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.

No Sooner had the postman delivered our very tasty biscuits from the Beagle Bakery but a big truck turned up with a nice man carrying a bag of food from Lathams.

Buster put his head straight into the packet

We were approached a few days ago to see if we would try out the Lathams light dry food and, with Buster being quite fussy with his food due to his kidney problem, we thought we should give it a go.

Buster wasted little time in putting his head straight into the bag of food once mum had cut it open.

The nice lady at Lathams even included a printed cotton shopping bag along with the food parcel- so mum can easily bring us home more from the town when we need some.

Not too smelly

With the bag open we could get straight down to testing the new food.  The small, brown,  shaped food bites easily fitted into our mouths making them easy to get chewing on.

They were slightly firm but easily crumbled as we clenched down on them one at a time.

Very surprisingly, Buster seemed to love the new food even though he is very picky at the moment and on a special renal diet….Mum had to keep a very close eye on him.

It was not long before he had polished off quite a handful and mum had to close the packet so he didn’t keep going and make himself sick.

Unusually for a dried food it did not smell too strong. Quite meaty in scent but not overpowering when you have your nose so close to a bowl full.

Once Buster had had his fill I was allowed a few to try.  They seemed quite filling and as such not many were needed for me to feel quite contented.

The light food is ideally designed for me, as I am a little, shall we say, comfortable, according to mum.

Personally I put it down to having thick fluff and the remains of puppy fat.

Other bags of food in the range include Adult and Adult Large breed, Puppy, Mature and sensitive.

All of the Lathams food range is natural and hypoallergenic, rich in meat with none of those nasty artificial colours and preservatives which can make us sick.  These dog foods are also free from wheat, soy, and dairy.

The good ingredients include linseed oil, sugar beet, natural seaweed, alfalfa, chicory root, calcium and phophorus.

The Lathams range has been specially developed in conjunction with Veterinarian David Helliwell MSc BVM+S MRCVS to offer a a balanced diet with all the nutrition we need.

We are also pleased that Lathams is a British brand, being manufactured not far away from us in Yorkshire and you can now buy the range from selected Tesco stores.

Bigger bags please.

Mum thinks the price is good too, as a premium dog food range, a 10Kg bag of Adult Large Breed comes in at a reasonable £25.00.  For economy reasons, and to save her running to the shops all the time, she would like to see the larger 10Kg bags available in the adult, mature, sensitive and light, but we are sure this will happen in time.

To find out more about this yummy dog food, visit the Lathams website.

Until next time

Charlie and Buster

Two large white padded envelopes arrived towards the end of last week and it did not take long for us to realise they were for us.

Senior chicken & rice is ideal for the older dog

Charlie, using his extra large sniffer was the first to work out that the two packages sitting on reception were for us and that they appeared to contain food.

Contained within were two trial bags of a new probiotic dog food, called ProBiotic LIVE .

One was a senior blend of chicken and rice made for me,  and the other was adult chicken and rice for Charlie.

Mum cut open each of the bags and tipped a little in to our bowls.  Our first impressions were favourable and we soon polished off our first morsels.

Over a period of a few days, she gradually increased the amount of new food we could have mixed with our usual one, so as not to upset our tummies.

Along with our test supply was a leaflet with lots of words on. Whilst we munched away mum read it, and here is what she spotted as key points:

• ProBiotic LIVE is designed to contain enough probiotic bacteria to make a difference that we should notice in a few weeks.
• The food works by flushing potentially harmful bacteria out of our tummies.
• It is the first dog food to contain live probiotics

Here is our report and review of ProBiotic LIVE

Probiotics increase our digestive processes and reduce the risks of developing allergies and skin irritations.

Smell

The pellets did not smell too strong. Many foods really stink when you have a bowl full just below your nose. Humans seem to forget that doggies noses are hundreds of times more sensitive than theirs.

Mum also noticed that they did not make any smell whilst they sat in the bowl. Close up they smell a little meaty.

Taste

We have to say we quite enjoyed the new tastes.  Charlie munched his way through quite a few before coming up for a drink and I had mine mixed with a bit of water to soften them.

