The Wednesday Walk

Yesterday, Charley and Sadie and I joined the Crofton gang for the usual Wednesday walk. Once again, we went to Swallowfield. Spring flowers are really starting to put on a show now, new grasses are shooting up quickly across the delta, and apple and hawthorne trees are in full bloom.

Unfortunately, the batteries for my camera died after my first shot and for once I was without spares. Fortunately, my new friend and neighbour, Mary, took lots of photos which she has kindly given me permission to use on the blog (Thanks, Mary!).

First, the flowers.

Narcissus - this was the only photo I took before my batteries died.

The amazingly beautiful blue wild onion

Broom was in bloom everywhere, and we all particularly liked this red-splashed variety.

And then the dogs:

Tarben, Mary's dog, always makes me laugh - and for a dog that isn't crazy about water, he was very determined to get a stick from the river:

Glug glug

Almost got it!

Success!

The three wolfhounds also make me smile. They are very, very big and graze on the grass like horses. I can't tell them apart, though Bonnie and Bob, their humans, have no difficulty knowing who's who:

Grazers

Checking things out

Here's a good size comparison - Charley is nearly 60 pounds, and Sadie (sitting down) is about 70 pounds, but they look very small compared to the wolfhounds!

Some of the dogs love to play in the water,

Archie and Hugo make a big splash

but Charley was more cautious:

Hmmmm....it's wet

I can't seem to walk on water

And although Sadie paddled about, she spent more time mooching treats, barking, and lazing around:

All of the dogs had lots of fun:

Group circle

Trekking home

On the last stretch

Sadie and Charley were tired, and made no objection later that day when I took Oliver and Belle for sunset walks and left the big dogs at home.

Home....funny how quickly Crofton has become "home". Today we returned to the mainland, for a final three weeks of packing and sorting and organizing, and I'm chomping at the bit to get "home" to Crofton. The dogs were happy to see the pasture, and Allie was glad to see me (a friend from up north vacationed in the house, looking after her while we were in Crofton - thanks, Vadie), but for the first time I saw my place here without feeling the usual sense of relief at being "home". Home is now on Vancouver Island, and and I'm counting the days to the Big Move.

(Thanks again to Mary C. for providing the photos for today's blog)