Category Archives: fall
Training Challenge #7
This week’s challenge for Katie was going for a long drive. We are wondering how she’d travel, so we took her over to Michigan State University which is just over an hour away from us.
Next year, if I get the opportunity to drive down to Alabama, I’d like to take her with me rather than have her stay at a kennel. But sometimes she gets feisty even coming home from her school, and I can’t envision a two day car trip with a sheltie barking at me!
But on this trip Katie settled in on her princess pillow in the back and seemed content to just nod her head sleepily. Maybe because we did this last Sunday, after her Rally Trial, and she was exhausted. LOL. She wouldn’t put her head down, but her little eyese were closed and her head was bobbing up and down until she’d catch me watching her, then she’d try to look alert.
We were visiting the ornamental grass garden on campus. It’s out near the farms, on the grounds of the sod farm where they experiment in making grass that golfers love.
Katie was really happy to get out of the car and explore.
The gardens were beautiful. We had a nice time checking out the names of the grasses that we particularly liked, and considering where we might be able to add a few varieties to our own landscape.
Katie drank some water and peed on the pretty green lawn, just to make sure everyone knew she’d been there. Then back into the car we went for the hour trip home.
She did great. Maybe some weekend I’ll see if I can take her a little further from home. Because two hours is not two days and I still don’t want to find myself somewhere in Tennessee with an unhappy girl.
Know what I mean?
What!?
Katie and I are out on the deck this Friday morning mostly because she’s so persistent. She’s been bugging me constantly and I’ve done all the things this usually means including going outside with her so that she can do her job 3 times. In an hour. Which apparently is not what she really meant when she whined at me 2 of the times.
Now we’re outside and finished practicing weaves. I’ve settled in with my laptop and she’s bugging me again, poking her nose against my leg, sniffing my pocket. Just in case. When most people check their pockets before doing laundry it’s to look for keys or, even better, money. I check to make sure they’re empty of dog treats. I know many of you relate.
I notice it’s not so humid nor as hot as it’s been for the past few weeks. And when Katie and I went off to do our weekly adventure yesterday I saw a tree that was turning colors. This morning the goldfinches are fighting over the thistle feeder, eating like pigs in preparation for migration…but at least they are still gold. Geese are beginning to fly in formation when all summer I’ve seen them in pairs. Just now the wind picked up and I am saddened to see golden leaves dropping from the birch trees, gathering on the deck. And a burning bush in the back yard glows with just a hint of the red that is coming.
So…my response to Katie begging for attention is the same as my response to the subtle clues that summer is ending: WHAT!!????
Invasion of the fog
Seems fog is the theme from across the country this week! We woke up to it today as well. And it’s not burning away with the rise of the sun, though the weather people said it would be gone by now. I don’t really mind, it’s pretty in a soothing sort of way.
Katie was outside in her pen, enjoying the challenge of watching for squirrels in the soupy light while I look for more pretty things in the backyard.
Here’s one, a beet from my garden that I threw out into the yard for the deer. The fog has frozen around the edges of the leaves. So beautiful!
My computer shows the local weather at the bottom; “Dense fog, 38 degrees.” I have lots of things I should get done this morning. But the fog has ways of slowing me down. And that’s OK. All the better to notice.
It’s fun to look for other kinds of pretty now that the leaves have fallen. If you take the time to look you’ll see pretty is everywhere. All the time.
Exquisite Sunday morning light
This morning we woke to the sun breaking through fog.
And as the sun crept up into the sky, the birch trees began to glow.
As did the pup.
Don't push me
We often hear that time moves faster as we get older. And that seems to be true; as a kid I had endless summers and it took forever for my birthday to come along. Now that I’m older the summer is over before I get the garden weeded and I have to do a quick calculation to figure out how old I am. But I’m beginning to wonder if it’s my own sense of time passing…or the marketing executives pushing time past me.
Yesterday I was at the grocery store. As I wandered the aisles there was a festive feeling hovering around the edges of my consciousness. It took me a few minutes to realize that the aisles were full of holiday displays. Gone were the Halloween candy packages, replaced by red boxes full of holiday napkins, plates and cups. There were displays of stuffing mix, cans of cranberry and pumpkin stacked on the ends of the aisles. The meat department was piled high with turkey and ham. Could this be? Is it already the holiday season? We’ve barely ventured into November. Later at home I saw my first official Christmas advertisement on TV. Crayola has some new and inventive way for kids to draw. As the day wore on more and more holiday commercials aired.
No wonder time goes faster as we age. We’re bombarded from all sides by proof that it’s already the end of next month. Well I’m not going to be pushed. I’m going to enjoy this month before I start to worry about December.
Windy Saturday
A contemplative afternoon in the park
I’ve been promising Katie for what seems like days, and probably seems like weeks to her, a trip to her favorite soccer field/park. Today I wasn’t scheduled to work, it wasn’t raining, and even more motivating was the fact that there were contractors in the basement sawing a window well and a crawl space door into the wall. After hours of listening to the screaming, grinding saw Katie and I ran away to the park for the afternoon.
Since we missed doggie school last night because I had to work, Katie and I practiced our heeling quite a bit today. She did awesome, probably in part because she hadn’t been fed yet so was highly food motivated! This makes me know for sure that she knows how to do everything. Sometimes she choses not to do them, but she sure knew how today!
After we did about 30 minutes of heeling, sitting, staying, stand for exam and recall I switched her to her long leash and we went exploring. I was looking for pretty places to get her portrait. She was more interesting in sniffing stuff.
As we walked along I saw this tiny little nest that was in a bush right at the side of the walking path.
I stuck my finger in this shot not because it’s such an attractive photo, but to give you a sense of scale. I wonder if it’s a hummingbird nest. If not, what other bird would be that small? Maybe a chickadee? I need to look this up and see what I can learn.
After our walk through the fields we wandered back to the pond. Katie actually stepped on a garter snake! Her back feet sort of hopped up which is what she does when she steps on a thistle or a stick, but she kept on going. I glanced down and realized it was a snake! I didn’t get a picture of it as it slid slowly off into the tall grass, but I got a picture of another one we came across, about the same size.
Do you see it? Katie never saw the second one, though she did wait patiently while I photographed it. She’s used to waiting on her Mom while she takes photos I guess. We sat by the pond for quite awhile, listening to the quiet and watching water bugs on the surface of the calm pool of water. Then she heard a chipmunk.
And off she ran to investigate.
Hmmm…I thought. Here’s a good chance to see how she is on distracted recalls! So I called her in my school voice; “KATIE! COME!! And instantly she turned and ran right back to me!
And then of course she sat for a treat. Like a good girl.
She’s adorable, and I’ve been a bit grumpy with her lately. So as we sat pondering things, watching the water, I told her I was sorry I’ve been mad, and promised her we’d come back to the park more often this fall. She said she forgave me. Cause she is, after all, Mommie’s girl.
Frost is good
This morning we woke up to a hard frost covering the ground, plants and trees. The view out the breakfast room window was golden.
It was very cold; there was a rabbit sleeping in the center of our back yard, hunkered down into a small fur ball with ears. The birds were flying around the bird feeder. And the sun was just coming up, tipping the tops of the trees, making their golden leaves shine.
Katie and I went out to explore. The air was still and the sun was showering leaves with golden light. Everywhere you could hear the swishing of leaves dropping softly through tree limbs, landing on the ground below. It was the sound of rain without the wet.
A beautiful Sunday morning, frost is so much better than snow. At least for now.
Change Is Hard 