Thursday 1 July 2010

Four months and four score years!

Phew! Last weekend was totally exhausting. I'm only just now recovering.

You'd think the Friday evening walk up Scolty would have been quite enough! But no, it turns out that Gail had big plans for Sunday too. Every year (well, most years anyway) she goes on a sponsored walk organised by the Tibet Support Group Grampian. They always pick a lovely route through the hills, somewhere different each time, and Gail told me it's not only a good cause it's a wonderful day out.

All well and good, but not till next summer surely? I'm still far too little to walk this year's 7-8 miles round Glen Gairn and Morven Lodge.

But it turned out that Gail had a plan. (I'm learning to be a bit wary of Gail's plans, but that's another story....). Her friend Brian, who is a lot more 'senior' than me (and her) wanted to join the walk too, but maybe just for part of the distance. Well they looked at the map and spotted a path marked which would cut off a section, reducing the length by about half.

The weather was pleasant, by Scottish standards (you will notice in this group shot that the human participants are at least not wearing gloves and woolly hats).
It turned out that the 'shortcut' path was a figment of the Ordnance Survey's imagination, but that didn't deter Brian and I one jot.

And Brian was a jolly good sport all round, for someone who isn't much accustomed to dogs.

He used to do lots of mountain climbing, and could teach me a thing or two about nimbly scrambling over rough ground and down steep slopes. (I'm not as wobbly as I was a month ago, but I do still sometimes lose track of my rear legs).

And no Gail, I don't want to tell people about how I fell fast asleep when we stopped for a break a mile from the end, and then had to be carried most of the rest of the way!

At least she didn't take any photos of that bit.

Well it really was a super day, as promised. Brian and I both thought that the path-less short cut was the most fun part.

And Gail was so glad we hadn't stayed in to watch the England versus Germany football game...

17 comments:

  1. You and Brian make a gorgeous couple. Well done for going on such a big walk, even if it was just half the distance for other people.
    Get some rest now, little pup.

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  2. We bet you slept well that night - and the next day. Well done, little pip.

    XOXO
    Lilly, Piper, Carrleigh and Ruairi

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  3. It's soooo beautiful there! I think you need a few goats along for company!

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  4. Bertie, you are quite a trooper...keeping up all that way. Even if you had to be carried a little bit, it's better than being found in a police cell.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Kendra & Bella

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  5. Bertie, you are turning into a real photogenic highlander. As they'd say where you've just been walking - 'you've really gone to the length of your tether this time'.

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  6. Woos Bertie! That sounds like a great walkie fur a great cause, by the way we love woo new header picture... I would have fallen asleep ion the way back too....
    Have a Happy Day!
    ~husky kisses~
    -Kira The BeaWootiful

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  7. Hi Bertie, now here is another lesson you must learn. Humans with maps who predict short cuts are always wrong.
    How often have we fallen for that one........just round the bend and you will see it.....Ha!
    It is lucky for Gail that both you and Brian were such good sports.
    You both did very well and Brian, for a non dog human, looked quite at home with you we must say.
    Well done you for going such a long way - your poor little leggies will be sooooo tired.
    We met a WFT the other night on our walk - first time ever- and no camera!!!!
    Well the human was so excited, was it Bertie, Eric, Asta, Jake or Fergi?
    Sadly it was no dog we knew but we must say it was an eye opener - do you WFT's have springs?
    This dog bounced all over the place......we were exhausted just watching.
    love and kisses
    Martha and Bailey xxxx

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  8. Bewtie

    You cewtainly picked a soopew active Mom..not like my stay at homeandlie awound one.. This means you will always be in excellent shape and tewwibly fit. I think Bwian looks like a vewy nice sowt fow a hooman, and I 'm tewwibly impwessed by youw stamina at such a tendew young agae

    you'we also looking awfully handsome(I'm suwe little KKKKKatie is vewy smitten)
    love and smoochie kisses
    ASTa

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  9. Well that looked like aLOT of fun!! We have been tryihng to help PL2 with her computer.It seems like when her computer exploded it took ALOT of stuff with it.....We thought we heard the last of the HBO words but we were wrong( we will tell you all about HBO words when it is just the three of us..) Hoep this weekend is just as fun for you!! Love and ksises A+A

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  10. Oh Bertie! What a swell time you are having out hiking and climbing.

    Your hike-mate Brian looks like a charming gent and I am sure you will love to walk with him again.

    These walks will build your body and make you strong!

    Kisses,
    Stella

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  11. Bertie! It sounds like it was a mutually beneficial day. And our guess is that Brian gained the most! A wonderful (perfect?) lesson in the joys of a (very very cute) wire fox terrier. Lucky man. (Lucky dog. We can just picture you snoozing away that last mile of the jaunt.)

    Jale and Fergs

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  12. Capital job, Bertie my boy! Now if you could have snuck a tennis ball along and insisted that Brian toss it for you every five steps--oh, and barked at him to hurry up and retrieve the ball when it lands in a tight place, well, then you'd be a real Highlander, at least by my standards!

    When I was your age, almost exactly 7 years ago, I'd decide mid-walk that I needed a rest and would just lie down on the sidewalk, looking as if I'd been shot (mind you, it was July in NYC). That's when Mom had to explain to me that I was a Cairn terrier, not a Carrying terrier!

    Maybe you're part Carrying terrier too?

    Your pal,

    Uncle Petey

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  13. Ah Bertie so may lessons in life to be learned... like never trust a man with a map. Or for that matter the woman in the car who operates the SAT NAG. But I digress. What a smashing walk and a worthy cause too. Do remember a slight nip at walkers ankles further encourages all leggeds to let you play the let's chase 'em game. Must bark Brian for a non dog legged looked quite at home cuddling you. Well done Bertie! Nice training!

    Then your faked sleep was indeed a wise plan to ensure your wires would be back on full alert when you got home. Besides. Being cute and carried ensures plenty of attention of the cooing kind and soft ear scritchies. All in all Bertie I can see you are winning every legged over and training them well to boot. Bravo my boy!! Keep 'em at it.

    Proud wiry wags, Your Uncle E xxx

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  14. Getting carried out at the end was brilliant. Sheesh. I mean you must have to take about 2947 steps for every one those long leggers take. Poor little guy.

    Slobbers,
    Mango

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  15. Oh my Bertie. I only just read the post about poor old Hamish being deserted by Gail on his walk.Fancy abandoning him like that. It's a wonder she wasn't put in the slammer herself. I woud advise you look into microchipping her Bertie should she ever feel the need to wander off again. You can never be too careful.

    wiry love from your worried Uncle E xxx

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  16. I wish we could walk with you - it sounds wonderful! It is too hot here to take the dogs out. If we do, it is only for a short walk!

    Sam

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  17. What a lovely day for a hike. It looks like you did a fine job and if you fell asleep, that's OK, too.

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