with a muddy path, sucking at us like quicksand. With a thuck and a schlep we climbed over the shoulder. Finlay showing just how good the mud was with his elegant dive into it. A rather urgent Martha keeping us moving. As though afraid we would all sink if we slowed too much. Otis at my side, thinking himself the vice-captain. Archie, Gina and Solo keeping out wide, looking for obstacles which would impede our progress. In their neat matching uniforms. And there was the obstacle; a low wall. Not difficult to navigate. We leapt across it and sailed on downward toward Bonaly Reservoir. The dogs getting excited at the prospect of a swim or play into its ice blue, still waters. Finlay and Gina getting too excited and forgetting to heed their orders, found themselves lashed onto their lead. Thankfully the only lashes aboard this ship. But they missed the chance to go in the water. Archie, Jerry and Solo making the most of it. Martha and Tim hanging back to watch but Otis going in for a paddle. We left the reservoir and cut our swathe back through the muddy path, leaving a wake of rippled ground behind us. The dogs feeling that the weather was opening up and we were heading to safety they now felt it was safe to have some more fun. Archie running with Tim. And then Gina getting a chase going with Jerry which Tim joined in with. Martha still unsure of the conditions continued to urge us downward with Otis joining her. Perhaps driven on by the muddy nose of Finlay. Was he sinking? It was left to Solos more nonchalant approach to the day to have a calming influence. Of course no one was sinking. The river running track took us quickly back away from the hills and back down to the car.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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