A change of scene!

Gosh it's fun to have a change of scene, isn't it? 

I won't be lying if I tell you it's especially fun if that change of scene involves a visit to our favourite and most hospitable friend YAM-aunty, who lives in Dunoon, and cooks yummy pancakes for breakfast, and always has a treat ready for me too.

She also has a comfy sofa where I can relax while Gail attends to important affairs. (In this picture she is typing a comment on Beau's blog).

And of course I get to explore the environment around the 'Hutch'.

Now as you might already be aware, weather in the Dunoon area is nothing if not 'changeable'. So I'm pleased to report we did see a few patches of blue sky and even sunshine from time to time.

After a walk along the promenade Gail and I headed into the town centre.

I checked out the forthcoming entertainment options,

And paused to admire the local street art.

Can you believe that Gail couldn't identify the flag pictured below? She had to look it up later. But really, she should have known that it's the flag of the International Brigade from the Spanish Civil War, don't you think? (And yes, we too are wondering why this might be flying from a drainpipe on the side of some council house in a small west of Scotland town in 2022.)

Finally we ascended the small mound beside the Castle Museum, and Gail nearly got her comeuppance for making me pose facing into the full force of the nor'westerly gale, when a sharp gust just about knocked her off her feet!

Thankfully we both made it back to safety, and were able to continue enjoying our little holiday chez YAM-aunty.

A very special trip

So Gail gave me a little pep talk when we stopped for elevenses in Dunkeld, en route to Dunoon last week. 

"Now Bertie, I understand how all is not well with your bladder, and it's not your fault that you have been having occasional 'accidents' inside our house recently, but please could you try extra specially hard to wait until you are outdoors while we are staying with YAM-Aunty this week? And if you could also try to avoid any night-time disturbances, that would be a bonus! I know our dear friend has most kindly said that it's not a problem at all and she wants to see you anyway, but I hope you'll do your best and not let me down.."

Well you know what? As soon as we'd arrived at YAM-Aunty's house I was overcome by the atmosphere of warmth and love, and a wave of well-being washed over me (and Gail I think). 

Between gentle strolls along the shore I curled up on the sofa in a state of blissful contentment while Gail and YAM-Aunty chattered away, ate good food, and watched the tennis on TV.

It couldn't have been a nicer two days, and I am happy to report that I did not in any way let Gail down.

On behalf of Gail and myself, I want to give a huge Thank You to YAM-Aunty for her generous hospitality. Spending time with friends in person is the Best!

Only the second wettest...?

I have an apology to make to my dear friend YAM-Aunty.

When Gail and I arrived on Friday morning at Yam's lovely home in Dunoon, and she told us she lived in the second wettest part of the UK, I have to confess, I doubted her. I even suspected she was pulling one of my four long and fuzzy legs.

Wearing my metaphorical Bertie Boffin hat (in retrospect a real sou'wester would have been more useful), I demanded supporting data.

Three days later, having gathered evidence a-plenty, I am pleased to report that YAM-Aunty was telling the truth, my only outstanding question being, is there really somewhere wetter?

Thank goodness even Gail eventually conceded that indoor (in)activities were the best option.

And so of course we all had a wonderful weekend together.

Aren't friends great?

Auld Reekie - not smelly but windy

Gosh I was so excited when I learned that Gail and I would be spending the weekend with our dear blogging friend YAM-Aunty and her father in the fine city of Edinburgh.

Did you know that the Scottish capital is sometimes referred to as 'Auld Reekie'? And that this translates into standard English as 'Old Smelly'...

Well what could be more appealing to us canines than a few days in a famously odiferous metropolis? 

And so I must confess to being a tad disappointed when I sniffed the air outside the home of YAM's father, and failed to detect anything other than the normal city aroma. 

However, early on Saturday morning it was impossible not to notice that the air molecules were rushing past one's nose at an unusually high velocity, ruffling one's beard and leg 'furnishings', and lifting one's ear flaps to a streamlined position.

