Talk about into the deep end ....

Yes, it does seem like I have been missing in action and I suppose to a certain extent that is true. I've not written anything here since the 1st May - is it really that long ago?

So, instead of trying to fill you in with EVERYTHING that has been happening, I'll just give a few snippets.

Hi - my name is kate although I also go by the alias hawthorn and yes I do choose to write them both with lower case initials. I also prefer to write in pencil and when I have to be all 'grown up' and use a pen and unless legally required - I refuse to write in black. (school related trauma here!)

I love taking photos.

Last week were were up in the lakes on paddleboards - Himself has been cogitating over the last couple of years about them and when I let slip I wanted to get out and get back to wild swimming (something I did for years until I came to the uk) he took that as the nudge HE needed and literally 48 hours later we had SUP boards and all the accoutrements required. Talk about being swept up in the moment.

The first couple of sessions - learning to paddle board in the rain and trying to teach a dog how to be a safe passenger without panicking all whilst trying to negotiate a swell on the sea .... were not the best and probably poorly judged.

But we have persisted. Although I still feel apprehensive as we cross the lakes with very deep dark water below me, the sense freedom it gives my headspace has been worth the angst leading up to each set off.

The turning point from fear and uncertainty to tentative joy was when quietly sitting on board, with the dog whilst surrounded by puffins, guillemots and razor bills at Flamborough Head. It felt I could reach out and touch the sky.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from that moment - I was still too on edge to stop concentrating on the board to wrestle my cell phone out of my buoyancy jacket - my hands would not let go of the paddle. 

Apart from my own gentle pride (relief ?) that I am finally getting less apprehensive, my delight is in how Willow has blossomed. When we first had her, she was very water-aversive - not even trotting through a puddle out on a walk. We had been carefully introducing water into all walks but not really having much success. Until now. Despite falling in several times, having to be hauled out of the sea, out of Coniston Water and Ullswater - she now leaps onto the boards, plays in the shallows, will actively chose to walk into a river for a drink or a wallow if she is hot. We are so pleased.

So - I am back. 

If you have read this far, thank you. I had been tinkering with instagram and it didn't  quite hit the mark, it seemed very 'I'll follow you if you follow me' only to be unfollowed almost immediately. Felt very shallow and self serving.

With that - I shall leave you with a sunset - we've seen some cracking ones this year - hope you have too xx

Zombies and swallows

 Waking early and stumbling out of the van dressed like a zombie dog mum is not one of my finest hours however, the fresh blue skies, the crisp air screaming down to the bottom of my lungs and the promise of a hot brew on my return, makes the first morning piddle walk for Willow (NOT me!) worth it....

Clasping said promised brew, now fully dressed and feeling a little more human having fed Willow who inhaled her food with one undignified dog-slurp, I'm savouring the scent of toast being made.

The breakfast view is amazing. It might not be to everyone's taste, but to us - the marshes rolling gently down to the estuarine tidal reaches of the Lune with the historically interesting village of Sunderland Point perched on a small spit of land just across the waters - is enough to fill our hearts. 

The vastness of the skies and the drifting of whispy clouds fills my eyes as I stare at birds flitting across my view. I am watching out for barn swallows - we'd heard a tantalising warbling trill and started to scan the skies. The males arrive first by a few days - they are identifiable by their longer tail feathers - then the females appear. 

Shelducks, ravens, wood pigeons, egrets, black headed gulls, martins, mallards and the much anticipated swallows fill the skies and marshes in front of us and we find it difficult to tear ourselves away for our walk... but pressed by Willow, we do.....

I want more gentle adventures like these.

With thanks to Himself for letting me use some of his photos - in particular the final one - which is an absolute corker and he is rightly proud of ❤️

Willow and Barry

I never meant this blog to turn into a 'What Willow did next' waffle but it seems this is another post about her 🐾😆

As I type she is lying on my feet which although rather sweet is incredibly uncomfortable, however I would rather she did that than be curled up in a corner facing away. We've only had her three months and although there are still 'teething' problems she is settling in and finding her feet and her place in her new pack.

