dog – Page 19 – OldPlaidCamper

Pony up…

…I was going to write some more about Brexit, straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were, based on our recent trip. However, I simply don’t have the energy or enthusiasm for it, mostly because I’ve been silly enough to keep following events (non-events?) since returning home. I cannot believe, at this late hour, politicians – remain or leave – are unable to pony up on this – and we’re already past one “not to be missed” deadline! So instead, I’ll write a bit about our Cornish adventures, and include a picture of a pony…

8DF5BEE8-7D4D-4075-A970-A5AD82564127 — “Brexit? Neigh…”

Whenever we visit Ma PlaidCamper down in Cornwall, we find some time to tramp the trails on the Cornish coastal path, and it is always a treat! Rain or shine – and we were lucky to have almost shine – this path is one to savour. We enjoyed a day that more than hinted at spring. Wildflowers were mere minutes from appearing (I’m betting some bloomed the next day!), rabbits were bounding and bouncing, birds were singing, one or two bumblebees buzzed and hummed in and out of the hedgerows, and Shetland ponies were happily grazing along the cliff tops. All this in the first few minutes! Spring! Boing!

B33705CF-F4F0-4687-8B63-74A9256CA950 — “There’s a cafe just past the beach behind the next headland, hidden in a cove. You can’t miss it!” It’s the tiny white blob. A good place to stop.

Often, the cliff tops are wind blasted, and that, combined with copious mud underfoot can make things challenging. This time out, a relatively lengthy dry spell just before our visit, and an almost windless day meant we had benign conditions. With the sun making an occasional appearance through the mist and haze, we found the walking very pleasant, long stretches along the tops punctuated by steep and short up and downs between coves. Fully loaded with snacks and a light lunch, and a brief-that-turned-long stop at a cafe for coffee, our day on the path was about as good as it can be.

This isn’t a path to be rushed, and why would you with varied views to take in as you round headland after headland? The springy turf invites you to stop and sit, so we did, time after time. Our light lunch became a long lunch, and the timing was just right as the sun shone for a lengthy spell, burning off misty remnants and turning the grey waters blue.

95D879EC-D828-418F-B284-F5034091B70E — Lunch stop

We couldn’t spend the entire day on the path, as we had plans to meet up with friends and family at a local pub, and a pint or two of Tribute pale ale to test – it passed, with flying colours.

Parents with small dogs was a bit of a theme this trip. Blue lives with my dad, and Bertie lives with mum. Bertie is the most energetic dog in the world, and luckily for him, he is hilarious with it. He reminded me of an extra from a Wallace and Gromit movie…

8ECC62D9-CCA8-40BB-86F2-19D1C700B88A — Bertie!

The noise and nonsense of Brexit aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Family, friends, lovely scenery, silly (not really) dogs, beer, and the hugely necessary British sense of humour (how else can a nation survive the Brexit debacle?) all added up to a great time.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Bewilderment, a bridge, some beer, and a small blue dog

Here we are in pre-Brexit Britain, and what a state they are in…

As visitors, we’ve listened with a sympathetic ear, and then dulled the pain and propped up the economy by making sizeable contributions to the beer and hospitality industry.

On the Brexit front, conversations participated in and overheard have left the impression that regular folks are exhausted, disappointed with leadership, and baffled and bewildered by what might (or might not) happen next. With the deadline a mere two weeks away, it appears uncertainty rules the land.

04D8E0F7-66E9-4F75-958C-210A53172225 — The Ironbridge iron bridge

We’ve been happily catching up with friends and family, and happily staying in pubs and forcing ourselves to drink a variety of on tap beers. The Bird in Hand, a pub dating back to the early 1700s, was our first rest stop, and it was delightful. Brasses on the wall, black and white timbered interior, a location above the fast-flowing Severn River in the Ironbridge valley – birthplace of the industrial revolution, and now a pretty world heritage site – we were cocooned in essence of English pub. Steve, the friendly landlord, recommended the Cheltenham Gold, and who were we to argue? A wonderful pint.

