Cooper goes to Dolgellau

Well I am being spoilt this year.  Just came back from a week in Penmaenpool near Dolgellau.  It's right on the beautiful Mawddach estuary - stunning landscape and wildlife, enhanced of course by a toller's presence!  Seriously though, it's worth a visit if you enjoy the outdoors, and there's loads for dogs and humans to do together.

Low tide overlooking the Mawddach

I've walked and run so much I'm sure my legs are shorter.  And swum in the river, lakes and the sea.  I've been into Dolgellau, Barmouth and Tywyn and was correctly identified three times during the week, which as you know, doesn't happen much to us tollers.  The first time though was an incredible coincidence on the way up to Dolgellau.  Mam and Dad always break the journey by stopping at a nature conservation site just outside Rhayader.  I was going back to the car when another car pulled in - this place is the middle of nowhere mind - and I could see the passenger and driver pointing at me. They pulled up - and in the back they had a toller too!!  Can you believe it?  It was a girl toller that they had rescued from Spain and she had been brought back to Knighton. We got on really well - pity they weren't going to Dolgellau too!

You've got to pack as much as you can into life, and another first for me this week was travelling in a train.  But this was a rather special one - because it was a steam train.

 
I was a bit apprehensive at first, with the smell of the coal being burned in the engine, and the driver's habit of blowing the train hooter every time he came into and left a station. But all in all I'm glad I did it and my ticket only cost me £3!  And when we came back to Tywyn to finish the journey I had a big surprise to see they'd laid lorry transport on for me.

(That's a joke - but another strange coincidence!)

I wasn't that fussed on Tywyn - neither were Mam and Dad, but that didn't stop us all having a play on the beach there.  It was virtually empty so we got into full Frisbee play mode.

But like all good things - they have to come to an end.  And I'm back home now.  I've got some lovely memories of the week, but I'll be honest with you - I do like the creature comforts of home!
I'm cwtched up in the armchair as I'm writing this, snug as can be.  I know where my food cupboard is here, and my next door neighbours have missed me so much that they gave me two biscuits yesterday.  It's a dog's life, but I wouldn't want it any other way!