What triggered this post was a rather important appointment - although Willow would disagree.  She went for a pre-spey check up at her veterinary surgery. Oooh scary stuff.  Poor girl thought we were going for a walk when she threw herself at high speed into the car  however, when we obviously did not pull up at her FAVOURITE PLACE EVER (until the next favourite place - it changes....) but in a rather austere tarmac carpark her body language changed instantly.

Gone was that eager 'let me at 'em' look on her face as she immediately became a cringing scaredy little piece of red rag and could not get closer to my legs if she tried. I can not fault the kindness and gentle understanding by the staff as I explained about this little whimp and her rescue history. You never saw such relief on her face as we left and she could hurtle back into the car!

However, I did promise her we would go to the playing fields before we returned home and as soon as I parked up she squeaked with joy. We were there a lot later than our usual visit so the grounds were empty and it was just us. I decided no training today - too much for an already fried little Willow walnut brain and we went straight into play - you could see all the tension lift off her shoulders as she sprinted around in huge circles around me, blasting out all her pent up nervous energy and stress.

Just as we'd almost completed a rather whirlwind circuit of play and ball chase, one of Willow's little buddies and his dad landed. As we get to meet more folk with her, she is gently getting used to other dogs and people and we've had a very positive breakthrough with her making tentative steps to being interested in actually 'saying hello' to people. 

This particular pairing of dog and dad are rather sweet, both getting on in years and a bit rusty around the edges, the dog - who I have been told his name but each time I don't quite catch it is something like Tooby or Dobby or Scooby or Dooby or something like that and his dad is called Barry. Now, Barry has a life well lived face, with time and work etched on his skin and a gently rough northern voice. He chats quietly about his life - it seems he has spent it entirely in the village including his school days, living not that far from where I do and yet we have never met before. I now know he has a neighbour who is a musician and he can hear him practising whenever he is home. He has a small garden and loves it only breaking off to bring Scooby/Tooby/Dobby well you get the idea, up for his daily potter around the fields.

Today the dogs ran around us as we chatted, well... Willow trotted with a typical rangy collie trot while Tooby/Frooby etc barrelled along on little old Jack Russell legs as he tried to keep up.

Barry and Blobby/Tooby/Tubby/Toby (whatever) usually shuffle around half the field then return to the car, Today Willow tired out Booby/Moody/Jooby etc fairly quickly then we all wandered back to the cars. I was glad that Wills had already had a good stretching run and play and was ready to return. 

As we waved each other off Barry said 'See ya luv, good speakin' wi ya'  made me wonder if he doesn't always get the chance to chat to folk.... Willow and I shall keep an eye out for Barry and Booby/Pooby/Who-bee - I better find out what the dog is actually called!

Not quite back to square one but ...

Could we have bettered our day out yesterday? Well we were going to have a good try and having moved the van further into the Lake District, found a quiet spot with a goodly selection of pathways radiating outwards in all directions - just perfect!

Boots on, lead clipped, lunch box and flasks filled with a route planned, the three of us set off again. Our walk yesterday - gently came up to over seven miles for us and probably loads more for Willow and today was going to be similar. 

The first bit was lovely, we walked past a little tarn (Wharton Tarn) which seemed to have attracted loads of bird life so Willow was on her long lead, she is still unproven with stock or wild life and I want to be able to haul her back quick-smart if something should happen.

The path then went up and over into a series of farmed fields, although regular keep your dog on a lead signs, there were thankfully no 'bull in field' or 'ewes with lambs' about but again, Willow was on her lead. 

Finally we found a route where she could come off, a wooded area with deer fencing and it gave my arm and hand a rest while she happily snuffled and trotted back and forward on little fast collie feet.

Our path took us above Tarn Hows and despite the sharp chilly breeze, the light and the view were wonderful. We dropped down on to the circular path that follows the edge of the Tarn. This is where things went from lovely to not so good. 

