My new accomplishment

I can't believe Gail wants me to show pictures of flowers in the park today when I have something much more exciting to report! 

OK, so here are some of the Duthie Park blooms, to satisfy at least the requirements of the LLB Gang's Nature Friday blog hop.

Good. Now on to more interesting matters.

It all started a few weeks ago, when I noticed my grown up friends in the park, the big boy dogs, looking at me askance as I squatted to empty my bladder. I then saw that they were lifting their leg, usually against a tree or wall, and spraying a satisfyingly large area with their pee, thereby leaving a clear message for other pups to detect.

I started feeling an urge to copy the big dogs. I'll be honest, my first few attempts were somewhat tentative. Keeping one's balance while achieving a satisfactory height is a skill that takes some practice. At first I could only lift my paw an inch or two from the ground and hold the position for a few seconds, hardly long enough to empty one's bladder properly. 

But this week I am proud to announce that I am now a fully fledged and ambidextrous leg cocker. And I am sure you too will be impressed with these photos of my new accomplishment...

Pee ess: Gail tells me that my predecessor Bouncing Bertie did not reach this notable masculinity milestone until he was eight months old. Not that I'm boasting or anything...

All in a day's work

I headed off up my first ever really big hill. (Morven).

I paused to sniff the heather.

I made it to the top and admired the view from the summit shelter

I was stood my ground despite the fierce wind at the altitude of 872 m.  

I avoided the showers on the descent.

I went for a paddle in the river on the way home.

I even swam a little. 

I then photobombed a wedding celebration...

What did you do on Tuesday? 
 

Monday puzzle - where am I?

To be frank, it wasn't the most exciting of walks.

 
But on the way back from Torridon to Aberdeen last week we stopped for a break in a small town and Gail made me pose in front of a bunch of relatively new street signs. Apparently these side lanes off the main road had long remained unlabelled, but in 2013, at the request of the emergency services, they were given names, and the names reflect the town's history, heritage and local dialect. 

Perhaps you can guess which town we were in? (Hint - think of a boy's name, perhaps one of the Rolling Stones?)

More interesting than the camera lens

Please, someone, tell me why it is that, when we are out and about in Torridon with so much scenic grandeur to feast one's eyes upon, I keep being told off for not looking directly at the camera lens...

If treats are on offer I might, reluctantly, agree to a quick glance in the general direction of Gail's phone, but I offer you no guarantees that I will look delighted about it...

Happy Nature Friday friends! Once again we are delighted to join the LLB Gang, hosts of this always wonderful weekly blog hop. 

Cultural heritage: a whole new ball game!

At the end of our Sunday walk around the Castle Fraser estate in Aberdeenshire, Gail wanted me to 'pose nicely' with our friends M and J in front of the historic castle.

If you are thinking that I wasn't entirely cooperating here because I was admiring the fine architecture of this elaborate 'Z plan' structure which dates back to the 16th century and perhaps earlier, you would be mistaken. 

More interesting by far was the prospect of demonstrating my footballing skills and thus living up to my famous (OK, famous in England, among people aged over sixty) namesake Nobby Stiles.