This post is a response to Shawnee's comment from my last post.
I AM very lucky to live where I do and really do appreciate it, but you know what they say about familiarity breeding contempt, when you do the same walks all the time you become just that little bit blase about it all, and don't really appreciate it the way you should.
Having lost my car last year I am quite jealous of your walks Shawnee, all those magnificent wild places you get to,WOW.
I really miss some of the walks we used to do on my way to and from work as a milk recorder, travelling around to different farms within a 30 mile radius.

Places like these pictured below.


Brynberian burial chamber

Sunset at Rosebush

Bedd Arthur on the Pressellies

Pengelli woods

Newport and Carn Ingli.

But having lost my car I am really glad that I do live in such a lovely place with so many good accessible dog walks. Having to walk everywhere has made me explore local footpaths and find places quite nearby that I never knew existed before, and we really do appreciate the times we get a bus, or a friend takes us somewhere a bit different,

Another thing I have just recently come to appreciate is how safe we are when we go walking here. I thought your lovely red coat, Shawnee, was just a cool fashion accessory your mum liked, I didn't realise until your last post that it was to stop someone shooting you! And in another blog I was reading about how to spring a trap if your dog gets caught in one. These are things we just don't think about here.

A Winter Picnic

Yesterday was such a beautiful dayI decided to pack a picnic lunch and take Finn for a special walk along the cliff path and make a day of it. we set off across the fields and Finn soon found one of his favoritewatering places, I'm sure there's a bit of warthog in him somewhere!



The path leads through the woods to the cliff path.



Finn always goes on the lead on the cliff path as you quite often hear of dogs going over the edge, and there is no way I will risk that happening to Finn. It is suposed to be only 4 miles to Mwnt but there are so many inlets that I'm sure it's twice that in reality.

You can't get the idea of how steep the drop is behind Finn here as I couldn't get in quite the right position with the camera without going over the edge myself!

looking back the way we had come. You can often see Dolphins playing round the headland where the currents meet, but there weren't any about yesterday. I often see a Peregrine here aswell and once I saw a Merlin hovering over the cliff face.

Looking forward. The plan was to have lunch in the field overlooking the rocks where the seals come to lie in the sun, but there was a strong North wind blowing off the sea and I decided to find somewhere more sheltered.

Finn is off the lead for this bit as it is far enough away from the edge and is quite a steep slope, which I don't appreciate being pulled down!

Another favorite watering place.

He does like the water.

Back on the lead here.

We waited till we were off the cliff path to have our lunch.

We found a small, sunfilled clearing just off the path, next to a stream where Finn could play while I ate my cold meat salad and apple crumble, possibly not the best choice for a day when the ice stayed on the ground all day
but a flask of coffee did a good job of warming me up before we carried on up this path, which in autumn is lined with blackberries.

Which led to this field.

and into this wood which will be thick with Daffodils soon.

Across the road to the Daffodil wood is this waterwheel, which looks quite forlorn standing alone.

Finn went for a closer look,

and so did I.

So far I haven't been able to find out anything about it's history, but I haven't given up yet.


Further along the road it was back into fields again. The path goes past this abandonned farm house, where if I had the money I would love to live. The land goes down to the cliff path and there are lovely seaviews and some useful out buildings.

Across another couple of fields and Finn finds a lovely muddy stream.

He's really pleased with the state he's got himself in, just look at that tummy.

And now it's back home for a bath!


I'm just thinking how lucky I am to have this walk right at the end of my road!

I Want To Be the Person My Dog Thinks I Am

The following poem was inspired by this fridge magnet sent by JD and Max's Female Human and the picture of me from the last post!It's my first attempt at writing poetry since I was at school many moons ago so please don't be too critical.

I wakeup in the morning
Aching limbs and stiff in the joint
Finn by the bedside
'Come on Mum, let's go for a jaunt'.



I want to be the person my dog thinks I am.



I look in the mirror,
Face lined and gaunt.
Finn by my side
'Come on Mum let's go for a jaunt'



I want to be the person my dog thinks I am.



I put on my hat, put on my coat,
Caught by a neighbour wanting to talk.
Finn by my side,
'Come on Mum, this is a walk.



I want to be the person my dog thinks I am.



We tramp across fields,
Splash through streams'
Finn by my side,
'Come on Mum, this is the walk of my dreams'.



For a while, Iam the person my dog thinks I am.



I sit for a rest
At the end of the day.
Finn at my side ,
'Come on Mum, it's time to play'.



Iwant to be the person my dog thinks I am.

Ann's Birthday

It was Ann's birthday yesterday so she invited us and Beryl and Tansy to go for a walk at Aberaeron followed by lunch in the best chip shop in Ceredigion!
She picked us up and Finn had a ride in Peter's campervan, which is much more comfortable than a normal car even if he wasn't allowed to sit on the bed!

