Monday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

top 30
January 2012
Walk Dogs on walk

Around Winton House

Length

6 miles

Dylan, Jolie, Lucas, Solo, Tim, Struan, Talaidh

We started to the east of Winton House beside the road from Pencaitland to Tranent. To our left a grand gateway into the estate and house. We were not grand enough ourselves to go that way. The pale stone gateway rising, each side reaching across to join the whole together. Huge wrought iron gates standing open, revealing the sweeping road through manicured lawns dotted with mature trees. We headed off along the public path also a road to an estate farm and a couple of cottages so we had to keep our eyes open. Almost immediately we were out of the car and the dogs were scattered over the road and its sides a car appeared. We regrouped the driver waved and smiled and we were off again. Only to be passed a few minutes later by a Doggie Daycare van taking its hidden passengers toward the woods ahead. The sun flecked through the trees lining the left of the road. Concealing the occasional harsh cry of a pheasant or two, reacting to our approach. To our right a field of stubble, still with erect regimented decapitated stems. A warzone of stricken soldiers. No warzone amongst the dogs as yet. Jolie definitely up for fun raced back and forth. Her two main

compatriots, Lucas and Tim snuffling about behind me. Tim having been on his best behaviour since last Mondays aberration. Dylan knowing that the pheasant were in to woods, sniffed and looked and stopped and slunk about but could not seek them out. Solo was happy to push ahead before finding a smell to hold him up and then racing on to catch us up again. Ahead excited barking. The day care dogs were exiting their van into a fenced off section of the woods. We upped our pace to pass them without anyone being distracted. As we slowed now surrounded by trees we had to slow again to let two cyclists pass us. They shouted across what a grand day it was. So it was. Sunny and clear with a crispness underfoot and cracking ice on the puddles. As Jolie and Solo found out. Having walked away from Winton House we now turned after a short stint on the old railway line to head toward the house on a lower path leading us to a field with a bowl of tree rising on both sides. The dogs hurried along an occasional attempt at a chase but none of them were that bothered. After orchestrating things on Thursday Struan was taking a back seat today. Both him and Dylan eventually sneaking off to the front. We crossed the field and climbed into the trees. Winton House now clearly visible across the dip. We passed it rounding the edge of a field and back toward the house on a grass tree lined avenue. On this flat area Jolie, Lucas and Tim began to run and chase. Both Lucas and Tim a little noisy. They charged across the grass, running rings around the others but not managing to encourage them. Our route took us back through the trees well above the field we had walked beside earlier. Dark clouds now began to creep across the sky darkening our path. Rain holding off. Although Solo managed to get wet as we dropped back toward the old railway and passed a large pond, where the ground had sunk, leaving some trees stranded in the water. Solo joined them. He was the only one. Back toward the car and the Doggie Daycare dogs were long gone, giving us a peaceful run back along the road only the occasional fluster of a pheasant breaking the quiet.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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