Autumn in Warton

 Can’t quite believe it’s December. Where did this year go?  Where did autumn go?  Marley has had a good time I think. Beach most weekends, or Lytham Green and Fairhaven. Lytham Green has proved a great place for an evening walk with enough light to see, and views across the Ribble. Sometimes we’ve been faced with a red glow in the sky towards Tarleton, which turned out to be lights reflecting on the misty sky from the greenhouses....to make the tomatoes grow apparently. Yesterday we had a relatively big trip out back to Worden Park, which was lovely but mucky. Of course we’ve not seen too many people during lockdown 2 (which was nothing like lockdown 1) other than numerous delivery people and passers by. Given that, he’s better out and about on the beach. I am wary of, rather than dread, runners. Today I gave him a bit of a test out with 2 young lads who looked like they’d cope if he jumped at them. Whilst he ran right to them he didn’t jump, before running back to me. Seconds later he was off after them again but turned back before he reached them. I call that success!

14 years of blogging

 When the clocks go back it’s a happy and sad time. I remember my walk in 2006 with Finney at Malham so well, and also our walk 10 years later.   He was the best dog anyone could wish for!  Marley, now nearly two and a half, slept in a little later, but we were still up early and out on the beach at 8.  We had a lovely walk from St Anne’s to Star Gate, which has become our usual Sunday morning walk.  We still don’t travel far. I feel so lucky to be able to walk down country lanes from home, or along Lytham Green before or after work if I choose. We are still working from home and although they are long days, Marley has settled well and most of the time my fellow Skype and Zoomers wouldn’t know he was there. 

The only real change to our routine has been a new path, not far away, down a farm track to fields.  A nice walk albeit quite short.  We’ve also had a week off in September, a stay at home vacation again, but nice all the same and we ventured to the beer garden of our local pub for the first time since lockdown.

Restrictions mean we don’t see that many people face to face  so it’s nice to say the odd socially distanced hello out on our walks.  Hope next year life is more normal, but couldn’t wish to have a more lovely dog to spend my days with.  

A stay local summer

 Nearly September. What a year so far. July and August have been good. We’ve had a couple of lovely trips to see mum and family in Derbyshire. Mostly though we’ve been for walks locally, down the lane, on Lytham Green, Fairhaven and St Annes Beach.  It’s been great, especially the beach. 

I’ve ditched the harness some of the time lately. He walks better without and has been trying to shake it off a bit. We’ve done plenty of training in the past few weeks. At a distance of 15 feet or so he is coping better with bikes and runners. Didn’t help today though when some idiot decided distance was no object as he ran past about 2 feet away. Should have given Marley 6 ft of lead!  Bikes are a bit better too. If we keep up the rewards on the Granny’s Bay path I think next year might be the year we crack it :).  Birds are generally much less of an issue - did I really say that?

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Lytham, Witch Wood, Fairhaven and the Green

Marley is a little under the weather at the moment, just a bug I suspect, but we’ve had some lovely walks on the beach and on Lytham Green over the past few weeks.  Still working from home, he’s happy as can be, sleeping well (giving up on him sleeping downstairs has been the key to good sleep since we left Pemwortham) and now the turf in the garden has taken root he’s a great space to roam in.

Last weekend we walked from Lyrham, through Witch Wood to Fairhaven and back along the front.  It was a lovely walk, and our first woodland footpath since lockdown.  Social distancing on the path through the woods wasn’t too hard, with plenty of ‘passing places’.  Marley enjoyed a good sniff round, on lead.  Fairhaven is starting to look great, with new sea defences along Granny’s Bay, all stepped so you can sit and watch the world go by.  The new path back to Lytham Green was equally lovely, with the tide in to to the wall and a strong breeze making it very invigorating.

It’s a long long time since we walked through Witch Wood, on Boxing Day I think many years ago when Finney was a pup. I didn’t really remember it but think the fencing to the railway tracks is much improved. Definitely a walk we’ll do again.