Chewability and size

They have a crunch and as with all dry foods you should have a bowl of water nearby.  We found we could eat about a human hand full at each meal time. Even with my few teeth missing I was still able to chew on them with my back teeth. Charlie had no problem with them.

Each pellet is a little over 1cm wide and just under 1cm deep.  These make them ideal for our small mouths.  They also have a  flat bottom and a domed top – like one of mums cakes – making them easy to hold between out teeth.

Mum also put a few in a small bag when we went for a walk as a sort of training treat.  A bit sneaky we thought, but we went along with it.

Feed amount

For the senior chicken and rice these are the recommended feeding amounts

Further details about ingredients and other nutrition values can be found here

ProBiotic LIVE range

The full ProBiotic LIVE range includes:

• Puppy with chicken and rice
• Adult with chicken and rice
• Adult with lamb and rice
• Adult with salmon and rice
• Senior with chicken and rice

We did note the addition of a fish flavour to the range. This was good to see, as we suggested that we would prefer alternative dog food flavours in a blog entry way back in 2008.

ProBiotic Live Adult with chicken and rice

Prices per pack seem to be around £8.50 – 1.5kg, £18.50 – 4kg and £41.00 for 12kg. This does sort of make them a premium product. But we are worth it

Probiotic dog food

Probiotics are live microorganisms often referred to as the good bacteria because of their health benefits.

Mum and dad often have yoghurt with probiotics in to help their tummies, so why shouldn’t we.

The boffins say that we need these happy bacteria to help reduce the effects of stress, tummy upsets, make our coats shiny and just to make us feel good.

We will let you know how we get on with our samples over the next few weeks.  It will be interesting to see if I feel a little better and if it helps my kidney complaints along with my special food.

Mum would like to pint out that if you are on a special diet like me, it is important that your human consults the Vet before changing your food and that in all cases, new foods should be introduced gradually or we could get very upset tummies.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Spring has finally arrived and with it comes the early morning birdsong, the scent of flowers in the garden and this year, rosette man.

Sighted every four or five years this rare species sports a coloured rosette or sticker and is to be found on doorsteps throughout the land in the early evening.

Only appearing for around six weeks, the illusive creature can often be seen walking the streets in groups of up to ten or so individuals.

Tulips ready to flower

Courtship rituals seem to include kissing babies, appearing to show sympathy towards local causes and handing out balloons.

Faded yellow Princess

What a pain it is to be disturbed on a regular basis by people knocking at the door or posting leaflets.

Mum says that the visitors are from the chew tax people and are wanting to know if we would support them in something called an election.

We woof loudly every time the doorbell rings and they soon leave the doorstep. Often before mum answers it. For some reason mum seems to appreciate this.

Dad says he does miss the good old days when the campaign car, very often an old faded yellow British Leyland Princess, would tour the streets with large speakers strapped to the roof rack.

Sometimes candidates would use ice-cream jingles ahead of the political message, he adds with a smile.

We think you must have needed to be there to fully appreciate the moment.

Charlie also plays a little game with the assorted leaflets. However, he does have his favourites so far.

Charlie’s top five tips for grading election leaflets.

• The thin cheap home printed leaflets don’t taste too good and rip easily. Claggy when wet.
• Glossy three fold leaflets put up more of a challenge and make for good tearing.
• Business cards are great for throwing around but they do catch on your teeth and need a paw to lever them off.
• Leaflets with stickers are good because you can peel them off and stick them to the wooden floor or Buster.
• Promotion literature by post is great.  Multi thickness leaflets, assorted bright colours in an envelope. Good lasting fun.

Sore

Blossom on a tree in Carlisle

Last week I did rather a silly thing when I jumped out of the bath.

Unlike Charlie I am not a fan of baths and this time I slipped and did something to my back.

Mum took me to the nice lady at the doggy hospital and she gave me an injection and some tablets.  I moped around for a few days and was a bit sore but was allowed to have the fire on in the lounge to keep warm.

All seems ok now and today was our first walk to see how I got on.

Blossom

The last few days of sunshine has brought on the flowers, blossom and leaves.

Most of the daffodils are now starting to die back and the larger plants are taking over.

