ToWalk Following the ants over two hilltops Length 6 miles Dogs on walk Archie, Finlay, Gina, Martha, Otis, Smudge, Solo, Tim The Jubilee bank holidays c ontinue 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 ofthe 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 themselve s either side of and on the path. Standing, lying and chewing. Lifting their heads a little to get a betterview 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 perfectcombination. 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 fora drink. Above us the r ugged s ummits of the hills cut their une ven cloth into t he blue skyline. The Dog Rambler E-diary Tuesday 05June 2012
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7/31/2019 The Dog Rambler E-diary 05 & 06 June 2012
Walk Following the ants over two hilltops Length 6 miles
Dogs on walk 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 sideof 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.
The Dog Rambler E-diaryTuesday
05 June 2012
7/31/2019 The Dog Rambler E-diary 05 & 06 June 2012
Studded with small clouds like diamonds on t he Queen’s 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 “let’s go”
and “hurry up”, to little effect. All it appeared to do was make them stop and look backas though to say “who are you kidding” or “it’s 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. Thehighest along here at over 1,500 feet. Swinging back down from the summit pillar on a
path running off at about 45 O from the one we came up. Great views across Edinburgh,
7/31/2019 The Dog Rambler E-diary 05 & 06 June 2012
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 leavingleaden 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 r un back to join in. This was enough to bring it all to Darcy’s
attention and very quickly the four of them had formed a tight ball spinning around eachother, 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 cametogether 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 thickleaves 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
7/31/2019 The Dog Rambler E-diary 05 & 06 June 2012