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!!

Fun in the Foam

In times of extreme weather, the sea produces large amounts of foam which gathers on the beach in huge jelly-like piles.  Some of these piles can be deeper than me, and diving in to them is a rare treat!

 

 

It looks like snow, but when the wind catches it it flies off into the sky and begs to be chased and pounced upon. 

 

I could spend hours playing in the foam it's so much fun.  After only a matter of minutes I looked like I'd been in an explosion of a fairy liquid factory, so imagine just how good I'd look after hours of foamy playtime!! However, as always, mum and dad spoil my plans and I'm taken home!!



A watery Christmas

My home town of Helston was in the news a matter of days before Christmas for severe flooding.  The relentless rain caused the River Cober, which runs though my beloved Lowertown, to swell to the point where it burst its banks and flooded the houses in its path. 

My walks over Christmas involved investigating the floods. 

My first walk was supposed to be walking beside the River Cober, but as soon as we got out of the carpark, we found that the path was no where to be seen!!

 



 

We then tried to walk through the woodland and found that that had turned in to a lake!!

Determined not to be out done by the floods, Dad tried to wade on through the flood water to get to a passable path.  I however found that I had to swim to cross the path, and in the end Dad had to give up and return to dry land. 

Trying to find another walk close by we met more signs of flood with in-passable roads, and even a goat which had taken the wise decision to move up on to the roof to avoid rising water. 

 

And still the rain keeps coming.......even I am hoping it's a dry new year!!

My Christmas Message

To all my fellow tail waggers and mud wallowers I hope that you have had a fun and fulfilling year. 

When I think back on the year, I think of the summer swims, the picnics I've bounced through, the flooded fields I've dug in, and the horse poo I've rolled in. There have also been numerous coats which regretfully I have had to tolerate, much like the bow I was encouraged to wear for Christmas Day!

I am looking forward to my adventures in 2013 and hope to share many of them with you.

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. 

Racing The Tide At Perranuthnoe

Walk length: 30mins

Muddy Rating: Summer-dry/Winter-moderate

I love Perranuthnoe and its surrounding walks.  It has a great beach, with lots of smaller often deserted coves near by.  There are great views of St Michaels Mount, it has a pub and a seaside cafe. 

From the church at the top of the village you can head west along a foot path towards St Michaels Mount.  Along the path there are several points of interest.  There is usually a field with pigs to one side which is worth a sniff and there is a second field with chickens.  I'm a lover of all animals so I often sit and watch as the pigs and chickens go about their daily business. 

You can keep following the path towards St Michaels Mount and end up in Marazion, but we cut down another footpath and head back towards Perranuthnoe along side the sea.  That way we pass the small rocky coves where I go and paddle all year round. 

I had my first ever swim on one of the coves on this walk when I was only a few months old.  I've been a lover of water ever since.  I thought you might like to see me as a puppy after my first swim so have included an old photo!

 

Once back at Perranuthnoe you can go on to the beach (winter and summer evenings only).  Todays run on the beach was rather a short one.  The tide comes in quick at Perranuthnoe.  One minute I was chasing a ball across the sand, and the next I was chest deep in water.  Some nice people with a baby in a pushchair had to run to dry ground but the wave caught up with them and the pushchair got very wet.  Lucky mum and dad had our little person in a carrier! 

Here Dad and I are running to safety on the higher beach.  But Mum got wet taking the photo!