Penny here, Happy Birthday to me! Today I turn the big THREE, and mom says she doesn’t know how that could have happened already. She says I don’t act a day over one. Maybe one and a half.
January 2025
I like to keep my girlish ways, you know?
February 2025
Mom says now that I’m beyond my terrible twos I’m supposed to settle down. Don’t tell her but I’m planning on going into my tasmanian threes.
Starting today.
May 2025
Anyway, I had a very good year, and I can’t wait to find out what I’m going to do next!
July 2025
Meanwhile today I will be expecting cake and ice cream with candles and gifts wrapped in pretty paper.
This weekend, I guess that means yesterday, I was busy taking pictures of my backyard birds as they bounced around in the beech tree near our feeders.
This is a very polular location. You have to wait in line to get the best stuff.
I loved the colors, the tree still hanging onto her leaves even though we are well into November now.
Sometimes the little bird feeder is especially busy and the wait is long.
It wasn’t warm outside, not like it had been through most of October, but it was still a nice, if slightly dreary, day.
I was shooting the goldfinch, but look who dropped in below.(White-striped sparrow)
I spent some of the day on Saturday painting Christmas cards to be sent to folks in nursing homes. Nothing too complicated, just simple cards painted in the hope they made someone smile.
The ten.
The goal was to get 10 painted over the weekend and mailed on Monday. Christmas comes so early when you have to get your stuff off to folks who have to do their thing to get the cards to seniors in a timely manner.
Folded, I’ll write a little note inside each of them and then send them off to the card coordinator on Monday.
I haven’t felt very Christmas-y this fall. I procrastinated on painting the cards until it was almost too late. I thought maybe I’d skip the whole Christmas card thing this time.
People ignore us little brown birds all the time too.
I haven’t put the lights up outside either. I usually put lights on one tree, the smallest of the spruce trees we planted so many years ago, at the corner of our lot.
This chunky little woodpecker had a hard time fitting through the feeder cage.
I use the smallest tree so that I can get lights clear up to the top if I stand on a ladder and use a long pole. It’s a lot of work and I don’t know if I’m up to it anymore.
But eventually he got his lunch. Might want to consider a smaller portion than usual though.
Still, the neighbors tell me how much they enjoy that tree when it’s lit on our dark winter nights. I enjoy it too. Somehow it makes the winter go by a little faster, or at least be a little brighter. So maybe I’ll get the lights up the next nice day we have around here.
Probably not today though. This morning I woke to our first snow of the season. Penny is not at all sure she was good with this new development.
Hey lady! I’d like a berry special please. Pronto!
But I am happy to see the trees and shrubs begin to be covered by this new white blanket. Pen and I might even go out and play in it when I finish this post.
The cardinal was unflappable by the robin’s flight.
Some of the birds are not as happy as I am to see the change in weather. But the snow makes me think that maybe I can put the lights up. Maybe I can paint a few cards for the season. Maybe I can get into the Christmas mood.
A festive red and green image in my own back yard.
Maybe I can.
You know you’re in Michigan when one day you’re working in the garden and the next you’re laughing over bird antics in the snow.
As you read before Mom scheduled us to participate in rally trials (dog stuff) for two consecutive Fridays in a row! Oh wait. Mom says “consecutive” means the same as “in a row.” Whatever, mom.
Anyway, last week I got two legs (I need 3 to title) with a couple of sloppy runs. Mom was hoping a week off from training would help me settle down. That maybe I was just overtired last week.
Hmmmmm. Interesting theory.
Waiting in my crate for another rally trial!
So yesterday, October 31st, we went to the place I go to school to do 2 runs. Mom thought I’d be more comfortable there and hopfully earn one run and thus my Intermediate Rally Trial title. Mom had high hopes when I seemed happy and bouncy as we were waiting.
And she was happy that the course for the first run didn’t look too difficult.
What could go wrong?
Is it my turn yet mom?
We warmed up in a little room off to the side. I sat and downed and fronted perfectly. At the end of the warmup mom gave me one measly treat.
Then it was our turn.
We walked into the ring and I refused to sit next to mom. She walked me around in a little circle and tried again and I sat. Reluctantly. Mom knew right then she was in for trouble.
So around the ring we went, I’d do any sign that didn’t include sitting or going into a down. There were a LOT of signs that asked me to sit. Eventually I would concede and sit, but mom would have to ask me multiple times. And the down? Not happening, nope, not at all. There were supposed to be two of those.
The lady following behind with the clipboard kept making notes and mom got increasingly sad.
Mom says this quote was at the park just for her.