People. Kids on bikes. dogs - on leads - off leads. Prams. Trampers. Mobility scooters and a very overwhelmed Willow.

She went from a reasonably well-behaved-on-a-lead dog to full on stressed steam train, pulling so hard that she was choking herself, I had to hang on for dear life. In spaces where there were small gaps between visitors I would walk her back and forth to bring her 'back to me', trying to reconnect but she was not having any of it and so I had to admit defeat and we frog marched (or dog marched) around at a rather unpleasant gallop.

We got off the path at the first possible exit but it soured the rest of the walk as Willow took nearly all of the return trek to 'come down' off what ever stressed planet she was on. It was like we were back at the very beginning again and it was awful.

Not only did she completely give up all the on-lead progress we'd made, she returned to her previous bad behaviour, trying to steal food, snatching from hands, not listening, not staying or sitting when commanded - her little mind had been fried by too much peopling and we just had to put up with it until we returned to the van.

Once back, it took her a bit to decompress and she eventually fell into a rather twitchy sleep. Now home and in her familiar routine she's come back to earth however we are gently but firmly having to start again. By the end of Monday she seemed to re-find herself and today we have our calm (well calm-ish whirling dervish dilly) collie, happy with her cranky cat and her bed and toys. 

We still have work to do......🐾🐾

South Lakes adventures

Quietly sitting with a mug of peppermint tea, the radio wittering away in the background and both Pan and Willow having post breakfast naps is a far cry from our weekend jollies.

Why do weekends vanish so quickly? They must be made of delicate stuff as they seem to evaporate just as you get in to them - hey ho - makes them all the more precious.

We packed up the van, bundled in an overexcited dog, walking boots, camera and waterproofs and headed .... north. No plans, no prebooked campsite just plenty of maps and poo bags. Zeb (van) led us to the South Lakes after a couple of hours of gentle country lane meanderings.

How's that for a sunset view while you eat?

There is something utterly soul cleansing about cooking then eating a meal as you watch the sunset over water and that is exactly what we did.

Mushroom tagliatelle and salad

Willow has been in the van for one night 'adventures' when we have visited the boys but this was going to be a first vanlife dog jolly and she decided that this was going to be her forever life. (us too sweet dog, us too)

Early morning shadows on the sands

We awoke to a lovely warm spring day and having eaten breakfast and strapped on boots and leads, we set off following tracks and lanes up into the wooded knolls above a coastal village where glimpses of a far off sea just made my heart sing. Willow could not get enough sniffs or sticks and almost burst with trying to do everything at once.

Walking on the old railway track between Storth and Arnside

We had, some years ago, going to walk through a little stony stepped path known as the 'Fairy Steps' while we still had Moss and on that particular day she was a bit weary, the weather was a bit rubbish and the detour to the steps was just a little too far, so we didn't go.

The Fairy Steps

We rectified that this weekend and took Willow. It is such a narrow cleft with steps carved in the gap and was, believe it or not, used as a coffin route. Himself and the dog are slim whippet shaped creatures and slipped through fairly easily - I am more your Labrador type and did find it a little claustrophobic - how on earth coffins were manoeuvred through such a narrow gap we could not fathom. We wondered if they actually lowered them over the cliff edge with ropes and only the coffin bearers traversed through the narrow ginnel.

This made us smile

At the top of the ridge, we sat, drank in the view and I was quietly pleased when a small red and white foxdog leant up against my back and rested. These small moments of trust are so precious.

I know she's a petite collie, but that must have been a huge tree

Along our walk, we met a few folk out, not as many as we had anticipated but those we did meet were very kind about a dilly dog even comparing notes on our loose lead training. I was heartened by a couple of people actually saying they'd used this style of training and that yes it was a long process but it was worth it and to persist.

Waiting for permission to come through the slip stile

It was a lovely day and if proof was ever needed - a small dog first devoured her food as if it was a last meal EVER then fell in her bed and into a deep sleep. Which is amazing - she is such a light sleeper and seems to have one eye open at all time, she was completely out for the count and it was so sweet.