New bright green leaves

Our walk today followed the usual route in Victoria and Bitts Parks and we were amazed to see the changes in the colours and sniffs.

Tulips are ready to burst forth their colour in the assorted borders and blossom covers many of the trees.

Bright green leaves are starting to appear in some trees, a sure sign that the harsh winter is almost behind us.

BBC Dig In seeds arrive

Frost

Overnight the air still gets a bit frosty and mum has not started planting in the garden yet.

This morning our seeds from the BBC Dig In campaign arrived.

Salad, basil, carrot, french bean and courgette seeds were sealed into the envelope along with some stickers and a handy book of words for mum.

Heron on the edge of the River Eden in Carlisle

Thankfully this was one envelope that Charlie did not get to.

Heron

Just before we left the park dad spotted this heron waiting for his supper on the banks of the River Eden.

Nesting nearby in a big tree herons are to be regularly seen in the area.

Orkney-campsites

And finally…. as they say in all the best stories… mum and dad have taken full advantage of my down time over the last week by putting together a new website called orkney-campsites.com

This site is a spin-off from the much larger Spirit-of-orkney site they produced last year following a trip north.

Featuring campsites and related content including taxi details and places to visit they hope it will help visitors plan ahead of their to Orkney and and the associated Islands.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Week three or is it four weeks now that the temperatures have remained below zero in many parts of the county.

Unfrozen puddle

Our regular walk to the park to check on the unfreezing puddle indicated that in part the water has become solid with ice. However, it is very thin and mum stopped us walking on it in case we fell through.

Interestingly, as can be seen by the photograph, the overnight snow has not covered the puddle over, so maybe some heat is still left in our thermal spring.

Maybe dad could buy the land and build a spa complex on it just for pooches.

We do get sore muscles and bad skin like humans, so why shouldn’t we get a bit of pampering…

Snowballs

Today Charlie learnt all about snow balls and chasing them. Mum tried like mad to make them so he could have something to run after.

Throw me a snowball ...

The latest fall of snow was very powdery, just like false snow you would find in a shop window at Christmas or the stuff straight out of an aerosol can.

Mum had to warm her hands before picking up the snow so a little of it would melt and form a sort of icy-snowball.

Twitter

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The link to Twitter can also be found to the right of this page (the big blue stripe that says Follow Us)

Video

Dad has been busy with the video and stills camera over the last few days snapping away taking pictures of snow.

He has put together a gallery of some of the stuff taken over the last few days below for your enjoyment.

Both mum and dad are now very busy writing up various articles for some of their websites and just letting us lay by the fire, toasting slowly.

We take it in turns hot-bunking on the rug whilst the other gets comfortable in a cooler part of the house. Mum thinks that maybe we were marshmallows or gods in a previous life.  I suppose that dog is merely god spelled backwards. So following that way of thinking we must also be a wollamhsram. Whatever one of those is?

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Gallery

Some of dad’s pictures and a video he has put together for Naturearoundme.com

Gosh it has been hot for the last few days.  So hot we have been staying outside to try and keep cool as the house has been unbearable.  Even the tiled kitchen floor didn’t cool us down.

An indoor - outdoor thing ....

Mum purchased earlier this year an indoor –  outdoor room for the garden.  This has allowed us to keep cool in what breeze there has been away from the harsh sun outside.

It is a great gadget and with the lights dad put up a few days ago allows mum and dad also to enjoy the outdoors into the late evening.

Just chillin' in the warmth ...

Today the temperatures have dropped to be a manageable 23 degrees and to celebrate dad is playing music by Dire Straits and other tracks from iTunes.

We can see that his help is going to be limited as the occasional air guitar is played and the pencil drumsticks are used.  It is going to be a long afternoon…

A cool dip with a friend

Let us hope he doesn’t start mixing song titles into our blog or we will have to carry out a Private Investigation and remind him who are the Local Hero’s.

A cool river dip

Last night we travelled to Dalston.  We went the long way around as it gave us a chance to cool off in the air conditioning.

First stop was the river where we both got some welcome relief from the heat in the cool water.

Gooseberries

Here we met up with another friend who had an interesting twist on the searching for stones game we often play.

