Climate matters at Loch Kinord and beyond

You know somewhere's well worth a visit when, even on a dull day, it looks lovely. 

(Fortunately, the Scottish weather provides ample opportunity to test this theory...)

What with one thing and another, it's been six months since we last visited Loch Kinord. In February, there was snow, and now in August, the heather under the pine and birch trees is in full bloom, but the water lilies have sadly been and gone. The water still tastes good. 

The loch sits within the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve, and some new information boards have appeared. Of course Gail and I already knew that the humpy and sinuous ridge bounding the northern edge of the loch is an 'esker', formed by rivers under glaciers in the last Ice Age.

Even in August, it takes no great stretch of the imagination to picture Aberdeenshire covered in glaciers. Harder perhaps, to take in the fact that earlier this summer in the Siberian Arctic town of Verkhoyansk, a temperature of over 100ºF was recorded, the result of warming due to human activity on top of the natural variations in climate that take place through the ages. 

Friends, we need to take climate change seriously. 

Happy Nature Friday! Do go and visit the other posts in Rosy, Arty, Jakey and Sunny's always enlightening blog hop. 

It's fun to be a Foxy!

So we had a little meet and greet in the Muir of Dinnet car park on Sunday morning, ahead of the monthly wire-haired fox terrier walk. It was a small but select group this time. Quality rather than quantity, if you like. 

Stan, Merin, Pickles and I were joined by Stan's houseguest Toby, who is not a WFT, but we didn't hold that against him.

Introductions complete, we set off down the path through the birch trees to Loch Kinord. For the first time this year, I felt snow under my paws.

The sun shone brightly. The snow had melted and the wind had freshened by the time we completed our circumnavigation of the Loch.

We were all "good dogs" throughout, although perhaps Merin could use some extra training in the matter of posing for the end of walk team photo.

Left to right: Bertie, Pickles, Merin and Stan

Gosh it was fun. I bet Dobermann Toby is wishing he was a Foxy!

Just a pretext for avoiding stuff...?

We've been here, there and everywhere these last few days, despite the sometimes inclement weather.

Gosh it's a busy life being a four legged avoidance accessory.

So on Friday I was taken for a damp walk in Warren Wood, 'cos according to Gail I absolutely needed the exercise, and it was nothing whatsoever to do with her putting off cleaning the house.

On Saturday it rained heavily, but I was still made to go out, at least until it was time to slump in front of the telly and watch some men with big leg muscles cycling up the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees. And so it turned out, purely by chance I'm sure, that there was no time at all left for Gail to clear that large pile of paperwork on her desk.

Sunday, in lieu of washing the car, we apparently needed to accompany Yvonne and Neil, else they would have been lonely on their walk around Loch Kinord.

Then on Monday, despite our lawn needing mowing and me giving every indication I would have been happy to rest up on the sofa,  Gail saw fit to take me along with Henry (her friend from Australia) for a walk up Clachnaben. No soon as we reached the summit for a picnic lunch than Gail and Henry were reaching for their waterproof jackets as the clouds and rain descended once more. So of course it was too wet to cut the grass when we got back home.

Finally, come Tuesday, with Gail at work, I had the opportunity to relax. Well at least until she arrived home, turned on the radio, heard confirmation of the identity of our new Prime Minister, and cried "Bertie, I can't bear to listen to this, we need to go out for a long walk...."

Imagine what it would be like if we actually lived somewhere with a half decent climate!

Decisions, decisions….

You know how it is when you go for a Sunday afternoon walk with friends...

You pose nicely amidst the buttercups and speedwells...


You pose patiently while they text pictures of you to daughters in Denmark...


You pose gracefully beside the loch...


You even pretend to admire the water lilies while cooling your paws...


Then when they stop for a breather and a bite to eat, you are faced with a most dreadful dilemma.

Is it best to target Neil for treats...


Or will Yvonne prove the softer touch?


Tell me, how would you choose?

Bad movies/good movies

You'd think it would be safe to allow your human a night out once in a while, to go to the movies, for example. I'm cool with that idea. I'm a big pup now and don't mind being 'home alone' for a couple of hours. I understand that sometimes Gail thinks she needs mental stimulation other than that which I provide.

Well, I'm telling you. Do NOT let your humans anywhere near this new silent film 'The Artist'. They could come back with all sorts of worrying notions.

"Hey Bertie", Gail called out when she arrived home at 11pm last night, "can you do that crouching down, head tucked back between the front legs pose? Like the Jack Russell in the film I just saw? It's a sort of 'I can't bear to watch this' gesture. SO cute."

No Gail I can't do that.

But I can growl.

Grrrrrhhh.

And no, I am not going to be mollified by being told the dog was totally the star of the show. Why ever might you imagine it could be otherwise?

I'm thinking my readers might now want to watch a wee movie filmed on my walk yesterday afternoon, in which I am the main attraction.

Well OK, me and the sounds of the wind and the tinkling of ice fragments on the loch.