5DA03C1A-AC68-4190-9D8E-BF7979E8F93C — Old Speckled Hen and a pint of Cheltenham Gold? Balm for the Brexit blues…

From Ironbridge we had a short drive up to my Dad’s hillside farm in Wales, and it being Wales, we were treated to sunshine, sleet, snow and rain all within minutes of each other. We were also treated to green valleys, fields of sheep, and thousands of daffodils. A host, even…

62234552-E82F-49E1-9BCD-D0846162C7EA — Green

Meandering conversations by the wood burner, fuelled by coffee and something a little stronger, are what is best about visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Old OldPlaidCamper, and we were sorry, as always, to be moving on when we left. We did leave with a smile, because we got to meet my Dad’s newish canine companion, his four legged best friend (he denied it, never one to admit sentiment toward a furry friend, but we weren’t fooled one bit) and this was Blue, the prettiest little daschhund you’ll ever see!

56ED10B7-4398-4061-82BD-5EF272B61564 — Blue!

Mrs. Old OldPlaidCamper is a big fan of wolves, and she’s looking forward to the day we manage to photograph one out on the coast. We send her pictures of Scout doing wolf impressions, but she isn’t fooled.

04316895-A0DE-4883-B7A7-869893E8D33F — Not a wolf?

As I write this, we are sitting in The Woolpack Inn, an old pub located a short hike from Hardknott Pass and Roman fort. Their Hardknott Pass golden ale is just the ticket. We thought so after one pint, and this was confirmed by the second.

FC5A5525-3FB1-450C-81B4-78EBE8893AD9 — Gold

Weather permitting, or not permitting, we are heading out shortly to take in the views, with heavy rain and strong winds being our likely companions as we stride onwards and upwards. We know there’ll be a pint of something good when we head back down, and my brother should have arrived – he’ll be nursing his own glass of something good, and holding a space for us by the fire…

C7C0D079-52A0-4012-B9CA-1BAF2A46B813 — They heard we were visiting…

The internet is sketchy here, so I hope this makes it out. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Inspiration Point!

A name like that deserves an exclamation point! Or two!

A very short post this week, as I’ve mismanaged my time and I’m now scrambling on Thursday evening to prepare for a wilderness weekend away with youth. Fortunately, I’m not the main planner for the coming weekend. I just have to remember some spare socks and a bottle of water. Well, perhaps a few items more – like the new lightweight solo tent I’ll be trying out, one that is rated for winter yet still weighs little more than a pair of socks. I’m excited about that. The tent, not the socks.

Inspiration Point was where Scout insisted we go last weekend. After a morning of showers, we made the most of a weather window to hit the coastal path. Scout dragged me through brush and over rocks, around trees and across streams, and almost over a rainbow. We had a great hike, resting up on different overlooks and sunny spots around Inspiration Point. It was rather inspiring, warming ourselves in the sunshine, listening to the crash of waves below, watching the bald eagles and other bird life getting on with their lives.

Yes, inspiring, exhilarating and hard to drag ourselves away. Not so hard for Scout because she was in full adventure mode, whereas I knew I was supposed to be sorting myself for the trip away, but was happily engaged in doing nothing in the sun as a displacement activity. It’s an effort to gear up, but a worthwhile effort.

This weekend is meant to be below seasonal norms for temperatures, but bright and sunny. I’ll take that over a rainy forecast, and if it is dry, we’ll count ourselves lucky, as we’re heading out to a location reputed to be the second wettest for rain in Canada.

Right, time to end this piece, and finish the gearing up that I never really started last weekend. Rain or shine, it’ll be fine, because I’ve already packed spare socks. Just about ready. Why, I’m almost prepared…

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Falling on cedar

The snow, not me, and thanks to David Guterson for the partial post heading.

