More interesting than the camera lens

Please, someone, tell me why it is that, when we are out and about in Torridon with so much scenic grandeur to feast one's eyes upon, I keep being told off for not looking directly at the camera lens...

If treats are on offer I might, reluctantly, agree to a quick glance in the general direction of Gail's phone, but I offer you no guarantees that I will look delighted about it...

Happy Nature Friday friends! Once again we are delighted to join the LLB Gang, hosts of this always wonderful weekly blog hop. 

Cultural heritage: a whole new ball game!

At the end of our Sunday walk around the Castle Fraser estate in Aberdeenshire, Gail wanted me to 'pose nicely' with our friends M and J in front of the historic castle.

If you are thinking that I wasn't entirely cooperating here because I was admiring the fine architecture of this elaborate 'Z plan' structure which dates back to the 16th century and perhaps earlier, you would be mistaken. 

More interesting by far was the prospect of demonstrating my footballing skills and thus living up to my famous (OK, famous in England, among people aged over sixty) namesake Nobby Stiles.

Nice or naughty? Nobby's six month performance review

Context:

"Fox terriers are born with about four times as much original sin in them as other dogs are."

(Quote from 'Three Men in a Boat' by Jerome K Jerome)

Naughty Nobby:

• "I don't remember Bertie ever being that chewy" (Janet, 10.7.22)
• "That's a wild puppy you've got there" (Kirsty, 16.5.22) 
• Remember the primula cheese on the nose incident at puppy class?
• 'Mad half hours' can last up to three hours...
• Does not react at all well to having beard groomed
• Fussy eater in general, but adores sheep poo...
• Magnetically attracted to ditches, the muddier the better
• Still steals balls from other dogs in the park

Nice Nobby:

• Wants to be friends with EVERYONE
• Happy traveller - in car, bus, train and ferry
• Loves to hike 
• But keeps Gail in sight when off leash
• Cheaper and more fun than a personal fitness trainer
• Waits patiently nearby if Gail botanising or berry picking
• Cool about being left alone in the house for a while
• Always comfy, quiet and settled in crate at night
• "Extrovert" personality (YAM-aunty, 14.7.22)
• Guaranteed to provide non-stop entertainment and stimulation...

And willows, willow-herb and grass ...

The river bank just downstream from the Bridge of Dee always looks appealing, but Gail hadn't taken me there before this week, deeming the path too boggy. 

"Too boggy"? Is that really a thing? 

Well what with all the recent warm dry weather here Aberdeen, she finally relented. 

So Gail happily photographed the flowers and trees, while murmuring to herself lines from the third verse of one of her favourite English poems*...

"And willows, willow-herb and grass,

And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry..."

....And yours truly got down to the serious business of the morning.

Happy Nature Friday friends! 

*'Adlestrop' by Edward Thomas 

A misunderstanding regarding F1 cockerpoos

I met Jasper on the Aberdeen city beach on Sunday afternoon.

When he said he was an 'F1' cockerpoo I thought that meant he wanted to race! 

He certainly could show Lewis Hamilton a thing or two about cornering technique...

PS Explanatory note for readers - especially those across the Pond: F1 is an abbreviation of Formula One, the form of motor racing popular in many parts of the world but perhaps less well known in the USA. In the dog breeding world, F1 of course refers to a first generation cross.

Mountaineer in training

It's been very frustrating. As you know, Scotland has mountains a plenty, all begging to be climbed by a lively WFT, but until now Gail has only taken me on relatively low level walks. Some ridiculous idea about not over-straining growing limbs, apparently. 

Anyway, now that I am nearly six months old and getting more robust by the day, my dear owner finally last week decided I was ready for an ascent of Millstone Hill, an elevation of just over 400 m and an old favourite of both my predecessors.

I learned that here, and I'm told this is the general rule for Scottish hills, no matter what the conditions when one leaves car car park it is always windy at the summit. 

One down, four to go...

 I'm really hoping my owner has learned the error of her ways.

You'll be shocked (or perhaps not) to learn that when staying with YAM-aunty last week, Gail was so absorbed in watching the Tour de France on TV one evening she ignored clear signals that I needed to go outside and the result was a 'wee' puddle on the living room carpet. 

You would hope this mortifying incident might dampen Gail's enthusiasm for all things bicycle-related. 

And guess what? Result! Shortly after we returned home to Aberdeen earlier this week, a friendly woman and a very sweet teenage girl called Marta turned up at our house, and Gail handed over one of her bicycles.

Marta, who spoke excellent English although I'm told she comes from Ukraine, seemed genuinely thrilled with this gift and, after a small adjustment to the saddle height, she went on a short test ride up the street and then took the bike away to her temporary home here in the city. 

Right, that's one bicycle gone, four more (including a rarely used one rusting away in Torridon) to go.

PS from Gail: We have a few hundred Ukrainians recently arrived here in Aberdeen and recently a plea went out to all the local cycling groups for bicycles that might be of use to the refugees. I was delighted to be able to help someone whose life has been turned upside down by this terrible war in a small but practical way. I hadn't been expecting to meet the recipient of the bike - that was a lovely bonus.

