A Breath of Fresh Air

It seems a long time since I wrote anything here - a few busy weeks at work have rather swallowed my energy and done away with any creative notions!  The dogs have not been neglected as such, but their walks have tended to be a part of the working day rather than a special part of our day.  I put that to rights today, however, by electing to walk the four miles back to base from the remote house at work.  We had been doing the turnover for the next visitors - it was a gorgeous day, and so Tracey took the pick-up back home leaving me to walk.

Heading out to Degnish on a gorgeous morning.

 

The dogs' playground for the morning!

Heading for home and Tussock coming back to see why I have stopped.

And I am glad I did - the dogs were raring to go, and seemed to understand that this was a special walk.  We heard the woodpeckers in the woods, the first skylarks of the season, saw the first Ardmaddy lambs, and as we have just had the first rain in some eight or nine weeks, we could listen to the grass growing!

It also gave me chance to observe each of the dogs, and as always, this was both entertaining and interesting.

River was most interested in the sheep - she runs along with a collie-style crouch, low to the ground.  She is fascinated by them, and in the past has got a bit too close for my comfort, which is not a good thing when you live and work amongst farmers and landowners!   However, her recall is much better now, though not bombproof, but as long as I keep my eye on her, we are okay.  It is interesting that she shows so much herding instinct proving just what an all-purpose dog the hovawarts is.

The track lies ahead, the sheep are up on the left, the water to the right!  Notice River is wearing a collar - it makes for easy holding on to her if we get in amongst too many sheep.

It's lambing season - always a wonderful part of the year.

With River sheep-watching, this allowed Talulah time to relax away from River's less than gentle attentions.  She is totally disinterested in sheep so I don't worry about her - she trotted off ahead happily sniffing, rolling, paddling in the streams, and just generally enjoying herself.

Talulah digging in the mud!

Tussock stayed with me!  At seven, I am starting to see her slowing just a little bit - not that she is incapable of a turn of speed if she wants/needs to, because she can still turn on the thrusters and produce a bit of afterburn!  But she is happy to walk just a few steps ahead of me checking for dangers and anything that might need investigating.  She is also happy to stay close to the pocket with the treats!

We did stop to sit by a couple of streams to let River and Talulah play in the water, dig in the mud, run through the culverts or under the bridges - a favourite game.  Sitting down also allowed me to listen to the birds, watch the lambs up on the hillside, and just enjoy the sunshine - all of which I haven't taken the time to do this last few weeks.

 

Talulah emerging from the culvert.

 

River's turn to go throught the culvert.

 

All too soon we were back at base and the car.  But the walk did the trick for all of us - my mind has been diverted from the topic of work, the girls are happily tired, and they have a bit more of their mum back!  The reality is, if I didn't have the dogs, I wouldn't take these walks....... they are a reason and an excuse to do so.

Talulah sleeping off the walk.

 

Tussock