Friday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

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December 2011
Walk Dogs on walk

Over Harbour hill and up Bells Hill

Length

6 miles

Brooklyn, Cyrano, Dylan, Finlay, Phoebe, Tim

What a mad bunch of dogs today as winters gnarled fingers slowly wrap their icy grip around the land. Yesterday it was crystals of frost. Today it was ice topped puddles and frozen patches of mud. Of course Brooklyn had to choose the unfrozen mud to run across sinking knee deep into its cold slimy depths. Whether to keep themselves warm or just because they were in the mood, the dogs hardly stopped running and chasing today. It all began once were out of the line of trees and up onto the moors leading to the foot of the hills. We were going to go up the field beside the trees but a woman was coming the other way with her black Labrador. As we were not long into the walk the dogs were still a bit mad so I took the opportunity to bypass her in the trees, separated from the field by a fence. The dogs looked curiously at each other and me and the woman waved to each other. And so we passed by calmly. It is hard to say who sparked off the chasing but all except Finlay were involved. He may have wanted to be away at the front but all their running kept him in amongst them. It was me who was left trailing behind, on the long slog up.

That wonderful Norwegian weather forecasting site (www.yr.no) had it spot on today. Some rain between 10.00am and 11.00 and then clear skies till the early evening. As we set off I doubted it, given the cloud cover. But it began to clear and was only spoilt by a squally shower on Harbour Hill. It was cold but clear and bright. The dogs kept up their pace across the fading heather and slanted grass, toward the gate leading onto the lower slopes of the hills. Off in the distance I spotted a deer, its white tail lifting and falling against the darkness of the heather. Phoebe ran forward, I thought she had seen it, but was only chasing after Tim. I had already called her and she was on her back. The deer ran upwards on the side of Capelaw Hill toward some sheep. I hesitated and I lost if once it stopped. Then it was off again this time running back toward us but much higher up the hillside. Dylan and Phoebe had seen it by now and were eagerly watching its progress. It was too far away they knew my beady eye was on them. They let it go. Cyrano meanwhile had picked up its scent and was rifling through the heather in the direction it had fled. I let him go for a little way before calling him back. Now we had the climb of Harbour Hill ahead of us. Over the half frozen ground Finlay began to lead us up it. The others kept up their chasing with Phoebe really opening up her speed as we rounded the summit. Brooklyn and Tim did a valiant job to keep up with her. Cyrano joining the line as they flew around for the second time. Dylan knew better and waited for things to calm a bit before making his move. Ahead now Bells Hill, slightly smaller than Harbour Hill, looked tucked up beneath the towering ridge of the major Pentland Hills. The low sun skimming of their jagged tops, cascading with broken light over Bells Hills and down the moorland toward Edinburgh. We dropped into the cleugh and made our way up it. On the top I had to detach Finlay from an old sheep bone. Not keen to give it up at first and seeing it as a bit of fun to run around me he soon relented as I began to raise my voice. A few lingering looks back and it was forgotten. Back we went over Harbour Hill. Where Brooklyn got ten out of ten for effort, trying to engage Finlay in play. Finlay was having none of it despite Brooklyns best efforts. Then in a moment of comedy, which shows why Dalmatians were once circus dogs, Brooklyn fell into three holes in succession in the ground covered by the heather. One after the other in three

quick steps ending up with only his bum in the air. Back toward Dreghorn we walked, the dogs still running and chasing getting the last bit of fun out of the day. Tim having behaved extremely well after yesterdays trip back to being a naughty puppy. They all lined up ready to dive into the back of the borrowed Land Rover for a shuggely journey home. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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