The day started so well…. It was gloriously sunny and warm again, my husband and I had worked out, we’d had a nice lunch altogether and had planned a trip to Milford on Sea in the afternoon…. And then Bramble reached a milestone. He’s getting older. And although we can see him trying to keep up with us, he’s feeling his age.
That’s how this happened….
Bramble could have carried on walking – we wouldn’t take him out for a little loop if we thought otherwise – but we felt so bad for him as he’s such a good dog, and that was how the hero’s carry came about!
We started the afternoon in the woodland near Milford on Sea, just a few minutes outside of the lovely little village, its shops and independent stores and cafes. We wanted to find some shaded walks for Bramble and the kids (and ourselves), and this woodland is great fun.
We found the rope swings and the kids biked carefree down the near empty pathways. The rope swings are such a nice touch – where we’re from, the woodland rangers regularly cut down any rope swings which are put up, so it was nice to see these kid-friendly spots still dangling free since the last time we were here.
We returned to the village and grabbed some drinks and did some window shopping, before making our way half a mile to the beachfront. It’s pretty much shingle and stones here on the beach until the tide goes out, or until you walk a little way either side to hunt for the sand. But it didn’t stop us from sitting down, enjoying a few drinks on the beach and people watching. The waves were quite strong but the paddleboarders were out in their droves and there were lots of people swimming in the blue water. The sea has never felt warmer.
Bramble sat on his towel and enjoyed the sea breeze before sleeping for a while. And the kids made shapes out of rocks, hunted for sea glass and spotted ships and yachts sailing by. There are a few little cafes dotted along the beachfront here and a play area, so we watched the kids have a run around before we made our move back.
And that’s when it went south for Bramble – he could walk fine but his little eyes looked so sleepy that we thought it best to sweep him up into our arms! We would never put him in a position where he couldn’t walk, but it really has opened our eyes to making sure we plan our summer routes with him. And to invest in a dog stroller! After not having to push a pushchair for years it’ll feel slightly odd to have a hairy baby in a stroller, but we’d do anything for Bramble (yes, we know we sound like weird dog people, we laugh at ourselves too).
If it was cooler, we would leave him at home, but in this weather he’s with us for the day. Luckily we always have tons of water with us and some snacks, but this prolonged heat in the UK has really taken its toll. From the vegetation and grass, to the way the birds act, to pets and to humans, it’s almost a paradigm shift.
All in all, we had a relatively relaxing day (excluding the 16kg dog weight lifting). We’re going out late tonight to watch a show, so we’re factoring in a little downtime between dinner and the evening out.
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