Jock in Crummockwater

Well the answer to the last posts piccie question was Jock; and to prove it here is the next shot of him in the water. After very dodgy beginnings: as a pup he would walk around puddles for instance, he became a great water lover! He also enjoyed camping after he realised that he was going to be allowed into the tent at night.

So on the subject of camping, Pete is busy organising the camping trip for the 9th and 10th of May and he should be contacting everyone concerned very soon with more details. The venue for the overnight stay has been decided and it is Wasdale opposite the Wasdale Head Hotel. The last time we stayed there a cow decided to moo at its mate across the road for a couple of hours, and I wondered if we were going to get any sleep. Anyway, we went into the public bar and after an hour emerged into a lovely quiet still night as the cows had gone to bed, so we had a good sleep after all.

Spring is around the corner

Well someone had a spring in the step. I was sorting through the photo gallery and I found this amazing photo. It was Crummock Water and one of our 2 Parson Jack Russells, who have both sadly passed on, is bounding through the shallows with glee. So I thought it might be an idea to ask you to guess the dog, is it Bramble or Jock? If you have never walked with us before, or only in the last couple of seasons, you may not have met those rascals Jock and Bramble, so here they both are on the same day having fun as they always did.



Bramble is the smaller bitch in the foreground and Jock is her half brother at the back. They shared the same sire who was the most famous Parson Jack Russell in the USA and over here as he won every top dog show in America. His name? Blencathra Badger; and when his owner the legendary Cumbrian climber Paul Ross came back to live in Keswick he entered Badger for Crufts when they first recognised the breed and allowed them to be showed and of course Badger won that too. So Blencathra Badger was best of breed Parson Jack Russell in the world! Anyway, Bramble and Jock were his siblings and they lived up to their famous father and although not show dogs they were wonderful mountaineers. Jock did the Arran Ridge and Bramble did the Aonach Eagach back on 27th October 1993, when there was ice on the ridge.

They must have climbed Blencathra at least sixty times and never gave up enjoying the fabulous playground which is the Lake District, mind you they also had plenty of fun in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland and we took them climbing in Snowdonia and Ireland too. So we have very happy memories of our two JR's and as I pass tarns and lakes where they used to play and swim I often think of them bounding through the water and barking their heads off! There is nothing to compare with having a thoroughly good dog out on the hills with you and I look forward to this new season knowing that at least 2 Tibetan terriers are coming out again, yes Hamish and Angus are coming back.