Forest comparisons

So Gail has been going on and on about all the splendid forest walks she enjoyed in the Puget Sound area over Christmas and New Year.

Apparently the trees were bigger than here, the ferns and mosses more abundant, the fungi slimier and the stream crossings more challenging.

Soon I'd heard quite enough, and it was time to go out for a walk and remind Gail that we have lovely woodlands here in Aberdeenshire too. 

And there's still one thing we do even better than Washington state...

MUD!! 

It wisnae me!

Further to Monday's post...

Surely it doesn't take a forensics expect to deduce that the dog who, yesterday morning, left this mark on Gail's hitherto pristine new coat, has much bigger paws than any fox terrier we've ever met. 

Beyond doubt the culprit was Fergus, the exuberant ten month old Labrador whom we meet in the park most mornings. He is a VERY NAUGHTY DOG.

Weekend victory

I think I made it quite clear on Saturday evening that I didn't approve of my owner spending all weekend reading a book about horrid Mr Putin.

Thankfully it seems Gail got the message and on Sunday afternoon she took me for a lovely walk through the trees and heather up Millstone Hill. 

The temperature was 26ºC, which in Scotland counts as scorching - see my tongue hanging out in the picture above. So obviously I needed to find a nice muddy ditch to cool off in.

Is there a problem?

Ooops, I did it again...

It's totally not my fault.

So Gail takes me on a walk in the woods on a hot for Scotland (27ºC!) afternoon.

She ignores me, focussing instead on the pretty summer flowers.

Germander Speedwell

Twinflower

Mouse-ear Hawkweed

I would like to have cooled off in a nice clear stream, but all I can find is a muddy ditch. 

You would, I think, have done the same.

PS from Gail: I had hoped Nobby's ditch crawling exploits were a thing of the past, but the recent warm weather seems to have prompted an unwanted revival of this behaviour...

Faces of Spring in Scotland...

In the Nobby household we believe in natural beauty treatments. 

After a week of snow-based facials I'm now back to to the usual mud pack...

Happy Nature Friday to all my friends! 

P.S. I think you should know that Gail and I had a bit of a falling out this week. It was her fault (of course). After the heavy snow on Monday night she abandoned me on both Tuesday and Wednesday morning and met up with friends to go cross country skiing on a local golf course. The weather was glorious - blue skies, sunshine, no wind - but she claimed the snow would be too deep for my little legs to manage. So on Thursday morning, when the snow had melted a bit, I was invited to join her cycling group for a nice walk (the roads being too icy for the usual bike ride) and I took my revenge by stealing both the homemade muffins she'd brought along as a snack. I am pleased to report that courgette, halloumi and olive muffins are totally delicious and sustaining fare for a 7-8 mile romp around Scolty Hill and the adjacent Blackhall Forest. But gosh, Gail does get a bit grumpy when she's hungry...

SingalongaNobby

 Go on. You know the tune and you know you want to sing...

Any Ditch Will Do

Out on a hike, I ventured off-route

To check beyond doubt, what I thought I knew.

And right behind, someone was calling,

But I just ignored them.

Any ditch will do.  

I dived right in, I was beyond thrilled  

The ditch was mud-filled, what an awesome coup!

But it soon came clear, Gail’s heart was sinking,

She was not thinking

That any ditch will do.

So home we go,

The bath is run,

My coat of mud will soon be gone,

The dirt is flowing down the plughole,

I am left all wet. 

May I return to the beginning,

When Gail is grinning, and I am too. 

The world and I, we are still waiting

Still hesitating**

Any ditch will do. 

*Lyrics inspired by last week's 'Muddy Nobby' photo, with apologies to Andrew Lloyd Webber

**Gail complains that Nobby's adapted lyric here is totally misleading. He never, ever hesitates before jumping in a ditch!