Footsteps in the Sand

After all the wet weather we’ve been having, our decisions about where to walk with Jade each afternoon are based on where there is less water and mud, and the choices are more limited than usual. It’s while since we did the Upton Country Park circuit or went in the woods. Hamworthy Park has a tarmacced footpath bordered by grass or the beach. Holes Bay has one too and we can choose to avoid the grassy areas we sometimes take.

First thing every morning I don my wellies and brave the local park, hoping Jade will not choose to do her business in the muddiest areas. Of course, she is blithely unaware of this and hares happily around just the same as usual. Sometimes I have to wash off her legs and belly properly when we get home. In the afternoons though, after walking we are often doing shopping and other errands, and it’s a pain having to change from boots and shoes in the car, so we try to stay out of the mud.

One of the beaches is perfect when I have trainers or my posh snowboots on, and about once a week we go to the closest one which is mainly pebbly rather than sandy. On Saturday we actually saw the sun, although we couldn’t really feel it because of the wind, but I was desperate to give Jade a really good run. So we went to Sandbanks beach. And she loved it, rushing ahead over the dunes we crossed to get there and then running around madly. I turned west towards the chain ferry that crosses the entrance to Poole Harbour because if I walked the other way the wind blew the sand up into my face.

The beach was crowded with dogs and walkers all bundled up against the icy wind. Except for one couple – a bride and groom who were posing for photographs. All right for the groom in his long sleeved suit, but the bride’s beautiful dress was strapless, leaving her shoulders and arms completely bare. Poor girl must have been freezing and in danger of contracting pneumonia on her wedding day. Of course it could have been a fashion photo shoot, but I doubt it as there was only one photographer and no sign of a support team.

Part of the way back I had to suffer the flying sand. It didn’t seem to bother Jade at all though. Once we got back to the promenade, we could walk up there and it wasn’t so bad. All in all I was walking for about half an hour and Jade spent most of that time running backwards and forwards so she had her good run. I felt good too after my 30 minutes of bracing sea air.