Hiya! Remember me? My name is Bruce. Today I am telling you about a Good Walk. This Walk begins at the place called Blackford Hill.
This place has lots of grass. If you are lucky, the humans will stop to admire the thing that they call View . . .
. . . while you find a fine bristly stick, and prance with it.
Then the Walk gets even better, because it goes to the place called Hermitage. This place has mud and water and many, many sticks.
As usual, Kate was going far too slowly and stopping far too much to click-click with the camera.
She was also spouting the familiar human nonsense about how the light was changing, the birds were singing, and the gorse was coming into bloom &c.
Personally, I am not a fan of this gorse-stuff, as it is too bristly even for me to rummage in. Give me a stick any day.
Today I located many, many good sticks because of what is called “recent storms”. Here is an excellent example, but I was not allowed to tackle it.
Now, sometimes on a walk, I find a Nice Big Stick, and bring it home, where the humans feed it to the fire-beast. If only Kate had remembered that wheely-thing that she takes to the shops, I’m sure I could have helped to fill it up with these . .
Such a shame. But then later, by the water, we found the most exciting sticks of all. They call this thing ” Woodland Marimba”, but this means nothing to me. All I know is that when Tom hit these sticks, they sang a tune.
Singing sticks?
Singing sticks!
Shall I sing too?
Make them sing!
The more I sing, the more they sing!
They must be mine!
Kate seemed to find my singing very amusing for some reason.
But, predictably, I was not allowed to bring these mysterious and magical singing sticks home with me. Such is life.
See you soon! Love Bruce x
Thank you for sharing Bruce with us – I had been missing my Jack this last week and so it was nice to see Bruce – he looks a lot like a younger version of my Jack!
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bruce, baby, get a grip. any stick that is “peeled” is art and not allowed to go home with you. believe me, i’ve tried. frankly, the best sticks are the really really log ones. they make your people laugh while you break your neck trying to fetch them home. and when they laugh, they are happy and life is good.
your friend,
wendy the border collie
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Bruce – I can totally relate. Whenever we go walking in the woods (well, She walks, I run and run and run), I like to share with Her the cool things I find, but She never lets me bring them home! Nice crunchy deer leg bone, lovely bristly raccoon foot, and so forth.
Your pal,
Tipper from Minnesota
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Dear Bruce!
My two Labradoodles, Gus and Finn, adored your story. They also love their walks, with a finish-up swim in our little pond….which makes them VERY muddy and VERY happy!
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Preparing for a hike requires choosing the right walking stick. Hope the photo shows Wrinkles on a hike.
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How did you come up with the name “Bruce”? There seems to always be a lot of meaning and thought put into all that you do–whether it would be a blog post or a knitting pattern…I’d love to hear to story of naming your dog.
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Such a handsome lad!
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This is just absolutely delightful! Do you know the ‘Good Dog, Carl’ books?, by Alexandra Day? Only a few words at the beginning and end of each story: ‘We’re going out tonight Carl, please take good care of the baby’ – and then Carl (a beautiful glossy Rottweiler) and the baby have the most marvelous adventures, told all in pictures.
I think my favorite scene is in ‘Carl’s Afternoon in the Park’ where he and the baby (curly-haired toddler) are surrounded by a group of student painters, and every painter is painting them in a different style (Impressionist, Cubist, Mondrian, etc).
These adventures of Bruce’s have the same delightful insouciance – so glad you all had such a wonderful outing!
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Bruce.
Such a masculine name.
Very fitting for this beautiful friend.
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I love it when Bruce gets control of the keyboard. I love the idea of Bruce and the sticks singing to each other.
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I cannot believe it. Last night I had a dream that Bruce stayed at my parent’s during the week. They live in the country, on 2 acres, and have plenty of room for a dog his size to run around. My parents used to have a dog, but she’s long since passed away, and then my brother’s dog lived there for a while, and she’s passed away as well. We used to call it the doggie retirement home because it’s a great property to both lounge around and run around. Plus we’re on the West Coast of Canada (Victoria, BC), so the weather is great all year round – not too cold. Please let Bruce know that, according to my dream, he’s got a place lined up on the West Coast if ever there was a need!
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Bruce – you are a hearty and winsome beast!
