Yesterday was an OMG day too. I seem to have had a few of those lately!
It all started well - Network Rail contractors appeared on time - then all hell broke loose. The dogs went bananas as they heard the rumble of the hole digging equipment coming into the garden. I hadn't managed to get up in time to get the kennel dogs out for a run before they arrived and started removing the palisade, so I had to go in and get leads on them to take them into the front paddock.
That would have been OK except the tree surgeons had arrived as well and left the gate to the field open too, so I struggled over half an acre with two desperate Brittanys to shut it, scowling at them as I went. I didn't want to say too much as they are being kind enough to chop the trees small enough to go into the wood burner in a couple of years time. Anyway, let the oldest and youngest off for their gallop, and suddenly realised the nice men had started up their chainsaws. So I had to cut short Bobby and Freckles' pigeon hunt, get them back on leads to take them back to the yard. They weren't keen on the idea till I called out 'Breakfast' - and fortunately they came back - along with three burly tree surgeons!
I
had offered them a cup of tea earlier. Ok, got them all dealt with so now back to the house to get Allez and Belle out for their morning stroll. Hmm, not what they had in mind either. Belle decided to shout at all the men, ran right up to each one and barked right at them, wagging her tail as if trying to get the chainsaws to play!
In the meantime, Allez had disappeared so put Belle back in the house and whistled for him. No sign so I looked under the culvert bridge and there he was at the other side of the wooden curtain, happily hunting along the bank. Now this bridge carries the train line over the burn and is about three feet high, so to go under it you have to bend double, and if a train goes over it you would be deafened so I don't do it very often
Anyway, the Brat refused to acknowledge all whistle, voice and hand signals, and in that situation you just have to go after them and bring them back, so I toddled back in for my wellies, struggled down the bank, prised the rubble away from the wood curtain, and edged it back enough to get past, bent double and prayed there wasn't a train coming as I went through the 40 feet or so to the other side. At which point I realised the burn was deeper than my wellies
and cursed my dog. He heard me, stood stock still - and l a u g h e d - I SWEAR, he laughed!
So ... change of tactics required ............. 'Hey, chook chook, what you doing through here, nice chook chook come to Mummy, sez I as I bent over pretending to stroke a chicken - he came a runnin! YAY, gotcha my boy.
Lead on, bent over to go through the tunnel again, thank goodness still no train, struggled through the wooden barrier, made him sit in the water, (where's the vengeance icon Dan?) pulled a couple of boulders over and wedged the curtain in place, waded along to the garden, climbed out - to three howling-with-laughter foresters. I will NOT repeat what I said to them and Allez at that point but went in for a hot shower, dry clothes, a cup of tea and a lie down ina darkened room- it was too early for vodka