It was perhaps optimistic to imagine that on top of nearby Blackford Hill, weather conditions would be calmer.

In a sheltered spot away from the summit I had the rare pleasure of an encounter with a pretty wee foxy lass called Saffy.

I even allowed her to give me a quick kiss. Mmmm. Nice.

The next day, YAM-Aunty kindly drove Gail and me out to the quaint little town of North Berwick. (I must say her car is a lot cleaner than Gail's*.)

After a trot around the harbour we paused to admire a memorial commemorating the role of the RAF's Coastal Command in defending our country in World War Two. (You might already know that Gail's late father was a pilot in 248 Squadron, part of Coastal Command's 'Banff Strike Wing', in 1944-5.) 

The wind was still blowing mightily. Nevertheless, Gail and YAM-Aunty were apparently both in perfect agreement that if the sun is shining, and one is beside the seaside, and a van selling excellent quality local ice cream is parked on the promenade, then one is obliged to partake of the goods on offer.

And you know what? The nice man in the 'Luca's Ice Cream' van even gave me a wee taster. Yum! 

Back at base, I had a fine time getting to know YAM-Aunty's father better, and was rewarded by some most satisfactory head scritches before we sadly had to depart and return to Aberdeen.

You know, I had such a lovely weekend that I have decided to forgive Gail and YAM-Aunty for their terrible decision on Sunday afternoon to visit Aberlady Nature Reserve, one of the very few places in Scotland where dogs are NOT ALLOWED!!! Despite the fact that I was left shut up in the car for at least 87 HOURS. (Gail says more like 87 minutes).

Oh and finally, I suspect that YAM-Aunty will be posting her usual superior quality photos of our adventures on her blog at some point in the near future, and so suggest you watch that space.

*Er, Gail claims this is only because YAM-Aunty herself does not currently own a dog....

FFF: Bertie has a nightmare

I'm afraid that this month, with just a few hours to go before the deadline, neither Bertie nor his assistant had even started on their monthly Final Friday Fiction assignment for dear YAM-Aunty. In truth, they had been wondering whether to take part this year.

But late on Thursday evening Gail picked up her library book, 'Swell: A Waterbiography' by Jenny Landreth, and on page 87, located these lines as per the FFF instructions:

Line 8: at all suitable for swimming. Some women's clubs had
Line 12: Premier Club. Other familiar names pop up - on a 1903
Line 16: is this our Mrs Fawcett, famous suffragist? The dates fit, the

But by then Bertie was very tired, and as he drifted off to sleep words and phrases from the selected lines mingled in his mind with a scene from a recent watery weekend....
.

.....So the bold little dog confidently crossed the narrow bridge, pausing as he did so to look down at the raging torrent beneath. Gosh, this river does not look at all suitable for swimming, he said to himself. A few minutes later his owner tried to follow him across, but she tripped as she was stepping on to the bridge, tumbled down the bank into the water, and within seconds was being carried down towards the sea. At times she was completely submerged, then, buffeted by the powerful current, an arm, a leg or her head would pop up again. Initially the little dog did not panic. He thought, well, my owner is, for a woman of her age, a reasonably fit and strong swimmer, surely she'll be OK? But as she was swept further downstream, doubts intruded and troubling thoughts flitted across his mind. Who would feed him and take him for walks in the hills if she didn't survive? Would he find another home where he would be allowed to cuddle up to his human at night, and be given a dinner of fried liver on his birthday? Oh it was all too terrible to contemplate...

But then Bertie felt a warm foot nudging his rear end, and woke up with a start, and was mightily relieved to realise that it was all just a bad dream and he and Gail were safe and dry in their home in Aberdeen.

Oh well, perhaps you should go over to the links on YAM-Aunty's blog to see if any of the other FFF-ers did better with the 'fiction' element of the challenge this month...

Not that I'm boasting...

Gosh, it's been a busy few days!

