Poppy wood and big girl pants

 Took the asbo “cock”er to poppy wood today in Ticknall . Why did I not know of this place before! Enclosed but semi mature woodland and path walks. Great for kids, mobility problems and asbo dogs who may zooooom off . 

I did have the Loooooongest 4 minutes of my live when Ivy  dog winded something and disappeared....... oh my word I thought I’d be putting up “wanted posters” but 4 mins of shouting (I know I shouldn’t shout her name but it’s natural) although it was getting a little frantic and frenzied  and blowing recall on the whistle, there may also have been tears  She came tearing back like her arse was on fire!  

This was seconds before she zoooooomed 

I kept my big girl pants on and kept her off the lead..... queue a little more quartering training until she winded something else, why there is bloody wildlife in a wood I shall never know! Rude!!!.... but each time she came back much quicker without any shouting from me 🙄 and just blowing the recall whistle, All while texting the dog trainer saying “The dogs gone!” A very calm reply came back “don’t worry she’ll be back keep whistling her”   5 seconds later, back like her life depended on it.  Then obviously getting loads of fuss when she did come back. 

I’m sorry if you went for a walk in poppy wood today and you were disturbed by my frantic whistle and shouts, Ivy is my little bestie and has kept me sane and insane during the last few months. 

She’s knackered now...... as for me it’s too early for gin so I’ll have a cuppa instead   

Worried Walks and Wildlife

Today’s little adventure happened after I’d dropped Lizzie off at her work at 2pm.  I’d seen a piece of woodland that I knew you could walk around but didn’t seem to get many cars parked by the gate so thought it would be nice and quiet. I remember as a teenager walking there from Ashby-de-la-Zouch to meet my boyfriend who was busy ploughing the field. Funny to think of it having mature trees in now.

We parked up and walked through the gate.  I was relieved it was a cut through rather than a style or a kissing gate. Meaning I didn’t have to touch it.   And stopped.  Wow.   I was met with a carpet of green luscious grass and dandelion lions.

Blossom sprinkled from the trees and fairies danced in the wind.  Meaning the beastie was like taking  a Tasmanian devil for a walk.  I have the rope burn on my ankle to prove it.

I inhaled  in the countryside and exhaled the worries I had, my thoughts which had been consumed by someone’s jealous gossip, had upset me more than I realised were slowly melting away.


We found an area particularly amass with dandelions and stopped to see if I could get some nice pictures of the Ivy Beast. I NEVER realised how long her tongue 👅  is!

We walked a little further into my wooded wonderland and came across a little pond, mindful of any nesting birds 🦢 I let beastie have a drink, keeping her away from the multitude of tadpoles we saw.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many all at once. 

We pressed on further into the wood and away from the road, as we were walking along and the dog was running around me in circles I became aware of a bird song I probably haven’t heard for 25 years. It was beautiful and distinctive sound of the Cuckoo, it brought me back to childhood memories of sleeping in my mums old bedroom at my grandparents farm, where grandma would come and about under the window for us to get up in a morning. Have a listen to the video below. 

                                   

Continuing on I intended to leave the wood and walk up the track we once referred to as ‘Normanton Woods’ but as we got to the gap in the fence the dog jumped back and was cowering and trying to get away.  The wood was quit dense there and I’m certain there wasn’t any other walkers, I could hear a low deep growing coming from a heavy piece of thicket.  Surely a walker was near by and would call there dog?   We heard it again and sorry to say turned on our heels and headed back the way we came as fast as my dumpy legs would go, in long grass, trainers and bumpy ground!  Do we have wild-boar   in this area, or maybe Normanton still is home to one of the big cats from a released menagerie from times gone past.  Who knows.  I’m not easily spooked, but I have to say this experience got me a little today.  

Walking back to car I was again in awe of the areas I’d stumbled on today.  Back at the pond Ivy beast had another drink and decided to take a swim, she can’t yet! She swims like roadrunners legs wizzing round making a lot of splash and not really getting anywhere. 

After her swim I think the picture above tells the story, she stank.  With my head and my heart a little lighter, and not having seen or heard a soul apart from the Normanton monster the beastie and I headed home.  

Lots of love 

Jac. 

Walking and Taxis

Walks and tractors

One of the highlights I have whilst being on lockdown is being able to collect the little bestie from her work and ferry her to either a field to work with the tractor (tractor tests are another story and you can read about them here) or bringing her to and from work.
Today just after 11am I went to Lizzies work to collect her from the diary farm and take her to another farm in Nailstone to carry on with tractor driving.  Something she loves.

