A walk by the rocks, busy weekend, more building work

Friday - a lovely 2.5 hour walk through Broadwater Warren to Eridge Rocks

On Friday I decided to get out of the house for the day. I was sick of the building work, so I loaded up my three girls and off we went. I had to call into Tunbridge Wells to get my hair cut and then we went to our favourite place for a walk. Broadwater Warren is so lovely, it's a well kept secret and is very peaceful and not many people use it. It has recently been bought by the RSPB but they promise they aren't going to make too many changes. It was my regular daily walk when we lived in Tunbridge Wells but I still get to walk there a couple of times a week as it's only five minutes or so from Mum's nursing home.

Anyway, I decided we'd do a really big walk and so we went right out to the Eridge Rocks which doubles our regular walk at this lovely place. There are two paths by the rocks, one goes right along the top and the other comes below the rocks. We headed out on the top path and came back via the bottom one. The paths along the rocks are a good quarter of a mile long and it can be quite eerie especially if you walk along the lower path in the dusk. However, Friday was a nice day and it was lovely to wander along the rocks.

I have to be very careful with Abbey along here as she has a tendency to climb the rocks and a couple of years ago got stuck up high and instead of waiting for me to come and get her hurled herself off and landed at my feet. I thought she had broken her back and was in a real panic but after a few moments (obviously she was winded), she got up shook and trotted off. It was very scary and I have always been very careful and make sure to have her on a lead in certain places along this walk!

We were out for 2.5 hours and the girls were very tired by the end of the walk. Abbey is amazing, she was still going strong at the end of the walk. Here are some pictures of the walk including a shot of one of the paths which was half muddy and half dry. Abbey chose to walk straight through the muddy bit rather than the dry bit and was plastered up to her knees! Why she had to do that I just don't understand - bless!

These are some of the smaller rocks at the beginning of the lower path

A little cave which my dogs love to explore

This rock looks a bit like a toad!

Naughty Niamh at the base of one of the rocks.

A view from the lower path

Abbey & Poppy nosing round the rocks

And which route did Abbey choose to take through this space - yep the muddy one!

Back in the main part of the forest where all the colours are turning to gold

After the walk I gave the girls a drink and some biscuits in the back of the car and then we drove back into Tunbridge Wells. I had a nice browse round the shops and a lovely lunch at O'Briens - they do the best sandwiches in the world and their coffee is lovely too! Then we popped out to Pembury and I had a wander round my favourite garden centre. It's a Nottcuts and they're a bit more traditional and less commercial than some of the garden centres around. Lastly I called in to see Mum on the way home. She was in pretty good spirits so we watched Ready Steady Cook together and then I gave her a full manicure which was quite difficult as she pulls her fingers away all the time, she tries not to but can't help it. It took a long time to get through all her fingers but we made it and she was very pleased with the end result!

By the time we arrived home, the builders had gone for the day. Andy had walked his three so they were nice and tired, we lit the fire cooked some supper and fell in a heap in front of the box!

On Saturday I did a training day for Sue Dennison. A great bunch of people and dogs in both the morning and afternoon session. The morning was geared to G5-6 and the afternoon was for beginners. I really enjoyed both sessions. I took Poppy along as she loves to watch training days. She is such a good little girl and just lays by the side with her chipmunk in her mouth and shakes it every time someone sets off! When I put her in the car at the end of the day she fell onto her side and didn't wake up 'til we got home. Lucky Poppy - I wish I could have slept all the way home!

On Sunday I went to Downland agility show. It wasn't too early a start as the clocks had gone back so it didn't feel too bad. However the scheduling of the show was a bit of a pain with our first run being at about 9.30 am and our last two runs at 5.00 pm. A long day but I didn't want to go home as I knew the kitchen would out of bounds. We decided to take up all the old quarry tiles and Andy decided Sunday was as good a day as any ... more about that later.

I got both girls eliminated in the jumping round but got both clear in the agility. This was Niamh's first clear round in G6 (actually it was G6/7 combined) at only her second G6 show so I was pretty pleased. We might have got a lowly place I'm not sure as I didn't wait until the end, just too tired!

At Downlands show I met Hazel's little sheltie puppy for the first time. She is totally gorgeous. I had seen photos which Toni had sent to me but to meet her in the flesh, well I just wanted to steal her. Her name is Puzzle and she is just eight weeks old. Here is a picture of her and her proud mum.

A gorgeous sheltie puppy called Puzzle with her proud mum Hazel. Isn't she cute!

I was exhausted by the time Sunday night came and just crashed out in the armchair and watched the Strictly Come Dancing Result .... which was a fiasco! When will those stupid judges learn that if they keep insulting the worst dancers all that happens is that the public give them the sympathy vote and then the good dancers who are in the middle of the table get into the bottom two and one has to go out. It wouldn't be so bad if the judges gave them constructive criticism but they can't stop at that they have to be rude and insulting using stupid terminology like "gorilla hands" and stuff like that! Hey ho!