The predicted gorgeous summer’s day showed up on cue this morning and so a surprised Rufus found me getting out of bed as soon as he came to wake me up.
(Yeah, because normally it takes several attempts before you wake up and we’ve usually missed half the day by then.)
Breakfast was a formality.
(It may well have been for you, but breakfast is important to a pedigree hound.)
We set off for the Llia valley. No hills today, just a nice long stroll along the river. It was too hot for either of us to climb a mountain.
(Speak for yourself. I could have sprinted up and down before the sun had a chance to warm me up.)
I parked up next to the river, balancing the car on the edge of a drop down to the water.
(I could have done with a parachute when I jumped out of the car.)
There followed an hour of splashing, jumping, paddling, swimming, barking and catching stones.
(And endless photograph taking.)
And then we jumped back in the car for a short spring down to the forestry car park, where I thought we’d be able to walk through the woods by the river, taking advantage of the shade. But only a few yards away from the car park, several trees had come down and blocked the path. There was no way around so after some more paddling…
(…and barking…)
…and barking, we crossed the river and took a short walk up along the forestry road until, about 150 yards beyond the bridge, more trees blocked the route. They all seem to have toppled as a result of landslip followed by high winds, as all the trees affected were on slopes and the earth around them had also moved.
I stood for a moment looking back down the forestry track and listening to the sounds. The birds were singing but it was a different sound to the dawn chorus, more upbeat and sharp. Very faintly, I could hear sheep. There was no wind in the tree tops today and everything was still.
It was getting hot without a cooling breeze so we turned back for the car, home and second breakfast.
franticsmurf 