Two naughty spaniels

I accidentally climbed up Blackford Hill today. I didn't mean to, I didn't set off to. I didn't have my hill climbing footwear on and I had my big padded coat on. And I was carrying all my camera gear. I got very hot and bothered.

I had set off to the graveyard, but found no suitable blips there, then progressed to the Duck Pond, then found my feet going up the hill, despite thinking it wasn't such a good idea. The clouds were pretty spectacular as I had headed down that way, but by the time I got to the top (fiddling around, looking in bushes at cobwebs etc) there was a complete grey blanket over the city.

However, all around, I could see sunshine in Fife and East Lothian and south. The photos I took up at the top were rather bleh. The city was a uniform dullness, no sunlight and shade, no detail. Just, well, - bleh. But I took several shots anyway, having come that far. This view past the castle to Fife, shows the wee bump of West Lomond Hill and those wind turbines were actually whizzing round, I'm happy to say.

I have fiddled and fiddled with this one, tweaked the curves and levels and dodged and saturated, but I'm still not happy with it, but I'm determined to use the view as my blip today because of my supreme effort to get there. Besides, none of my bejewelled cobwebby shots are sharp enough.

However, apart from bleh photos, I had a couple of excellent doggie interactions. The first one was a black spaniel. There didn't seem to be a black spaniel owner around. Then I heard a yell from further down the hill -presumably the dog's name. The dog came and sat beside me, put its paws on my shoe and leaned against my leg. The owner came stomping up the hill saying that the dog had been naughty. I did keep my hand on his collar (the dog's) as I didn't want him (the dog) to get into any more bother.

I was lining up a shot over to Arthur's Seat, when I became aware of a rather shrill voice, which was evidently addressing me.
'Excuse me! Excuse me!'
I turned to see two dogs and a few people nearby.
'Is that your dog?'
Without waiting to hear that indeed it wasn't my dog, but I would be happy if it was...
She carried on,
'He's got my dog's ball. And my dog gets very stressed when another dog has got his ball!'
Two walkers came over the rise and claimed the naughty spaniel. They retrieved the ball and gave it to the stressed owner (the dog), chuckling all the while.

I came down a wee path, not the main, longer one. Thought I'd take a short cut. Wrong. It became a mud bath path. I called in with Uncle A for a sit down, and have now staggered home. Mud-caked possibly ruined, shoes. Sore back. Very tired.

I have never been so glad of my wee coffee machine!