Gumption Junction

Max hasn't got his mojo back, but it must have sent him a postcard from wherever it's on holiday because he did find some grit today.

Ent's cricket game got cancelled, so we had a bonus accompanied walk today and though there was still one girly wail from Max before we left the yard, and he fairly dragged his cowardly bum up the lane, once we turned onto a bridleway, he seemed to relax a little. We had a couple of struggles trying to turn him towards unfamiliar territory, but he gave up and gave in pretty quickly.

We were confronted by three dirt bikes, an assault from the rear. There was nowhere safe to move Max to one side on the path that we were on, so the Ent turned him back and led him toward a fork in the paths, and towards the dirt bikes. Thoughtfully, all three bikers, having spotted us, stopped and switched off their engines to give time for Max to find a safe spot. Once we'd reached the fork and turned off, I thanked the bikers and waved them on. Max stood his ground and didn't do the Riverdance of Fear. One small flinch in the hindquarters when the engines roared into life and that was it.

We did quite a bit of off-road today, and some good hill work, so things are looking up.

Photo is Max and I admiring his high viz boots. I had to carry one of them part way home myself. He decided it was irritating him, reached down and pulled at the velcro with his teeth to unfasten it. "Off I say! Off!" He didn't mind the other three, just that one. At least he let me have it, rather than hurling it into a field never to be seen again.