Walking the dogs

Every day the dogs (Bliss and Spirit) and I go for several walks, sometimes they are only brief ones around the property so they can take care of their morning ablutions for example. Other times they can last for an hour or more.

We often go for our walks of late into a wood lot nearby. I drive up, though soon I'm going to be walking with the dogs. I have to take the car with the dogs inside to get the dogs across the Invisible Fence line. They will NOT cross it otherwise. I have tried many times to get them to walk across without their collars but with regular leashes on. No dice.

Usually these two get to the wood lot and off they go. There are so many traces of wild animals, and sometimes I see rabbits or squirrels, turkeys, grouse, ravens, crows, jays and other birds, that the dogs just love to follow scents. I see deer tracks, coyote tracks and in winter sometimes the funny trough made in the snow by porcupine. They've only each had one run-in with that prickly animal thank goodness.

Sorry - Bliss has had two. (He's the blonde - wouldn't you know?)

Anyway, this time I had my camera with me and much to my surprise they were tired. They ran off right away, but came running back to me and Bliss stood panting. So I got some video which I thought you might enjoy - or laugh at. These two big dogs, worn out, perhaps by a squirrel? or a turkey - always a great chase because those big birds eventually fly.

But the woods is so pretty this year with its yellows and golds. The wind, which you can hear if you turn up the sound, is roaring in the trees. We walked slowly that day and not for long. But that was the exception.

I am so fortunate to be able to walk with the dogs in this beautiful area of the province. Great neighbours, fabulous vistas, recently and specially that day pretty good weather... all make for a happy time. Hope you too are enjoying a wonderful bit of weather wherever you are - and if you have a dog or two, or three - that you're able to enjoy their company and the outdoors as much as I enjoy mine.

A walk in the woods

It was damp - I laughed that evening when I got home and a friend noted that my previous post with a red morning sky meant rain the next day. It wasn't pouring when we started out, but it was sprinkling. However it didn't daunt the dogs' enthusiasm about a walk in the woods.

This old beech is slowly disintegrating. It has acquired a fungus or infection of some sort that is killing all the beech trees in this little 10 acre bush lot. Sad because beech are among my favourite trees, but even more sad that this particular lot is mostly beech. But I enjoyed the sight of the great old tree, still graced with yellow leaves and standing tall as it must have on the edge of a farmer's field since by the spread of its branches and its size it's a "wolf" tree - perhaps open grown at one time. But it has thrown the seeds for many of the other beeches in this bush. The orange tape on the ironwood is a pathway marker - good thing for me since I can lose my way quite easily in here, though it's small.

In the distance you can see the dogs on the pathway.

Covered in leaves, I love gazing along the paths and deep into this small forest. The dogs race back and forth sometimes in view, more often not, but check back with me and often I can hear the jingle of their tags or the crashing sound and they run hard after some real or imagined prey.

Aha - Bliss has found something, something smelly and black and sticky and lovely for labs. It means a bath for this dog when we get back home.

In the meantime I continued to walk, they to run, and though the rain became more constant, it was a terrific walk.

Tomorrow I'll post some of the other things we found on our walk.

Enjoy your day - rain or shine.