Middle Earth Meanders – Fun in the Forest

24 December 2012 – 4 January 2013

So, here we go again in the campervan.   I am a walking bag of nerves. Every time we get in the van, I tremble and shake, begin to pant and salivate. Dad has now put a table between him, Mom and us…because I drool so much, I am beginning to stick all the controls together up front.  I’m not sure why I feel this way, so Mom got me some rescue remedy which she squirts in my mouth half an hour before we leave our destination.,it calms me down, so that I can at least relax with Gypsey.

Today is a bit cooler, but the journey is somewhat longer.  Hogsback is our new home for 2 weeks.

We have arrived in Hogsback at a campsite called Swallowtail….woof, woof, we can see some friends already.  They have come to greet us, we like this place.  There are two short stubbie dogs called Jack Russells, but because they are insignificant, we couldn’t even remember their names, then there is a small black sausage dog, also couldn’t remember her name either…but the other dog, now there we are talking, her name is Patricia.  Patricia was to become our friend, but more my friend than Gypsey’s, you will find out later, why.  That evening we had our very first walk in Hogsback…on lead because we walked along the road.  Not too far as it was already getting late.  But, Dad and Mom said we would leave early in the morning and go for a nice long walk, we might even be able to walk in the forest.  If there were no humans or other dogs, we could walk off lead too.

Next morning, round 5.30am, it was time to get Dad and Mum out of bed, they had promised an early morning walk and we had already heard the cockerels crowing..so time was moving on.

With noses turned downwards and tails upwards we headed up the road into Hogsback.  Oh boy, turned the corner and into…what on earth are these creatures…..huh……large brown and white beasts, smelly and chewing the cud.  Dad mentioned the word ‘cow’…so ‘cow’ it is.  We decided they were too large to chase, besides Dad and Mum had a firm grip on our leads, so the game was off ..gruff, woof, sniff.

That afternoon we met some really nice humans Mike and Judy.  Judy loved us and invited us to the travellers lounge for a braai that evening with Dad and Mum.  There was another Afrikaans family there who were also in the lounge, they definitely didn’t like dogs much and were put out at having us there, but Judy told us not to worry and to just enjoy ourselves.  We overheard Dad arranging a hike to the Madonna and Child Falls the next day….I would be accompanying Mike, Judy and Dad as their protector AND Patricia our hostess doggie got to go with us.  Gypsey,  got to stay at home with Mom and chill, just exactly how she  likes it.

So next morning Mike, Judy, Dad, Patricia and me, left early.  I had never been on a hike before, let alone a 5 hour hike.   It was muddy, slippery and wet…AND we had to cross a river.  I don’t like rivers or getting my feet wet.  Dad encouraged me for over an hour, eventually he dragged me by the collar and over we went.   Patricia is an old hat at this stuff, she does it so often with other guests at Swallowtail.  I felt really ashamed that I was such a ‘town dog’.  She taught me lots though, so by the time we were on our way home, I was also trotting across rivers and boulders, just like she was.

Our time at Swallowtail was almost at an end, Dad mentioned we were all going inland again in the morning but that wasn’t to be.  When we had packed up next morning, Dad noticed that the campervan was leaning to the left.  We were going nowhere in a hurry.  Phew, we were really glad we didn’t have to spend more time than we had to in the campervan.  What we didn’t know then was that it was going to be an awfully long time before we reached our next destination.

A man from King Williams Town fetched the campervan and we rode with Dad and Mom in the Zook to East London.  It was nice travelling in the Zook, at least we could have all the windows open and we could hang our heads out.  We love our ears flapping in the wind.