Tuesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

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February 2012
Walk

Striding toward Haddington on the Railway Walk

Length

6 miles

Dogs on walk

Finlay, Gina, Phoebe, Solo, Tim, Struan, Talaidh

A late addition to our outing today influenced the walk. Phoebe was joining us and then her and her Jasper, the bearded collie who lives with her, were coming to stay the night afterwards. Jasper not being mobile enough to come on the walk with us. It may have taken us several hours to get nowhere if he had come. As they live in Longniddry it was easier to walk near there and collect Jasper from home afterwards. Today was also a welcome return to Gina who has been off the last couple of weeks. A lovely greeting from here as I arrived at her house to collect her. Solo had to wait to say a proper hello as he was on the back seat with Tim. Gina joined Finlay in the boot who promptly tried to get out. Nothing Gina had done. It is just his way. With Struan and Talaidh, my two, making up the numbers we set out on the railway walk from Longniddry to Haddington. A car with a number of leads hanging in the boot and cages across the backseats which had been folded down meant we were likely to bump into some dogs. It looked like another dog walker but as it turned out it was man with his three poodles. All white and clipped in that traditional poodle way. No softies though as one snarled at Struan. Of course Struan

being Struan snarled back. The others were happier to see each other and given that we were not far into the walk relatively placid. It took Tims attention away from leaping around Phoebes head. Gina was keen to keep an eye on me today and was forever trotting back to see how I was getting on. We cut off the railway walk soon after meeting the dogs and followed a farm track. The fields on either side half hidden by the bushes and trees that grew beside the long parallel ruts in the ground. Nearing the farm another track took us off into tall spindly leafless trees. Finlay leading the way, very sure of himself despite having three other possible tracks to choose from. For once he was right. This route led us back to the railway walk, joining it over a thickly set brick bridge. Down into the cutting under the bridge we dropped and once more along the track still heading toward Haddington. It was not long before Phoebe and Tims chasing about was interrupted by the arrival of another dog. Gina had been trying her best to get Talaidh interested in play but it was a forlorn task. Her attention on Solo yielded little better. So she ran off to see the new dog instead. Tim doing so pretty much at the same time. It was happy to see them and all the rest. Its owner telling me that it is used to going out with other dogs. We left them to go their way and continued on our journey. Finlay and Solo keen to get to the trackside pond. Once a water station for the steam trains. It did not take much encouragement to get them in. Phoebe and Gina wavered at the side and did not go in. A little further on and we turned around as we reached another bridge. Walking more slowly as we neared Longniddry toward the end to avoid catching up a woman and her three greyhound / whippet dogs. But we just kept reeling them in and did eventually catch up. Much to the dogs pleasure as they no longer had to walk to heel. We were nearly back at the car anyway. As I sorted out who was going where Tim decided to try his luck in the womans car. She brought him back round with a smile on her face. He was left to squeeze in beside Struan and Talaidh. And it was off to collect Jasper before dropping everyone else off. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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