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.

High path and low path at Silloth

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.

Sea birds at Silloth

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.

White dots on Silloth trees

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.

Cat lurking in shrubs

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 ?

Silloth on Solway - town crest

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.

Birds flypast at Silloth

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

Silloth Christmas tree preparations

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.

Berry and Sons, Cake shop in Silloth

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

[youtube We8WaU3EjSY]

The weather still continues to be strange with warm sunshine for a few hours then cold and damp.

Our local park

Our local park is very soggy.  A recent pop concert has left a few bare patches in the grass which have filled with water.

River levels around the area remain high which can not be good for the arrival of winter. 

The weather got me searching the web to see what was available for us to help keep us dry.

Here are a few of my discoveries.

Dog Coat Pac-A-Mac - Ever been enjoying a beautiful stroll when all of a sudden the skies turn grey and the heaven’s open? Now you can enjoy a lovely stroll without the worries of taking home a soggy dog! The black pac-a-mac folds into it’s own backpocket, then opens out as soon as you need it. It’s a must have for any style-conscious pooch!

The All-in Trouser Suit - A wonderful dog trouser suit availble in showerproof nylon and in two colours. Very practical and ideal for dogs that like getting wet & muddy. It has a full length zip runnung from the head to the tail, elastic cuffs around the legs and is easy to put on your dog. 

And the ultimate pet umbrella - Features include a clear oblong arc trimmed with classic plaid waterproof fabric and ergonomic, angled handle with padded comfort grip. An umbrella leash with hook attaches easily and quickly to your pet’s collar or harness. Clear umbrella body allows full view of pet.

Flood defence work

Flood defence work

This work is continuing and starting to show shape.

It looks like reinforced concrete walls are being constructed here to contain any flood waters.

The £24m project comprises the construction of reinforced concrete and sheet piled defence walls, as well as new embankments at critical locations along the Caldew and Eden rivers. 

Share worries

Listening to the news over the past few weeks you can not fail to notice that billions of pounds are slooshing around the world looking for safe havens and investments.

But did you know that some shares are called dogs. Here is a bit of a techie explanation. Dogs are units with low market share in a mature, slow-growing industry. 

They depress a profitable company’s return on assets ratio, used by many investors to judge how well a company is being managed. Dogs, it is thought, should be sold off.

So now you know.

More next time

Charlie and Buster