3 April 2020

Circling

Yesterday, the weather prophets got it spot on. After a grey and overcast morning, the golden orb appeared as predicted at two o'clock prompt. I already had my boots on ready to set off on a circular walk of some 6.5 miles.

"What about me?" groaned Clint.

"I don't need you today pal!" I sneered.

Near "The Greystones" pub, I spotted the council sign shown above which I wish to share with all dog owning blog visitors. Of course the dog owners who drop by this blog are all fine, upstanding members of their communities - citizens who consistently and responsibly pick up the droppings of their beloved canine companions. Nonetheless, occasional reminders are, I believe, always helpful. Wouldn't you agree?





descended from Greystones to the valley of The River Porter. There's the little river above - no more than a stream really and as March was so dry the water level is low. Very different from February.

As I was taking the picture above, someone called to me from the adjacent path. It was a fellow I have known for thirty years. He is an itinerant chef known universally as Leeds Mick because he supports Leeds United and his mother hailed from Leeds.

Mick is a keen bird watcher and he pointed out both dippers and tree creepers to me as we ambled along. I am not sure how it happened but Leeds Mick decided he would accompany me on the walk which took him beyond his usual territory. I didn't mind too much though his presence inhibited my intended camera work.

He lives alone and with The Plague coming along he has been laid off from the christian centre where had been working recently. With his local pub closed, I think he was glad of the company.

We walked up to the top of Porter Clough then past the alpaca farm by Fulwood Lane. A fierce wind was blowing from the west by now - hurrying us along towards Ringinglow.. Then down into The Limb Valley under monumental beech trees.

It was a further mile along Ecclesall Road and I parted from Leeds Mick at the end of Gisborne Road, wishing him good health. Then he said what many people are saying just now - "See you on the other side!" I took the picture below from Fulwood Lane towards the centre of our adopted city.

41 comments:

  1. We all hope that the "other side" will come sooner than later.

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    1. The other side will be like climbing up the shallow angle of a beach at low tide. Plenty of flotsam and jetsam and seaweed to contend with before we reach secure, dry ground.

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  2. The other side, yes. I wonder if we will recognise our world or ourselves when we get there

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    1. "The other side" is a phrase that was commonly used to describe the after life!

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  3. Ah, I do love that photo of the stream. Reminds me of the little river that we swam and played in when I was growing up. It had some shallows like this, and some deeper places good for fishing or swimming. A small river is so different from other bodies of water in character and sound and even smell.

    Did you social distance with Mick?!

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    1. We did social distance quite successfully Jenny and we kept well away from any other walkers we passed but to be frank I would have preferred to walk alone as intended.

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  4. I just hope the "other side" is on this earth as opposed to the alternative! Love your pictures, especially the last one.

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    1. Yes - the other "other side" is not where we want to be - not just yet anyway! There's a lot of living left to do.

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  5. They said that the first world war would be over by Christmas.

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  6. I know exactly what you mean about having preferred being on your own for this walk, but it was certainly good for Mick to have company for a while, and you still managed some good pictures.
    As for dog fouling, I really don't know what those dog owners think who leave everything just where their dog drops it. Or, worse, they put it in a bag but then leave the bag around, maybe even hang it on a nearby fence! What makes them do THAT, I wonder?!

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    1. I don't know. I have never been a dog owner so I do not know how dog owners' minds work. (Of course this remark does not include the sensible dog owners who visit this blog!)

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  7. There is a series of posts on a local FB page about how much more dog poo there is around at the moment. People have suggested it is because folk are having to walk their own dogs, when normally they would be walked by a professional dog walker, who would pick up, or also ( and I have seen this) they are sending their kids out with the dog, or dogs of isolated people being walked by friends. Basically, people not used to, or want to, pick up dog poo...No excuse !!

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    1. You are clearly a very responsible dog owner Frances!

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  8. They say that when we get out the other side, we could change the world, I rather like the idea, though of course there is much breast thumping over the economic depression that will happen. Always clean up after Lucy, and the village is good at it as well after their own dogs. There will always be the few who don't though, the message has been going out for years.

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    1. But will we change the world for the better or worse?
      At the moment there might be breast thumping over the inevitable economic depression, but the future won't be so rosy for those caught up in it. If you sit and think about it, the ramifications are horrendous.

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    2. It will be like emerging from a nuclear war CG. There will be so much damage all around. Nice to hear that the doggers of Normanby are responsible citizens like you Thelma.

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  9. Lovely photos YP - it looks like a nice spring day.
    Before the lockdown, when life was normal, and we had no idea what was about to befall mankind, the local council here instituted harsh fines for dog owners who didn't clean up after their pets. Fair enough - if it's your dog, it's your responsibility. They then brought in a rule that, as well as bags, you must always carry a bottle of water to rinse down the area. No idea what's happening now, as there must be very few dog walkers - about more than the allowed 50 metres from their homes.
    I'm now concerned about the number of dogs that will be abandoned - it happens so often here. There will be no-one to clean up after them.