Today’s job after milking was subsoiling, something I don’t think she’s done before.
After a quick lesson (out of cab with social distancing maintained).  She was off...

And with that the beastie and I set off walking the field margins for a change of scenery.   She was a little sod to start of with. Wanting to chase anything that flew or fluttered.

I’m not quite brave enough to let her off in a field that isn’t enclosed, As I’m pretty sure she’d run to the moon and back after a bleeping butterfly 🦋 so she ran in circles on the long line. When she had run some energy off we went back to working on walking to heel.   She’s definitely getting better even if she does forget herself every now and then. She was on a slack lead and it was a pleasure.

When we got to the top end of the field I took a few moments to video Lizzie driving the tractor and working.   Easier said than done with the beastie, you’ll see on the video it sakes.  Well that’s because she was wrapping me up like a bloody maypole going round and round me in circles until I couldn’t move my feet.

A walk back to the car and we were off home. Where she’s been fast asleep 💤  ever since.  I imagine she’ll still be growling at me 8pm where she wants me to go upstairs  so she can sleep on our bed!

Thank you for reading 

Lots of love 

Jac. 

Yesterday adventure on Redbarrow Lane.

Yesterday I found it quite tough and was desperate to get out.  So at 4pm Lizzie, the beastie and I hopped into the car. She was very excited!  The beastie and struggled to contain that very waggy tail, making it almost impossible to sit in the car!

 Now whether you think it’s right or wrong to get in the car to take daily exercise is a personal choice.  For me it’s the only reason why I’d go for a walk, and I do try to organise it so it fits in with picking Lizzie up from her work or dropping her off. If she’s not working we don’t tend to go, but those of the days I find harder.  I don’t feel ‘safe’ walking from home.  There’s so many people out walking in the nice weather (Which is right and their choice). But when I comes to it. I just can’t.
So when they altered the rules about it I now drive 10 mins to a public footpath and can walk for an hour away from everyone, where if we see 1 person I class that as busy.  I often go at 6am too so it’s quieter then.

Yesterday we decided to park up on Redbarrow lane near the microlight field. The derelict house in the field there has filled me with fascination since I was a little girl and used to ride that way on my pony.  Now it fascinates the lizzie.

We planned to walk in a fairly circular walk but were met with cows and calves.  Now Lizzies far braver than me. But I didn’t want to take the dog through.

I was trying to perfect the pout but can’t bloody do it. 

The beastie was a little monkey. Tugging on the lead and getting over excited, definitely full of the joys of spring and warm weather. Wanting to chase every fly or dandelion fairy it saw. We walked like a spider setting of in one detection and being met by cows turning road then being met by more on a different route.

On the way home I had a little cry while trying to explain to lizzie I was grateful she’d been for a walk with me, going out to work is brilliant for her so she isn’t struggling quite so much with the lockdown, although is missing college and her friends terribly.  

So thank you for taking the time to read, about our local walks with 2 of family. 

Lots of love 

Jacqui 

Welcome

So it’s no secret I’m struggling like so many with lockdown,  I hate being at home 24/7 it’s something  I’ve never been good at. I’m also not the sort of person to hide away.  If it wasn’t a deadly virus I’d be out there fighting the battle with you.  As it is being high risk I’m hiding away.

I like people.  I like chatting all day and seeing my family but I like the countryside and big skies, mountains and the sea.  I love being out in the wind.

                                                  

So I thought to help me and after being suggested by a friend, I decided I’d start a blog specifically about being out and about with my little best friend, my 16 year old daughter Lizzie,  and the beastie, her very naughty and a little bit challenging 7 month old cocker spaniel Ivy.

Then there's me. A 41 year old overweight mum to 1 human 3 dogs and 2 cats. Businesses owner (if we survive covid19)  and wife to a grumpy 51 year old farmer contractor.  Oh I’m an identical twin too!  She’s my other best friend, and someone at the moment we couldn’t cope without, she’s braving the shops and doing our groceries for us.

So my favourite place to be when we’re not working (hah) or out clay pigeon shooting is to be walking the dogs.   Something that before lockdown I didn’t get as much time to do as I’d of liked. I’m hoping when this is all over it’s something I can carry on doing more of.  I do think this is the time for us all the re-access our work life balance.

 I definitely think we’ve found joy in the simpler things in life.  Baking, reading and video calls with friend and family.

I know that with covid19 my mental health is suffering, not with depression but certainly with anxiety and the fear of being with people.  We’re walking in more remote footpaths and I’m trying to avoid styles and gates as much as possible.  But with the help from friends and family we will all in time get through this.

Hope you enjoy our adventures

Lots of love
Jacqui.