Thursday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

To 10
May 2012
Walk A rainy day on the Union Canal Length 6.75 miles Dogs on walk Cyrano, Gustave, Lucas, Otis, Ozzy, Solo, Tim

A rainy day drove us to the Union Canal from picturesque Ratho. Puddling water on the roads and incessant rain meant anywhere was going to be wet, muddy and uninviting. The canal offers some shelter and its path is not too soft. Meaning a little less mud. All wrapped up we set off under the road bridge, a group of white ducks beginning to follow us along the bank. Only Gustave really noticed them and the few in the canal itself. The other dogs were more interested in saying hello to each other as we moved onto the towpath. The rain pooled on the surface of the canal in overlapping circles of shimmering silver like the scales darting fish. The dogs pressed forward along the towpath some behind me some ahead. Little space to move on it for now as a high stone wall bounded us on the right. Behind it a couple of small grazing fields one with chocolate brown sheep with tight curly coats. Hidden from the dogs view only me able to see over its almost six foot height. On the other side the canal. A small drop of a few inches into its water but to the dogs and Jerry in particular more like a chasm. He hung like a diver poised at the top of a cliff but could not let go. He was relieved when the wall ended giving way to high banking. He was

now off the path and jumping over logs and pushing through bushes. Despite the obvious fun he was having the others remained on the path. Huddling closer together as the rain increased. Ozzys ears looking a little bedraggled. Under bridges and past a moored narrow boat we trouped. Three ducklings floated along the canal. I think supposedly under the watchful eye of two male Mallards. But as the ducklings drifted the male ducks rested beside the bank deep in conversation, oblivious to the potential peril. Coming back the ducklings had been scooped up by a female and were swimming along in line behind her. A long line coming along the path toward us marked an outing for a walking group. At least fifteen of them, all older folk, to the delight of Tim who took some restraining. I thought it best that we stop and let them by. It took a while as they were strung out and moving slowly as large groups tend to. And just as we set off again a few stragglers appeared on the other side of another bridge. We passed under the railway hurtling trains above the laziness of the canal, with a slow narrow boat slipping through the water beneath. Ahead the noise of the M8 grew louder as we approached its bridge over the canal. This was our turning point. The dogs racing back toward me and at last Ozzy and Tim haring off on a chase. Catching Lucas unawares, a little belatedly he followed them. The dogs jumbled themselves up along the path swapping who they were walking with. It was Gustave and Solo, then Solo and Lucas and then Lucas and Ozzy and Ozzy and Otis and so on. Only Jerry missing out as he roved up the banks again. Still no one prepared to follow him. We bumped into the walkers again. Having also turned around. This time we stopped to chat and Tim jumped up a few of them. The rain continued to dampen the day as we splashed through ever so slightly larger puddles. Then a couple of dogs and their friendly owners distracted us all. Another chat in the drizzle before pushing on again for the final stint back to Ratho. The ducks had moved to the other side of the canal and the way was clear for us to slip

under the bridge and turn back into the car park.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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