Yes, snow really was falling on cedars out here on the coast last weekend. As much as one centimetre (!) fell where we are, and because the temperature was barely above freezing, a millimetre or two stuck around. It was quite the delight to watch young children scramble and scrabble to gather tiny amounts of poor quality snow and make a snowman. The ones they made may have been small, but they were loved.

We went out on Sunday morning, bundled up and bravely striding into the teeth of the blizzard. Oh, alright, there was barely a flurry, and skies even cleared somewhat. We slipped down the gangway and onto the Outer Harbour docks to take in the view of almost snow cloaked hills over the water. The gusts of wind did have some bite to them as they raced up the channel, promising more snow for later in the day.

As excited, if not more so, as the children making mini snowmen, we wandered out again in the afternoon, expecting more snow according to the forecast. As we approached Big Beach (not so big, but bigger than Little Beach) proper snow began to fall – large flakes driven onto shore by an increasing wind. A mini blizzard!

On the beach, Scout was beside herself with winter happiness, jumping up to snap and catch snowflakes. Her inner husky was more than content. If dogs could laugh… It was quite something to be standing on a snowy beach when only the day before, we had been just up the coast enjoying warm(ish) sunshine sitting with our backs against a sun heated log.

Although the temperatures all this week have been about half what they normally are, it still feels mild, especially when compared to the Alberta winters we’ve enjoyed over the years. Yesterday afternoon, I managed to steal away for a pleasant half hour when an appointment got shifted to later, and I used the valuable time to get a small shot of Foggy Bean and sit down by Whiskey Landing. The sun was out, a bald eagle flew past, a harbour seal popped up, and gulls made their presence known. Not too bad for a February work day!

CE1A7613-411A-4585-A5B0-58235C74D4E2 — Yesterday, getting work done/get back to work!

I’ll leave it here, as I’ve got things to do – I can see a small pile of snow the sun hasn’t reached just outside our door, and I’m certain there’s enough to make one more teeny snowman. Snow person? Snow teenager? Or snow child? Snow baby?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

As easy as falling off a log…

If something is as easy as falling off a log, should you do it? Isn’t it easily avoided? Maybe it just happens, no effort at all. I’ve fallen – or at least slipped – off a log, and it hurts. Easy? Yup. But I’m not so sure it’s the thing to do. Why am I asking? It’s the nonsense that fills the gaps in my head when perched on a log.

Last weekend we were blessed with a day that seemed more like spring than winter. Blue skies, warm sunshine and very little breeze. It was a day made for the beach, so that is where we went. We found ourselves scrambling over the rocks and between the logs, searching for just the right spot to stop and take it all in.

Getting there, the tide was low, and the stretch of sand was wide. We couldn’t understand (but didn’t mind) why there were so few people about? We were out for several hours and saw only a handful of hikers and dog walkers. Oh well…

When perching, I didn’t fall off a log this outing, but I did come close to tumbling a couple of times in my attempt to keep up with Scout – she was sure-footed along the trunks, and didn’t mind showing me up as she leapt from log to log.

We spotted a few bald eagles, but our closest bird encounter was earlier in the morning. We were enjoying a fine cup of coffee from the recently opened Foggy Bean, admiring the view from Ucluelet across to Hitacu when the little fellow pictured below took a keen interest in our drinks. I suspect he was after something to eat rather than a caffeine hit, but what good taste he had…

e667bd27-f42c-46e8-ad0c-1472010435f3 — “Ooh, is that coffee? ‘Cos, yeah, we’re raven mad for caffeine…”

Not so sunny for us this coming weekend – the ravens will miss us sitting at our usual spot, and we will miss being there. Still, the very early spring day last weekend was easy to enjoy – as easy as falling off a log.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Dark, with a little froth…

Sounds like a coffee order – Mrs. PC does like a good cappuccino…

A super short and heavily caffeinated shot of a post this week. We were stretching our legs last weekend, an exercise in dodging rain showers by getting the timing right. It was a cold couple of days, with drizzle, hail, rain, glimpses of sun, and a couple of rainbows to raise a smile.

