Whilst dad was going to work this morning he spotted gliding in the sky, the unusual sight of a hot air balloon.

These are fairly common in south Cumbria but to see the Virgin hot air balloon over the streets of Carlisle was quite a sight, he said.

Virgin Hot Air balloon over Carlisle, coming into land

Although quite a distance away, the big red shape stood out against the clear blue early morning sky.

It must have been very big as he could still see the distinctive Virgin logo clearly on the side in bright white letters.

Balloon launch sites

Checking the Virgin balloon website, it appears that the nearest launch site to Carlisle in near to Penrith, at Dalemain.

If this was the start of the flight earlier today then the passengers and crew should have had a really good view from the basket  as they floated north.

Possibly they used the M6 as an aerial reference during the journey.

It appeared as if they came down to the west of the city, possibly near to the recently opened Dobbies store.

Maybe you know more about the flight? Let us know via the comments area below.

We are pleased that our canine comrade Harvey has returned with a new advertisement, this time he is staring with his best friend Rabbit.

As Rabbit dangles perilously over the waste bin, will the power of TV advertising be able to save the day?

Thinkbox TV Harvey and Rabbit web pages

Fluffy best friends are really important when your human is not around, they keep you company at the kennels, they know your innermost thoughts and they help keep you warm at night.

I have a red Mr Happy and Buster has a stuffed monkey which is almost as big as he is.

About Harvey
Harvey is played by Sykes, a dog actor from Clifton, Oxfordshire, catapulted to fame in 2010 following his appearance in Thinkbox’s television commercial, “Every Home needs a Harvey”.

The advertisement was named “Advert of the Year” by ITV for 2010 and his latest already has a huge following.

Found roaming as a stray in 2004, Sykes was re-homed with Oxfordshire stunt dog trainer Gill Roddings who runs Action stunt dogs and animals.

Sykes (aka Harvey) has also appeared in a number of films, including Hollywood blockbusters;

• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• Young Victoria
• The Dutchess
• Alexander
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• The Wolfman
• Clash of the Titans.
• Midsomer Murders – March 2011

He appeared with Peter Kay as “Tondo” in the John Smith’s Brewery advert “Dog Show”.

Working with Harvey
Thinkbox TV have a dedicated “Harvey”  section where Actors and production staff share their thoughts on working with Harvey.
There is also unseen footage and behind the scenes features as well as some great “Harvey” pics for your desktop or phone.

Harvey also won the Dogs Trust Celebrity Canine of the year award and you can find out more about this and view his acceptance video.

Watch Harvey’s new Friends advertisement

Follow Harvey on Facebook
Action stunt dogs and animals – See how many of Harvey’s actor colleagues you recognise

Thanks to a black labrador we now have our own ‘ice cream’ for cooling us down on hot sunny days.

Billy + Margot Iced Treats for Dogs

Whilst out shopping today at our local Dobbies garden centre mum spotted a small grey freezer, filled with iced treats for dogs.

Sadly many two leggers will pass by the one metre tall un-engaging box, not willing to venture past the solid coloured lid to find the delights enclosed. But we are glad our mum did.

Sold under the brand Billy + Margot, the two chief taste testers for the company, the sorbet textured treat is made from ingredients chosen for their health benefits and great taste.

At this point we should mention that this is not ice cream for dogs, but an iced treat.  It has a sorbet consistency and is free from dairy.

Apple, banana and carrot treat

Looking on the Billy+Margot  website they say that recipes contain pure fruit and vegetable purée, aloe vera juice and flaxseed oil.

Coconut oil from sustainable sources is also used.

Two ice treat flavours are available. The first is an unusual concoction of apple, banana and carrot (ABC). Whilst the second is strawberry & apple.

Thanks to a black labrador we can have ice cream

Mum chose the one containing carrot for us, as we do like our vegetables.

As it is quite a cool day today we were only allowed a little and it did taste and look quite good.

Dog ice treat

The very pale coloured mixture was easily scooped out of the pot and soon was working it’s way towards our tummies.

Mum made sure we did not get too much in one go, just in case we became too cold too quickly and made ourselves sick.

The taste and smell were not too strong and on a hot day would be fantastic to cool us down.  So now all we need is a hot day so we can try the other flavour. Hint, hint mum.