First off, Gail drove me down to Edinburgh, where I had a most pleasant visit with YAM-Aunty and her father. I know that YAM-Aunty has only one functional arm at the moment, but it wasn't wrong to ask her for treats, was it? I mean I would have been quite happy with the quantity of treats you can fit in one human hand...

After Edinburgh we continued south to just across the Border to meet up with Gail's friends Janet, Helen and Sue, and we have spent the last couple of days exploring the beautiful Northumbrian coastal path.

I walked about ten miles both yesterday and the day before (not that I'm boasting or anything).

I can't wait to go for another long walk today  although between you and me, I shall not be offering to swap places with the spaniel I met waiting for the bus in Craster - he  had just accompanied his owner on a twenty mile run down from Bamburgh Castle...

A letter to my friends in Canada

Gosh it's been a very full few days and I really am too tired to say much this evening. But I would just like to send a brief letter to my friends in Canada.


Dear Hailey and Zaphod,

I hope you are OK in 'camp'. You know, it's a real shame you can't be in Scotland with the Lady and Man, who are here with Gail and me, staying in YAM-Aunty's very lovely flat in Dunoon, where I have been given the run of the place (including both of YAM-Aunty's large and most comfortable sofas). I mean there would have been plenty of room on the sofas for you too. I'm not making you feel bad, am I?

You won't be at all jealous if I tell you how the Man and I had a most satisfying game of tug of war last night, will you? He really didn't seem to mind how much I growled and came close to nipping his fingers off. Does he play like that with you? Then at lunchtime today, I am totally sure he would have shared his packet of crisps with me too, had spoilsport Gail not told him not to.

Oh and we all had such a fun time exploring Auchindrain Township in the morning, and learning how life was lived in rural Scotland in times past. I have to say that the very basic furniture in the old cottages did not look a patch on YAM-Aunty's sofas. Did I mention the comfy sofas here? Oh, I did already, apparently! The Lady and Man told us how in Canada you guys would not have been allowed to roam around a museum like this. Well that's really too bad! Although of course I don't mean to make you feel envious, especially since you are cooped up in prison at the moment. (What? You didn't need reminding?)

Well I think I've written enough for now. I do believe that the Lady and Man, who are such nice humans, are missing you very much, despite hiding it well.

Send fond and manly kisses,
Toodle pip!
Bertie.

In which we explore the Cairngorm Snow Roads

I'm delighted to report that we had the most wonderful outing on Sunday. Such a good idea of Yam-Aunty’s to go exploring the newly designated ‘Snow Roads’ in the Cairngorms. (Although Gail wishes to point out that the roads are not new, and neither is the fact that they are snow prone. Fans of Jim Naughtie and BBC Radio 4 will already be familiar with hearing that the snow gates are closed on the notorious A939 Cockbridge to Tomintoul route).

I digress. What is sort of new is that art installations have been places at key locations along the roadside, adding extra spice to what are already spectacular viewpoints.

For quality images of these sculptures, and of the surrounding landscape, I refer you to the superior photography on our dear friend Yam’s blog, although we gather you will have to wait a few more days before the Snow Roads are featured there.

Long time readers know that science is my forte. Hitherto I have declined to venture into the precious world of art criticism.  Brian Sewell I am not. I would however like to point out a particular feature of ‘Still’* (a square sculpture with mirrored internal surfaces, located by a quarry just north of Tomintoul) - a feature which I suspect a more conventional art expert would have missed.

You might think nothing could be better than a picture of yours truly, looking adorable against the sparkling Cairngorm whiteness.

But you would be wrong.

Let me explain. Posing inside 'Still' allows you to see my fine jaunty tail and well-toned rear end, and the magnificent scenery in the background, not once but twice over in the same photo. A sort of artistic ‘buy one get one free’ deal!

Quite a result, I’m sure you’ll agree.

*Note we are in whisky country here, just a stone's throw from the Glenlivet and Glenfiddich distilleries, hence 'Still'?