A Surprise For Alfie

 Today is our 5th wedding anniversary. As money is somewhat tight at present, we have decided to wait until next week to celebrate properly, and as it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Weekend next week, as well as being Half Term, it makes sense to do things in style then.

It has been exceptionally warm today. After the past month or so of rain and overcast weather, it certainly has made a change to have some sunshine. Carol did her usual tutoring and came back at around 10.15. We went to Aldi in Bradwell to do some shopping, and  were surprised to find the place heaving with people. It took some time to find a parking space in the car-park, and once inside the store we discovered that it wasn't very well stocked, even though the staff were busy shelf-stacking. The aisles were blocked by folk-lift trolleys and boxes of stock and then when we got to the check-out we had to queue for quite a long time. Quite unsual, as we can generally get in and out of the store in a fairly short time. 

We would have gone out but the heat was too much. 

Around 5 o'clock we decided to take the dogs to one of the lakes for a walk. They haven't been out for some time, due to the weather. As soon as Carol picked up the leads, Alfie turned into the growling, yapping little character he suddenly becomes, catching hold of the lead and making so much noise. Rather like Jeckyll and Hyde, in fact, he turns from a calm little dog into a sort of monster. Carol had put his cage into the back of the car before-hand.

On arriving at the carpark at Loughton Valley Park, we let the dogs out of the car. Alfie making a lot of noise, Poppy, as usual, was quiet. Just pleased to be out for a walk. We couldn't walk towards the lakes, (known at the Teardrop Lakes, due to their shape.) as there were swans about so we decided to walk in the opposite direction along the Redway.  Poppy pottered back to us, without any fuss, but Alfie, however, had different ideas. He  should have ran across a small bridge over a stream, and I called him to come back, but he didn't run over the bridge, and went straight into the stream, which was around a foot deep. He managed to pull himself out of the water, dripping wet, amidst our loud laughter. I have to admit it was extremely amusing and I only wish we'd had a video camera to record the incident! This is the second time he's had a surprise dunking. The other one was when we walked along the Grand Union Canal and he jumped a low wall and we had to fish him out! That time I did worry that he wouldn't be able to get out of the canal, as it was deep and there was nowhere for him to clamber out on the bank.

We walked along beside the  National Bowl, where rock and pop concerts are put on, turned round in the gateway and then walked back to the car and home. Poppy decided she's have a swim and went in the lake on the way back to the car.