Usually, we check the tide tables to ensure there’s enough beach to walk on and head out accordingly, but last weekend we had to go whenever it looked least rainy. On Sunday afternoon, there was a narrow ribbon of beach growing a little wider as the tide fell. It was pretty windy, and the waves had whipped up quite a froth on along the shore.

Scout had a fine old time nosing in the foam and chasing blobs down the beach. Ravens hopped and skipped ahead of us, scavenging at the tide mark, and looking aggrieved that their raucous display didn’t scare us off. We spied three bald eagles and any number of gulls battling the wind. Some gulls were bobbing in the water just beyond the surf. Our guess was the heavy weather had churned up some good stuff.

Further out to sea, menacing clouds marched along the horizon, and the sun made only brief appearances – very welcome periods of relative warmth in the stiff breeze. So the froth wasn’t from a cappuccino, but we did have a good strong French roast in the flask, and Sunday was the day for it. Sometimes you get lucky with the timing – we huddled in the dunes out of the wind and were delighted when a patch of blue sky appeared, big enough to let some sunshine through for as long as it took to finish our coffee.

The caffeine jolt (and a cube or three of chocolate) was just the thing to set us up for the return leg to the car. It started to rain heavily moments after Scout jumped into the back of the Jeep. More rain? Hey ho. Might as well head home for that all important second cup…

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Singing the winter greens and blues

For the past decade and more, we have been used to (and very much enjoyed) a snowy December and beyond, sometimes in a blanketed city, and often in the mountains. Still, change is good, and contrast is good. Winter on the coast is very different!

e0e96e23-0f55-41dc-a3ac-9b436db54fd8 — Vibrant

There are so many colours and moods – vibrant green on the trails, but also blue and grey. It can be dry, grey and cold, or gold, warm and sunny, or blue, cold and sunny, or windy and rainy, just rainy, and very, very rainy. Every now and then it can be extremely stormy. Exhilarating stuff, and always with so much green. (PlaidCamper, you do know you live in a coastal rainforest, don’t you?)

1a424bd6-ae0d-4bea-a918-068ba5b1895b — Energy

Being by the ocean, it always feels fresh, and there’s usually a breeze. Last weekend, we met up with Wayne and took a wander along Chesterman’s Beach. Fresh? Yup! A breeze? And then some! We took shelter in the lee of some rocks overlooking Lennard Island lighthouse (for shots of the lighthouse taken by Wayne over the years, look on his website here) and tucked into delicious soup and cornbread – thanks, Wayne – and a mince pie. We didn’t know Scout was such a fan of soup and mince pies, but perhaps that’s no surprise…

b29819d7-7620-42b6-b522-1c13df6d6093 — Not the Lennard Island lighthouse – Amphitrite Point lighthouse, Ucluelet

The ocean wasn’t calm – we saw the coastguard zodiac and cutter both riding some pretty big waves, and it looked as though they were searching the coastline. It would be nice to think it was an exercise and all was well, but the search looked quite intense.

The grey skies gave way slightly, and there was a hint of warmth from a few weak rays, but eventually we had to head back. Scout chased Wayne, or Wayne chased Scout along the beach, and it was a good game to play, because the breeze had a bite to it. We had a great time, and Scout wanted to go home with Wayne, but eventually she relented and came home with us, even though we can’t promise daily soup and mince pies.

2769a816-3cc2-4528-b3ac-9d8bfb348802 — Colour

Winter blues? We’re not singing that song, not yet. And I’m sure at some point we’ll find some time for a visit to snowy and wintry mountains – blow the dust off the snowboard and snowshoes – but until we do, I’m loving the winter greens.

cd49cdcb-c1e3-48ad-bffb-4e685acf887a — Last weekend – a colourful winter warmer

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Farewell 2018…

…and welcome, 2019!

It’s the time of year when some people enjoy looking back, taking stock, and then they peer forward into the unknown. Or as far as next year, anyway.

