Tuesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

To 05
June 2012
Walk Dogs on walk Following the ants over two hilltops Length 6 miles

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

The Jubilee bank holidays continue with abandon. More people off today or so it seemed. Heading for the hills on the fading promises of good weather and before the remainder of the working week. We joined them, like queues of ants climbing the hill tracks and paths. Parading along in lines like the marching army of ants on the trail of food. No point in chopping and changing our routes. Wherever we went we were going to be sure to bump into people. Our first mile or so was quiet as we used some secretive, half hidden paths not marked on the maps. No one had told the Highland Cows that as they scattered themselves either side of and on the path. Standing, lying and chewing. Lifting their heads a little to get a better view of us. Their eyes widening lightly then half closing again with indifference. They were not interested in the dogs and the dogs were not interested in them. The perfect combination. What the dogs were interested in was the slim burn cutting down through the grass as we left the path to sneak by the cows without disturbing them. A lovely muddy burn with its sides well churned by the heavy hooves of the cows, squelching in for a drink. Above us the rugged summits of the hills cut their uneven cloth into the blue skyline.

Studded with small clouds like diamonds on the Queens crown. The fiercely yellow gorse along our path and climbing up the hillsides the gold brocade of a thousand soldiers uniforms. We climbed into the heat a heavy pant from some of the dogs marking each footstep. Little in the way of chasing, more in the way of running to catch up having fallen behind to sniff at some jewel in the grass. Smudge the main culprit. And even though only guesting today, as he is staying with Archie, more than capable of using his influence to make Tim and Gina stay back. Best friend Archie of course was going to hang around with him anyway. Martha is still sizing everyone up. Although she made a valiant job her keeping her small corner of the seat in the car on her journey here. She was either just behind or a little ahead, whatever felt safest to her. But she was always ready to swing to heel, which they all had to do on numerous occasions as we joined the ants on the hills. I pushed the gaggle of dogs up the very slim path slicing upwards on the steep side of the Caerketton Hill. Little room off it so they got caught up in each other. Me just behind Shouting lets go and hurry up, to little effect. All it appeared to do was make them stop and look back as though to say who are you kidding or its not my fault. We eventually made it onto the wider slopes near the top. Tim trying to wind up Archie having done so with Gina further down. But nobody was really in the mood for a big chase today. We closed in on some other walkers, the first of our ants, Finlay chasing them down for us, Not literally thankfully and before anyone thinks he had lost it. Indeed stopping and waiting when called everyone to heel so we could get bay with as little fuss as possible. Otis was well up at the front today too, having recovered from his holiday week with us last week. In fact we had a lot of compliments on how well behaved the dogs were as each time we met someone they came to heel and just about stayed there. Thankfully they were not given the opportunity to disgrace themselves with anyone picnicking or by meeting other dogs encouraging them to run off and see them. Having climbed Caerketton Hill we crossed the broad long ridge to climb Allermuir Hill. The highest along here at over 1,500 feet. Swinging back down from the summit pillar on a path running off at about 45O from the one we came up. Great views across Edinburgh,

the castle, Arthurs Seat and out across the Firth. The path meandered us back to the cows who had shifted more toward the burn. But still enough free for the dogs to clamber down into it where it made a big hole beside the path. We were almost down now and stumbled across another dog walker we know, wandering along some of the lower paths. She too heading back to Dreghorn where we had both started out from. We walked along the dogs getting a chance to try and make some new friends but not enough time really before we arrived back at the cars. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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Wednesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

To 06
June 2012
Walk Dogs on walk Longniddry Railway walk Length 6 miles

Cyrano, Darcy, Dylan, Finn, Jolie, Phoebe, Teela

Ah a return to the rain. Just how we like it. My waterproofs had almost dried out since they were last called upon. We had already decided on the Longniddry Railway walk and it suited the weather perfectly. A dim and drizzling start before the rain eased off leaving leaden skies to darken the day. A train flew by on the mainline next to the walkway. An upward shower of rain left in its wake. The noise no issue to Teela who headed off along the track with the rest. In no time Finn and Phoebe were at each other. A bemused Teela looking on. Jolie who had wandered ahead with Dylan had to run back to join in. This was enough to bring it all to Darcys attention and very quickly the four of them had formed a tight ball spinning around each other, Phoebe somewhere in the middle. This was not for Cyrano who was more than happy running about and checking out the very long wet grass and undergrowth beside the track. The track began to slide away from the railway and slew into a patchwork of fields. As some trees thickened beside the track we left it to head along an old farm access track. Darcy, Finn, Jolie and Phoebe still at it under the gaze of Teela. We slowed and came together as a woman approached with her thick set Chocolate Labrador. From madness to stillness in the blink of an eye. And then once I had met the woman, back to a degree of madness again, reeling around her dog. We did not linger. The dogs were still very full of energy as it was not too far into the walk. A farmer messing with sacks waved to us as we continued on the farm track before turning onto a slim path through a dense wooded area. Vibrant undergrowth and thick leaves on the trees all pressing in on us making the path hard to see. But the dogs knew their way and I followed on behind them. It swung us back round to the railway walk, over an old bridge across it and then down onto the track. Set in a cutting with an army of trees marching over its dark slopes. The cutting slowly dropping until we were once again level with the fields and small clusters of knotted trees accompanied us along the track. Not far ahead, and Cyrano knew it was there, the old watering stop for the steam trains

which once coughed their way along here. Now a pool, a little green at this time of year. But in he went anyway, soon to be joined by Darcy. The others precariously clung to its small concrete dam, nudging and bustling each other as though trying to knock someone in. All excited as we moved on Darcy, Finn, Jolie and Phoebe predictably tried to give chase to each other. But as no one was in front and they were all trying to grab each other little forward momentum was achieved. We headed back into another cutting before the final stint beneath two bridges and our turning point in sight of the A1 as it rushes near Haddington. Coming back and Finn was still full of mischief, walking on hind legs looking at how to jump on tall Phoebe. We revisited the pool, all quite wet now as the rain had come back on. Then it was a long curving walk back along the track with the dogs beginning to slow their pace and occasionally dropping behind me. A little damp and grubby we arrived back at the car in the small car park beside the railway. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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