It’s been too long. FAR too long.
But today the to do list was blissfully short. The girl was in a good mood. The weather was perfect (41 and sunny). My knee didn’t hurt.
So off we went. Chloe, Phelix, and I.
I forced them into a small detour; I am quite ignorant of the streets nearby my land and wanted to explore. I found the other property I had considered. Wonderful location and much more secluded, but really not as perfect as the spot I can now call my own.
Then we were off on our hike. As much as I know that off-leash is not a good idea (especially for my unpredictable dog), we dropped the leash at the start. On the PATH. And the boy came alive. He can smell to his heart’s content. He can chase sweetgum balls. He can run ahead and race back.
I took Chloe up to Wilburn Farm, one of our longer hikes. It was her first time to the farm, and I had to drag her out to go. But once we were on the trail, she came alive. She threw sticks for the dog. She ran and jumped. She smiled. She went off into the thicket to explore. She pushed me to go into the barn. She tried out the swing. She went through some yoga poses.
And then, she teased the dog to the point of him becoming bogged down in mud and getting stinky. See, there’s this lovely pond at the farm. She tossed a stick in to the pond, but to a point over Phelix’s head. He doesn’t swim; no doggie paddle for him! He barked at the stick. He slapped the water. He circled the pond trying to find a way to get in that would lead him to the stick. But at one spot in the pond, it was no longer water. it was mucky, mucky mud. But he was panicked as soon as he started to sink. He struggled to the bank and came out filthy. And STINKY. Chloe and I tried to get him back into the cleaner places in order to clean him off, but by then water terrified him.
After we got down from the farm and back onto the PATH after Boomerang, we still let him run free. Too far away from us, we yell “Wait!” And he sits.
When we came across the dump site, Chloe and I ventured off PATH to explore. Phelix came back, but would not come through the thorny vines to look at the vacuum tubes with us. Of course this was when we first encountered people. A biker, two runners, and Robby in his truck.
A short stop at the Cascades to try to wash the boy off before heading back to the car.
A wonderful romp in my huge backyard.
