Friday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

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April 2012
Walk Dogs on walk

Around Saltoun Wood

Length

6 miles

Brooklyn, Cyrano, Finlay, Jolie, Lucas, Maggie, Tim

After a week of clambering about in The Pentlands we decided to head for a woodland walk. A chill day warming as the sun began to take effect. No one parked at the car park when we arrived and no sounds of forest operations from within offered the possibility of a quiet walk. As quiet as it can be with this bunch. Their chattered mirrored by the strangled calls of buzzards, crows and pheasants. Alighting in our ears from all sides. Lucas growling and barking after Jolie and Tim throwing himself headfirst with a bark at her as well. She loved it of course. But killjoy me asked them to keep the noise down. Close to the edge of the wood we climbed gently away from the car park. Maggie quickly finding a ditch to lounge in. Running hard to catch back up, dripping muddy water, passing the lazy Dylan and Tim who had dropped back whilst investigating something. It left the way at the front clear for Cyrano and Finlay. The once quite dense woodland is getting more open each time we come. First it was the

January storm that wreaked havoc. Now many more trees are being felled and carried away by long trucks with jangling chains and metal rack sides. Still quiet today as we choose a path taking us more into the centre of the wood. Then curving toward the car park. Not to worry dogs we were not heading back yet. Instead it allowed them to make for three new pools recently dug. In went most of them. Cyrano and Finlay first there and the only ones to swim. No wait Maggie had joined them. Jolie and Lucas chased each other along the edge careful not to step too far in. Then back into the woods. This time heading for the far side and the lonely river, hidden from view down a densely covered bank. Along the slim path to it came first one dog, then another and then the man with them and then a third dog. Finlay had spotted them first and stopped to wait. We came to heel only for Tim to spoil it by suddenly racing off toward them. Only for Maggie to then follow him. Too excited with one of the dogs looking like Ozzy, Tim threw himself at it with a fiercesome bark. That was his last for a while. He was kept firmly to heel, missing some of the best parts of the river. Finlay was already in the river by the time I clambered down. Dylan and Jolie were picking their way along the winding slippery path with high edges above the water. Lucas had slotted in with Tim. I urged him forward and each time he did Jolie pounced on him. Cyrano and Finlay tried to avoid the path by staying in the river as much as possible. Maggie was way behind again. I think having another bath in the river somewhere. We scrambled back up the bank and onto another woodland track. This looped around to a suddenly bare expanse of woodland. Here a tractor with a small trailer and crane was lifting up logs. How different it looked from the stately row of tall, straight tress which had stood here before, like soldiers on parade. The carnage on the ground like the images you see of First World War battle grounds. Churned and desolate, scattered with broken trees and branches between the lines of trenches. We left the wood for a bit. Lucas and Jolie chasing each other along the farm tracks between fields of growing crops. The Rapeseed now coming into is acidic dazzling yellow flower. Tim joined in and Dylan joined Finlay at the front. Maggie still ploughed her way along behind occasionally catching up to see what was happening. Cyrano was always on the lookout for more water. Running ahead hopefully. But there was none now.

As we weaved back through the wood two Labradors ran over to see everyone. And then to Jolies delight we bumped into Ross out with a group of dogs. Ross walks her on some other days of the week. While she jumped on him the others sniffed around each other. Then it was off for the last few twists and turns to arrive back at the car park, avoiding the pools. Slightly upsetting Cyrano and Finlay. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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