Hillside walk with the K Gang

As always, we Khalaps are working hard to keep the canine bosses entertained and busy.

Last weekend we all went to one of Kiran's regular bouldering sites, on the outskirts of Navi Mumbai. Aren't we lucky to have the beautiful Sahyadri range right next to the city?!

We've been to this spot a couple of times before. It's a very pleasant sun-dappled walk up a wooded hill to the boulders, and there are very few free-ranging dogs on the route: an important consideration for us, given Kiba's hostility to dogs in general.

The lovely forested hillside is gradually being encroached on by local builders. Large patches of woodland have been cleared, and at least ten temples have mushroomed up in the last few years. Building a temple is a well-established first step in land-grabbing. 

The bouldering site has been left undisturbed, at least for now.

Scroll down to see our photos of the K Gang among the rocks and trees! And if you're new here and would like to see more K Gang outing photos, check these posts:

The K Gang trek to Subedar Falls
Kiba and Kimaya go rock-climbing
The K Gang trek to Sunset Point
Running from Diwali
The K Gang at sea
The K Gang with friends and acquaintances
Rowdy had to be taught a lesson
Montagues and Capulets
Kimaya has a mood swing, or two

NOTE: Want to take your dog/s trekking? Here are some things to remember - because the top priority must be to keep your dogs safe.

• If you are not a regular trekker, it's best to get an experienced trekker to accompany you
• Make sure to carry at least 2 litres of cool water (thermal bottles are nice), and a bowl; or a dog water bottle
• Some basic medication in case of cuts and scratches, and a vet-recommended anti-histamine just in case of bad insect bites or stings
• Avoid forested areas with possible leopard presence
• Get a local guide if necessary; getting lost will not be fun
• Let your dog rest if s/he wants to - never force her/him to walk if he needs a break
• Avoid trekking in hot weather
• DO NOT LET YOUR DOGS OFF LEASH
• Stick to the path and don't let your dog/s go deep into long grass; there may be snakes
• Don't let your dog climb on to heaps of leaves; again those are often hiding places for snakes
• Feed your dogs one or two hours before leaving your home. Avoid feeding them during the trek or during any other strenuous exercise. If it's a long trek, let your dog rest for at least an hour before and after the meal.

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Navi Mumbai
Western Ghats
Maharashtra

Summer and beach with the K Gang

Something nice to report, for those who read our last melancholy post, 'Our lost world' in January!

Back in Nagaon earlier this month, we actually did have one morning with no cars nearby.  So we decided to let the dogs run off leash for a bit. 

The only difference from before is that we had to muzzle Kimaya for her own safety. The trash is still there, and we can't stop her scavenging if she is free. So I bought a muzzle for her before the trip. She didn't like it at first, but she had fun playing with Kiba anyway!












































































And, we went to visit our darling Brownie at his home about 10 kilometres from our place. He was so excited he howled and howled for a few minutes! Kimaya was nervous at first because Brownie's Gang were all there - Rowdy Sasha and the others - but they were kept in the house and she soon relaxed. 

Now the photos! Hope you like them!

Brownie!

With Brownie!

At Brownie's place

Home

Nagaon, Alibaug
Raigad District
Maharashtra

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In memoriam

Lalee
15 March 2001 - 11 May 2011


Portraits by Heather Fener, 2009

Our lost world

How we dogs lost Nagaon Beach























































'We still go to the beach. But it isn't really there any more.

OUR beach. It used to be ours. Vast, empty, stretching away as far as we could see.

We remember everything.

Our leashes would be taken off, and we would race away, out of the Human World, into Dog World!

























There was Brownie; and Spotted Girl; and White Dog; and Friend and his brothers; Sasha and his two sisters; and Buffalo Dog; Raja the doberman; and the terrible Brindlebrown; and other dogs with no names!

Friends, enemies, acquaintances. All dogs! 

There were hardly any people there, back then. Just one of our humans, sometimes both our humans, sometimes a couple more here and there. Sometimes a knot of people far far away, who didn't bother us, and we didn't bother them.

Everyone was happy.

We would just be dogs, in Dog World; where humans stand by and watch. 

























And there we'd stay and sniff and explore and bark and challenge and growl and run and discover and play; until it grew dark. 

Then we'd remember our humans because it was getting on for dinner time; and it was time to slip back into their world again, and go home with them to sofas and cushions and beds.






















We still go to the beach; but OUR beach isn't there any more. 

Dog World is gone.























Our leashes are never taken off now. We pull and strain and try to run, but our human doesn't let us go.

She says she's sorry, but it's because lots of stupid humans come from outside, driving their cars along the shore; and we could get killed.










































































Brownie's brother got killed because a human drove a car onto him, while he was playing and splashing in the sea.

Sometimes we see dead dogs rotting among the bushes nearby. Perhaps they got killed the same way.

Our human says the beach is like a street now. 






















Sometimes, on a weekday morning, it still looks empty and safe. But the human says you never know when a car might appear.

Then there is all the food that those outsider people leave all over the place, among piles of scattered plates and bottles and plastic bags. We want to rush there and eat it, but the human says it makes us sick. 









































And then, Brownie and his family have all moved away to another village, with their human. They have another beach to run on now. It's quite far away from here.

So it's just the two of us.

We race and play and dig and bark and zoom around in our own garden, safe within four walls. 






































But we'll never run free on the vast sands again, with our friends, enemies and acquaintances.

Everything is different now.'















































Kiba and Kimaya  
Nagaon Beach

Photos: Rajashree Khalap, B. Jadhav & Javed Ahmed

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