Billy +Margot

Billy + Margot Apple, banana and carrot ice cream

Earlier I mentioned the chief taste testers called Billy and Margot well I thought they should get more of a mention.

It turns out that Billy, a black labrador ,was the key to the whole idea of an ‘ice cream’ specifically made for dogs.

He loved ice cream, who doesn’t, but human ice cream is not really good for us.

So the challenge was set to find one that was.

Marie Sawle, Billy’s owner and a nutritionist, launched the ice treat range at Crufts in 2012.

It is now available in more than 110 outlets throughout the country. The 160g tub costs around £2.99, so is a bit of a luxury even for pampered pooches.

Billy, sadly died before the new iced treat could be brought to market it seems, but his constant companion Margot, another Black Lab has taken the role of chief taster.

If you have a special flavour you think would work for you then you can suggest it on the Billy+Margot Facebook page. As we write this article apple, pear and banana seems to be in the lead ahead of pea and mint.

It would appear that sirloin steak or BBQ ribs have not been suggested.  They would get our vote.

The Billy+Margot products, are manufactured by ice cream and sorbet manufacturer Taywell.

Good luck to the new business and keep up the good work Margot.

Big licks

Charlie and Buster

On our walks around the county and beyond we come across things that make us stop and think.

Carlisle - Learning Village cycle route

Today was one of those moments when we spotted this sign proclaiming that Carlisle,  A City given that it has a cathedral, has or is, a learning village.

Now this was news to us and possibly a good number of the residents of this outpost up’t north.

It turns out that the two leggers can now cycle between academic locations in the area thanks to a number of blue signs helping them on their way.

The boffins have also created a cycling logo, but dad was unsure how the student could see the road ahead under the brim of the mortar board 

If you want to see the sign for yourself it is near the The Sands Centre and the Eden Bridge. underpass.

Circular route from the Sheepmount

Wooden foundations for the old Eden Bridge?

Our walk today started from the rear of Carlisle Castle, near to the Sheepmount Stadium.

We walked through the park towards Eden Bridge where we noticed a load of posts sticking up out of the River Eden.

The river level was quite low and we wondered if these could have been the old foundations for the bridge in earlier times. Maybe they were driven into the earth to stop the river bank eroding – Do you know?

Past the rear of The Sands Centre we then skirted alongside the golf course and along to the bridge into Rickerby Park.

Rickerby Park memorial railings in need of repair

Desperate for a drink we pulled mum and dad down to the water and in we went, I didn’t even take my coat off.

The cool breeze and the cold water soon made our tummies very cold and with our thirst quenched we emerged to continue along the river bank.

Rickerby Park War memorial

With a dozen or so cows blocking our way we detoured via the war memorial to take a look at the works done earlier in the year as part of a restoration project.

According to the Carlisle City website the railings were to be repaired as part of a £14,000 scheme in February. However, it does not appear that much work has been done.

Mawson Garden at the edge of Eden Bridges

The press release indicates that works will include repairing broken sections, replacing missing finials, rubbing down and repainting as well as the fabrication of a new entrance gate and lock.

Oh well, maybe they have had some problems or the works are more complicated than first thought.

Eden Bridge Gardens

Our path exited on the Scottish side of the River Eden past the recently renovated Thomas Mawson garden.

Plastic box clamped to a lamp post - Could it be a traffic counter?

The repair work was carried out a few years ago and already the plants are taking shape and relaxing into their surroundings.

We stopped for a few minutes to look into the pond and saw hundreds of tadpoles and a few coins people had thrown in for luck.

Dad tried to photograph the young frogs, or toads, but they would not stay still for long enough. A bit like Charlie really.

Up onto the big road and across the bridge but not before we noticed two plastic boxes clamped to lampposts.

Dad wondered if they were for counting high sided vehicles, much reduced in number since the bypass was opened. Or maybe they were junction boxes for electrical switches.

In effect, he had no idea what they were for – but it was good to hear him randomly suggest ideas.

And so we arrived back at the car, long walk over and the thought of pancakes with sticky syrup and tangy lemon for tea.  mmmmm

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Drumbrugh in north Cumbria was where we headed for our walk a few days ago and we were not disappointed.

