I fancied a walk in the woods to see the autumn leaves before the storm, forecast for a couple of days time, blew them all away.

So yesterday we drove out to a small area of local Wildlife Trust woodland called Dukes Wood.

We were last there in the springtime. We found it on a website recommending good places to see bluebells. There’s a nature trail, a pond, some industrial history (the area used to be owned by BP) and a lovely, dingly-dell of a wood to wander through, where hardly anyone seems to go.

It wasn’t wonderful weather when we set out, but we didn’t mind.

There was an art project scattered through the wood that was truly lovely.

Little luggage tag labels were tied to trees and plants…

A lady walking her dogs told us that there was a bower made of twigs and leaves that we ought to see, hidden in a clearing in the middle of the woods…

As we were admiring it, we noticed a dog watching us from the edge of the clearing. We assumed it was on a walk with someone.

But no people materialised.

The dog approached, warily at first, but in a friendly manner, and rolled over to show she meant no harm. We stroked her and continued our walk. But she followed…

And followed, and followed…

She liked our company so much she stayed with us. She was having a lovely gallivant.

She gallivanted after us all the way back to our car. We weren’t sure what to do. There was nobody looking for her. We couldn’t just leave her on her own.

After much deliberation, we decided to take her to the nearest farm, to ask if they knew who she might belong to. She was obviously well cared for, clean, neither hungry nor stressed, so she couldn’t have been out long. Luckily, she was happy to come with us.

But there was nobody in. So we went into the village. After an unsuccessful enquiry at the church hall, we tried the pub.

By this time our lovely labrador was not so happy cooped up in the car. So we let her out.

There were lots of burly men with “contacts” in the pub. They were a bit intimidating.

But they liked dogs. They knew a man who might know. They rang round. They turned out to be nice.

The dog made friends with another black labrador, before she eventually was taken off to be reunited with her owners. We had a drink and a chat and we went home.

Lad and I were a little sad.

We like black labradors.

Perhaps, one day, we’ll have one of our own. ♥