Adventures with Rottweilers and Crocus's (Crocii?)
Posted on behalf of KIla, WDCS Canine Research Assistant
And so, duly rested from our adventures on the Outer Hebrides we're back out in the field again, we've returned to our familiar Wester Ross haunts and I'm taking bets on what kind of ridiculous headgear my humans are going to subject me to this time round (remember the Canadian Navy baseball cap?) - perhaps i can pass the fashion baton onto Harvey?
When i told people about our adventures in Lewis, everybody kept saying ... "oh, bit windy over there was it not?" ... well, it may have been a bit breezy (you need that to keep the midges away) but it certainly wasn't as windy as it is here that's for sure!!! Since we've arrived we've been battling gale force winds and for the first few days we couldn't even see across the Minch let alone spot any of those flippered critters. Rain clouds were everywhere and seemed to dance across the water towards us no matter how hard we tried to outrun them! The "front" has apparently moved on past us (does that mean the "back" is on it's way?) and the rain has definitely subsided but the wind remains the same .... gusting!
The weather however is no excuse for the military (be a terrible thing if it was, can you imagine ... "no we can't go to war, it's raining!" ... and they're out in force this time round. Only this morning i was out taking care of my ablutions and i looked up to find 6 warships on our doorstep!!! I know who they were, where they were from and where they were heading but i don't know if i'm allowed to tell you as it might kind of defeat the whole point of these "war games" that they're all playing ... oh ok then ... all of them were minesweepers belonging to the UK and all of them were heading to Loch Ewe just to the north of us as this is where they do the majority of their mine clearing practicing and one place i avoid going for a swim as i don't think i'd be wanting to come across one of those devices during my paw'dle!
In our quiet moments i've been having a bit of a rumination over the names that different countries choose for their warships, the UK and the USA for example seem to like naming their vessels after places (and the odd person). Some however differ quite remarkably, the Germans have one ship called "Rottweil", presumably named after my cousins, the Rottweilers - whom i would want on my side if i had to go into any kind of battle, whilst the the Belgians have one called "Crocus", presumably named after that pretty flower that comes in a variety of colours and makes the place look nice in the Spring ... always room for flowers no matter where in the world one is!!
Hopefully the weather is going to take a turn for the better in the coming days but ... if all else fails ... we can just walk endlessly on the many beaches in the vicinity ... and being that there is a plentiful supply of sticks for me, and sheep for Harvey, we'll be quite content either way!
Until the next time .... woof!
WDCS on Twitter
WDCS on Facebook
WDCS on YouTube
But kudos to the people who did their best to save him.