Belle, the Flying Puppy

"A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk."

~O.A. Battista

At the end of our road is a patch of tall grass. 

I'm not sure what's living in it, but Belle is determined to catch one. 

I wrote about trying to catch her mid-jump on Long Hollow a few weeks ago and shared some of the efforts. 

But this week I finally caught her flying, with all four paws off the ground.

Now...how am I going to capture her from the front?

From Random Mornings in July

Because of work, real estate school, and our recent string of rainy days (hallelujah!), I haven't been taking as many photographs. 

But I do have a growing collection of random morning shots I've been wanting to share with you... 

This is a common sight on our walks.

Max is a water dog, but Belle loves dirt. Every soft patch of caliche we come to...which means every few feet... she plops down and wallows, dragging her nose through it, rolling on her back, pawing...with a look of pure joy on her face. 

Inevitably, a line from Monty Python's "Search for the Holy Grail" pops in my mind: "There's some lovely filth down here, Dennis!"

(If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click on the link and watch the video. I'll warn you, though...it's pure sillines!)

This is a section of our driveway, about an eighth of the total length.

See the rock piled on either side? 

Tom's been collecting them for ages now for his current project: paving the entire driveway. 

. 

A few morning pinks still dot the Hollow.

They're a great illustration for "Bloom where God plants you", aren't they?

Why are they so afraid of me?

Silly doves.

I cut my leg on a barbed wire fence when I was six. 

So it's kind of weird that I still love them, isn't it?

One morning the cardinals carried on a long conversation all around me. 

I could hear one near me and finally tracked him to the top of this tree, singing his heart out.   

I spotted this handsome frog down by our little pond. 

He's definitely not alone, though. Last night there was a wild frog ruckus going on down there, celebrating all the rain we've gotten lately. 

It's hard to believe such a tiny thing can be so loud!

Tom's mermaid, who lives in the little pond, catching some morning sun rays.

No, I'm not jealous.

Well, maybe just a little.

I hope you enjoyed the walk through my Hollow! 

I'm very grateful I have the chance almost every morning to enjoy the beauty around us.

In every walk with nature one receives fare more than he seeks. 

~John Muir

P.S. Please keep my parents in your thoughts and prayers. They're both in the hospital right now.

  Thank you!

Mountain Pinks

Alas, I think the mountain pinks are beginning to fade. 

Thanks to a few scattered showers, the Hollow will stay green for awhile, but I'm sure going to miss these splashes of pink... 

"Who would have thought it possible that a tiny little flower could preoccupy a person so completely that there simply wasn't room for any other thought."  

-  Sophie Scholl 

The 4th of a July in a Vineyard

I worked at the winery yesterday.

 I was grateful I brought my camera when I spotted this carriage. 

A woman and her daughter - and their horse, Dolly - were giving rides to customers around the vineyard. 

Modern horseshoes?

And then it was the staff's turn for a spin around the grounds...

...right at sunset.

Sigh.

I hope you had a great 4th of July!


P.S. Speaking of horses...I was chosen as a Featured Fifty Fine Artist at Huffington Post, thanks to "I See You". 

So once again, thanks for asking me to photograph your horses, Lisa!