Monday 30 September 2019

A misadventure on Scolty


I want to tell you about a wee adventure I had on Scolty Hill on Friday afternoon, when Gail went missing for about an hour.

The outing started well and we stayed close together as we set off through the woods then ascended the hill and arrived at the landmark tower.

Gail even carried me up to the top of the tower, where I was happy enough to 'pose nicely' by the scary spiral staircase, but drew the line at a selfie of the two of us looking out from the open viewing platform.

We took a different route down from the summit (there is quite a network of paths in this popular hiking and biking area). 

All was going well until I stopped for a minute or two to check out an interesting patch of peemail and Gail walked past, unaccountably oblivious to the important message left on the bracken.

And you know what? When I continued down the path, Gail had gone missing - she was nowhere to be seen! 

Well I am not a dog to panic, and when I came to a fork in the path, I decided to head back up the hill, presuming that Gail had returned to the summit to admire the view once again. 

There was no sign of my owner at the top of the hill, but I ran into a friendly couple, and when they gave me a piece of biscuit  I decided to attach myself to them, and wondered if they might like to adopt me. One of them petted me, looked at the tag on my collar and tried to make a phone call, but didn't seem to be getting an answer.

Shortly after this, we met a mountain biker, who said something about having spoken to a distressed lady at the bottom of the hill, adding "I think this must be her missing dog Bertie". He then sped off at a dangerous pace back down the hill.

Fifteen minutes later, a slightly breathless Gail suddenly reappeared, all hot and bothered. She put me on the lead and we walked back to the car park with the friendly couple, although I'm sorry to report that no more biscuits were forthcoming. Gail kept saying how thankful she was, and how kind the mountain biker had been to offer to ride back up the hill in search of me, and - at some length - how lithe and muscular he looked. (Between you and me, I began to think she would have been quite happy to go home with this biker and leave me on the hill with my new friends.)

Anyway....

Today we are off to the pet shop to buy a replacement for my old and apparently now illegible dog tag.

18 comments:

  1. Bertieeeeeee... omg that was a thrilling moment...that biker was like a guardian angel on two wheels... hod good that you are together again now... we don't dare to ask how da reuninion pawty was...LOL

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  2. Hari OM
    .....W.H.A.T.??????? Good grief, Bertie lad, my heart was thumping fur ya; what was that Gail thinking to walk off without you like that??? Thank the hillsides for kind and thoughtful folks such as biscuit-carrying walkers and mountain bikers of the lithe variety!!! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
    (GAIL - OMD... seriously, I can just feel the anxiety. Great to discover good people though.)

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    1. Gail says: the 'guardian angel' mountain biker apparently told the friendly couple that it wasn't the first time he'd reunited a dog with its anxious owner on that hill!

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  3. Bertie OMDs my 70 y.o. ticker skipped about 87 beats when I read you 'lost' Gail. Geeeez Louise
    thank goodness she got the wanderlust out of her system before you take your trek to Germany. Yep I think a new tag is in order peeps are very hard to train. That might be a hill to avoid in the future.
    Thankful hugs
    Cecilia

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  4. That sounds like a scary time to have lost Gail. We don't understand why she would go missing like that. It's nice to know there are nice people around to help you find her.

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  5. Oh my goodness, Bertie, that was some heart stopping adventure you had there ! How could Gail possibly walk past you and then not check you were following ?
    A new dog tag will be very nice, but methinks Gail needs some more training !

    Love,
    Inca xx

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  6. OMD, Bertie, I can't believe Gail was so irresponsible as to walk off without you! I don't know if she's safe to leave off the walking string, however irritating it is.

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  7. OMD! Bless the friendly couple and the mountain biker, Bertie!

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  8. We are SO happy that this story had a happy ending! It is so scary to lose the ones we love, if just for a few minutes!

    Kiki and Rosie

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  9. OMD...Maybe you n eed to get your Gail a new tag also, it's amazing how those humans can be in such a hurry sometimes! We are very glad you were reunited!!
    xoxo,
    Rosy, Jakey & Arty

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  10. We're so happy there were helpful friendly peeps around--especially some with biscuits. (You have to keep up your energy level in stressful events.)
    At least you didn't have to go to the Police Station to get her--as she had to, for Hamish!

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  11. Oh, Bertie, I understand how you went back to where you had been with Gail, waiting for her to return (like our dog did in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when we were separated), but I also understand Gail's panic and then relief. Many thanks to everyone who helped you two.

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  12. PS Don't, either of you, do that again!!!

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  13. Well Bertie, clearly you must not let Gail out of your sight so she won't go missing again
    hugs
    Mabel & Hilda

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  14. Looks like you had a wonderful day with your adventures. We are happy that you didn't get lost. Thanks for sharing the great photos. Have a wonderful day.
    World of Animals

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  15. HOLY COW PATTIES! Dude! What was your Gail thinkin'?? Walkin' off like that when you were very clearly gettin' the latest news from the peemail?? sigh. peeps. Wells, at least you got some biscuit and scritches while you waited for your Gail to make it up the hill. High paw to that biker! Maybe you will see him again...thou, not because you lost your Gail...
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  16. Bertie
    Dad of Madi said to tell you he can sympathize with your story. He often loses me when they are out and about. And 9 times out of 10 he finds me talking to a stranger
    Hugs
    Cecilia

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