C0CC3AA8-1209-4339-95C3-BD73103331E9 — Reflecting

I enjoy reading the “best of” and “worst of” lists that come out this time of year, but don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a compilation of PlaidCamper almost hits and many misses. All I’ll say is, for us personally this year, the worst thing was when Scout disappeared, and yes, the best was when she came back. I know, you’ve got something in your eye as well.

2A1FD941-0F53-4647-81F9-6866F38ABE11 — “Me? Cause a problem? As if…”

I don’t make resolutions, mostly because I’m bound to break them if it’s beer or chocolate related (why would I want to change those habits?) So long as I can still haul the OldPlaidCamper bones up slopes, along beaches, and over rocky outcrops, then the almost remarkable and resolute physique is just fine. Almost fit for purpose. Chocolate is an adventure fuel… and beer an excellent end of day reward. Oh alright, I resolve to maintain my consumption of both. Not every day though, not now I have school nights.

B1FDA23B-5719-4A5C-9C94-376F7C209E13 — Rocky

I’ll keep the post brief this week. I do want to say thank you for reading and commenting on here over the past year, either enjoying or enduring our photos and words. I’ve enjoyed writing each and every post, even (especially) the ones where I’m having a mild rant about this or that. It’s always a delight when you choose to read and comment, and it’s reassuring we’re not alone when concerns are shared.

F242A2BD-4F5A-4B9D-8CAE-D4983ACDB2CD — Looking ahead

The world has taken a few strange, unpleasant, and wayward turns (I suspect every year some of us say the same) but the people sharing this little corner of the internet remind me that it’s never quite as bad as it seems. Your blogs are humorous, full of wise words, displaying amazing photographs and/or challenging ideas – they can cheer a sometimes miserabilist up – thank you for that!

Looking ahead, I like to think the world will see a happier and kinder year than the one we’re saying farewell to. Young (and not so young) people care about the planet, and care about each other. I believe most of us can see our differences (by race, gender, sexuality or other) as contributing to a wonderful and exciting diversity worth celebrating, and not marginalizing or discriminating against.

So, in the spirit of hope and optimism, I’ll say “Happy New Year” to all, and I wish the coming twelve months are full of outdoor excitement and good health for all of you.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

32443438-E566-4462-BFB4-B9A4929261FF — Farewell 2018

Scout came home…

…happy and healthy, if somewhat skinnier and pongier than her usual self.

She was found this afternoon, sheltering from the rain in her kennel under a tarp we’d left out there in the hope she’d figure out what to do. We’re guessing she grew tired of her week long rainy wilderness adventure, and/or missed my home cooking…

We are so happy she’s back, and rest assured, what passes for normal service at OldPlaidCamper will resume this coming Friday. Scout might even get another mention…

D65A3F28-F695-4504-90E2-BB38BD080630 — “Can we rename this blog OldScoutCamper, the adventures of an almost outdoor dog?”

Thank you for all the kind words and hopeful messages earlier, we very much appreciated them.

Missing

Scout was out on her pack walk earlier this week, when a logging truck startled the pack and they scattered. Scout was in front of the truck and kept running to try and get away. When the pack regrouped, Scout was missing.

We’ve been out since at every opportunity, walking the logging roads and forest trails, calling Scout’s name, and the pack master has also been out every day, tracing and retracing their usual routes.

On the plus side, Scout was spotted briefly the following day, shadowing the pack, but didn’t return when called. She’s been out there since Tuesday, probably having a fine old time doing what any dog might choose to do. There is plenty of water, and she’s never been shy about trying new things to eat…

We are completely distraught (even if she is likely quite happy about her current predicament) thinking of her all alone out there. It has been very wet, but not so cold. Scout is familiar with the location, and we’re hoping she doesn’t choose to range far.

We will be spending every daylight moment we can this coming Friday and weekend, walking all the trails and hoping for a good outcome. Perhaps the novelty and excitement will wear off for Scout, hunger will kick in and she’ll come lolloping out of the forest to greet us.

Have a good weekend.

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