Wednesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

To 16
May 2012
Walk Dogs on walk Through the Gore Glen Length 6 miles

Archie, Cyrano, Dylan, Finn, Jolie, Phoebe, Teela

Another new companion to welcome today. Teela. Good friends with Lucas. I hope that he warned her about the mayhem that is Finn, Jolie and Phoebe. And a bit of Archie thrown in. The Wednesday crowd is by far the most boisterous. But she took it all in her stride and even found the courage to sniff at Cyrano, Dylan and Finn. They may be the most boisterous but they are very respectful too. Or perhaps they were too caught in up trying to upend each other, that it took them some time to notice little Teela. From the off Archie, Finn, Jolie and Phoebe were at it. And whenever the space allowed them on the walk they were all over each other again and again. Teela just gave a look of What do you lot look like. Cyrano was looking over his shoulder urging us to hurry up in case the river down in the glen disappeared before we got there. He was in luck however, it was still there. He dashed to it. Lay down to wait for us all and then plunged in. He was in and out for as long as the path mirrored route of the two rivers. First the Gore Water, flowing into the River Esk and then the wider Esk in its wider glen. The rising sides of the glen studded with mature trees, blocking out the sun as it vanquished a retreating cloud.

At a big turn on the river with a pebble shoreline most of the dogs took the plunge. Dylan customarily staying back to wait. Archie swam about until he found a stick which he then gnawed on the bank. Phoebe soon left the water to hassle Finn. No respite for him until Jolie came to his aid. This left Cyrano and Teela to jump and dive for stones. Well Cyrano dived. Teela was out of the water getting as close to me holding the stones as possible hoping to get them before Cyrano. It did not work. Having meandered with the river we crossed an old half concealed stone bridge and began to climb to the top of the glen. A path of grass allowing Finn, Jolie and Phoebe to let off yet more steam. Archie meanwhile was trying to protect a new stick from Dylan. Cyrano had disappeared over the side of the glen, probably trying to find the river again. Teela looked on at it all weighing them all up. With some panting dogs we wandered along the top of the glen. Lush farmland, carved into fields by walls and fences, staggered its way toward the darkened hills of the Pentlands. To our left trees clung to the bank, some having slipped and fallen, as it dropped steeply to the thread of water below, like stitching through the trees. Thankfully for Cyrano it was not long before we dropped back down to it. Its slivery surface like a drug to him. He could not get enough and was soon soaking once again. Beside the river a wide area of thickening grass led to more chasing this time drawing Archie and Dylan into the race. Teela was keener to follow Cyrano toward the water even if she did not go in. Perhaps it was the calmer aura of it. Particularly when compared to the manic mob in the grass. After a bit more chasing and trying to catch stones in the water we turned under the warming sun to head back. A quieter return as some of them had begun to run themselves toward tiredness. More often than not walking in a group or line when then path got too narrow. Teela right in amongst them and even falling back with Dylan a couple of times to sniff at something interesting. We climbed back out of the glen up the path toward Gorebridge. A short journey along an old railway line, a faint reminder of the coal mine that once spread itself across the land, and we were back at the car park beside some playing fields.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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