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Many of you will know that I recently had to take the awful decision to end my dog’s life. Zoe would have been 15 years old today and for most of her life she’d been in good health, and back in January her annual check-up was very positive. Unfortunately, she deteriorated rapidly a few months ago, although I don’t think she suffered in any real sense. As I walked her to the nearby veterinary surgery, I had a horrible feeling it would be her last walk. It was probably kidney failure, and I could have gone down the road of blood tests and treatment (which would have been covered by insurance), but opted for the hard decision of love. The vet and her assistant handled the situation with great sensitivity and care, and I stayed with Zoe (stroking her head) as she peacefully slipped away.

Zoe was a Welsh rescue dog (Border Collie X) that I adopted from the Dogs Trust when she was about 7 or 8 months old. She’s been a wonderful friend and companion for over 14 years, and I have special memories of her running free on the Welsh mountains in the Rhondda Valley – but more of that later!

To bring her home involved driving over a mountain, so Marta drove and I sat with Zoe on my lap in the back of the car. The first few days at home with the family were interesting, to say the least! Although Zoe was a rescue dog, I don’t think she’d been mistreated, merely not given the attention and exercise she needed. She was so inquisitive as we walked her through the Rhondda Valley streets, wanting see what was round every corner and in every garden! It was also a time when she had to learn the house-rules of not climbing on furniture and beds. She quickly got the hang of them, and after two or three days, she never broke the rules once – even when we were out!

After a few weeks the time came to let Zoe run loose for the first time, so on a Saturday morning I climbed up the mountain on our doorstep with her. We walked up the mountain path through open ground and forest trees, past fast flowing streams and rock formations, finally reaching fairly level ground at the top. Now was the time to let her off the lead, and the minute I did she was off like something possessed! I don’t think she’d ever had her freedom, and so she was going to make the most of it. I’d purposely left plenty of time because I knew it might be difficult to get her back. She’d keep coming to within a few feet of me, just to check I was still there and that everything was alright, but never close enough to put her back on the lead. In the end I had to start making my way back down the mountain, and Zoe followed me but always at a distance. Eventually as I neared the bottom of the mountain, and Zoe was completely wet and covered in mud, I managed to get her back on her lead somehow.

This mountain became well known and loved by Zoe and myself during the next three years until we moved away from the area, and some of my best memories are up there.

To be continued…..

It was great to get out on my bike earlier today, for the first time in ages! I had to buy myself a new helmet, some suitable cycling trousers and sort out a few bits and pieces before being able to venture out again. I bought the bike while living in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, and I certainly needed something rugged there! I’ve had many a scary moment riding down winding mountain tracks, some of which are used for WRC events (which I’ll write about on another occasion) and were driven on (and crashed on) by the legendary Colin McRae. You may know (from a previous post) that I’m trying to lose weight and improve my overall fitness, cycling is a wonderful way of doing this. Now to find my way round Leicester, but (after this morning’s ride) I may need a more comfortable saddle!