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    1. The Spanish authorities should have insisted that dog owners also carried brushes and bottles of disinfectant plus dog poop warning signs. Tragic numbers from Spain - another 587 dead today. What an awful way to go. Take care CG.

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  10. There's a long way to go till the other side of any kind!! Not sure I would have wanted a companion, as we are meant to be social distancing and even 2 metres is not enough, according to the experts.

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    1. He never asked if he could join me. At the alpaca farm I would have tarried a while to snap pictures of the alpacas under the trees and in the Limb valley I would have scrambled down to take pictures of American skunk cabbage. But Leeds Mick was there!

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    1. Use a spoon to put dog poo in a pouch? I am not fluent in Emoji.

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  12. On our last walk up the hill behind our house we went up the track which eventually leads to a couple of farms and nothing else. Beside the track, right at the top, was a blue plastic bag of dog poo that someone had just left there. I can't believe someone had gone all that way, with a bag, and then left the full bag behind.

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    1. This might seem cruel but I hope that the culprit contracts a certain disease.

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  13. The Castle Grounds where I walk is a favourite for dog walkers. It had plenty of dog poo bins. Everyone picked up their poo and deposited it. They removed all the litter bins because "people would then take their litter etc home". I have no idea what sort of logic the decision maker(s) had but obviously knew nothing about humans. Now that place is littered with dog poo plastic bags which were left in protest where the bins used to be. The rest of the litter the youths leave when they used to gather for their evening drinkies in the woods is, amazingly, still deposited. Rant over. And yes, dog owners should take it home. To be fair the majority do.

    Your stream photo happified me lots.

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    1. Thanks for commenting on the stream photo. Jenny from Nova Scotia also liked that one so I will now upload it on the Geograph site.

      By the way, I liked your rant but a few swear words would have given it extra power! I assume you know a few. If not, I can provide an online course - "Swearing: An Introductory Course for Very Polite People"

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  14. Thank you for the lovely photos. We have two dogs and I always pick up their poop, although I've probably missed a couple at the dog park if Heidi is out of sight.

    Keep the lovely photos of the natural world coming please. They give me hope.

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    1. The Dog Poop Court has dismissed all charges against you!

      By order, Judge Y.Pudding

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  15. Ugh. I would hate to be in that position. How can one politely say, "No thanks. Rather walk by myself."? Especially when you know someone must be suffering from lack of company.

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    1. And I had been looking forward to a solitary walk at my own pace. Ah well, I guess there are worse things.

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    2. That's a difficult one, someone imposing their company on you when you don't really want it. I get miffed if I can see someone half a mile away on 'my' track, and I absolutely hate it if someone is behind me and catching me up. I have to make a diversion and wait till they have passed by before I re-join the track.

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    3. We are like minded MQ. Apart from anything else I do not wish to chatter when I am walking in the countryside.

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  16. Sadly there seems to be a lot more dog poo about the village since we went into lockdown. I can only assume it's because more people are walking their dogs than before and are not familiar with proper etiquette.

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    1. Etiquette is a French word. Perhaps they don't speak French round there. After all, it has been quite a long time since The Norman Conquest.

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  17. Recently I came across a massive offering in a most unfortunate place (very unusual for this city). What occurred to me, don't say I don't look at all options in the name of fairness, that rather than a big dog it was a BIG man, a VERY big man, relieving himself, under cover of the night, in dire need, no shovel, never mind a bag on him. Whether he gave a thought who might clean up after HIM I do not know. For all I know he might have died of shame. And no, I didn't step in it. My shit radar is second to none.

    U

    PS One more thought: Sometimes dogs roam on their own. On our street we have a most wonderful dog, beautiful, of even temper, regal; holding court outside his owner's restaurant. Admired and patted by people walking past. Since it's a pedestrianized area the dog is free to walk around the vicinity. Well, when a dog has to go a dog has to go; with or without his owner. Preferably not right in the middle of someone else's front door. Oh dear. I stepped over it. Alerted the restaurant to the possibility (there is no certainty with abandoned poo) that it might have been His Grace. Gone in a jiffy. After all, what is staff (porters) for if not to clean up after others.

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    1. Two great poo tales Ursula. I guess that most of us have got poo tales but old-fashioned civility means that they are usually kept under wraps - and I am not talking about tortillas!

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  18. Not only do I pick up my dog's poo, I pick up OTHER dogs' poo. I'm trying to improve the image of dog owners in general. (And save some people's shoes.)

    That sounds like a great walk, but I'm not sure Boris would approve of you fraternizing with someone who doesn't live in your household! I get quite frustrated when someone invites themselves along on one of my walks. Kudos to you for maintaining your cool.

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    1. Thank you Steve. I just could not bring myself to say **** off! I had the feeling that he was desperate for familiar company. Leeds Mick does not have many friends.

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