Wednesday 30.05.2012

A very British kind of day - no extremes -cool and grey, grass getting dog-high already:

The heat last week warmed the bones nicely but was best enjoyed seated in the shade.Dogs and walkers more comfortable in these temperatures.

Saturday 26.05.2012

Flawless, balmy early summer evening:

Now a stunning night - still and clear with a sliver of moon. If the dogs weren`t already asleep I`d set off again.

Thursday 24.05.2012

Hot, hot, hot. Properly hot.

So to Bennachie hoping for a cooling breeze on Mither Tap. Stunning May evening, light and shade, shadows and shapes

and yes, a little cooler on top thanks to a slight breeze, hazy but still warm enough to make the thought of staying up there all night quite inviting.

In fact must do that sometime: perhaps sit and watch the sun roll along the horizon on the longest day if it`s weather like this.......

Cuckoo call rang out across the woods as we descended, drowned out only by Dog 2s frantic, panicky barking at a large, escaped......tree.

From a distance it did bear resemblance to a giant, misshapen Afghan Hound.

Dog 2 has a terrific imagination, obviously.

Saturday 19.05.2012

At last: annual sniffles completely banished, Dog 2 finally recovered and - hold the front page - it STOPPED RAINING for 24 hours.

So we were off...back up the hill which miraculously hasn`t gone anywhere....

So many messages for the Dogs to catch up on they didn`t know where to start but at the top they posed happily

before we trotted back down - hooray - we`re back out there.


And now it`s clear and still and a proper early summer night..........and Chelsea win it on penalties!

Sunday 13.05.2012

So Dog and I made a break for it. Dog 2 refuses to understand "rest", hence the stitches are taking longer to heal than they should.
However, stir-crazy doesn`t even begin to cover it: seriously serotonin depleted (me at any rate, can`t speak for Dog)decided to sneak off while Dog 2 distracted by breakfast.


So, middle of May eh? Looks like late spring, (green shoots, grass growing etc):

sounds like late spring (bleating lambs,much birdsong) but by heck it felt more like middle of March as the wind sprang up and the clouds got greyer and lower.

Nevertheless it was dry and bracing, restored the spirit, banished the lassitude of days of not-walking and was altogether a good move - and Dog 2 didn`t seem to mind that we left her.*

*For those who like to anthropomorphise, didn`t leave her alone, for she accompanied lumberjack-man and was entertained by watching him saw things up until we returned.

Friday 04.05.2012

And while we`re on quotes - and watching the sleet outside - here`s another one to be going on with, courtesy of George Bernard Shaw: “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” And he was 94 when he died so maybe he knew a thing or two about growing old...........

Thursday 03.05.2012

Dog and I confined to barracks in sympathy with Dog 2 who has been under the knife and had the snip. Few more days and we will be liberated. Meanwhile, had cause to re-visit a favourite quote which for general edification I reproduce here, mildly edited: "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." (Goethe) Onwards and upwards it is then.