PPS from Gail: It later occurred to me there were echoes here of my mother's experience as a 'war guest' (i.e. an evacuee) in Toronto from 1940-44, when she stayed with a kind and generous family who provided her with a bicycle and much else besides.

Socialisation boot camp

Gail has pointed out that my recent tour  'down south' amounted to an eleven day socialisation boot camp. I clocked up a long list of notable 'firsts' - see below for a list of the top ten - and am pleased (and Gail is mightily relieved) to report that I graduated with flying colours and a self-awarded grade of 90% Nice Nobby*.

First nights in a hotel (Buccleuch Arms in Moffat and later the Dalesgate near Ilkley)

First time in England (as far south as Leicestershire)

First nights staying with Gail's friends (Janet, then YAM-Aunty)

First time in a cafe with another dog present (several cafés actually)

First train journey (seven minutes, Beeston to Nottingham)

First meetings with Gail's relatives (Gail's brother, sister-in-law, niece and cousin)

First male lap to sit on (Janet's friend Steve in Nottingham)

First visit to a pub (The Roebuck, Utley)

First time on a car ferry (Gourock to Hunter's Quay, Dunoon)

First visit to a church to check out the water-driven organ (St Mun's Church in Kilmun: https://youtube.com/shorts/EQ9vB7VVpKw?feature=share)

*Self-assessment is the order of the day, right? Gail says 90% smacks of grade inflation. I will admit that the Ilkley Moor bog affair was a misstep..

Sunshine in Dunoon!

First things first. Readers of my previous post can rest assured that, after Wednesday's Ilkley Moor peat bog adventure, I was dunked in the relatively clean water of a model boat pond before being allowed back in the car, and I later submitted - though not without a struggle - to a second rinse and shampoo in the hotel bathroom. Gail then finally pronounced me clean enough to accompany her for a bite to eat in the pub next door.

When we checked out of the hotel on Thursday morning I did wonder if the ablutions had really been necessary...

It was a bright morning for the drive from Ilkley to Dunoon, and as we drove though the beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Dales with the radio on in the background, Gail was warning me not to get my hopes too high regarding summer weather on the final stop of our Tour of Northern Britain. 

But then, at around 9:00 am, she suddenly interrupted her lecture and, most uncharacteristically, she punched the air and cried out "Yes! He's finally resigned!"  

That little excitement over, my owner calmed down and continued on her earlier theme, telling me how it's almost always raining in Dunoon, and scarcely ever sunny. But she also said it didn't matter because we were going to stay with blog pal YAM-aunty and we were guaranteed the warmest of welcomes inside the 'Hutch', and would have a fine time whatever the conditions outdoors.

Well I'm pleased to report that Gail was absolutely spot on about the hospitality and totally wrong about the weather.  

Gosh it was fun getting to know YAM-aunty. 

I soon felt right at home in the 'Hutch'.

At night I settled down comfortably in my 'Hutch within a Hutch'.

I was delighted to provide moral support when our lovely blogpal needed to sort out a wee hiccup with her Chromebook.

I even found a convenient sunpuddle.

And talking of sun....

Can this really be the Dunoon area?

Where are the grey skies and the incessant rain?

Perhaps we should be grateful that Gail did not take up a career in meteorology.

All in favour of peatland restoration

Taking a leaf out of my distinguished predecessor Bouncing Bertie's book, today I am going to use my Nature Friday slot to give you a wee science lesson. 

Our topic today was inspired by a visit this week to the Yorkshire town of Ilkley where, in between visits to a couple of Gail's friends, we went for a walk up on the moor made famous by the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8MWb1FlODQ

It's a lovely place to explore, and I was so excited when I ran into (literally) a deep, dark and squelchy peat bog.

Did you know that the upland areas of Britain hold vast amounts of carbon in their peat covered hills? On a global scale, peat bogs are as important a store of carbon as the Amazon Rain Forest. But in some areas of the UK, human intervention has caused the peat bogs to dry out, and not only is this bad for all the diverse and precious species who live there, but it means carbon previously held in the soil is released to the atmosphere thus contributing to global warming.

So I'm delighted to report that on Ilkley Moor, peatland restoration work is in progress. A key component of this work involves raising the water table to keep the ground saturated, thus retaining the carbon in the soil. A good thing, I think we can all agree?

You'll scarcely believe what I heard Gail saying on Wednesday afternoon...

"I don't care about the climate crisis Nobby, I've decided I really would prefer that the peaty soils round here all stayed dry. And please Nobby, next time we see a black swampy patch of ground, JUST DON'T DIVE IN NOSE FIRST! The path across the bog, constructed of carefully laid stone slabs, is there for a purpose."

 

And then:

"And how on earth am I supposed to clean you up before we get back to tonight's hotel....?"

Wishing all my friends a Happy Nature Friday!