24th July 2013 - of Buddy and Bob and other Bees

It is a while since I managed to take a camera out and take a stroll around the Llanelli area. Today, the weather broke enough think about taking the dogs out in a way that would not lead to heat exhaustion. Thinking in terms of having a little shade as well as a different place to walk I decided to travel further along my trip up through Furnace in Llanelli.

And so after a trip to the hospital, and a trip to the dump with another couple of bags of greenery, rather than just stop off at the house as usual, I drove on up to the ponds and parked up with my camera and the dogs, and started up the path ....

This was a lovely day - and it was so long since I had last headed up this way - I seem to remember it being much less overgrown, though it may have been winter when I was last heading up this road ...

It is still stunning as you walk up the track, the trees and roots binding into the rocks in the walls, and the incline not too great - which is important for someone like me whose last walks in Llanelli were back in February ...  But as I got to the top of the hill, the path suddenly opened out onto the ponds... and despite the groups of fishermen ( permit holders only the sign said ) all of whom had fine tents and sandwich boxes we strolled around the water's edge..

Last time I was here - there was a small patch of leaf upon the water - that might one day grow into a lily pad. Well, time has passed and it is clear that the small patches of my history have flourished  well and grown into thriving pads across the whole of the water.

A very tranquil scene - the sun on the water and a gently breeze.. oh and the repeated call of "Buddy !!"  "Buddy, Come Here !!"  from somewhere down below on a lower path up to the reservoir.
Undaunted, I proceeded on my way - ignoring the young fishermen in their fishing settlements, it must be said that they had built for every eventuality, sudden summer storms would not have phased them in any way...
"Buddy !!"  "Buddy, Come Here !!"

Further around the water's edge and more water lilies, and a realisation that even this close to town, you could find a really quiet backwater ....  "Buddy !!"  "Buddy, Come Here !!"

A gentle stroll, as it was still quite hot, and the gentle breeze was only slightly cooler than the still air ..
"Buddy !!"  "Buddy, Come Here !!"

As the path around the pond met the path from below, a lively yorkshire terrier was being hounded by what I can only describe as a young, white, collie style pup, appearing to be about 6 months old, all floppy legs and energy and a total lack of attention to a call from way back ... "Buddy !!"  "Buddy, Come Here !!" 

Of course Rusty and Delft became an object of renewed attention for the agile pup. A closer view showed that he had one blue eye and one normal, showing that he descended from a similar line of blue merle as Delft..  Though with none of the colouration.  But, with the exception of back flips he managed almost any contortion that is imaginable as you try to chase and hide from two dogs at the same time, lie on your back and bounce !!!

As the yorkshire terrier found a little respite and ran back to its owner, up the path came  a gentleman who I now know to be Bob - and I soon gathered that the young pup in front of me was indeed  "Buddy"

Buddy, it turned out , was 7 months old, and only recently with Bob. But there was a clear affection between the two - though this did not go as far as to provide for an attention span in Buddy, who was clearly too full of life to worry about returning to his owner. But with Rusty and Delft coming back to me, Buddy duly returned to Bob for the praise that training requires... 

Since the dogs were all friends, and since it was easier to keep them all together, it seemed appropriate to walk together around the path allowing them the freedom that they required, the fun they could enjoy, and an interesting conversation covering the merits of chopping up Japanese Knotweed into Green soup for the garden, medieval re-enactment, and Bob ( for that was who he was ) Bob's speciality which is painting and working with glass. 

So, in a short walk around the ponds, I made contact with a fellow soul, who intends to set up a small workshop to continue his work in glassware, in stain glass, and as he says "anything with warm glass" not glass blowing but painting and design..   

And so I chanced to meet Bob of Fatbobdesign  - Living in the Trimsaron area - but walking his pup Buddy along the Furnace Ponds...

I mentioned Bees in the title..   There are so few this year - but as we sat in the evening with a glass of Pimms - a bee came to the runner beans - the first we had seen - so maybe one flower with pollinate and we may get some beans for dinner before the year is out..

And that is the tale of Buddy, of Bob and the Bee ...

Time for a glass of something  ...   and bed