I am thinking about buying a pair of trekking poles for dog-walks.  Currently, I am using my mother/step-father’s walking sticks to see if they help and, although heavy, I think they do.

The pretty antler tops are utterly useless and actually annoying, as I tend to hold the sticks further down, so they are not ideal but they give me the gist of what I should be feeling if I invest in proper trekking poles.

I did find that walking with a pole in each hand really helped my balance (non existent at the best of times) and with my speed and stability.  It was a great improvement.   I am hopeful they would help my spine too.

Thinking all these things while I walked, I sat down on a nearby rock to look up on the internet just how to walk with trekking poles. There is a method and I couldn’t work out what was right.  Apparently it is opposite leg to pole, which I find quite difficult (my brain fries while I try and change).  I would make a rotten soldier marching on parade, I think.

So sitting on my rock, I then looked at Amazon for vague prices and recommendations and trekking poles can range from £30 to £200.

So my question is, do you get what you pay for?  Sometimes buying the cheapest model can be a false economy.  I would be using them most days to walk the dogs across rough terrain, which can include mud and snow – they need to be hard-wearing and not going to break immediately, comfortable in my hands, and the right kit for the job.

And the grippy bit? Cork or rubber or foam?

So, if you use trekking poles, your input and recommendations would be invaluable to me.

Much thanks.

I saw these three sheltering from the north wind when I was on the dog walk.

They were all looking very *** cough *** well (I am almost thinking FAT, but I shall stop that now and tell myself they need all the calories they can stuff in for when winter arrives, which is not that far away now).  Any minute now I shall bemoan the fact we have no grass and it is very cold.

But for now I have three heffalumps in a row and possibly another potential album cover.

On the way home – I went to check the far gate into the open hill was firmly shut – Pepper was straight over to sit with Haakon.

I could not love this picture more.  All my most favourite “people”.

My theory is that Pepper likes the horses’ soft wuffly noses gently sniffing and nudging her.

And then Pepper plonked herself down next to Iacs to admire the view and chat about life, the universe, everything.  They look such a happy group together.

And no, no one ever kicks because that would be downright rude and also very unneighbourly.   Pepper trusts her friends and they trust her.

WARNING – DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE OF A SQUEAMISH DISPOSITION…..

But Teddy had an amazing day, today.  He was what Mum always wanted him to be – “a proper dog”.  He killed his first wild bunny rabbit.

Pepper flushed the rabbit out and it came racing down the hill towards me. Ted was with me and ran in a straight line, working out as he went the best way to intercept the quarry, and he was right on the mark.

Seconds later, it was dead.  It was an efficient and correct terrier kill.  Ted’s instincts have finally kicked in.

And then Pepper let the side down and quickly stole dead rabbit from him carrying it all the way home, while feeling very proud of herself. To be fair, Ted had already lost interest.

Pepper didn’t want to let “her” quarry go and so Ted and I went into my shed for the afternoon….

…. while Pepper sat outside in the cold northerly wind and rain. Her choice, not mine.

In the end, and mostly because it was not an afternoon to be outside, I told Pepper it was “dead” (a gundog command she knows that means “let it go now”) and she did give up the rabbit without a fuss and I threw it onto a shed roof for the seagulls.

The minute it was gone, Pepper lost interest too and went back to her day job of pestering me while looking incredibly cute.

Anyway, well done Ted.  He’s a proper dog. It’s official.

(and I’m sorry if all that was gross, but I am very pleased with Ted. Good job! That’s what terriers do and they should do it expertly too).

Everyone was basking in the sunshine, when I went out this morning to give the dogs their run. It was very encouraging.  Summer is finally here, I thought to myself.  At last.

The horses have finally lost the last of their winter coats and are looking well-covered and happy.  The ponies need one last brush for theirs’ to go.  I will get round to it one day but always rather hope the wind will do my job.  I am not a great brusher if I am honest.  There is always something else to do.

The sheep followed behind me into the same field. They had refused to be helpful earlier when I had fed them and was trying to put them into a field for the day but now they wanted to be there, so I quickly shut the gate behind me telling them this was where they would spend the rest of their day. They come home at night as Lambie has to be in bed by 10 p.m. (and you think I’m joking).

After the walk, I found Monster snoozing outside the front door.

Everything is better when the sun shines.  I only hope it stays now for a while (rushes off to look at ten different weather forecasts in the hope that at least one says it will be be sunny).

The dog walk started badly for Monster.  He really wanted to come too, with the dogs and me over to Clothie – my 5 acre croft that is a little way over the open hill, where Lambie was having a bit of a sit and a morning cogitate.

That well known phrase or saying “The lights are on, but no one is home” – well, that’s Lambie.  He was looking pretty vacant.

But there were also hill sheep around and they were curious about in this whiney small white Panther.  There were words and hissing.

And even some swiping with a paw.  The sheep backed off and Monster made a hasty retreat to the safety of home.

Meanwhile, the rest of us had already reached Clothie and I could hear the whining even from there.

After a while, sheep being sheep, they got bored and gave up hassling Monster, so he made his “speedy” but careful way over to where we all were.

Yup, I could hear the whining getting closer, every step.

Once arrived, I had to make a fuss of Monster and tell him just how wonderfully brave and intrepid he had been.

We had a nice walk. The dogs galloped about, hunted and had fun and then we wended our way home again, whereupon Monster was followed again, but this time by one chicken and some rather hopeful ducks!

These days, I think he feels persecuted.