 |
| Red Campion... |
 |
| Meadow Clary... |
 |
| Man Orchids... |
 |
| Fly Orchids... |
 |
| Fly Orchids... |
 |
| Buttercups at Brockles... |
 |
| Broomrape... |
 |
| Lady Orchids... |
 |
| Lady Orchids... |
 |
| Lady Orchid, showing the "lady" in her dress... |
 |
| White Helleborine... |
 |
| White Helleborine... |
I have a tremendous love for Ranscombe reserve and its wildlife, but this is tempered by a certain wariness wherever I walk there. I don't agree with the sentiment which says that "hell is other people", but I certainly think hell is other people's dogs. I have no particular fear of them, but in the past six months I have been bitten once and knocked over by people's dogs, and have lost count of the number of times some stupid, over-excited, under-trained mutt has jumped up at me, often as not smearing mud (or worse) over me in the process.
On the rare occasion I get an apology, it's usually insincere and along the lines of "oh, he's only being friendly". If I picked up two handfuls of mud and smeared them over you, would you say I was being friendly? If you were that sorry, you'd put the thing on a lead. But your dog's fun is more important than other people, isn't it?
Sometime I get told it's my fault that their dogs attack me (and "attack" is what it is). "My dog doesn't like people who wear hats/glasses/dark coats" etc. etc. (seriously!)
In February I got knocked over into a puddle by some massive lurcher owned by a ghastly Katie Price lookalike. When I expressed my displeasure at this, she replied that "yer should'n' go aht for a walk if you don' like dogs, should jer..." Ah, of course I shouldn't...
I don't need the hassle. I'm just out for a walk, for relaxation and peace and quiet, right? We could both get that if you just kept your bloody dogs under control. Unfortunately it seems like it's the 80% of dog owners who give the other 20% a bad name...
I think the photo below really sums up Ranscombe reserve: beauty still shines through, despite the dog owners who (ab)use the place...
 |
| Tortoiseshell on turd... |
Cue the usual outrage and denial from the dog owner's mafia...
