Mud glorious mud

Today was Sunday but there was no sun today.

Given the choice of going out in the rain or going out in the rain,today Anthony,Diesel,Rosie and Dylan decided to go out in the rain.

Long wet grass is wetter than water itself so Anthony decided that today they would avoid their usual walking areas and go somewhere new.

Yesterday they found a dead sheep in a field today they found a squirrel on the ground in the woods.

It was not dead but it was not running away,the dogs showed no interest in it but Anthony thinks the dogs they had seen a moment earlier may have been more interested.

They left it there in the hope it would recover.

For half a mile the three dogs practiced walking to heel off the lead and then they practiced walking to heel on the lead for a mile.

Before running free they had to sit still and wait untill they were told to get over the stile.

Until now Anthony had stayed nice and dry but he knew that would not last when he saw how overgrown the path was.

Not many people seem to use these footpaths but than not many could get past all the fallen trees.

Those that get past the trees then have to get past the mud.

But those who get past the mud and take a little use path find a piece of dog heaven on earth.

Thick woods,ponds,deep ravines with streams at the bottom and hares runing through the undergrowth.

Best of all it is big enough to spend hours exploring and few people venture there.

Following the paths home led Anthony,Diesel,Rosie and Dylan on more adventures.

Their route took them through fields full of swallows which they had fun trying to catch.

Then they came across an obstacle,a field full of cows.

Only these cows were not just cows,some were bullocks.

As they stood at the stile,the cows approached and soon they had thirty big beasts barging towards them.

Anthony had to clear a path to get the dogs over the stile.

He climbed over and told the cows to move on.

They did.

Except for one.

Anthony looked it in the eye from three feet away.

It was very big and very black and very definitely not a cow.

Nor did it look like the bullocks.

But it did look like a bull.

Anthony decided that it was not a good idea to try moving a bull which was quite happy where it was.

He exited the field.

Not all cattle like dogs.

Lifting the dogs over the stile one by one would not be good situation to be in if the bull was unfriendly.

They took another route through an empty field,lifting one hundred and seventy pounds of muddy vizslak over a high,wet,wooden stile was not easy but they eventually they were past the cattle.

On the way down a quiet country lane they practised their emergency drills in case of a car.

Getting to the side off the road and staying at the sit as quickly as possible.

Diesel,Rosie and Dylan did very well.

They took a shortcut home,avoiding a field with a horse which definitely did not like dogs.

Anthony had gotten Rosie and Dylan accross this field before,getting them over the stile just before the charging horse reached them,he did not think he could do it with three dogs,a wet stile and a muddy field.

Discretion is the better part of valour.

Checking on the squirrel they had found earlier was their last mission of the day.

It was dead,which was just how they felt.

Soaked through and covered in mud they made their way home.