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.