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Dear Bruce, Last weekend my people brought lots of sticks in to feed the fire-beast. They got irritated with me because I wanted to chew the small sticks. I ask you! What good are sticks if you can’t break them into bits? I like long walks, too, but don’t get as many as you do. Lucky dog!
Best,
Oreo
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Ah, Bruce, you are such a daylifter.
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How funny. I was up Blackford Hill yesterday too. I would’ve said hello if I’d seen you. We took some amazing panoramic photos from the same position in your first photo. It was a gorgeous day. x x x
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You have a really beautiful dog! You are lucky to have so much places to go walk with him. In my area, dogs are no often allow to walk with us in park or hiking trail. And most of the time, they must be in leash. Even so, we have our favourite place where we go most of the time. :)
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YOU LOVE STICKS
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Bruce I love you!
looking forward to your next story!!
have a lovely sticky day!!!!!
Mimi
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I just LOVE Bruce …. ;-)
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Love the post and the pics! Makes me miss my Murphy, an all-black Border Collie/Lab mix with much the same attitude towards sticks. And walks.
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That’s all because “Prances with Sticks” is Bruce’s Native American name.
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Bruce, Me and My Emma can *so* relate to this wonderful post today ! Your exuberance is contagious ….Thanks.
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Such a handsome, adorable dog. Hope all’s well between Bruce and the kitty. He looks happy in these photos, at least.
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Bruce is so handsome and talented. Thanks for sharing his experiences with us.
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aaaoooooooooo!
my dog macduff used to sing every time the church bells rang. bruce, this is a long and honorable tradition, and while macduff was more into canonical music, there is the whole caribbean canon for you. reggae. son. rancheros. mambo. calypso. i am so excited.
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I want to see and play that marimba! Do you know the “plinky boat” just near where the ferry goes on Unst, Shetland?
Helen
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Gidday, Bruce! I would have loved to have a chew at those singing sticks. I have to stay in the front garden now because of the dugite under the slabs near the Hills Hoist. So, I will have to bark even more at the emus, dig more holes in the moonscape lawn I have spent a long time preparing and then sleep in the shade till walk time. Here’s wishing you a big marrowbone. Woody……
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lovely walk and lovely pics-Bruce really is a handsome lad and so photogenic! Is the view from the top of the hill into Edinburgh? and snowdrops…beautiful! we won’t see any til March. Your flowers must come sooner due to the sea.
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Dogs are the best……..
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I’m a beautiful lurcher called Ruby and, if I say so myself, quite good at running, and running, and running. I took my people to a lovely part of the Dark Peak today and I ran, and ran and ran. Sorry to all the other dogs I tease when I let you think you can catch me …. But I’m only joking. Hee Hee. Yawn…. Log fire ….yawn. What a dog’s life!
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Good boy!
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A great spot for a walk – our local hill :) We were busy doing other things today, else we might have bumped into you…. I climbed up Blackford Hill when I was labouring with my son, and I climbed it again trying to get labour with my daughter going properly. (It worked both times!)
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G’day Bruce
Come to Australia ✈✈ and chase rainbows with us. You’ll probably have to go into quarantine for awhile, and have a few needles 💉 but you’ll charm the guards in no time, and be free again. Kate and Tom would like walking here as well,
Cheers from Jules et Jim (the poodles)
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I always love your walk pictures. They’re such a breath of fresh air. Bruce looks like a very happy dog!
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Such beautiful views and flowers too. How can you be so far north of us (in Kingston, Ontario, Canada), and have flowers in February. I wish! And I agree that this would make a lovely children’s book
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This would make a nice children’s book.
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Oh, how I love you, Bruce. You are still my most favorite dog.
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Rosie (Australian shepherd) and Gypsy (border collie) would like to invite Bruce to Texas to go for a walk/run/swim on their ranch where they not only find sticks, but bones and turtle shells for chew-toys. They love big black lab boys–Bruce is just their kind.
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Kate and ♥Bruce♥ this made me smile….thank you.
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I could not have said it Better!
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Great to hear from you Bruce :o)
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Rebus here – black lab of Courtenay BC – that’s me with the red ball in my mouth. Good to see all those photos of you Bruce :-)
The snowdrops and gorse are just starting here too! Not that I notice, my mind is with yours, on sticks. Oh and balls.
