Churnet Valley Railway and The Black Lion November 5, 2011

I have a couple of businesses.  Alongside Golden Dog Bakery, I run a life coaching business – Reflections and also currently have a full time job.  My full time job is coming to an end.  It moved an hour and a half commute away from home and I have been travelling there for the last 6 weeks on a trial basis.  I have found that not only was it impacting on my life Monday to Friday – it was also impacting on my weekends when I was feeling the need for extra lie ins.  I have now returned to my old desk in my home town whilst I serve my three months notice and am currently trying to catch up on my businesses let alone the housework.  My house is a mess and it looked like a Chinese laundry when our friends bobbed around on Saturday evening on their way to the pub.

The called because they love Ziggy.  We’ve known them for some time although they’ve never been close friends.  So they’d never been to the house until the little fluffy 10 week old Ziggy arrived.  And they popped in now because they thought we might like to join them for a walk on Sunday – with Ziggy of course.  It was clear that we were invited as Ziggy’s guests.

Its big & Noisy Ziggy, but its only a train

Although the day started damp it turned out to be beautiful.  We walked from home across the fields to Cheddleton where Ziggy appears to have developed a new game of cow chasing.  Up until now he has always watched them with an interested gaze from a safe dinstance, now he flies in like an exorcet missile and tries to goad them into playing as he does with other dogs.  Clearly the cows are nervious and back off.  For me this is unacceptable behaviour.  It is a shame because he will now have to walk through the fields near home on a lead.  We continued along the canal to the Churnet Valley Railway.  This volunteer run railway consists of steam and diesel on an old track bed.  This was Ziggy’s first time on the train and I was surprised that he hopped on quite readily given his current dislike of cars or anything big and noisy.    The beautiful valley journey isn’t long about – 20 minutes and although he looked a little uncomforatble with his situation, he sat quietly for most of the journey to Froghall Wharf.

From there we strolled to Consall Forge with a compulsary couple of drinks (only to be sociable) and lunched on the oversized filled baps and chips at the Black Lion.  I’d taken a bone for Zig as this generally keeps him quiet while we eat and he’s normally allowed the odd chip too.  I placed a chip to cool on the table which he eyed eagily.  We turned to watch the train for a second turned back and the chip had gone.  As the steam train chugged past he quite freaked out, backing firmly under the table.

Yvonne, Brett, Nick & Ziggy

But who emptied the wine glass?

It was a long walk back (approx 7.5 miles to home) for the  still young Ziggy but this didn’t stop him diving enthusatically into the canal at every opportunity.  Of course now he’s zonked out.  I love to watch him when he’s like this.  Curled on one side, head on paw with a contented look on his face. Happy Days!

For me, we had a lovely leisurely day.  We were out longer than expected and my house? – Well that still looks like a Chinese laundry!