Ann with Finn (left) and Peter (right)

Me with Finn and Peter, while we were wating for Beryl to arrive

Tansy and Finn. The path goes along the back of the beach and gradually merges into the beach which is all pebbly here. You can walk all the way to Aber Arth from Aberaeron although we didn't go that far yesterday.

It was really weird to see the snow on the hills as it was really warm in the sun.

Can you see the snow on the mountains of North Wales in the distance?

Ann, Beryl Tansy, Peter and Finn.

The path goes up onto the fields and although it is not stony underfoot it is very muddy.

Shall we jump?

At this point there was quite a drop down to the beach and Finn delighted in giving me heart attack. I don't think he would have jumped down, but I was worried about the edge giving way as it isn,t very stable.

After our walk we left the dogs in the cars (with windows and sunrooves open) while we had the best ever fish and chips served with a green salad, then we had a look around an exhibition of local artists before reurning home.

Thankyou for a lovely day out Ann.

Back to school

Thank you all for your get well wishes for Jesse, she is feeling better now and has regained most of the weight she lost. Maria was really touched when I told her you had sent messages for her.
Finn had a nice surprise yesterday, he went back to school! Yvonne came and picked us up and he went in the car with Mishka, a chocolate Labrador. He knew something was up when I put a bag of treats in my pocket, and he was outside waiting by the gate for about 1/2 hour before she arrived.
When we arrived the previous class was still drinking their tea and he went to talk to Ruby, a Burmese who he remembered from his puppy days at school. Our class was just a fun class just for social reasons rather than serious training, there was Ginny a golden retriever and Tarka a wire haired Dachshund who belong to Sue the trainer from the previous class, Emma awhite Pomeranian who he used to know from puppy days, Jack a whippet and Maisie another chocolate Labrador who was also one of his old friends and of course Mishka and Mick a Beardie collie belonging to Jim our trainer.
We did heal work on and off lead and a 2 minute stay which Finn did very well.
Then we all stood in a group in a corner while one of us left their dog and went into another room before calling their dog to them and then leaving them in the room, returning to the group and calling their dog back again. Finn managed the first part alright but didn't quite let me get back to the group before he decided he ought to come and make sure I wasn't being kidnapped!
Then we played a couple of games with bits of carpet. In the first one we had to get our dogs to circle the carpet pieces in alternate directions, I expect the dogs would have done it perfectly if only the owners knew what they were meant to be boing! The next game was a bit simpler, the dogs had to walk to heal (off lead) and sit on each carpet square on the way up the line, then on the way back we had to leave the dog, go down the line 2 carpet squares, recall the dog and get him to sit on the first carpet square, repeating the exercise until we reached the end of the line. Finn was very good at this although the bits of carpet were just the tinsiest bit close for him and he did overshoot a couple!
Then we had tea, bicscuits and choccies because it was somebody in the other class's birthday before returning home.
A big thankyou to Mishka for letting Finn share his car.

Just a quick update on Jesse, the rottweiller who lives across the road and shared our bus on her way to the vet yesterday. She is a very poorly little pup, and had to have a hysterectomy as she had a really bad infection. She is back home now but is feeling really sorry for herself and isn't eating or drinking, let alone taking her antibiotics. I found a syringe I had to worm the puppies with a few years back in the hope that Maria can get some water into her with that, otherwise she will have to go back to the vet.
Hang on in there Jesse we're all rooting for you.

Sun, Sea, Sand and Surprises

She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed has been a bit busy (lazy) just lately so I'm taking over blogging duties today!
It was a luvvly day with lots of suns shining in a blue sky and lots of winds blowing. We went to my most favorite place in the whole world, but we nearly didn't get there 'cos Jesse, a Rotty who lives in our road and NEVER goes out, (imagine never going anywhere but your own back garden!), decided to be ill and go to the vet on the same bus as we had to get on and the bus driver man said he couldn't take 2 dogs on but She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed said I was very good and he said I could get on after all. I was VERY good even though Jesse is in season and I had to walk past her to get on and off!
We got off the bus at Patch and I went swimming in my favorite swimming place.

Then I had a good shake.

Then I fetched the stick and then we did it all over again.

Then we walked along the beach, right the way to that hotel in the distance, then we came back again and walked the other way.

I found a BIG jellyfish-good job I didn't find it while I was swimming!

Then I found a coconut!

IT rolled like a ball.

After about an hour we started walking home because I was all wet and sandy and we didn't want to make the bus wet and sandy so that the driver man wouldn't let us on any more. It should have taken us about 2 hours to get home but after we had gone halfway the bus came along and the driver man said get on even though I was wet and sandy cos I had been such a good man on the way there!

When we got home there was a luvvly surprise in the postbox! There was a prezzie from JD and Max!


Here's what they sent. Some writing paper with G.S.Ds on for She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed, a fridge magnet with writings on and some luvvly, tasty chews for me. Thankyou JD and Max.

The chews were DELICIOUS.