Ambleside Games

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Last Thursday in July it’s the Ambleside Games – I wake nice and early. The rest of the pack wake but amble through the morning in a fairly indolent way.

Sometimes I think my patience is wearing thin with these humans and we need to set up a more disciplinary regime! Anyway we get on the way eventually. Nice day – bright but not too hot.

The games are great with sprinting and cycling on grass tracks and all sorts of groups running up the fells and then Cumberland wrestling.

Number 1 gets really excited – he has joined the Wainwright Society ! I really haven’t a clue what that is  – further enquiries reveal that it is to do with AW (picture on the right) – the man who did the Guides to the Lakeland Fells – all crafted by hand with amazing maps and drawings. To be honest I was just listening in and picked this up – I’m not big on books.

However there was some brilliant cumberland sausage that really did impress me.

We met a lurcher man who told us he had a dog shop in Waterhead – a little spot very close to heaven at the top of Windermere. So we went on the way home and guess who got a fancy new coat to keep the nasty rain off me!

And following a bright sprint round the park and the water-meadow a wholesome snack and a nice snooze all the way back home!

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Coniston Fair 2010

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Wonderful Coniston in the heart of the Southern Lakes. In 2009 it was a beautiful sunny day. This year a touch damp! Not to worry on the way I got a trip on the ferry across Windermere – 6 minutes of zero excitement but No.1 and 2 both seemed taken with it – strange animals!

Then the rain really came down. We slid sideways in the mud to get to the car park – I liked that. There were lurchers and greyhounds and terriers everywhere – brilliant! A truly dog friendly world.

But true to form “they” dragged me to the tea and cake tent.

It was a lovely day but damp enough for a retreat to a warm and dry coffee – yes poor me abandoned in the car.

Then my time racing about at the top of the lake just by Waterhead – nice tea some new food in a box – managed to devour quite a bit while 1 and 2 were waxing lyrical about some nonsense. Then damn it all POOR ME ABANDONED AGAIN this time while they went to Lucy’s Bistro in Ambleside – delightful tapas according to the evil abandoners – though I must say I enjoyed my postprandial nap.

Then homeward bound – a nice snooze all the way down the M6 and then home to bed – what a lot of beauty sleep. It’s no wonder I am such a handsome dog.

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Coniston country fair

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Started off badly – dawn walk on a Sunday but nice breakfast and big kip in car – so good recovery.

Coniston is a town and lake in the lake district but it isn’t really a lake because it is a water – honestly do I look like I care!!!!!!!!!!

Slight diversion for breakfast at Booths in Windermere and that is also a town and a ……………

But what a treat – full of people with dogs, so many people who like dogs fantastic. Also we met number 4 with girlfriend and their two pals – so there were 6 potential sources of treats and entertainment.

They spent a disproportionate amount of time in the homemade cake tent. But then we had a big wander – there were dog competitions – for all sorts of smooth and rough categories – I was a little taken abavck when they called for the two year old rough bitches.

Big disappointment for number 1 – the ferrets didn’t turn up – heartbreaking huh?

Have you seen Cumberland wrestling? Some strange outfits but great fun.

And it was by the side of the lake so I got to go in and cool off and to swim in my second lake – except, remember, it only looks like a lake.

All in all it was brilliant and it was sunny most of the day and not a drop of rain. I won’t mention that they wouldn’t let me run amok in the sheep and goats.

Also didn’t quite get the walking stick competition, number 1 was enthralled,   probably his age.

Home via Ambleside big walk by the lake, alfresco dinner and fish and chips for the humans.

Sweet dreams all the way home.

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