New home at last and adapting to new normal

It doesn’t feel like a month since I last posted. We moved in to our new home in Warton two weeks ago. Things are gradually returning to something that feels more normal, but still far from normal of course.  The mood of the nation has certainly changed in recent weeks.  Black Lives Matters rather than Covid dominates the news. The roads are busier.  Clap for The NHS and Key Workers has stopped. Schools are starting to take more pupils. More people are back to work, but of course many still furloughed.

From our perspective the past 3 weeks have seen huge changes. We worked at the ‘new’ house for a week before we moved in, to help us and Marley adjust really and to test out the 4g broadband. It meant a good transition from Marley’s point of view, so moving day was no big deal, other than he didn’t get to see his uncle Adam and auntie Linda that night.  Over the past few weeks we’ve still been working from home. Marley has been fantastic. Most of the time I forget now he’s in the room when I’m in Skype calls. He just chills out.

In the past few week we’ve been down to the beach at St Anne’s a few times. First time was a bit tense given he’d not been off lead for months. The long line was great as a confidence builder. Today it stayed in the car during our morning walk on the beach. No problems, he was just great.

Today was Denise’s birthday so a day of socially distanced visitors. Again, he was pretty good. The twins were here this morning which inevitably drove him wild, but provided he got a cuddle he was happy.  The sky engineer was a different matter. She had lots of tools dangling from her belt which was all a bit much!  Linda, Adam, Jack and our old neighbours Jo and the girls popped round in the garden too, at different times, so it was by far the most people he’s seen in a long while.

We are loving the new home. Our local walk is lovely, with cows, sheep, hares and wildlife all around. Lytham Green is under 10 minutes. The beach about 20 minutes tops.

Started a week of holiday at home yesterday, our first break since Christmas, so feeling very lucky.

Easing lockdown

How could any of us have imagined what this year would bring?  Thankfully our family and close friends remain well, but hearts go out to those who have lost their loved ones.  As Northern Italy went in to lockdown earlier this year if used Instagram to try to get a glimpse of what life was like.  I remember thinking that it didn’t tell me much, as photos were generally filled with meals and pictures of quiet countryside.  I get that now.  Most of the past 8 weeks has been filled with food, work from home and one walk a day.  Dog training has been lost from our weekend routine,  Marley has not been off the lead outside of the garden; how do you Social distance when your over enthusiastic dog runs up to a complete stranger?  Greetings with other dogs are few and far between, and only on long leads. We’ve been lucky though to be in good health and have a lovely place to walk from our doorstep.

We’ve stil not moved in to the new house, but removals happen this week. Won’t be long before Marley has the run of his new garden and a few new local walks.  The last week has been so much better with two walks a day, but although we’re allowed we’ve not driven anywhere for exercise.  Maybe next week.

The video highlight of the past 8 weeks has to be a sponsored training session for the Lancashire Covid-19 Support Fund.

Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives

Happily we are all still well, but this is a time I hope we all move on from and one day get back to walks without restrictions and being able to travel to our favourite spots across Lancashire.  At this point, Easter weekend, we are still living with family, which Marley loves, so if there is such a thing as fate, it was probably fate that meant we were between house moves when all this happened.  We completed on the new house a few weeks ago, in the first week of restrictions, so one day I hope we get to move in, get the garden turfed, get Marley’s toys back, most of which is in storage, and get on with enjoying life to the max.

Four adults working at home with Marley hasn’t been as challenging as it would have been not so long ago.  He is pretty settled for most of the day and I so look forward to a short walk out later in the evening. Days tend to blur on to one though as it’s so busy, so I keep having to remind myself to do some training with him to stop bad habits appearing.  Today I decided to reverse our routine a bit so we had a good early morning walk before most people were up and about.  Maybe that’s the way to go as he’s the most chilled he’s been for a while this morning, and it feels good to have had some decent exercise. Not that our walk would normally have been such a highlight, all along pavements and what would normally be busy roads, but it’s a nice feeling to be able to cross Blackpool Road to allow a jogger to pass, without taking your life in your hands.

