York meets Sally

We moved to York! In a whirl wind experience we found ourselves packing up home and lifestyle in the North West and moving back to our glorious home county of Yorkshire when a new job landed on Tony's lap just before the end of the summer term in the splendid city of York. Its been a little crazy - having to find somewhere to live, trying and failing to sell our house in a dead housing market and finding a new school for Joseph to go to as he starts his GCSE years. Nerves have jangled along the way but its all good stuff and there have already been lots of encouragements. We look forward to what this new chapter in our lives will bring. And now to Sally.

We were a little concerned about how our new surroundings would turn out for our dear dog as we have been spoiled for countryside in the North West and now we find ourselves in a city - a beautiful city - but still a city! We needn't have worried. Within a week of landing in York we had been blown away by the variety of walks, countryside and dog friendly areas at our door step, phew!!

For a couple of weeks it even seemed that Sally had become a more tame creature as she readily came back after being thrown a ball. I naively thought that maybe by the lack of distractions (woolly and feathery things) in our new environment we may have banished our perpetual problem of a run away pooch - dream on!!

We have a beautiful recreation area close to a park and ride bus station just a few minutes away from our new rented home which is frequented by all the local dog owners. Its actually quite an attractive place as it has wooded walk ways, a little pond area with seating and is connected to a nature reserve area, grazing land and to the picturesque riverside walk which runs through the city and beyond. Its there that I have met some of the friendly residents of the neighbourhood and have already made some good friends. Sally loves this place and pulls on her lead with all her might whenever we walk in that direction. It was all going so well - too well really - I should have seen it coming!!

I had noticed that Sally had become more confident, had got to know every section of the park and that it was taking her longer and longer to come back to me. I should have seen the signs, I should have heard the warning bell, I should have, I should have! One morning I had been waiting for Sally to return to the bench from where I had been throwing her a ball when I noticed her fly into the wooded area. It took her around 10 minutes to return before she ran off again. I was just happy in the knowledge that where-ever she was I knew it was definitely somewhere in the fenced park area. That's when I just happened to look over my shoulder and glance beyond the fenced area into the bus station. Guess what I saw - you guessed it. It was Sally just about to catch a bus into York!!

I jumped from the bench and shouted for her to stop. Like a child caught in the headlights she stopped stock still then decided her course of action. She chose not to catch the bus after all but to bolt for the car park andaimed to take cover in a thicket in there. A game of hide and seek took place before I cornered her - once again and took the scoundrel back in hand.

Maybe we still have work to do. The lesson I learned that day: You can take the dog out of the wilderness but you can't take the wilderness wonderlust out of the dog like Sally!

Sally at the Motorway Service Station

Its been a while. The adventures have not abated but life has been so full on that there's been little time to get out the traffic to share our real life Sally stories. I have some time now so here's a new Sally instalment. This all happened a couple of months ago just at the end of the summer holidays.

We just came back from a visit to see my brother and his family in sunny Milton Keynes. Had a fab time, wonderful warm company and delicious food,a walk in the woods and Nerf gun fights (don't ask but no one was hurt!)- thanks guys.

As you may imagine we managed an escapade on our way back home. We called in at Stafford service station where there is a lovely lake to walk and sit by. We thought we'd be kind to Sally and give her a walk around the lake. Thats where we came unstuck - or should I say Sally came unleashed! She slipped out of her halti which I had obviously not put on properly, and jumped straight in the lake and chased ducks and geese managing to bite the bottom of one goose while lots of people came to watch! There was no way she was listening to us so in the end out of desperation both Joseph and Tony waded in after her and managed to catch her only after trawling backwards and forwards across the lake to a crowd's horror/delight and me cringing behind a bush! Tony lost his sandals such was the thickness of the mud and they were up to their necks in the water. Tony was fuming with Sally and I had to keep her away from him once she was out of the water. Both Joseph and Tony had to strip off to get in the car and as we'd only stayed over night they'd decided only to take the clothes they had on. Both of them had to travel back in nothing but undies - I'm still laughing at the thought!! Tony is still murmuring.

All three have had good showers since we returned! I think they'll live.

Sorry I was too stunned, shamed and embarrassed to take a photo at the time - we have to live with these regrets in life!