Dedicated to my beloved Scotties
I just love this shot. This is Dad, with poo bag in hand, against the backdrop of a wonderful evening sky. We were camping in Derbyshire a couple of years ago and went on a late evening walk – not so clever with black dogs sniffing in the darkened hedgerow. Nothing bad happened and we all returned safe and sound to the campsite.
Wow …. babies again! This photo is from 2001. They are Kelpie’s babies, born in March of that year. This photo could do with being in my Thirsty Thursday series, but I’ve kept it in my Flashback Friday section. Here the babies are drinking condensed milk – and boy did they love it, or so I’m told. The only downfall of this was that when they finished and started bumping into each other, they spread their milky mouths everywhere and ‘cos the milk was very sweet everything became sticky, and they all had to be cleaned down with warm water! Well …. you’ve got to keep them peeps busy somehow!
The Clan Walks were always very exciting. There were 3 of us (Gus, Finlay and me) and Mama’s friend’s 2 scottie (our other brother William and our niece Poppy).
Here we are a couple of years ago, having stumbled upon a White One – it looks like he managed to escape our “inquisition”!!
In keeping with last weeks Flashback – here’s another “house” (I know the house wasn’t in last weeks photo!) but you can’t live in this house, and no scotties or other animals were allowed to visit either.
It’s a Tree House. It’s in the grounds of Alnwick Castle – Mama’s favourite castle – and They had dinner one night at the Tree House.
Camusfearna, or Sandaig in the Isle of Skye, was once the home of Gavin Maxwell, author of Ring of Bright Water. Our visits to the Isle of Skye, way back then, were regular. You couldn’t pass up a visit to this most beautiful of places. Such tranquility – until you see a pack of Scotties appearing along the forestry commision footpath!
If ever you get to the Isle of Skye you must visit this place. Sadly there’s nothing left due to a fire, but a Rowan Tree and a monument to Edal, one of Maxwell’s famous otters who sadly died in this fire. However, if you’ve read Maxwell’s books the atmosphere is heavy with memories of all those that lived in this beautiful place.
This is our photo – from the opposite side. No scotties in this photo, but rest assured we were there.
Now then – what do we have here. “What are you carrying” I hear you all yap! Well …… when on long walks, in the countryside, there’s often no bins to deposit our “evidence” (as I’ve often heard it called). So when on holiday in the Isle of Skye many years back, Mama came across this little “saddle-bag” affair and thought it would be more than useful if one of us wore it and carried away our “evidence” until a more appropriate receptacle appeared in which to dump the whole lot.
So, until recently I wore said saddle bags wherever we went. I used to go crazy with excitement when it was taken off it’s hook ‘cos I knew we’d be going out and about. These days though, my working days as a “beast of burden” are over as there’s lots of waste bins available.
I do have a more modern version of the saddle bags, in fact I have plenty of them over the years, and it’s not unknown for me to wear it, especially on a new and long walk when we are uncertain of the small conveniences to be found along the way.
Do any of you have a job you do – share if you do, it would be interesting to see if I’m the only unpaid Scottie in Blogville!
Sparhawk Scotties 