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Calm sea at Silloth after Cumbrian storms

Sunshine and a bit of frost greeted us this morning so Charlie ensured mum and dad were up early because we wanted a good walk, no excuses.

Floods, gales and horrid weather has kept us close to home for too long and today it was time for Silloth.

Over the last week we have seen dreadful weather with many of the rivers and streams bursting banks and cascading down main streets in towns like Cockermouth.

Many humans have switched on the flickery light show in the corner of the soft room and seen heroic rescues of some of us from flood waters.

Distressed

Specialist rescue teams from an organisation called the RSPCA have helped look after our colleagues who became stranded or split up from their humans.

More than 60 RSPCA staff  came to West Cumbria and working alongside the usual emergency services cared for dogs, cats, horses and many farm animals who became distressed or lost as conditions became dangerous.

Although the flood waters have gone away,  many friends may be spending time away from the normal routines and possibly their humans due to homes being waterlogged. Good luck to you all.

Thankfully our town was spared any real damage and it seems the recently installed flood defences have worked.

Some localised flooding did occur and dad made a video of it for Naturearoundme.com. You can also see the video at the bottom of this post.

Silloth

We have visited Silloth many times, as regular readers will know but today was the best.

Mum and dad had both wrapped up well against the expected sea breeze but it was calm and still.  Even the sea hardly rippled as it ebbed and flowed.

Many pockets of water lay on the path and we just could not resist the temptation to go for the occasional paddle.

Charlie spent quite a bit of time on the sea side of the flood defences today and let me be king of the castle by walking on the proper top path. We kept meeting up at the steps every few hundred meters and exchanged information using our inbuilt moist nose technology.

We have heard mum talk about something similar for humans when she uses bluetooth on her mobile talky thing.  It sounds very primitive and way behind what we have.

Penguins

As we walked along the path we noticed a lack of the usual seagulls but did see a number of these black and white birds.

Dad commented that they must be penguins as it was cold and they were  the same colour as a penguin.

Mum replied, in a jokey sort of way,  that she thought penguins were blue with a yellow tummy.  It was going to be one of those days.

White dots

Our walk took the usual route up past the lighthouse on the path then passing through the gap in the sea defences at the landing stage and onto the grass.

Wide open space all to ourselves, quite an achievement on a Saturday morning.

Here our noses went into the air as we could smell the unmistakable odour of cooking bacon.

Maybe it was from the nearby care home or from one of the many hotels or houses on the street. That is just a cruel game to play without letting us share.

Just beyond the tennis courts is a small wood with what seems to be something mysterious going on.  Many of the trees here look as if they have been marked with white dots of paint. Could they be for the chop ?

Our attention was soon drawn to a rustling coming from the undergrowth and a pair of wide eyes looking at us.

Mosaic

It is so frustrating that we are on our leads.

Silloth on Solway is the official title for this area and this is proudly displayed in this circular mosaic at the edge of the main green grass space.

Charlie is not really interested but I take a good look  and check out the sniffs.

Walking on the grass is not too bad as the main green area seems well drained and is not muddy at all.

Overhead hundreds of birds are flying past in a column hundreds of meters long.

They are too far away to see what they are.

Christmas

Christmas is now only a few weeks away and it looks as if Silloth will have a splendid focus for the festivities.

Planted firmly into a plastic trough with wooden wedges rammed home to stop any movement, is the giant Christmas tree.

Cake

Standing many meters high the fir tree still needs the lighting and other decorations added.

Dad spots a bakery and cake shop on the other side of the road called Berry and Sons.

Mum is dispatched to get some provisions, clutching a couple of pound coins from dads pocket. The earlier smell of bacon just had our taste buds all a tingle.

One small paper bag is what she returns with a few minutes later and it smells sticky.

Sitting on a nearby bench the wrapping is removed and two vanilla slices are revealed.

We helped mum and dad eat them. It would have been a shame not to help.

Tummies full and circular walk completed we returned to the lifeboat station car park and  the start of our journey home.

That’s all for now, until next time

Buster and Charlie

Carlisle floods video

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Flood alerts in Cumbria

Flood alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency for all of the local area after heavy overnight rain.

We were woken up at one point during the sleep time,  so we thought we should go and investigate where all the rain goes, so we headed to Bitts Park and the River Eden.

We are pleased to report that although the river is quite high it is not dangerously high and is not at risk of causing much damage in this area as yet.

The river was a muddy bubbling torrent of water trundling downhill towards the sea.

Flood level

Water has broken over the natural River Eden banks opposite the Carlisle Cricket Club but is being contained by the second line of defence, the raised pathways through the park.

Flood water would have to rise another metre or so to overtop these.

Carved in to one the bricks is a previous high water mark.  Today the water is well below the 1852 mark.

More rain is due overnight so maybe this mark maybe reached.  That sounds like an excuse to come for another walk.

Walking under the bridge we could see into Rickerby Park.  At the far end of this park is where the Cumberland Show used to be held.

This year the show was cancelled due to high river levels. Next year the show will be held at Carlisle Racecource.

Just a quick update today as we now need a bath to get cleaned up.  It is muddy work this investigation work.

Take care tonight and tomorrow morning just incase you get flooded or scared by the rain.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

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Dalston walk – revisited

Rain continues to disrupt our walks on the fells or in potentially muddy places so earlier this week we re-visited a walk we did earlier in the year, March to be precise.

