2024 - The rest of the year.

 Well it's already December, the year has flown by so I thought I would keep you updated on all my activities this year.  It can be a puzzling time for a terrier as my humans have brought some trees into the house, they have decorated them with lights and shiny things, very strange behaviour indeed.  And to create even more confusion for me I am under strict instructions that these strange trees have not been installed for me to have a wee against, as if!

As usual I had some great walks and runs with my humans as well as a wonderful and fun stay with my Auntie and Uncle.  I stayed with them while my humans went to France, I would have been much too hot in France and anyway I think saying with my Auntie is much more fun.

The weather was strange during this year but I was able to make the most of the good days and visit some of my favourite places.

 

Spring was on the way on this run on the Mawddach Trail and around Coed Abergwynant. Later in the year I did the same run and there was lots of storm damage so I had to climb over and under fallen trees.  In May I had a walk in lovely warm weather at Penmaenpool, as you can see from the photos is was a lovely day with a coffee stop at The George pub.

         

A sunny day on the hills above Llyn Tegid and Y Bala gave me chance to have a gentle walk and enjoy lots of interesting smells, the view across the lake over to Arenig Fach was lovely and clear.  When I get to a summit or high point on a walk or run my human always gives me a little doggie-treat so it makes the uphill scampering well worthwhile.

One of my October runs was a shortish run of 7.6 km and a total ascent of 447m , I love these runs because my human is so slow on the steep bits that it is really easy for me. I only have to run fast on the downhill bits! The photo below was taken at the top of Moel Famau, after having run from Foel Fenlli, where I had a treat and a look round.

In July we had tried to do a longer run from Penmaenpool south onto the hill and back via Coed Abergwynant, due to some dodgy navigation from my human this resulted in wading through a bog and general faffing around without completing the planned circuit.  Fortunately my human got his act together so on 24th October we did a lovely circular run of 9.2km and 312m ascent which, as you can see from the photo gave some stunning views back towards Dolgellau and Cadair Idris.  From the highest point of the run there a views over the Mawddach and west to Barmouth.

Late in the year I got to do some running around on some super beaches and the pictures below show how lucky I was to get decent weather for my super-scampers.

(above) Traeth Llanddywn (spot me in the picture) and (below) Ynys Llanddwyn.

 Morfa Dyffryn (above) in October and the Dee Estuary at West Kirby (below) in November.

I have been able to do a lot of walking and running at Delamere Forest this year, my longest run was on the Sandstone Trail in November, I ran 15km with 321m of ascent and wasn't the slightest bit tired, my human was worn out by the end of the run as he thought I would not run very far that day, but I just wanted to keep going.  Most of the run I was off the lead so that was an added bonus! Here's a picture of me on one of the Sandstone Trail markers.

With lots of wags and woofs, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Nadolig Ilawen a Blwyddyn newydd dda.

Dexter.

2024 - January and February

 Well here I am at the start of my tenth year and it has been quite a good start to the year with some running and walking including a very misty trip to Moel Fammau in January.  My human is slowing down quite a lot, especially on the uphill sections, it was a run of 8.5 km with quite a lot (296 metres) of ascent.  I waited for my human to catch up and admired the view...of mist. 

It was well worth the effort and was not at all busy on the hill, a bonus was the lack of sheep so I had much more time off the lead than I usually do on this hill.

I continued to run, but now I have at least one or two days break between each session, many of my runs are short runs of around 5 or 6 km.  I help my human with his interval training, this involves 10 sprints of 100 metres with 100 metres of slow running in between each one. this is followed by 2 sprints of 200 metres and another lot of 100 metre sprints.  I love this because my human starts to get really tired and I can outpace him easily by the end of the sessions.

February started off very well with a trip south to Herefordshire for a few days, stopping off for lunch and a short walk at Church Stretton on the way. 

Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton.

 

I stayed near Ledbury for a few days in a pub where dogs were made very welcome, whilst in Herefordshire I visited Hereford and had a lovely walk around the city and I went inside the cathedral for a look around (I was allowed in as long as I was carried).  From Hereford I travelled over to Ledbury for more wandering and a visit to a pleasant coffee shop. The weather was lovely, it was exceptionally mild and sunny for the time of year. 

February sunshine at Hereford (above) and Ledbury, Church of St. Michael and All Angels.

I did one run in Herefordshire, it was a fairly flat but muddy run of 6 km on fields and through a cider orchard.   On the way back home I stopped off in Ludlow for a wander, I visited St. Laurence's Church which I last visited in August 2014, a lovely peaceful place where I relaxed and listened to the organ music. It is a very old church dating back to the 11th century and very welcoming to dogs and humans.

Then the most exciting part of the month for me, it was my birthday on 16th February, I was ten years old and excited to get a new toy for my birthday, a super walk by Llyn Tegid and a special doggy birthday cake.

Wags and woofs, 

Dexter.