Our walks are short at the moment.
For two reasons – Tima has very short legs.
And then she has to stop every few minutes to play ‘Gleeful Manchurian Mustache’ The Game (the rules are obscure) with TonTon, who can call out “Help me!” in 17 different languages. Actually the rules of the game seem more fluid than obscure as Timatanga Moana always wins. 
And then secondly, Big Dog is very old. Almost 16 years old I think. Though he was here way before me (I have only been here eight years) so it hard for me to say but he is very doddery so we walk slowly.
But we also have to walk watchfully as he has a dreadful habit of wandering off the track and falling down into The Ditch. He used to run down into the ditch that used to be a creek and play in the water daily. The ditch is about 18 feet down. Straight down. The depth of the water depends on the rain. 
Yesterday it rained!
We have a system for when the Big Old Dog loses his footing and rolls down into the ditch. Or maybe he does it on purpose, who knows. I go down into the water and grab the floundering Cooder around his body, lifting him up so he does not drown, Boo comes down with me, Tima and TonTon shout encouragement from above. Then, standing in the creek with my arm around The Big Old Dog’s skinny body and the other hand holding onto Boo’s collar I shout “See TonTon, See TonTon!”and Boo rushes at speed and with all the strength and purchase of a well fed, sleek, young dog, straight up the bank at TonTon – always the fastest way not the most comfortable way but beggers can’t be choosers – and we are hauled up unceremoniously, holding on for dear life because life is dear, straight up the bank as Ton and Tima back up to give us space to get right up and over the bank. Boo is dragging me, who is dragging The Big Old Dog, whose name is Cooder. All 10 of our legs working as fast as possible.
Once we are all safe and sound back at the top of the unbridgeable bank, we shake ourselves, folding our soggy bodies back into order, readjusting our skins – we all sigh, we check that all our body parts are where they should be, then we turn for home. My three dogs and one little piggie. The eldest and the youngest need a wee lie down after all the excitement.
We collect Sheila and Poppy on the way back through the fields (Sheila does not like Poppy to go out the gates) and promenade with all the joy and arrogance of the living – back home. Home.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
41 responses to “Short Exciting Walks”
TIma has grown so fast! She’s still a small piggy, but she’s definitely loads bigger. And I’m really glad her fabulous calico colouration hasn’t changed. She’s going to be very impressive when she’s older.
Big Old Dog is my favorite inhabitant of your farmy, so I’m always looking out for a post devoted to him: glad to see him without his blanket, though he does sort of look like wonder dog with it on!
You must be very light – i can’t imagine Boo pulling me up the bank 😉
He keeps me upright as i climb with no hands, one with Boo and one with the old Dog who tries to scrabble up as well..kind of a joint effort, but Boo is pretty strong..all muscle that dog.. c
Goodness what a production! 🙂 Poor old Big Dog. R flew back to England the other day and reported that Theo is getting very old and frail too. He’s having trouble with his arthritis these days and finds it difficult to get up on the bed or sofa. But, like Big, he still loves to walk around and lay in the sun. Poor old dears.
The system works. That would be quite something to witness. Not to mention the interaction between Tima and Ton. Most of all though, Poppy’s grimy, gorgeous face, lice a toddler with chocolate cake.
Poppy has been a world of good for Miss Sheila!
Good morning, c, and greetings to the farmy. Glad to see that everyone is out and about, and enjoying the spring weather.
What a lovely lot of grass seems to be growing over at your place. Love to all the farmy friends, ViV x
Having a Very Old Dog of my own, I can identify…walls that she once sailed-over with grace now thwart her, the bunnies get away, and she forgets that she’s already had her breakfast and comes asking for more…although that one may be on purpose. We enjoy them while we can, knowing we will miss them when they’re gone…
Have a beautiful day, c!
I know that you work very hard on your farmy and that there is always plenty of work to do and to be done but you do have fun…. Apart from the heavy hard labour which would be
beyond my capabilities, I would love to live on your farm just so that I could play and talk with the animals ( and you too of course0
It’s good that Boo is into elder care as willingly as child care. My old cat, Esmerelda Gray, made it through the winter but expired before spring would have made our walks possible. She did love to walk over the creek and out to the woods with me!
A picture paints a thousand words but please find someone with a video camera and take them on your walk with you! 😀 Have a great day Celi!
Cooder is amazing for having survived the nasty winter 🙂 I wonder if Sheila remembers what happened to her (and Charlotte) outside the gates and is protecting Poppy from the same? My old boy is finally being (chemically) treated for his arthritis after 13 years of a completely raw diet and homeopathic remedies, and winter has only just begun. Low temp this morning was 8C/42F and high will be 22C/70F – freezing, winter is here 😦 Laura
You have some quite lovely light in your images today. And that story about rescuing Big Old Dog sounds a tad dangerous to me.
It once happened when the ice was melting and the creek just starting to run but snow still on the banks.. .as we reached the bottom without falling and looked up a the frozen banks I had to halu the dog back up and thought.. Hmm.. Now this was not clever.. c
My mind pictures of the dog rescue make me smile. It would make a great mini movie!