Our walk starts next to the print works in Cummersdale, between Carlisle and Dalston.

All seemed as it was when we last visited until we came to the area behind the Pirelli Tyre factory where it looked as if some workmen had been very busy.

Thousands of tree saplings had been planted in the field between the factory and the river.

Shielded in a white plastic tube, to stop them being munched by critters, the young trees formed a sort of artwork against the dark green grass.

We both looked at each other and decided it would be impossible to check every one of them out.

It must have taken a good few days to plant the trees. Mum wondered if they were to stabilise the flood plain and to drink up some of the water.

Information

Looking just like sticks, dad could not work out what kind of trees they are. We will have to come back in the summer to see if we can see any young leaves.

Following the path alongside the back of the cemetery and up the rise towards Denton Holme you can really see how much work has been done in this area for flood defences.

A new wildlife pond has been created at the edge of the stream known as Fairy Beck and a new interpretation panel has been installed.

This panel tells of the rich wildlife in the area, where all the seats are and details of a 3.7km circular walk.

Water

The full walk sounds like a good idea if it is dry for a few weeks.

Water is cascading down the weir after all the recent rain.  It looks quite a sight with the wall of water falling about a metre and it makes a bit of a noise.

When we visited back in March the water was clear and sparking white. Today, it was like the foam on top of a drink mum calls coffee.

All the flood defence workmen have left this area and it does look rather grand.

New boots

The bridge we saw in two parts now spans the river.  It even can handle our dads weight.

Painted in a green grey colour the metal construction is wide enough for bikes and walkers to cross in safety in to the Bousteads Grassing area of the city from Denton Holme.

That is about all for our update today as it is starting to rain once more.  Our return was a little bit quicker than our outward journey and we stayed reasonably clean.

Dad says he is going to buy some new trampling boots tomorrow so I think some long walks are on the cards to break them in.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

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Remembrance and fireworks

After many nights of being scared by the bangs and pops of fireworks we ventured outside this afternoon for a walk to stretch our legs a bit.

With big grey clouds on the horizon, we took a short car journey towards the town and our usual walking venue of Bitts Park.

Last night the annual bonfire and fireworks event took place here.

Usually around 35,000 people attend the show which is listed as one of the top 10 bonfires in the UK by The Times newspaper in 2007.

Two thousand fireworks and a bonfire, made to look like a local landmark, all went up in flames and smoke.

Although the metal crown barriers have been removed you can see where they were as a clear green lines criss cross the field.

All the recent rain has made this area very muddy and at one stage it was thought that the event may need to be cancelled on safety grounds.

It is a shame that the park looks quite a mess today, especially if you are a visitor to the area.

Lets hope the council will be out early tomorrow picking up the litter and emptying the overflowing dustbins.

Falling leaves

Autumn has arrived and the leaves are falling from the trees quite quickly now.

Paths in nearby Victoria Park are covered with golden shapes and piles of leaves bursting with new sniffs.

With the low sunshine, trees take on a magical glow, as branches are highlighted against backgrounds hidden during the summer.

Some leaves are managing to hang on, but the first winter winds and the cooler evening temperatures will soon relieve them of their grip.

Also taking advantage in the calm dry break in the rain, were many other dogs taking their owners for a walk in the park this afternoon.

People were also playing tennis on the outdoor courts and inside the tennis air dome.

Roses in full bloom

Some of the leaves have gathered on the sides of paths around the park.  One or two of the larger piles attracted our attention as they did seem to smell a little different.

Maybe a hedgehog had tried to set up home at some stage, using the leaves as a sort of blanket to keep out the rain and cold evening air.

One of the more unusual sights on our walk was a red rose in full bloom.

A small bud also was visible on the same plant.

Mum wondered if the plants were as confused as we are with the changing temperatures.

Remembering our fallen

Today many of the humans have been remembering friends, colleagues and family members in annual Remembrance Day services.

We also took a moment to think of some of us who have been killed or injured serving our masters.

Dogs have been used for centuries to relay messages, in a search and rescue environment, mascots and to protect people and property.

When mum was watching the remembrance day parade in London, she said that this year was the first year in which one of the Military Dog handler’s sections had been represented.

Our own Victoria Cross

During the First World War we had our own school, the War Dog Training School,  where we were taught to leap wire fences and get through the lines.

It was important stuff and had serious consequences for a human if they hindered us with our progress.

In cases of exceptional courage, bravery and loyalty we may even be awarded, by the Mayor of London, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, The Dickin Medal.

Memorial

Throughout the world a number of memorials have been erected to those of us who have lost our lives in conflict or battle.

Here are a few that we are aware of.  Please let us know via the comments or the contact us form if you can add to this list.

USA

• March Field Air Museum – March Air Force Base, Riverside California – Further details >>
• Sacrifice Field in front of the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia - Further details >>
• The War Dog Memorial – University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine - Further details >>

UK

• War dog statue of the Mascot to the Free Norwegian Forces during World War II - Further details >>
• The Animals in War Memorial - Further details >>

Further information about our roles during warfare and conflict

• The Irish Wolfhound and a dog called Bally Shannon
• Dogs in Warfare – Wikipedia
• Dogs noted for courage, bravery or sterling duty – Wikipedia