October 8, 2012 
Last Thursday I picked up Great Uncle Murphy and we took a wee walk on Lewis Crag above North Third reservoir. You may remember I mentioned the igneous sill exposed at Gillies Hill. Well, the crags above North Third would appear to be another exposure. If you look at the shot below taken from Google Earth you can see the line of crags starting at Stirling Castle in the north – continuing through Gillies Hill – then onto Lewis crag.
It was a rather pleasant, if sometimes boggy, amble – until we hit the uphill section.
Great Uncle Murphy likes to be in front…too far in front for my liking. There are places where I would rather he was behind me and approaching the crags was one of them. I whistled, he trotted back, I waved him behind, we started upwards…
“Harrumph…sorry m’boy….sorry…oh, sorry….harrumph!”
“MURPHY!”
Maisie could walk at my heel without too much difficulty on ascent…but Great Uncle Murphy was another matter, as he clipped my heels for the umpteenth time.
“Sorry m’boy, it’s the arthritis y’know…damned paws won’t go where I want them to these days”
Defeated, I ordered him back to the front.
Just before Great Uncle Murphy was ordered back to the front (if that makes sense?)
There is a more than passable view from the top of Lewis Crag, my only problem has been trying to photograph it. Why? Dogs and crags don’t mix. Today was to be no exception.
The view over North Third from Lewis Crag
In the background the tree covered hill is where Great Uncle Murphy and I went for a walk last week on Touchadam Muir
Great Uncle Murphy
One thing Great Uncle Murphy has in common with his late sister – the total inability to stay seated when told to. Turn your back for a second and he’s right behind you. There was another blast of “MURPHY” when I realised, a couple of feet from the crag edge, that he was now only inches from my heels…not a position I was over happy with him being in given his performance on the ascent. I pointed away from the crag. Tail down, he turned.
“Harrumph…sorry m’boy…sorry!”
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the old boy as he plodded away, he was trying his best.
Tree, Murph and oversized fungus.
I thought this lump of impressive “mushroom” was worth a photo of its own.
I’ve no doubt someone will be able to rhyme off the names of the distant hills.
But it wasn’t all bad news for Great Uncle Murphy. He had a great time, nose down, thumping through the old deciduous woodland on the way back to “The Tank”, his straight, stiff, front legs stomping their way over centuries of compacted leaf mould muttering as he went…
“Harrumph…damned rabbits…where d’they go…I’ll show ‘em…harrumph!”
Yeah…ok Murph.
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Now Dixie has arthritis in her back legs, so between them we could get one sure-footed dog…
Murphy has always had very stiff looking front legs – never seemed to bend when he’s walking. Over the years they appear to have splayed out more and more to the side as he stomps along.
Murphy`s bladder problem under control now ?
Cracking day on Stronend yesterday Ken.
Um…how do you think that reservoir suddenly appeared below us then, Alex?
Glad to hear that Stronend went well…so, no problems playing gooseberry then? (hee-hee-hee!)