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Sarah Todd: A good walk proves just the thing for one boy and his dog
WE DIDN'T get the pink grooming box the daughter was after at last weekend's Bramham Horse Trials, but we did get plenty of offers for the dog…
To be honest, it was a bit of a pest having him. There was no chance, for example, of a stroll around the craft tent for fear of him knocking something over.
Buying a sandwich proved a touch tricky. He soon sniffed out burger buyers not paying proper attention, and as for a visit to the lavatory.... Let's just say there isn't much room in those portable loos at the best of times.
However, he did get a tremendous amount of attention, including a few offers of hard cash. Something that made his master's ears prick up.
Back at home, people tend to look at our canine in horror. While other dog walkers scurry off in the opposite direction, the horsey set seemed to welcome him with open arms. Perhaps because he's the size of a small pony?
The other week, together with the five year-old, we set off to explore a footpath, on the grounds of giving the dog a good walk.
It was like being young again, discovering bridges, skirting along a railway line and venturing into woods that hadn't been explored before. Far from flagging, the little lad was marching ahead insisting that he wasn't tired. We ended up in a neighbouring village that would take around 10 minutes to reach by car, so must have covered quite a distance.
I must confess that we asked a chap sitting out in his yard if he'd phone the Husband and get him to collect us. While willing, there was that feeling that if we'd walked home my young companion might not have been so enthusiastic next time. Of course, we took some teasing for doing this.
"If I was young and had a friend in that village I'd walk that path rather than getting my mother to drop me off," I declared from the comfort of the car seat. It struck us as sad that this probably doesn't happen very often, with parents worried about the busy road that lies between us and the path, as well as the fear their offspring will be preyed upon by some stranger or other.
We've had our first potatoes from the vegetable patch, as well as lettuces and a courgette that was well on its way to becoming a marrow. The children have eaten everything enthusiastically but an incident the other day reminded me how crafty youngsters can be when it comes to avoiding their greens. A cardigan had been left on the back of the eight year-old's kitchen chair. The day later I reached into the pocket for a handkerchief. Something soft was lurking in there. The contents turned out to be the previous night's broccoli.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
