rain rain go away

 a wise man once said.... there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

mostly, i find that to be true.

we went for a walk with the dog today, on what we'd normally describe as one of them days where you'd open the door and go.... "you know what, let's not do this" and head back to watch some prick like Joh Torode cooking some "simple" dishes in his sanitised studio kitchen, pretending to be all "real".... or something.

Well.... the rain it did fall, and the wind blew what could only be described as a "hoolie".

down Outlane, a direction that always provokes an allergic reaction in our dog.  By the time we'd walked 100 yards, her anxiety levels were already dialled up to 11.  Sookie is undoubtedly a creature of habit, and down the village isn't one of her habits.  We pressed on down Mulehouse Lane, down a section of Swan Lane then turned down the muddy track, Jagger Green Dean, past the remnants of a disused mink farm and down, till we were overlooking the deer farm in the valley floor.

Even the deer were sheltering under the trees at the edge of their paddock.

Straight on for a while towards Jagger Green, past Neil's bench.... I've no idea who Neil was but Jo loved him and put a bench in his favourite spot, which had a good view, and i could imagine why someone would love it there.

Jagger Green to Old Lindley - we know a safe field here where we gave Sookie some much needed 2off lead" time, and she runs like the wind, looping round and leaping over tussocks.  Dawn throws dog treats and their grassy hiding spots are no match for Sookie's snout.  Quickly found and devoured.  A few good sprints up and down the hill and she's free from the anxieties and tension that have built up during the walk.  We know she's a happier dog on the rest of the walk.

Out of the field and back on the road through Old Lindley, we shortcutted, straight up the track on the right, up to Turley Coat Lane, before re-joining our route back up the village to home.

No'but three mile or something but we went up and down some hills (as you often do round here) so it felt like we'd had a good stretch of legs.  Clothes wet, dripping in fact.  Dog tired.  We dry the dog off and she get's a good treat - today it was a furry rabbit's ear, and she runs upstairs to her bed where she enjoys her reward.

Always there's a million reasons NOT to do something but when you push through, and force yourself to do something, i always feel well rewarded, knowing i've beaten the negative thoughts i had when i first opened the door to the storm.

A rather fetching pile of rust......

raindrop and snowdrops......