Thursday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

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January 2012
Walk Dogs on walk

Between hills and down wide glens Finlay, Gustave, Jerry, Lucas, Otis, Tim

Length

6 miles

After yesterdays struggle through the flattened woodland of Saltoun Forest we headed back to the hills today. Climbing away from Edinburgh on a path leading us from Dreghorn toward the towering hills slicing into the sky. The muddy path led us beneath the hills. Slippery and gloopy carved with horses hooves and the tracks of bikes we made progress as best we could. We were under a bright sky with few streaks of cloud, tailing off into wispy half light. The sun just rising above the tops of the hill stung our eyes as we turned toward the hills. Ozzy was missing today. Off with a cut foot. What is it with cut feet just now? Thankfully he did not do it while out with me. Unlike Archie. Good job he was not here. Not in this mud. I doubt it would do him any good. So Tim was minus a playmate. But not to worry Lucas was there to step into the breach and they both delighted in tormenting Gustave until he played with them too. After running wild once we were into the longer grass Jerry decided he did not want to be left out either. So as we began to climb the four of them raced about. While Finlay and Otis just got dirtier as they stayed on the muddy path.

Finlay not too far ahead today but very keen to lead the way. He is getting to know the hills very well. But his first thought was for water. Not to drink but to paddle, wade and even lie down in, fishing out a stone in the process. If only Otis would follow suit, he may come back cleaner from some of the walks. But then again looking at the state of Finlay by the end maybe not. Even the mad running through the tangled, bent, coarse grass did little to clean up Jerry either. With their slightly shorter and non-curly hair Gustave, Lucas and Tim stayed much cleaner. Heading up the shoulder of Capelaw Hill and the obligatory sheep put in an appearance. Straggled across the side of the hill near to the path and looking down at us from their vantage on top of a rocky outcrop. Then they moved racing across the path. But of course not all of them and they were left in two groups. The smaller one left behind on the rocks looking quite worried. But too late for them to move now. Their pals continued further down the hill leaving them stranded. Checking over my shoulder just to make sure everyone was to heel I caught a glimpse of bright blue. A jogger had stopped to watch our progress. Great with the dogs behaving themselves so well. As the shoulder flattened off they were free to run again. Right down its far side and to a rickety gate. They waited by it looking back as I gradually caught them up. But I kept on going onto another path. A little confused they began to follow. A narrow slip through the grass our new path wended its way down a wide shallow glen. Finlay quickly picked up the path and was off. Otis half tried to keep up with him but also anxiously looked back at me. In no time at all Jerry was almost out of sight in the long grass juts his head bobbing up and down and closer to hand Gustave, Lucas and Tim were at it again. The sun had climbed a little higher and the temperature rose in the shelter of the glen. I was too hot and the dogs stopped to drink at the first stream tumbling down the hill and into the glen. I could have walked in a t-shirt today. And this the middle of winter. Weird. Will we have to pay for it later in the year? As we reached a tumbled and lonely shepherds cottage, just two half gables and a pile of stones, more sheep brought us back together again. Any distant onlooker may have though the ghosts of the ruin had forced us tighter for comfort. But on such a bright day how could they. These sheep held their advantage on the higher slope and just gazed at us as we

traced the path toward Phantoms Cleugh. It was an easy climb up the cleugh with Finlay slipping back to join the rest of us. None of us too far apart now. We were in a race with some joggers coming off Harbour Hill toward the crossroads with our track. Tim saw them and skipped ahead a bit but they beat us and continued across our path to start climbing Capelaw Hill. We stayed down and headed through its heathery lower slopes to the descent back to Dreghorn. Grubby, warm and well run we approached the car. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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