She ran into the water and popped her head under the water gathering up a stone from the river bottom and bringing it to the waters edge.  She then ran back into the water and got another and another.

Summer fruits

Mum has started the annual harvest.  First crop has been some of the many gooseberries from the allotment.

The red and green fruits have been topped and tailed and put in bags for the freezer.

Strawberry

We are not allowed them as mum thought they would be bad for us but dad tells us they are great in a crumble during the winter.

Mum thought she was working an a Chain Gang as she worked her way through hundreds of berries.

The many hanging baskets full of strawberry plants are dripping with fruit it being Wimbledon Tennis Season.

Sugar Snap Peas

The hot sunshine has really ripened the fruit and mum has started going to the garden on a morning, picking some of the fruit which she then slices for her breakfast on top of some yoghurt.

You can not get fruit fresher than that and with no transport costs.

One harvest we have been able to try has been the Sugar Snap Peas mum was processing this week.

Water Lilly

Again from the allotment, they were very crunchy and fantastic to throw around before we eventually ate them.

Again another big bag full went into the freezer after a few were lightly steamed for an evening meal.

Finally we just had to share a photograph of the water lilly flower in our pond.  It was lapping up the hot conditions during the daytime only to close in the cooler evenings.  it is quite clever for a plant.

Thats all for now as it is now not Too Hot for Dancing in the Street as gardeners start Singing in The Rain as the heavens open with a welcome Downpour….

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Yipee it has been fine and reasonably dry for the last few days and we have been to the park by the River Eden.

We had guests visiting the last few days so Charlie and I have been at home looking after things whilst they have been out and about with mum and dad.  So today was our turn to get some fresh air and some fun.

Sniffs

Rickerby Park runs along the side of the River Eden in Carlisle and is the site for the Cumberland Show during the summer.

A few proper paths cross the land but the main walks are on the grass. This means that it has to be reasonably dry to come here or we get covered in mud.

After parking the car we excitedly started to sniff around and get our bearings.  We have been here a number of times and every time it is good fun.

I take my time on walks these days, as my hip gives me a bit of a problem at times, so walking on the softer ground is ideal.  

Tree stump

Sniffs were a plenty today and Charlie has started to take notice of them after I showed him where to find them.  He is a mad hatter and often just goes off with his nose to the ground with a scent maybe of rabbits or the odd mouse.

We came upon a tree stump with an old wooden pallet propped up against it.  

It looked like it had been left here from when the river had overflowed.

Maybe the stump had travelled miles downstream on it’s journey to the sea.

Mum wondered about this for a while and the stories the stump maybe able to tell.  How old was the tree before it fell into the river and what things may it have seen?

Snowdrops

River weeds were tangled in and around the slats of the pallet.  This gave it a ghostly feel like spiders webs around long forgotten and unused garden gate.

The hard frosts we had over winter seem to have caused an eruption in the number of snowdrops this year.

We came across this clump of them standing proud amongst others forming a carpet of white.

Looking at the water

Key to our visit was the paddle  in the river.  

Charlie was ready for a good drink, so we headed for the water and straight in.  A quick woof  as the cold hit our tummies and then out with the licker and a water refill.

The water was so cold, but nice and fresh.

We didn’t stay long as our paws started to get cold and tingly.

Our walk continued around the park where we met a man who told mum that the trees in the park were arranged like famous battles.  Personally we couldn’t see it ,as they all looked like sniffing posts to us.  But if you know more, then let us know via the comments box below.

Until next time,

Buster and Charlie.

Charlie gets right into the Christmas spirit as he demolishes the cardboard tube from the centre of the wrapping paper.

They call me shredder...

Whilst mum was doing her ‘Christmas Fairy’ impression and helping Santa, Charlie emerged with a tube longer than he is.

Sitting on the top stair her got to work shredding.  Who needs expensive gifts when a tube will bring a smile to every young boy…

I think mum has some more cleaning and tidying to do now!

Christmas Pictures

We would like to feature some images of you all this Christmas and New Year.  

Charlie and a Christmas chew - 2007

What did you get up to, what silly clothes did you get and what for you was the best toy.

Let us have your images, via the contact us form,  and don’t forget to give your name and where in the world are you and we will feature some of them in the next few days.

