Do otters bite? And what about pigs?

So we've had a week of warm weather here in Scotland (incredible, but true), and yesterday Gail kindly took me down to the river, thinking I might like a swim. 

It did indeed feel quite refreshing when I dipped my paws in the water. 

But then I overheard some shouts from a family who were splashing around a few yards upstream. 

The mother was telling her kids to look out for otters, and there followed a lively discussion as to whether an otter in the river might bite.

Gail insisted that this was just "banter" and anyway otters are shy creatures who would steer well clear of this popular swimming spot. 

photo of otter from the internet 

I wasn't so sure, and so I retreated away from the riverbank and opted instead for short walk to say hi to some porcine pals in the nearby field. 

I don't think these guys had the energy to get up, much less to bite. When I approached close they barely even managed an "oink"! 

Happy Nature Friday everyone, and thanks once again to our ever awesome LLB Gang friends for hosting the blog hop!

Ten ways in which I am Nice Nobby

I received a rare compliment from Gail earlier this week.

We were out on the hillside in Torridon undertaking one of Gail's twice yearly botanical surveys*, and I waited patiently while she took time to identify various plants, such as these little white beak sedges, which are apparently indicator species for the 'wet heath' habitat.

On the way back down to the car, Gail commented on how I really am an excellent scientific assistant, so well behaved on field excursions, living up to my 'Nice Nobby' designation. Apparently Bouncing Bertie was much less patient with botanical goings on, and would soon get bored and wander off to cause trouble.

I pointed out that these days I am 'Nice Nobby' in many different ways, and challenged Gail to list ten. This is what she came up with:

• Excellent fieldwork aide, as described above
• Quiet and relaxed car passenger (and always has been)
• Sleeps well at night, even when staying in unfamiliar places
• Respectful of other dogs in the park who don't want to play with me (unlike when I was younger) 
• Friendly and welcoming to human visitors
• Cooperative in the 'pose nicely for the camera' business
• Tolerates bath time without too much fuss
• Enjoys early morning cuddles
• Generally good at not pulling on the lead on urban walks
• Behaviour at agility training sessions improving - no longer in danger of being excluded from class for being too disruptive...

*Gail says: the plant survey work is my small contribution to the National Plant Monitoring Scheme, a long term project aiming to study plant species across different habitats in the UK.

Digital Native Nobby

So Gail has been telling me how lucky I am to be able to share with you all my wonderful walks in the magnificent landscape of the Torridon mountains.

She says I should not take it for granted that I can compose a blog post, press a button on the iPhone or laptop or whatever digital gadget, and communicate with the whole world.

It wasn't always thus. 

I have often wondered about this tall and narrow red shelter with windows, located at the bottom of the road in the village of Inveralligin.

Apparently it is a 'phone box', dating back to the olden days when a telephone was not a little computer, and was the only available method for communicating directly with other people at a distance. Imagine that! 

The piece of apparatus attached to the back wall, out of paw reach, is in fact a genuine working telephone. Gail wonders for how long it will still be kept operational. 

Of course I was more interested in sniffing the floor to check who else might have used the phone box recently...

Midge season

The flowers in our Torridon cottage garden are looking particularly pretty just now.

Such a fine backdrop for a WFT portrait. 

Gail wants me to point out that maintaining such a haven of beauty for me to enjoy does require some effort and sacrifice on her part. Especially during the height of the Highland midge season.... 

Gail prepares for a session of grass strimming

Happy Nature Friday. 

(Midges are 'nature' too!)

Training paying off?

As I have mentioned before, my owner Gail has been attending 'agility fitness' sessions on Monday nights for the past month. These involve jogging, sprinting, weights, cardio and flexibility exercises, and I am pleased to report a positive impact although, as ever, there is room for improvement.

Have a wee look at this video, filmed by our friend YAM-aunty at the Granite City Agility Show on Sunday morning, and note the following aspects of Gail's performance:

• Pretty smooth running style, apart from slightly wonky right leg action
• Manages to adjust speed where appropriate and keep up with dog
• Shows sufficient flexibility on the turn (although one fears this will never be her strong point)
• Improved 'proprioception', i.e. didn't fall over, trip up, or collide with any obstacles 
• Overall fitness pretty decent for a 65 year old - able to complete the circuit without getting out of breath

So now we can, I think, say that Gail is physically up to the task of dog agility handler, the question turns to the psychological aspects, and here some doubts remain.

Can you believe she seemed really quite stressed on Sunday when, as reported in Monday's post, I stole her handkerchief and raced around in circles playing a fun game of 'catch me if you can' rather than following the set course of jumps. 

Perhaps someone could recommend techniques for boosting mental resilience...?