Longdogs Celebrate the Spring

Happy Birthday Kizzy

 - my own little gypsy.

I hope you enjoy this video of the dogs playing on the beach.

Spring with the Longdogs (and welcome, new kids on the block)

 It looks as though spring is really on its way here in Scotland.  As I walked around the lakes the other day I was caught between the loud repeated rat-tat-tat of a woodpecker and the mournful terwit-terwoo of a late to bed owl.  I then spotted a heron, hunched up on a log flanked by two angry looking swans.  Soon there will be new eggs to hatch and new life on the lakes.  My pond is already full of frog spawn, the garden full of daffodils.  I love the transitional seasons.  I think the dogs do too - especially spring, when its not too hot and they can really kick up their heels.  I think the word 'frollicking' is a good one to describe how they are just now.  Its exhausting work though,as you can see from these pictures.

New Kids on The Block

As its spring, the time of new life and renewal, I would like to say farewell to Sam, my friend's terrier who died a wee while ago and HELLO to his new dogs Chips and Beans, a pair of Kerry Blue/Collie crosses.  May their walks be long and happy together, just as they had been for Sam.

Ever Diminishing Circles.....Exmoor Ponies arrive on our dog walk

Hello everyone!  

The clocks have gone back and that means that winter is making its way into the fields. The deer are everywhere and the pheasants are running jauntily around, the males looking exotic against the autumn foliage. The big news is that Exmoor ponies have arrived on our walks put there by the local council who think that they might be good for the wildlife (?).  They are lovely and I see them every day but it means that the dogs have to stay on their leads for longer than usual, what with that and the 'game birds nesting - please keep dogs on lead' signs the actual opportunities for some mad running around in a houndish fashion are getting smaller and smaller and as a result our walks are getting longer and longer in order to make up for the lack of off the lead time.  But I am a glass half full kind of girl and I am going to take my camera out and see if I can't get some good pictures of the shy wild ponies (the above picture wasn't take by me) and the hounds and me are going to make the most of the bright autumn days and see if we can add to the things we spot on our walks - the current list stands at:  deer, hare, rabbits, shrews, fieldmice, peregrine falcons, buzzards, kites, little owls, Exmoor ponies, pheasants, swans, coots, ducks and once, a very confused mole.

Still...we've always got the beach!