Annoyances

The swan was being repeatedly antagonised by the crow.
The swan won, eventually.

I went back to Dunham Massey - it was a nice day and I needed to go and walk as my leg muscles are sore from 2 days of time on the exercise bike and a brutal session (2 hours) at the gym on Tuesday.  Why walk when they hurt?  Because it helps!!!  I don't know the science, I just know it works.

It was a pleasant afternoon, but one which had to be broken in half in order to have a restorative pot of tea (and scone...yes, Hebs has no control when it comes to cream teas).  I had walked 5 km and was happy bumbling along when a fairly robust dog came bounding towards me, full of joy and excitement, and jumped right at me...front paws right in the sore parts of my abdomen.  He was so forceful, he knocked the wind right out of me.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love dogs and, if the circumstances allowed, I would happily add a pooch to our menagerie.  However, I have a MASSIVE issue with animals that are allowed to roam in a deer park, where there are very many new fawns and signs that clearly ask for dogs not to be let loose, and particularly, I had an issue with the response of the owner (and her two friends) which was to LAUGH and to dismiss the dog's behaviour with a "oh it's alright, he's only being friendly".  If that had happened 6 months ago, or two years ago, both post-op times, that poor animal's behaviour could have caused a massive issue for me.  If the dog doesn't know that isn't OK, then what happens when he does it to a child?  I'll tell you ... potential injury and possibly a deep seated fear of dogs (James has only recently got over his genuine terror of dogs).

If he had run up to me and sniffed around my feet I wouldn't have thought anything of it and probably would have given him a fuss.

It's not the dog that is the problem, it's the human being that should be attached to it.

I know my fellow dog owning blippers are very responsible, so it definitely wasn't any of you lovely people!!!!