Man’s Best Friend

We have a brand new resident in our new home in North Yorkshire.

In late October, ‘Tip’ came to live with us. Tip is an 8 week old, border collie puppy. 

For this particular ‘dog-sceptic’ it has amazed me just how much I have bonded with him already.

As my daughter said earlier today, “It feels like he has lived with us forever!’

Tip is a lovely dog; affectionate and usually very responsive to simple instructions.

He has mastered ‘Sit’ already. 

It is just over 4 months since my last walking-related blog. This is my most significant gap yet. I never planned to stop writing for so long.

The truth is that whilst I like writing, I guess I have just been a bit distractible in more recent times.

It is also true that my world has changed quite dramatically, especially with our house move from West to North Yorkshire, earlier in the spring.

We have all been heavily involved in the ‘project’ that is our new home and consequently my long distance walking had been, temporarily (I hope) put on ice.

I guess my blogging had also been affected by a touch of ‘writer’s block’.

Hopefully this post has helped me to clear that personal hurdle too.

My plan is for Tip to feature in my future blogs once he is finally allowed into the Dales playground that is on his paw step.

The introduction of my soon to be new walking partner (canine version) has helped me to ‘tip’ that balance and to finally overcome that first experience of ‘writer’s block.’

It feels good to be back at the keyboard even if my grasp of technology still has a lot of improvement needed! 

When I say ‘home’, I actually mean ‘homes’ of course, as back in April we sold 3 separate family houses to buy ‘3 houses in one’, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. 

This multi generational purchase has occupied us all ever since; especially as we planned for and started to deliver a renovation and restoration project of all 3 houses. 

It is hard physical work and owning a dog was initially going to be a bridge too far.

Until now. 

I use the term ‘owning’ Tip loosely.

Tip is really owned by Rosie and her husband Will, who bought him from a local farm. The farmer and his wife were ‘retiring’ Tip’s grandma whilst still working his mum and wanted to continue and preserve the border collie lineage. So they teemed her up with Tip’s dad and hey presto, she produced a litter of 7 pups.

Unsurprisingly, all of them have now found new homes. They were all real beauties, but I think we definitely got the best!

So I get the best of all deals within this new ‘doggy world’

I walk with Tip, play and forage with him.

Rosie and Will deal (mostly) with the poo and the associated cleaning and bagging up!

It is into this all-change environment that Tip was introduced at the end of October and I think it is safe to say we all really love him.

The way he bounds up to me every time he sees me, really does make me feel special. 

After 56 years of actually wondering what it was like I now know and understand a little more about why dogs are known as ‘a man’s best friend’ and why so many Brits are obsessed with their pooches.

I suppose the only additional observation I can make to that well known saying is to acknowledge that Tip is already this ‘(Moor)man’s best friend.’

Last week I was asked by Liz, editor of a local neighbourhood directory in Halifax, West Yorkshire to contribute another blog for their Christmas and New Year 2022 edition. Some of my blogs have featured in her publication over the last 18 months, most especially since my retirement as the Headteacher of a special school in Halifax in September 2020.

Given that my long distance walking had been placed on hold over the summer months the best link to walking that I could attempt, within Liz’s editorial time constraints, was I guess, pretty tenuous. However, I would argue that dogs are always synonymous with walking, so there is perhaps a link of sorts after all!

Tip had his second vaccination on 4th November meaning a continued absence for him from other dogs is necessary for just 1 more week. On Remembrance Day 2021, he can safely venture out on the footpaths and byways of North Yorkshire and hopefully drag me out for some longer walks across the long winter months. 

As he was still in his medicinal inspired ‘doggy lockdown’ at the time of writing I decided to walk him around the garden of our new house and photograph the autumnal beauty which he now lives in and shares with us all.

It was fascinating to witness the moments of ‘awe and wonder’ that his new world has presented him. 

As I photographed him with our home-hatched chickens I was reminded just how quickly they had grown. Norman the rooster sat in a tea cup back in May and yet here he was giving Tip an ‘actions have consequences’ lesson for life and literally towering over him. 

Tip was reminded in no uncertain measure of the current pecking order in these parts. 

Norman (below and on the right) rules.

For now at least! 

Winnie, below and on the left, tends to scarper whenever Tip comes near.

As I snapped with my camera (by the way all my photos are unedited: published as they were taken on that sunny but chilly November morning) I was also reminded of the need for us all to try to demonstrate some gratitude for what we have on a daily basis and whatever our circumstances. On a daily basis I am trying to be more grateful.

As I walked with Tip I was especially grateful.

Tip is mesmerised by our chickens and is already practising and refining his instinctive sheep dog herding skills.

Our ducks in turn are mesmerised by Tip and love to get up front and personal with him. Tip isn’t quite sure how to deal with them just yet.

As Tip and I wandered around the garden of our home I was struck again by the value of the simplest things in life.

Whether collecting a clutch of freshly laid eggs in the morning, or witnessing the stunning autumn colours within the foliage of a beech tree, or the excited wagging of a puppy-dog’s tail, I recognised that despite the continued tests provided by Covid, Climate Change and the myriad of other challenges that 2021 has thrown at us all, the simplest things in life almost always remain the best.

I’ve already learnt that dog ownership is pretty simple, but hugely rewarding.

Fern’s in the woods behind our house glistened with dew in the weak autumnal sun, as Tip scampered though them.

We finished our walk outside the front gates. A vintage car rally from Edinburgh to London was in full swing.

As Tip sat patiently on the roadside, beautiful old cars flashed past us and offered pipped horns, flashing lights and waving hands a plenty as we clapped and snapped.

Tip was unfazed by the noise of those engines and I realised again that this dog had already learnt a lot in just 12 days. It will be an interesting experience to see how he progresses over the next weeks and months.

And in those 12 days I have learned a lot too and can certainly subscribe to the feeling of ‘puppy love’ espoused by so many in this green and pleasant land.

I hope you enjoyed the read and the photographs and I hope my latest written offering survived the scrutiny of Liz and my old community in Skircoat Green, Halifax. I extend my warmest greetings to them all from the blustery north.

Please remember that if you enjoyed reading this blog you can subscribe to this and any of my past or future blogs for free registering on my WordPress site.

In the meantime I extend my very best wishes to you and your family as you enter the start of the winter season and Christmas 2021 starts to become an ever increasing reality.

I guess we all have to just hope that Boris avoids becoming the ‘Grinch who stole Christmas’ …. for the second successive year!’ 

Thanks for the read 

Cheers

Martin …….. and Tip of course!