Happy Christmas

Buster and ‘Oh’ Charlie…

It has been a few days since we last updated our blog, but we have a very good excuse.

Last Friday we started a grand adventure to the countryside and got to sleep away from home.

All started as any normal day does but something seemed a little unusual.  Mum was packing a bag with our things. Towels, food, bowl, a few toys and a couple of chews.

This is not normally done for a walk so Buster and I started to get excited but puzzled.  

The car was loaded with our bag and a few for mum and dad and we headed off through the city and past our normal walking places and off into the countryside.

After about what seemed to be an hour mum checked her pockets and pulled out a piece of paper. Ah we thought, we are lost.

Dad pulled the car into a farm entrance and looked at the map and directions scribbled on the well folded paper.  As always seems to happen we needed to retrace our path around a mile to a junction to our right.

In the distance we could here the sounds of farm machinery which as we drove along the road became louder.

Finally we come across a direction sign on the roadside that dad says we should follow. I didn’t get chance to read it but it had a picture of a dog on it I think.

After a few hundred meters the car slowed and we approached quite a solid looking gate with a button just asking to be pressed. Mum did the honours and the gates swung upon like in the films.  

I must make a note that we could do with one of those special buttons for our gates.

Welcome

Dad drove through the gap and parked up in a yard.  We were very excited and eager to explore and couldn’t wait to get out of the car.

Mum got out first and after putting the lead on Buster they both went through a doorway opposite. I followed with Dad a few minutes later.

A very nice lady greeted us. She smelt nice and gave us both a stroke and, being the flirt that I am, I got a cuddle as well.

Our own bed

We were led down a tiled passageway past a few doors and into a room.  Wow, it had a tv, a radio, our own small bed and a chair.  

Opposite the doorway was a yard area where we could stretch our legs and speak to other companions nearby.

The room was very posh and although I had to share with Buster the adventure would be fun.

Three sleeps

Mum and dad left us to get on with talking to our neighbours and finding our way around for three sleeps.

We were well looked after despite Buster being quite defensive and not letting anyone near.  He seemed a little scared of being away from his normal comforts but I managed to bound around and keep his spirits up.

We could run around in the big compound in turn with the other guests and I went for a walk every day. I even got a brush and a wash. Buster wasn’t up for a pampering, so I tried to ask for double… I’m not sure if the groomer understood though

Around the country club

The country club for animals even has it’s own pool.  Situated not far from our room is a 5m long 3m wide indoor pool kept nice and warm for us to play in.  

Hydropool with cover on

We didn’t manage to go for a swim this time but we have asked mum if we can come back and play.  

It has murials on the walls and a washing area –  just like the humans swimming pools I have seen in pictures.

This pool is used mainly for Hydrotherapy. This is the use of warm water as a controlled form of weightless exercise. 

It is an ideal aid to the recovery and rehabilitation of injured animals or simply a great form of exercise for healthy dogs.

The pool is fitted with jets to provide variable swim resistance and massage.

I think Buster will enjoy getting his first swim and easing those aching bones. All the time I have known him he has not gone into water deeper than his middle.  His feet have always stayed on the bottom.

Going home

On the morning of the fourth day mum and dad came back for us.  We were glad to see them and have a hug. 

I managed to stand in something rather pongy though on the way to the car and I stunk the car out all the way home.

This resulted in the obligatory bath for both of us and a frantic run around the house to get dry.

Since returning home and back to the daily routines I have needed my cuddles topping up. I did like my holiday and really do want to go for a swim. Will let you know how we get on.

Mum says she will be writing more about the Posh Pets Country Club on the other site Keep Trade Local in the next few weeks.

Thats all for now

Charlie and Buster

Sorry for the lack of updates in the last few days but Buster and I have been rewriting our site.

We hope you like the new layouts and colours. 

Mum and dad are working hard on our other sites improving the navigation and services they offer. This will keep them out of trouble for a few weeks yet.

Other news.

We are fed up of the rain.  What happened to the sunshine.  We want our sun back.  

Buster is now getting quite miserable as his suntan is now starting to fade.

A quick update tonight 

So until next time

Buster/ Charlie