An obstacle course

Some walks, like the one I wrote about in my last but one post, are quite straightforward. Others however, pose more of an 'interesting challenge'. 

For example, my favourite place to explore, the path west from our Loch Torridon cottage, could be considered a bit of an obstacle course. But I am an intrepid dog (although old). We were there again last weekend. 

First I had to cross a small stream:

Then came a tricky descent:

Bogs, I find quite fun (although I didn't roll in this one):

 I'm well practiced at those big gates in deer fences:

And I've always been rather proud of my climbing abilities, although I had to be careful here, as the rain was making the rocks slippery:

There are lots and lots of streams in the west of Scotland (all that rain.....) But so long as I can see the bottom and the water's not running too fast, I cope quite well:

Steep slopes don't faze me, nor does an undergrowth of heather and bracken (well so long as there's some sort of a path). 

Then, nearly home, one final obstacle, a ladder over a deer fence. OK, I confess, I had to be lifted onto this one. But don't you think I was brave, standing there on the top, all alone and not making a fuss whilst Gail took this photo! 

Back to the road and civilization, surely all plain sailing from here. Oh no, I give up! 

P.S. As you can see, it was one of those days when you couldn't decide whether to have your raincoat on or off. We have them quite a lot in these parts! 

More adventures in Wester Alligin

Why can't we spend more time over on the West Coast? Gail has this lovely cottage on Loch Torridon, in a settlement called Wester Alligin. It's such an interesting area to explore, whereas, to be frank, I feel that after nine years I've exhausted most options in Aberdeen's Duthie Park, nice though the roses are.

Well I had to make do with a too brief visit last weekend. The drive over on Friday night was a bit of a drag, as some new friend of Gail's, a girl called Naomi, came with us and she usurped my front seat in the car. Typical American, if you ask me, invading places they shouldn't. It's not that the back's uncomfortable exactly, more there's a point of principle's at stake. Top dog status is surely my right. Gail seems to think her friends might be insulted if they were put in the rear seat, but I'm sure they'd be just fine, these new Minis are quite spacious, and how does she imagine I feel anyway?

I digress. We all three, Gail, Naomi and I, enjoyed a fine walk along the coast on Saturday, although the ground wasn't as boggy as I like it and so I didn't quite manage to achieve my favourite half Scottie half Westie look, with black underside and white upper.

Sunday was even better. I don't usually approve of Gail going off on walks and leaving me behind, but this time, rather than being home alone I got to spend the day with Wester Alligin neighbours Renate and Michael. I've mentioned my language skills in a previous post. I'm not sure my German hosts realised that I understood every word they said, but then this is not the place to give away their secrets anyway.

Baclenbea, that's Renate and Michael's house, has a most splendid garden and between exploring that, and checking out the house for unprotected biscuits, the time flew by. Have you been watching the Olympics on telly? Me neither, but I hope you'll be impressed by my balancing feat on the 'single wall' (see photos). Eat your heart out Olga Korbut.

Gail looked a bit knackered when she came back from the walk. I suspect this young Naomi had upped the pace a bit. Well Gail now you know how I feel, always being the oldster and lagging behind. Perhaps you too should cultivate an interest in sniffing lampposts.

The trials of old age

See this picture here on the left. That's me, on top of Beinn Alligin, above Loch Torridon. Not very recently, I'm afraid. In fact the photo was taken by Gail in October 2005. We'd climbed up over 3000 ft from sea level. Not bad for one with such short legs, as I'm sure you're thinking.

Well that was three years ago. I don't think I'll be going up there again. We just spent last weekend at Gail's cottage on the shore of Loch Torridon. The weather was hot and still and walking a just mile from Wester Alligin to Inveralligin and back, which was once to me a mere hop a skip and a jump, is now a marathon. I get short of breath, my paws hurt, I overheat, I need a drink every few minutes, my skin itches. Old age is just not that much fun.

Gail went for a swim in the Loch on Sunday afternoon. There's a lovely little stony beach just a few yards from her house. She went straight in and swam all the way out to the yacht moored a couple of hundred yards from the shore. Incredible. I don't get this swimming business at all. What a horrid feeling, to have a wet back.

Do you know, some idiot company published a calendar last Christmas called 'Water-skiing Westies. Yes that's right, a bunch of dumb pictures of my fellow terriers, in what I suppose are meant to be amusing poses, balanced on water skis in enormous ocean waves. Well let me make it quite clear that we Westies have clear and strict rules regarding water and these are:

• Mostly, we're happy to avoid water altogether.


• If it's a really warm day, it's OK to go and lie in a nice stream, or a still lake, where we can see what we're stepping into and can feel the bottom. On no account should that water come up higher that half way up the side.


• Waves are a no-no.


• Ditto fast running streams.


• We have no desire to swim, retrieve sticks thrown in the water, or other such stunts which are fit only for lower breeds of dog.


• In heavy rain, we'd really rather wear a coat (Some of us may even humour our owners and tolerate a tartan one).