What started off as a quick hour in the big world but it soon turned out to be almost a whole day as we followed our sniffers on a big circular route.

Buster eats some fresh grass found on a country lane

Positioned on the edge of the Solway Firth, right opposite Dumfries across the bay, Drumburgh is on the Hadrians Wall path. This meant our walk should be well sign posted and fairly easy to follow.

Our starting point was just outside the village, on a small piece of grass overlooking the bay. We have previously visited the area way back in 2010, so were keen to explore further.

Old railway

Our walk started off on familiar territory as we entered the village and turned left down the hill onto the old railway bed.

The wide gravel path is well drained however does offer the occasional puddle to ensure our walk starts off with a bit of splodging. Mum not amused.

Take care woolly monsters with young.

At then end of the mile long, almost straight path,  we avoid the nature reserve by turning right and along a farm like track.

One advantage of having hedges on both sides was that we were protected from the quite strong winds that were coming off the sea and so we stayed quite a bit warmer.

Our walk took us along some quite wide paths, with the occasional walker for company. For some reason they all seemed to be coming towards us and were eager to carry on. Maybe this was their first day on the Hadrians wall path and full of enthusiasm and energy.

Hedge laying

We wondered how they may feel in 4 or five days time when they get to the other end and Newcastle.

Hedge laying in progress

Scampering through large fields and through gates we stayed on our leads to avoid scaring any young lambs or wildlife.

We eventually stopped for a few minutes when we arrived in Glasson and spoke to a landowner who was installing and painting a fence.

Mum started the conversation with him by commenting on the smell of Creosote filling the air and that it took her back to childhood.

And that was it… the good old days…. Charlie and I just found some grass to chew and a cool place to take a rest. We may be here some time we thought.

Hens, cats, fences, pensions and the weather all discussed before we moved on, eventually.

At last some full on splodging

Nearby a farmer had been busy relaying about half a mile of natural hedge.

All the old twigs and hedge detritus had been cleared and the strong trunks split and placed horizontal to form the base of a new hedge.

To the beach

The path brought us out near  the entrance to Cottage and Glendale holiday Park and so close to the sea we could smell it.

Leads tight and sniffers in the air we followed our noses past the coconut smelling gorse in full flower and onto the beach.

A lookout tower and a buried archway

Mum did not even have time to take my coat off before we were up to our tummies in the cool water.

War and industrial past

Arriving on the beach was a great relief as it was easier to walk on than the hard gravel paths.  It was also cooler on our paws making the return journey back towards our starting point ideal.

A former wartime quadrant tower still remains perched high on the beach between Glasson and Drumbrugh.

It appears that this structure ties in with one further down the coast near to the Edward I Memorial.

Tree stump all weather beaten and very interesting

The arched brick and concrete structure has been a little harder to find out about. Could it have been a drainage point for nearby fields? How old is it and is it connected to the lookout tower?

If you can help then let us know via the comments area below.

Almost back to the start

Walk almost complete we just had time to take a close look at a large tree stump resting just above the high tide mark.

The bark had turned silver and was covered with great fissures and lines  casting shadows in the late afternoon sunshine.

Dad took quite a while photographing it and trying to get a fantastic image with his small camera.

Almost done, we finished off our fresh water bottle and headed back towards the car and the compulsory bath before resting and contemplating our day out.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Our adventures this week took us north and slightly west towards the Scottish town of Dumfries in search of a monument to a musician who was part of the orchestra onboard RMS Titanic.

Concrete art fitted to the river wall in Dumfries

Although we knew of the monuments existence we did not know where it was or how to get to it.

Detective sniffers activated, we left the car parked a short distance from the Old Bridge House Museum and followed the River Nith down stream.

Entrance to the small museum, contained in the oldest house in Dumfries, is free and mum was quickly sent in to get some local knowledge.

The lady was very helpful and even came outside to say hello to us.  She indicated that if we headed towards Dock Park then we should find the Titanic memorial quite easily.

Concrete art – The Crossing

A heron waits for lunch from the River Nith

So the challenge was set, find Dock Park, get a good walk and come home with pictures of the Titanic memorial.

