Wildflowers at Ranscombe...and a rant...

 

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...