Nobby discovers Dess Waterfall

You think you've explored every inch of your territory, and then you go for a walk with an old friend and the path leads you to somewhere so tranquil, green and lovely and you wonder why on earth you'd never ventured this way before. 

Nature is full of wonderful surprises.

Excitement on Morven

I'm afraid Gail failed to take a photo of last week's most important and exciting event. 

It took place during a walk with Gail and her friend Henry, on Morven, a favourite Aberdeenshire hill.

Gail did at least get a picture of me near the summit cairn, only a short while before and only a few meters from where the exciting and important event took place.

 

So let me tell you what happened next.

As Gail and her friend Henry started the descent, I wandered 'off-piste'. Not an unusual occurrence. 

I heard Gail shouting "Come Nobby, COME!" but a rustling noise in the moss and stunted heather had captured my attention.

I pounced on this wriggling little furry creature, which started squeaking, just like one of my toys, as I held it between my jaws.  

What fun! I was happily entertaining myself, dropping my squeaky new plaything, then picking it up again, when Gail approached and rudely dragged me away.

"Leave it Nobby, LEAVE IT!"

Stupidly, on reflex I relaxed my hold and watched my prize catch scuttle off into the low growing vegetation. I could not follow as Gail had for once moved fast and clamped on my lead before I realized what she was up to. 

But later, I did feel rather proud when Gail said to Henry that in nearly 24 years of owning terriers, this the first time one had actually caught a rodent* in her presence.

*Gail says: I'm pretty sure it was a field vole - they are apparently known to have a squeak that sounds like a child's toy. I am more than a little surprised that the vole apparently survived the encounter with Nobby's jaws, although I fear it would have suffered psychological damage, at the very least! 

Another awesome adventure!

You know, there are many things to criticise* about my human, but I will say one thing for her. If the weather is nice and she has no urgent appointments, she's always happy to leave the boring chores behind and take me out for another adventure.

We have lately been enjoying a run of lovely warm (but not too warm) sunny weather here in NE Scotland. Gail tells me this is unusual and one is duty bound to make the most of it. 

So it was that on Monday we drove out to Ballater, where we met up with Gail's friend Henry and went for a long walk up Pannanich Hill.  Henry lives in Perth, Western Australia but normally comes 'home' to Scotland once a year. But due to you-know-what this the first time he's been out of WA for three years. 

The heather-clad hills couldn't have been looking more glorious. 

At the summit we met a father and son mountain biking team. 

It seems to me the son had the better deal... 

Father Jamie took this photo of Gail, Henry and me.

Why would you look at the camera when there might be treats left in Gail's little backpack...

Despite all the dry weather I of course managed to locate a muddy ditch as we descended through the woods.

 

And so before we reached the car park I was 'encouraged' to go for a paddle in the river Dee. 

Apparently I caused a bit of alarm when I decided to strike out into midstream and take a wee swim, and (according to Gail) looked for a moment to be in danger of being swept away by the current**. 

*Nobby's says:  Criticisms include Gail's passion for cycling, her strict rules about treats, her insistence that my coat gets combed once a day..... need I go on?

** Gail says: fortunately, it has been so dry here lately that the river level is extremely low, perhaps the lowest I've seen it in the 23 years I've lived in Scotland.