Just beyond the museum, and on the opposite side of the river,  dad spotted a most unusual piece of art that reminded him of a scene from the Star Wars film – Empire Strikes Back.  The scene is where one of the main characters, Hans Solo, gets frozen into a block of carbonite.

Initially, and without shadow the white column of blocks just looked like a repair had been carried out on the river bank. However, if you moved just slightly and managed to get a little bit of shadow the face and hands of a lady came into view.  This just looked like the kind of image created by George Lucas in the Star Wars film.

Buster takes a quick drink of River Water

Further research and it appears that the artwork, made from granite and not concrete, is by Matt Baker and Dan Dubowitz.  It was constructed in 1998 and is called The Crossing.

Troqueer parish church

After a quick drink from the river we continued along the riverbank past the imposing but long neglected Rosefield Mills building until we came to the Troqueer parish church cemetery.

A seat just the right size for Charlie

We must have spent a good half an hour looking around whilst dad took photographs and mum made mental notes. It was a vast area with many gigantic memorial stones.  You should be able to read more in the next few weeks over on Gravestonepix.com.

Just beyond the church we crossed over the river via the Kirkpatrick Macmillan Bridge. It was named after Kirkpatrick MacMillan, inventor of the bicycle, who was born to the north of Dumfries in 1813.

Sick and poor seat

After a quick 20 minutes exploring Castledykes Park we started our walk upstream towards the hustle and bustle of the town centre.

The Titanic Memorial in Dock Park, Dumfries

Following the wide, tree lined tarmac path we found ourselves, almost by accident in Dock Park. Here Charlie found a cast iron seat just the right size for him to sit on.

Only standing about 30cm from the ground the small two seat bench had the words ‘For the sick Poor’ in relief across the front face.  Almost a day after our visit we still can not find any details about why this small seat, ideal for a child, is here.

Dated 1828 it features the text ‘J Affleck Founder’ on the right hand side.

 Titanic Memorial – Dock Park

Situated at the edge of the childrens’ play area is the Titanic memorial.

Placed in memory of John Law Hume and Thomas Mullin who were both on the White Star liner it is around 5m tall.

A whistle or art?

Three simple wreaths, placed at the bottom of the granite column, mark the centenary of the sinking of the vessel after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage, 14 April 1912.

Yipee, our quest complete we celebrated with an ice cream cornet bought from a nearby van. We know how to live on the edge!

Walking back towards the car we did notice a number of objects fixed to the top of the railings on our left hand side.

Looking upstream towards Devorgilla Bridge

We think one may have been a whistle, others could have been things to spin in the wind and others looked like metal shells.  It was all a bit puzzling and without explanation.

With dark clouds bubbling up overhead and the increasing threat of rain we headed straight back to the car for sandwiches and some warming soup.

Maybe you can help us out with explaining the things on the railings or possibly you know about the history of the small metal chair?

Let us know via the comments area below.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Dodging the rain showers earlier we have just returned from a quick walk around Bitts Park in Carlisle.

Wild garlic sends an onion smell across the area

What a change in the weather from a few weeks ago when mum was threatening to cut all our fur off due to the heat.

The heating and fire were even switched back on earlier in the week as temperatures dropped below zero and an overnight frost returned.

More stinky than Charlie

The warm weather does seem to have moved nature on quite a bit and just on our short walk we came upon stinky wild garlic flowers, tulips, bluebells and a whole host of flowering plants.

Bluebells are early this year

We could smell the garlic from a good way off as it spread a strong crushed onion smell across the path.

Thankfully only a few plants had flowered so the scent was not as bad as it could have been for our very sensitive noses.

Hidden under the tree canopy alongside the River Eden mum spotted a small collection of Bluebells.

Hyacinth flowers

Standing around 10cm tall the slightly purple bell shaped flowers contrasted against the rich green woodland floor.

Another strong flower we sniffed today included these hyacinths. Arranged in a small clump these half dozen or so flowers really packed a punch when it comes to a sweet perfume sniffable for quite some distance.

New noticeboards have been installed in Bitts Park

Insects, bees and birds also seemed to be making the most of the cooler daytime conditions as the buzzed and whizzed over our heads.

New notice boards

Yet more things have been installed in the park since our last visit.  You may remember that a project has been going on as part of a Roman Frontiers project.

