Monday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

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October 2011
Walk

Saltoun Forest, East Lothian

Length

6.25 miles

Dogs on walk

Brooklyn, Dylan, Jolie, Lucas, Finn, Penny, Solo

A big welcome back to Finn. Having spent the weekend at Links Street, having fun with both Jolie and Penny, he was out today for a Ramble. His first in several months. It did not take him long to fit back in and was soon back into the thick of things. I was expecting quite a rumbustuous lot today what with Brooklyn, Jolie and Lucas on the run. Penny can also give a very good account of herself. With that in mind we headed for the peace of Saltoun Forest. Um not so peaceful today. Word must be spreading. In the car park as we arrived two other dog walkers vehicles were parked up and empty. So our peaceful walk may not be that peaceful after all. However, it is a big area with lots of paths so the chances of bumping into anyone can be a little more remote. As we were getting ready. Well no. As I was getting ready. The dogs already were. Lacing up my boots and fiddling with the camera, one of the dog walkers came back from their outing and after a hello through the car window set off. Which only left the Hounds Around person out there somewhere. That should make it easier. But no, within a minute two more cars pulled in. Not dog

walkers, but people walking their dogs. With only two paths leading out of the car park one couple went one way and the other person the other way. We were going to have to follow someone. We chose the younger people who had set of first and were on the path which was really muddy at the start. Plenty of time for the dogs to get clean as we strode around. At last we were off. From the moment the car doors were open until we hade covered most of the forest it was non-stop for at least any two of them. It did not take us long to close down on the two people with their two dogs ahead of us. We slowed a bit until we able to turn off onto another track without disturbing them. At this stage there was so much energy going about that I feared we would be too much for them. With Finn back in the ranks for one day, Dylan was not allowed to keep his own company. Nor did he want to. He relished the chance to run and chase with Finn. For now they were left to do so as Brooklyn, Jolie, Lucas and Penny made for a sizeable ball of legs and tongues and the odd glinting tooth from their playfully gnashing mouths. Solo watched on with interest. Getting too close on several occasions and being bumped and barged as they ran back and forth and then around him. Despite the number of paths and after a twisting stint along the narrow path beside the flashing stream, down in a small ravine, we found ourselves heading straight toward the two people and their dogs again. A little calmer now we managed to get by without any incidents. Then after a stroll beside some fields of young vibrant green shoots, little regimented rows in a sea of brown furrowed soil, we met the other dog walker. Now able to put a name to her, Carole from Happy Hounds. A new venture for her and we stood talking for a while with all the dogs playing about until Brooklyn and Finn began to get a little over exuberant and we decided it would be best to keep going our separate ways. By now Brooklyn and Finn were best of mates and both a bad influence on each other. We had reached the stage of the walk where Lucas slots in behind me. Repeated attempts by Jolie bore no fruit so her and Penny we left to play with each other. Solo was back to walking with me too after spending as much time as possible in the stream earlier. Dylan

now discarded by Finn was back at the front searching out our route back to the car. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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Nick Fletcher The Dog Rambler 9 Links Street Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6JL

www.thedogrambler.com nick@thedogrambler.com t. 0131 665 8843 or 0781 551 6765

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