A wet summer walk in Scotland

On Saturday afternoon Gail decided we'd try out a new walk. 

I just love exploring different places. Don't you? 

We started in the village of Lumphanan and the track ascended gently northwards through pretty woodland and up to a look-out point. Apparently on a clear day one can sit on this bench and enjoy a magnificent view of the Aberdeenshire hills. 

This was not a clear day. In fact it was raining increasingly hard. And the seat didn't look at all comfortable anyway, so we hastened on down along some muddy farm tracks and back to the car.

To be honest, I ended up grateful Gail had not planned a longer walk and I was quite happy to be home and curled up on the sofa, practicing my Perfect Circle pose.

A typical winter walk in Duthie Park

Regular readers of this blog will know that the early morning walk in Duthie Park is an important part of the daily routine here in the Nobby and Gail household.

Come rain or shine, snow or gales, we are out there at break of day. 

Here's a short account of yesterday's dawn excursion.

I'm on my lead for the quarter of a mile walk to the park entrance, where Gail releases me.

I check Gail's coming, then run into the park, not forgetting to decorate both the fancy wrought iron gate and the bin just behind it.

I make brief detour to investigate an alluringly pungent in smell the rhododendron shrubbery before reaching the brightly lit Park Café. The café doesn't open for another couple of hours and Gail, as always, tuts at the waste of energy. 

Looking the other way, we both admire the sunrise (it's about 8 am), and I scan the park for potential playmates.

My keen eyes soon spot a moving green light below left of the bandstand, and recognise this as the fluorescent collar belonging to one of the park regulars, Black Labrador Charlie. 

There is a brief interlude where I ignore Gail's calls and race off to say hi to Charlie, and Gail rudely interrupts our game saying "can't you see Nobby, he doesn't want you jumping all over him today" and drags me away. This episode is not recorded on camera.  

I hope Charlie doesn't think my pink light is "girlie". 

Further along, I pause again and check to see if any more of my park pals have turned up. Sadly not. The grass is a wee bit frosty on the paws. 

We complete the circuit of the park in about twenty minutes and I halt in front of the new 'Outdoor Nursery' building. The small humans who attend the nursery have not yet arrived. I wonder if they will be playing outside today. I patiently wait for Gail to put on my lead for the short walk home.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, the same pattern will repeat, with minor variations.