The latest additions include new information boards clamped to carved wooded posts.

The trunk of this tree has been scratched off

Although a good idea in some ways we wondered if they could be read by someone in a wheelchair as they had quite small lettering and they seemed quite a bit off the ground.

Big rabbits – or a monster ?

Walking back over the grass back towards the Sheepmount area and the car we spotted a couple of trees that were damaged.

At least three, otherwise healthy trees, all in various locations from the river bank, had the bark scratched or eaten off and left on the surrounding grass.

There seemed to be some tooth or claw marks running horizontally around the trunk.

If we had been in a forest we could have possibly assumed this damage had been done possibly by deer but this was in the wide open area of a city.

Do you know what might have caused this damage? Let us know via the comments area below.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Our big walk had to be delayed yesterday due to the morning starting off quite cool and with damp drizzle in the air.

Blossom opens in the bright sunshine

The sun eventually came out after we helped Dad eat a hot sausage sandwich for lunch.

Fuelled up and ready to get some exercise we headed to Kingstown to the north of the city.

Blossom

The recent sunshine and unseasonal warm temperatures has allowed a lot of blossom to open on the trees.

Rabbit munching some fresh grass

White seemed to be the colour in vogue today as we walked through the Blackthorn bushes, apple and plum trees. Against the slightly dark blue sky the small flowers contrasted really well and dad was able to get some really good photographs.

The bees were out in force gathering some much needed early nectar to make lots of yummy honey.

Mum also noticed a couple of clumps of daffodils that already seem to be starting go past their best. A short season this year for many of them.

Nearby a number of rabbits were in the open enjoying some mid afternoon grass.

They did not seem at all bothered as we sneaked up on them to get a picture.

Holes in the bat nets already

Charlie gave the game away when he pulled on his lead and the ratchet in the handle engaged with a loud crack.

Beasts

Our walk started from the middle of the Kingstown Industrial Estate and was to go as far as the Aero plant nurseries just beyond the old 14MU military base.

Mum needed some bits and bobs for the garden so with one outing we could get a good walk and mum could go shopping.

Our path took us under the now opened Carlisle relief road.

You may remember almost a year ago that that we spotted a couple of mesh screens positioned either side of an underpass.

A wildlife haven on the side of the new Carlisle bypass

Back then they had only just been installed but now they have big holes in them. A discussion then started as to what was making the holes.

Mum wondered if the spray from grit lorries had punctured the net. Whilst dad suggested, give the size of one of the holes, that Dumbo had been taking flying lessons and misjudged things as he came into land.

Bugs

The overflow ponds built at the sides of the new road are now starting to look part of the landscape.

Reeds and trees are beginning to take hold around the outer margins and the air is filled with the sounds of birds.

Charlie wanted to inspect the water close up but mum decided that this would not be a good thing to do as he could scare away the beetles, bugs, frogs and newts who were trying to set up home for the summer.

As the path faded, near to the entrance to the former military base, we had to stay on short leads as we walked along the edge of the road towards the garden nursery about 0.5 miles away.

Thankfully the road is quite quiet so we were in little danger of being squished, but it is such a shame that many of our roads do not have pavements or even suitable grass verges.

Shopping done, we returned back the way we had come, guzzling water from the drinks bottle every few hundred metres.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Walking out onto the flat grass covered of land at the head of the Solway Estuary our noses were filled with seaside smells.

Many sheep graze on the grass growing on the sand and mud

For our big walk this week we headed to Burgh (pron Bruff) Marsh about five or so miles from Carlisle.

The wide open space is populated by hundreds of sheep who keep the grass short and the occasional tourist visiting the nearby monument to King Edward I.

Today we were to venture way out to the sea in the search for a paddle.

Burgh Marsh

Walking out on to the wide open plain we soon became aware that the land had lots of ridges, deep crevasses and grass tuffets which could cause us some damage if we ran around too much.

The salt marsh grass stretches for miles around

It was great fun to try and pick our way across the almost featureless landscape, looking for makeshift bridges spanning drainage ditches.

Some of these were simply concrete reinforced drainage pipes dropped into the gaps and backfilled with rubble and debris to keep them in place.

