Still frozen

This is the canal that joins our two lakes. Here they hold the first leg of the yearly Xanten Triathalon. still well frozen. L at the Indoor Market, so I took Spike for a long walk, nearly all the way round. Here I stopped to take this and a couple with a Labrador came along, the dog was not on the lead. It spooked a pheasant which fled over the ice, followed by said labrador. despite calling and whistling the chase went to the other side where the pheasant took to his wings and exited, Stage Right. This left the dog and its owners on the two sides of a frozen canal. The dog was next to the main road. Finally Lab started back, sniffing anything there was to sniff. Then another person with a Retriever, appeared and Lab returned to introduce himself. Wild whistle and calling, no avail! the dogs seemed to cement a friendship, as after some sniffing and tail wagging, Lab started back to relieved owners, with the Retriever. Now the panic was the other side, language was getting heated and Spike, who is young and not used to Bad Language suggested we went home. No, I don't know the outcome, I expect the Retriever returned when he was good and ready!