Joe, Molly and the lane

now featuring Eevee and Brucie!

The ongoing blog of caravanner, holidayist and dog-lover

Jock E Wheel !

24. Jun, 2022

Crossroads

So after exactly four weeks on the road, and having visited 5 different sites, mostly in glorious summer weather, we have the rain. We've had a good run, and enjoyed every moment, but are now considering a choice of going on to our next site at Petruth Paddocks in Cheddar (which we know and love), or to pull up the pegs and go straight back home to Wantage.

For those of you with pets (and God knows we love our dogs to bits), if you are considering a similar tour to this, I am going to give a word or two of advice, based on our trip and experiences.

We've been away for four weeks, and this has been 24/7 with at least out two dogs (Joe and Molly) and, for the last week, we have had Eevee as well.

The only time off that we have had from the dogs was a lunch at Charlestown (left them in sisters house) and one hour at Monkey Tree, when we thought it would be ok to leave them in the caravan (all windows and skylights left open) for a game of crazy golf.

By the time we reached hole 14, we had a call on my mobile informing us that the dogs were howling! We were only round the corner, about 200 meters away, so we cut short the game and sorted them out.

Molly is 13 now, and to be fair, she has had the time of her life on the beach, She has loved every minute of it and has run, swam, dug, rolled and chased her ball with the abandon of a 1 year old. I am amazed and astonished for her, she loves the beach.

Joe has struggled though. He wants to run, he wants to play in the sea (so long as he avoids the waves), He loves to wade through sand-pools, and he wants to please.

But his legs are not great, both busted crucial ligaments are now healed, but at 10, he struggles the most. After a day on the beach at Freathy, we were literally carrying them both back up the steps of the cliff face and picking the best place to go down (and get back up). Bloody back-breaking and far from ideal, especially with the hot sun beating down!

Then in the scorching weather that we have mostly had, it is also too hot for the dogs to be out in the day, so we have been protecting them from the sun, then shortening all walks to suit everyone's health and make sure they are good and fit.

But we can't go to Museums, Galleries, Zoo's, the Cinema, etc, so it has been very limiting. So if you are taking your dogs away with you (and by the way, ours are both small), just be prepared to be with them all day and night!

(I am not moaning-just informing!!)

I know this may also be alien to them, I know they love the beach but I am sure they also miss their beds at home!

So we will pack up the Awning and the inflatable wall this afternoon before they get too wet-then make the decision tomorrow so we are ready to go early and to see whether we go on to Cheddar-or cut short the tour and go straight home!

Let's see how the weather pans out!

Jock