Campsite

It is hard to believe that where we were walking camped an army in 1307 belonging to King Edward.

What animal or bird left this behind?

We tried to imagine how windswept the camp must have been and how dangerous it must be to walk in the area after dark.

Although we did not spot any old coins or buckles left behind we did come across hundreds of unusual droppings.

Around 4cm long with a white end the poop was not the usual splat you get from a seagull.

Any birds we did spot or flew up from the ground as we approached, appeared to be very small so we did not think it came from any of them.

The sand and grass bank is collapsing into the sea

Mum wondered if the droppings had possibly come from geese resting on the salt marsh in recent days, but she was not sure as we found no large feathers or other signs.

Crumbling cliff

Arriving at the waters edge and eager for a paddle our hopes were dashed as we discovered that the soft sand bank edge was crumbling into the sea.

The unstable edge made it too dangerous to walk along and also  very dirty to walk through.

A haff net frame is weighted down with some big stones

Much of the damage appeared to have been done over the last few weeks given that the grass was still firmly attached to some debris.

Dad wondered if the recent dry weather had caused the bank to become brittle or if something else was going on which could be a lot more serious.

Haff net

Positioned at the outlet for the River Eden this area is possibly a good area for fishing and for salmon in particular.

Nearby we came across a Haff net frame weighted down with large stones to stop it moving in the tide or wind.

Haff netting used to be common in this area and involves standing in the water with the net filtering the water as it flows past and around the fisherman.

In the late afternoon sunshine we had the area to ourselves and the sheep.

This allowed us to take our time and stop to listen to the birds, to take in the lovely weather and to have regular drinks.

Our big bottle of water, that mum was carrying, was soon empty as we drank our way through a litre of water in just under 90 minutes.

Thankfully we made it back to the car soon after and could replenish from the bottles of water in the car.

Please take care if you are going for a walk in this heat. Many of us still have our winter coats and so will heat up quickly.

As the weather is set to continue warm, our mum is arranging for us to have a good clipping later this week. No doubt more on this soon.

Until next time

Big licks and a woof

Buster and Charlie

When it comes to knowing what to do with the lottery win, whenever it arrives, then our dad wants to get a big boat.

At almost 74m long Mogambo dominates the other boats on the Bristol quayside

Not just the normal sailing dingy moored on a lake but a big sea going yacht with lights, gadgets and boys toys.

So imagine how he felt when he visited Bristol last week and came upon Mogambo.

At 74m long and over four floors tall she was moored alongside near to the heart of the city.

Glistening in the early morning sunshine she looked pristine and was certainly attracting attention.

Mogambo

The aft deck of Mogambo features two staircases and a garage for tender vessels

Launched in October 2012, Mogambo was built by Nobiskrug in Germany.

She has just been handed over to her new private owners and will be available for charter.

Twelve guests can be catered for in the vessel designed by Reymond Langton Design.

Estimates vary as to the cost of the vessel and range from £75m to around £100m.

Other stats include  - thanks to Moran Yacht and Ship

• Fuel Capacity: 182,000 Litres – at around £0.85 per litre (UK) that is £155,000 per fill-up
• Approx. Range: 4,500 Nautical Miles or around 40 ltr fuel per nautical mile.
• Speed (Max/Cruise): 17.0 / 14.5 Knots
• Owners and Guests: 1 x Owner, 1 x VIP (doubles), 4 x guests Cabins
• Crew and Staff: 15 / 2: 1 x Double Cabin (Master), 5 x Double Cabins, 6 x Single Cabins

Every surface and line helps make Mogambo a super yacht

It is thought that upon leaving Bristol, Mogambo is heading towards the Mediterranean with her crew of 19.

Goal planning

As dad looked over the vessel he thought of us and the havoc we could cause.

Currently cleaned to perfection, dad contemplated how long it would take for us to leave our muddy paw prints across the decks.

He also soon realised that, with an onboard pool, Charlie would be constantly soggy and dripping water everywhere.

Practicalities aside, dad also worked out that he would have to win the Saturday National Lottery not once but around 25 times just to buy it.

Oh well, at least we won’t have to find new places to hide our chews such as in the engine areas or on the bridge.

Dream on dad, big licks

Buster and Charlie

Mogambo gallery