The Green at Wrea Green is our local walk, so we’re really lucky to be able to wander round the Dub, watch the ducks and get some fresh air in a nice environment within 5 minutes walk.  Like plenty of other people though, we’d rather be on the beach or the moors.

Keep safe.

Lytham Hall

My sister in-law introduced us to Lytham Hall yesterday.  What a lovely place!  I had a walk round the grounds 15 years or so ago and how it’s changed!  After walking alongside the long driveway leading to the house, which looks very smart these days, we wandered past the lake and gardens before settling down to a pot of tea, and hot chocolate for the boys, in the dog friendly cafe.  We will definitely be back there.

Moving house with the dog

We moved out of our house just over two weeks ago.  It’s odd as I thought I’d really miss it, but I’ve not. Happily, we are staying with relatives until we can move in to the new house, maybe in a couple of weeks.

Marley has settled brilliantly. I think he loves it here....calm at home during the week and lots of comings and goings at weekends. He has been in daycare most days as we can’t leave him alone at all in our temporary home. He seems to love it there too, and now drags me to the door and off he goes without a second thought. The impact of all this change is the opposite of what I’d expected. He is much calmer, hasn’t been jumping on furniture, sleeps with us all night and is excited to get back home. He went to the groomers yesterday who thought we’d swapped him for a different dog!

Walks have been great these past few weeks. Lytham is just a 10 minute drive so we’ve had plenty of walks on the green and a few walks on Blackpool Prom and up to Bispham.  I love it being so close to the sea.  We’ve not been on the beach in this windy weather but that will come. Daffodils are out and spring is coming. Life is good. It feels like we’re waiting for an apocalypse to happen so I’m so happy we have enjoyed this time.

Winter wanders

It’s the middle of February already.  This morning there were hints of daylight on our walk at 6.30am, and it’s not pitch black when we get home from work.  The first signs of spring are here, albeit we have another storm to come this weekend!

We’ve not been up to much in terms of exciting walks.  Most are in our local area, Bee Lane or over to Walton Park.  Last weekend we got to Derbyshire which was wet and wild but lovely.  We had a good walk around Matlock, Matlock Bath and Starkholmes as usual.  We’ve also had a few trips to the beach at Lytham, and an evening walk on Lytham Prom after fish and chips.

We move in a few weeks so the house is full of boxes.  I’ll miss this place, and I’m sure Marley will too, but sure we will have fun settling in to new, albeit temporary, surroundings.

Formby to Ainsdale, The Star of Hope and Christmas 2019

2020 has arrived and we’ve had a good start to the year.  A whopping three hour dog training class yesterday saw our first ever go at man trailing.  I think Marley got the idea, finding the hiding person twice and of course now regarding her as his latest treat dispenser!

Friday saw a return to Formby for a fabulous walk, pretty much all off lead, up to the wreck of the Star of Hope at Ainsdale and back. It was probably Marley’s longest off lead walk to date so he was shattered for the rest of the day.

Thursday was a trip out to lunch at the Watermill at Ings. It’s a great dog friendly pub.  Marley behaved pretty well other than 10 seconds of wanting to play with another dog and it’s 2 foot high companion. Other than when kids are looking at him or running past he’s pretty good at settling in pubs now.

Other highlights of the season were some off lead time with the twins. Can’t say they were too impressed with his contribution to their indoor cricket matches but he joined in Christmas Day present opening without total carnage, before it did all become too much and he had some time out in the car.  The adults only meal a few days later was rather calmer!

The build up to Christmas was less enjoyable with Marley picking up a rather nasty stomach bug. No idea how he caught it, but it followed a snowy but rather muddy trip to Tockholes. After a few days he had a trip to the vets, some probiotics and special food, which did the trick. Sadly it meant he missed a weeks training classes and a day out, but we were relieved it cleared up almost as quickly as it came on.