Snowballs at dawn!

Well it finally happened! For days we've been watching the TV with people talking about playing in the snow but every time I went outside it looked just as it always does.  This morning however, when I went outside for my dawn sniff there was snow everywhere!!!

I LOVE snow!  When I leap through snow, snow flicks from my paws, so I spend ages chasing it.  The faster I leap the faster I have to chase.  It can get rather tiring!! Dad throws snowballs and I bounce down after them, but there's never a ball to pick up.....I don't understand that!!  Sometimes he throws them high and I jump and catch them.

Snow days are so much fun!!

Getting lost in Kennall Vale

Walk Length: 30minutes
Muddy Rating: Moderate

Kennall Vale is one of my most favourite walks.  It's got everything going for it, from waterfalls, rivers, mud and exciting terrain. 

Kennall Vale is on the edge of the village of Ponsanooth.  Managed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the walk takes you past a series of old gunpowder mills where the old leats still channel the water, creating at least half a dozen waterfalls.

The mills were used for a hundred years to create the gunpowder for the Cornish mining industry, but as a more modern blast technology was introduced to mining, the gunpowder mills were no longer required.  They've been redundant for over a hundred years now, but the old waterwheels, mill stones, and buildings are still here.  It's surprising that the buildings are still standing considering in 1838 there was a massive explosion in which five mills blew up and part of a roof was found a mile away!

 

Because there's so much water at Kennall Vale I get very excited and usually run a long way ahead to get down to the water.  There are a few routes around the vale and I like to think I know where to go. However, on this occasion I totally lost mum and dad.  I rushed down to the water, and they followed me.  But I thought they had gone a different way, so I ran and ran but couldn't find them.  I passed lots of other people with dogs and children but none of them were my mum and dad.  After about five minutes of panic, Dad eventually found me.  He didn't seem as relieved to see me as I did him, and it was a long walk back to find mum!

Kennall Vale is well worth a visit all year round, but in winter, the water levels serge and its a dramatic place.  The abandoned weir is a great place to wade through calmer waters and fetch sticks.  Just remember, despite the excitement of all that water, don't loose your mum or dad!





Diving for cormorants

The water level on the River Cober in Helston has finally started to recede after weeks of flooding.  Walking one of our regular routes along the river, it's clear to see that the water was at least a metre above its normal winter levels. However, the river bank path is still deep with mud, and in places it's still covered with a few inches of water. 

It appears that I am the only one brave enough to venture along the sludgy river bank as there were no other tracks, only those of a large bird.  As I bounded merrily along the path the large bird, which mum informs me is called a cormorant, popped up from behind a bush and took flight.  The chase was on! As I ran along the flooded section of the river bank I failed to see a big hole under the water.  Head first down the hole I went!  When I emerged mum was bent double laughing and the cormorant was gone! I had apparently managed to cover my face with mud from the hole.  This must have looked particularly good because people kept stopping and looking at me, and telling mum how amazing I looked.  I must dive into muddy holes more often!!