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Yes – never mind all this knitting stuff, sometimes we just need lots of doggy stuff (and Malcolm liked the photo of the woodpile!!) I have to confess that I have been distracted again from knitting all the lovely patterns I buy from you by fairies ….. and my sister-in-law has just given me a book of knitted dolls that includes one that looks like Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow (oh, be still my beating heart!!) Looking forward to seeing you at Woolfest. Anne x
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Hello Bruce,
How lovely you took your humans out for a nice walk. Sticks are good and it looks like singing sticks are the best! Thank you for sharing.
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Wow no snow love it. How lucky can you get Bruce.
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Coco said he found great sticks today too.
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Bruce, I think you have a children’s book in you! Have you ever tried writing?
Love,
Bunny the Goldendoodle
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My thoughts exactly! A lovely photo picture book narrated by Bruce.
He’s such a happy, handsome boy! Thanks for sharing him with us.
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One person’s flower is another’s weed – being from New Zealand, as soon as I saw the gorse, I thought ‘rip it out quick, before the flowers open and set seeds!’
Lovely, lovely photos.
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Hey Bruce! Come to Colorado and we’ll climb mountains and swim in the creek. Mmmmm…sticks!
Shadow
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Ah, Bruce, your stories are wonderful. My sister in Colorado raises golden retriever puppies to serve as helper and companion dogs. She will love this story. And I think I’ll tell your story to Lucy and Rosie, the yellow labs who live across the road from me, if they will stop to listen. Rosie adores sticks!!
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What a good tale told by that handsome dog “““ Bruce. I dnjoy so much the stories and photos. Thank you, Kate.
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My 4yo daughter just adores Winnie-the-Pooh, and now I finally know what a “gorse-bush” looks like! Lovely post. Thank you.
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Gorgeous boy, Bruce. My three Labs, Sophie, Sarah, and Jake would love to romp with you I am sure……….well, who knows about Jake, but he does love to run. We have great places to romp here in north Georgia, too. Fun story and great sticks.
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Bruce is so adorable. I love his shinny black coat. Woof woof. Hope he had a great walk. Understand this Bruce we humans have a right to be goofy sometimes but we love you.
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What a handsome boy!
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I love the magical singing sticks! I love your dog! Makes me want to get one. Great post, thank you!
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Aw – looks like a great time was had by all!
(I miss ‘my’ Brucie :-( )
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Dear Bruce, you would love Seattle. We have lakes with geese and salt water beaches with Seagulls. And both are teeming with sticks. Your American friend, Leslie
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Bruce,
I love to walk too! We live in the woods on a lake and I LOVE the stick game. It is really fun to play in the water. I wish we had singing sticks though. My brother, Trapper comes to visit often and if you were to come, we could bring in lots of sticks. My mom, Gail and my Dad, John say Labradors are the best dogs ever!
Bob
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Bruce! You can come walk on the beach in Anacortes with me. I need a lab to go get the balls and sticks out of the water ‘cuz I’m a corgi and I don’t swim! Paws, Wallie
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Oh Bruce. you are such a lovely doggie.
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Bruce ~ you are such a handsome boy! Loved the all the photos that your Kate took (especially those of you). We miss our Labrador, Daisy and are hoping that our mom would get another dog for us.
our best meows to you,
Louie, Ernie and Isy!
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Hello Bruce, thank you for sharing your walk with us all. It is good to see you all having such fun. Pity about not being able to drag those singing sticks home, I know how you feel.
P.S Hey, aren’t you a handsome fellow!
love Fleur (lives with human called Andie)
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Thank you Bruce for the lovely tour of your walk. You certainly find wonderful treasures on the paths you explore. My masters need to take me on more magical journeys! Love, Riser (a very jealous Shetland Sheepdog living in Franklin, TN)
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Totally cute and I’d love to hear that Woodland Marimba!
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Dear Bruce,
What an excellent walk! Write again soon. If ever you come to California, I will show you where the good walks are here, with rabbits and deer and MANY sticks.
Love,
Gretchen
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PS: and water, too. You can chase sticks into the creek and scatter the ducks.
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love it! thank you Bruce for taking me along your walk ;)
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