I wasn't expecting there to be no sheep in our usual field in Halton Park this week. Knowing absolutely nothing about sheep farming other than what I read in James Herriot's books over Christmas, I just thought sheep stayed where they were all year. And as such, I never imagined I'd be able to let Freya off here. But lo! It is sheepless at the moment, so we can have at it. Joyful.
As we sometimes do, let us just pause for a minute and admire this perfect view. Ahhh, breathe. Soak it in. I know it's not at all the same in a photo, but you do get a bit of a sense of why I keep coming back to see this. I mean, look at the colours!
So, I let Freya go. She did her circles, which is what she always does when she's free – round and round and round and round me, and then back and forth, back and forth for treats. Very good. I set off to walk the perimeter of this field, and she followed in a fashion, always coming back for a treat when I called. We're doing well.
It was so still this evening. No breeze at all, and I could hear the river, which cuts through the next field over. The other thing I could hear was gunfire. I've just checked the pheasant season dates, and the end is the first of February. So what was I hearing? Interesting. I suppose it could have been anything. Clay pigeon shooting, even. (Incidentally, I've done clay pigeon shooting, and I was pretty good at it. I'm going to put that on the list of things to do after lockdown – great fun!)
There's not really much to write about from this walk, honestly. It was one of those uneventful walks that was just very pleasant, and I'd like to remember it. It was a mild evening, I had a lot of energy, and I had time to do plenty of my beloved staring at the hills and the valley, gazing into the middle distance with a half-smile playing at the corners of my mouth like someone in a film on the Hallmark channel. It was all rather idyllic, to be fair. And we have to make the most of these moments, don't we?
What I did notice was that random bit of hedge right in the middle of the river field. Can you see it? Why have I never noticed it before? It was so unfamiliar to me that we tramped right up to the gate down there to see if it could possibly be a new hedge, but of course it couldn't. Hedges don't just spring up like that. It must have been there for ages. But I'll be darned if I've ever noticed it before.
And so, I have to do this ...
Onward! Since this walk, I have been looking seriously at proper cameras. Really, it was such a shame that I couldn't take a proper picture of that stunning moon. It was hyuuuuuuge. All I want is a really good moon picture, and I realise I'm going to have to fork out some good money to be able to take one. But it's my birthday soon, so we'll see if I decide to treat myself!
We toddled back up to the road (yes, there's a road running through the middle of this field, but it's barely used, which was why I was okay with letting Freya roam free). I had a sit down and Freya charged up and down some more. She wasn't tempted away up the hill, which was a good thing for me because I'd used up my burst of energy.
However, we came back the day after with Matthew, and it was an entirely different story. For the first time, Freya did not come back when called and I'm afraid she had a taste of freedom that she enjoyed far too much. I had to go right over the top there to get her back, and she just kept running until she reached the farthest fence and had to stop – completely ignored me. I was not best pleased, but there we go. We can't expect perfection from a six-month-old dog. But we can continue our training.
But anyway, on this walk, when Freya stayed close, this was my view as I had my sit down. You just would, wouldn't you? Sit for ages and try to drink it all in? That is not a view to be sniffed at. I wonder what it would look like if I had a proper camera though ...
I hope you're all managing to get a little fresh air and a leg stretch.
Until tomorrow, beachcombers (there's a clue there!).
Linda + Freya
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