Something Afoot

I've had my nose stuck in my Kindle nearly all day and felt a bit goggle-eyed when we stepped into the field for our last proper walk of the day. So the sight of two large hares cavorting a few yards away took me a while to take in, but luckily I hadn't released the boy before I twigged. Not in there then, so we turned the other way and walked down the lane. What we then saw confounded me so completely that I still have no idea what it was. The evening was heading towards dusk, my eyes trying to adjust to the change from cones to rods and the light correspondingly poor. Down the lane were several small figures - maybe a dozen - all walking away from us. What on earth were they? I struggled to focus, but they could have been anything, wood pigeons, pheasants, hares, even rabbits. It was such an odd sight as they moved along, sometimes going from side to side. Hugo was very interested but was still on the lead so could only stare like me. For a moment I wondered if they could be the little people, the Tuatha De Danann, as they were upright, not low on the ground like rats, and bigger anyway. In the growing gloom they straggled onwards, and reluctantly we turned back towards home. It really was the oddest sight. But passing the next field we spotted four huge hares - four! - gossiping on the edge of the stubble. How Hugo kept his cool through all of this I don't know but he was strangely subdued. Something was afoot out there this evening; not a full moon but we had a glimpse into a dimension we hadn't experienced before.

Hugo usually crashes out after this walk, even if it is still only 6pm. But this evening he followed me around the kitchen, and then settled on the sofa watching me, eyes following me everywhere. I'll admit it was a bit unnerving. "What's up?" I asked him a few times, but he continued looking at me, just watching. Eventually he fell asleep, but he knew something and he tried to tell me. Pity I don't speak Dog.