Zzzzzzzzzz

And this was just day one!

In which Willow huffs and wuffs

 Willow here.

Just bin on a walk - only in the village but it was a gud'un as they say round here.

She has been 'torturing' me with 'how not to pull on my lead' lessons - how is a dog like me s'posed to get to my favourite playing field if I don't run there with my fastest feet?? 

So, before I evn got my walk in she made me walk up and down up and down up and down - you get the picture - I was bored out of my head - she has the cheek to say my little walnut brain - huff.

'Parrently Iz doing well, coz she's not usin' the slip chain no more and I'z walking with jus my soft collar an' lead. An' funnily enough we still get to the best playing field and I'z excellent at catchin' and chasin' my second favourite ball. She has lost my best one .....

Now, we'z home an' sitting in the summerhouse, I loves the summerhouse and I am doing the collie-snooze-thing. I fall asleep with one eye open - gotta keep that eye on my human coz you neva know what she is goin' to get up to next, probably gardenin' I s'pose.

An' that fluffy white 'not-dog' is with us and she keeps giving me kisses - what is that about??

Kate here.

Willow has NOT been tortured despite what she wuffs, but she has been getting lots of lessons on how NOT.TO.PULL and finally I think (I hope) the penny has dropped as today's walk was one of the easier ones we have had recently. Her desperation to walk and to play is understandable but exhausting (and to be honest hard work on my hands) however today there seemed such a positive reaction to all the training - better contact between us, she is engaging with me more and responding to my actions rather than just dragging me and determining the speed (fast) and direction (straight to where she can come off lead and play).

Yesterday was the break through day - I felt really mean as it meant that as soon as she started to pull (for such a small and scrawny woof - she can lean in and set her shoulders - difficult to hold her) I would turn away from the park or the playing fields and continue the training - the neighbours must have wondered what on earth was going on - so yesterday - there was a light bulb moment. Today was the pay off. Long may it last!

And yes, that fluffy white 'not-dog' Pan seems to have accepted Willow and will often sit or sleep near her. We, all three of us, a rather odd pack, are either all in the garden or all in the house, together. It is rather nice 🩷🐾

Nothing says SPRING more than ...💚🌿☀️

Nothing says SPRING more than the teeniest tiny seedlings filling my greenhouse and filling my happy heart!

I had a 'date with the dentist' first thing this morning and I promised him that I would not bite him. He gave a nervous giggle and a worried look so I smiled cheerfully (whilst inwardly berating myself for my nervous quip hahah)

As soon as I escaped, me with all my teeth and nerves intact, the dentist with a full compliment of fingers and thumbs - I returned home, clicked on the kettle and with the dog and the cat in tow, went into the garden to decompress. I have 'history' with dentists and although I am fully aware that the modern way of dentistry is far kinder and more patient orientated, I still have nightmarish memories from my teenage years of a dentist from hell....

....Aaaaaand .. breathe - the scent of damp soil, that soft green fragrance with a hit of crisp cold spring air.

I'll have to stop swanning around (still slightly over dressed for gardening) and crack on - the small area I have chosen to be a potager garden needs a fair bit of work doing. It had been a flourishing rhubarb bed which produced more fruiting stalks than we could consume, so last year I dug up most of the crowns and rehomed them leaving their bed looking an utter waste ground - today that (hopefully) will change.

I will however, have to wander around with a thoughtful look on my face, mug of tea in my hand, a rather befuddled dog and supervisory cat as I get my self primed for a bit of physical work 

So - what have you planned for your spring garden?
I want to be able to devote a better level of care to my own garden this year, for years it has had to play second fiddle to my work commitments. I also need to take into consideration my rickety hands - they need a little more care too. 

But I can't wait to enjoy my garden this year 💚🌿☀️

One last thing that really shouts to me that it is spring? 

Watching the Ospreys at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria reunite and raise a new generation of ospreys - https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/osprey-webcam