The Jackie Generation

Speck a short and rather elderly dog ran out from her garden and excitedly scampered around us. We laughed, normally on our walks dogs just barked at us. We had no idea how to get home from here across the common. Speck it seemed was a little messenger sent from the angels to guide us across the unkempt fields. She ran ahead waiting until we caught up and then charged ahead. Part way across we decided to name her, Bouncer and Lassie.

A bit further along and we started to worry, she wasn't going home. I called her to heel she did, thank goodness for Barbara Woodhouse. But no sooner did she heel did she decide to run off, not back home but further towards the road that was looming in the distance.

Heel Lassie I cried, come here Bouncer my friend yelled. She came over and rolled onto her back and waited for a tummy tickle. Thats it we knew, we could either walk all the way back or walk her across the road and back to ours pick up the car and drive her back. We didn't want to go back, earlier in the walk we had been charged by some young cows and there was no way we wanted to go back to where these 'dangerous' beasts lay in waiting.

As we neared Bryncethin 2 houses appeared at the edge of the common. We stopped and asked if they knew the dog? No. But they did give us a rope that we could use as a lead.

So we walked Bouncer Lassie to a nearby road, called for help and waited for our lift to turn up in his very nice clean car. Then began the uncertain trip back to where we thought we had picked her up. Eventually after a few false turns we found the house and handed her back.