Map reading skills & scary times in Peebles

Today we went to 'Peebles'. The reason we went to Peebles was because Ann's nephew, Jack (who stayed last night) was going to a cycling event there. Jack had a plan. The plan was................ his friend Joe (who was heading home to Derbyshire) would drive him from Edinburgh to Carlisle (which is approx 100 miles away), Dan (Ann's other nephew) who was driving from Derbyshire, would pick him up from Carlisle and drive him to Peebles (approx 75 miles). Honestly do kids today even know how to open a map let alone read one?!!! Jack & Joe have managed to do their whole road trip of Scotland using Sat Nav but it's doubtful if they could look at a map and show us which roads they travelled on to get to their destinations. And we're not being disrespectful here. I know I'm only a gorgeous little collie but I overheard them discussing this fact last night.

Jack was totally oblivious to the fact that Peebles is only about 20 miles from Edinburgh and that's because he never looks at a map to see when he is?! Anyway to save him from sitting in a car for 175 miles, Ann said she would drive him to Peebles (which takes about 50 mins) and then take me for a river walk. We knew exactly where the river walk was because Ann loves looking at maps. So that is what we did.

The river walk turned out to be a bit traumatic. I walked along one side of the river, splishing and splashing and sploshing at regular intervals and then we crossed over a bridge and started walking back along the other side. When we were about a mile from Peebles (& a mile from any bridges), I decided to go for another swim. Unfortunately the river was quite fast flowing at that point and I got swept out into the middle. It was scary! I was paddling as fast as I could with my paws but I wasn't going anywhere. Ann thought this will make a good Blip I was going to be swept to the other side of the river. She went into major panic mode. Fortunately there were three people on the other side so Ann shouted across to them that she thought the current would sweep me towards them. It was so, so scary!

There I was, paddling as fast as my little paws would let me, but I just wasn't going anywhere. It was like I was treading water in the middle of the river. I knew that Ann wanted me to swim towards her and I really was trying but I just stayed in the same spot. After ages a few seconds, Ann was worried that I was getting tired and she just wanted the current to sweep me to shore, but I didn't understand what she meant when she shouted, 'Molly, just float to the edge.' By this time she just wanted me out of the river. She knew that just a few yards downstream the river was calm and shallow and she was quite prepared just to wade across and get me. But she was also worried that if I let the current sweep me to the side I might bump into debris and hurt myself.

Anyway, miraculously, I somehow managed to move into a current of water that was flowing towards the side of the river where Ann was. I floated a little way down the river and then I got into shallow water, jumped up onto the river bank, gave myself a good shake and went straight back to Ann. Ann screamed at me, 'Molly, don't you ever do that to me again.' And then she gave me a big cuddle, even though I was very wet and stinky.

So all's well that ends well. And this whole traumatic experience probably lasted less than a minute.

…..................However, it only served to reinforce us that; life is not a dress rehearsal.

Live your dream

Laugh every moment

Love every day