Day Sixty Five: Extreme Skateboarding

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
– E.E. Cummings –

I went out with my Mother and the dogs this evening for a brisk walk before dinner. Today was quite hectic with a training day held locally so it wasn’t until quite late that the dogs got out. But it was really nice to see the Sun was still shining brightly – Summer is near!

We took the dogs to a local track where they can run freely but it’s not too muddy. A Muddy Buddy isn’t welcome! The track is sort of out in the countryside and it sounded just like Summer with the drone of Helicopters from the Middle Wallop airfield.

Afterwards, we set off down the road and came across three men with skateboards and full protection gear on. It was a strange sight, especially out in the middle of nowhere. We soon figured out that they were using the country winding road to their advantage. Extreme skateboarding! Why on earth they had travelled out to that spot was baffling but they seemed to be having fun – hence the picture at the beginning of this blog!

It’s hard to believe that the warmth and sunshine of today will be gone tomorrow and will be replaced with lots and lots of rain. It’s also hard to believe we had a snowstorm of sorts on Sunday!

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Day Sixty Four: A Spring Walk

 

Today started nicely with a Spring walk in the Sunshine with the dogs. There was nobody else about so it was really peaceful and quiet and I went a route that I’ve not taken for years. I’ve also not had much time with Buddy and Star together walking them in public places as we tend to head for the meadow or down the road. Star and I used to walk all the time in new places but since Buddy we’ve stuck to what we know.  This time though, we opened the back gate and took the path that goes the length of the village on the side of the Valley. Buddy crept through the gate with amazement, he knew it would open one day, he just knew it!

The first thing he encountered was another dog who gave him that doggy look of, ‘I am dog what are you?’ There was a mini stand off and then Buddy ran behind me, tail between his legs. Big chicken! Then we found the barking fence – which baffled him beyond belief. He just couldn’t comprehend a fence that barked at him, that was until he noticed the noses poking out underneath and then again, he ran.

I initially only planned to walk to the end of the village and then turn around and go home. But the dogs were so well behaved that we climbed the steps that took us above the Village and into the lands of Bury Hill Ring.

Bury Hill Ring is a Hillfort that overlooks Anna Valley and further afield the town of Andover. It was used by King Canute in 1016, when he fought Edmund Ironside in the Battle of Andover. There is a walk around the top of the ring but the land in the middle and in the ramparts either side is private.

One of the rare few shots of them together and Star shuts her eyes!

I only took the point and shoot digital camera as I knew that with two dogs and having to put them on the lead occasionally, we could end up with some accidental knocks to the SLR. As it was, Buddy didn’t like it when Star got in front of him and would race away to overtake her and I had to call him back on a couple of occasions so it was nice to be able to whisk a camera into my pocket for the rather more tedious moments!

 

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