When we got out of the ring mom gave me my jackpot because, she said, I had done the best I could. We ended up with a 79 (you need 70 to qualify) which is my lowest score ever.
But we got my title, even though mom said she wasn’t proud of the way we did it. Then she elected not to do the second run cause I always do worse on my second run, and besides she was exhausted and sad.
So she took me to a park on our way home and we walked around a loop to remember that we loved each other and tomorrow will be another day and we’re going to keep working on stuff together.
Cause we’re a team.
Most of the pictures here were from our post-trial walk at the park.
While I was cat sitting in northern Michigan I considered where to take you on the annual Walktober. I didn’t want to waste the fact that I was in northern Michigan, and you can’t get a better location for a Walktober than that.
Lake Michigan was pulling at me to take you on a beach walk. But many years ago I did exactly that, and if I can find it I’ll add the link to that post here. (You really should go look at it, it was an entirely different sort of day!)
I didn’t want to repeat myself. You might be bored with another walk along the same beach.
Of course back than I and the friend who lives here had wandered north. I could always take you south this year. As I stared at the lake on a warm Saturay morning that seemed like the perfect solution.
Until I got down to the dune above the lake.
A wedding was happening just to the south of me. Sure, I could walk past it. I mean people were actually swimming at the public beach right there. But I didn’t want to infringe on their moment. So I turned north.
After all, that last beachy Walktober was a long time ago. And every beach walk is different, right?
So off I went toward that point just up the way a bit.
I was immediately drawn to a footprint in the damp sand. I thought about how transient our footsteps are. How fleeting our whole lives are.
The waves were already lapping at the footprint, ready to erase it forever. I spent a long time photographing that footprint, wondering who had been there just before me.
There were plenty of other pretty things to photograph along the way. It must have rained the night before, or maybe even just before I left the house.
There were soft little sandy divots everywhere. It looked and felt something like a moon landscape.
It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, the cloudless sky was a deep blue. And on the beach were other signs of beings who had gotten outside to enjoy the day long before I had.
I wondered what kind of little animal had scurried across the beach that morning. And then I wondered what made it decide to go in a different direction.
I kept going straight, along the shore, noticing the way the light bounced off the water…
…and off a railing creating modern art on the beach.
Resting kayaks were waiting for another trip out on the lake this season, and I imagined them glad of the warm fall day, just like I was.
Chairs were waiting patiently for their people to rest and watch another sunset.
But mostly I was watching the water and the sand in front of me as I approached my destination, the point.
The lapping waves, sliding over the sand was making the most beautiful art.
And it had left behind sadly beautiful artifacts too.
And of course there were those footprints, always a step ahead of me, combining with the sand art, moving steadily forward.
As in life, once you reach your destination point you always see another point in the distance. Maybe instead of turning around I should head toward that new point, way up there.
There was bound to be more to see.
But as I got closer to that far away point I noticed someone playing with her dog.
And I thought maybe it was best to leave them be, just as I had let the wedding be. Bookmarked by a dog’s play and a wedding day, I was happy with what I had seen on my Walktober. I hope you enjoyed it too.
Oh…and the footprints… those I had been following on my slow walk north?
The owner of the prints came back toward me and we exchanged pleasantries about what a beautiful day it was and then she continued on her walk heading south toward home.
And I did the same.
There’s still time for you to get a walk in, post about it and link it to the Official Walktober post. I’ll gather them all up and do a recap post in early November. We can’t wait to see where you’ve been!
I spent a week at the beginning of October in Northport Michigan. It was an idyllic week, filled with brilliant blue skies, warm temperatures, aqua water and cats.
On the way, this was the most color I saw all week.
I was there to hang out with a couple of mischievous cats that belong to friends of mine who were taking some time to travel. They were off having fun and I was having fun in their space and with their cats.
A moment of peace before the crazy.
The cats, a boy and a girl, were adorable and I have more pictures of them than the beautiful place I was living.
You’re not looking at me…are you?
I can tell you that cats are as hard to photograph as birds. You see a great image, grab your phone and by then they have moved. Multiple times.
Don’t bother me, I’m hunting.
The best and easiest time to photograph cats is when they’re asleep.
Snoring next to my buddy.
Which, if I’m honest, they did almost as much as they caused mischief.
I like to match my backdrop.
Aside from the cats I also got to enjoy the beautiful area.
Though I didn’t go on long nature walks this trip, I did wander around the village of Northport, looking for color.
Above the road on the way into downtown.
After all, this could be my Walktober, showing you the cute little town of Northport is, right?
Color, color everywhere.
There were plenty of flowers still blooming. I was particularly smitten with these California poppies, blooming away on a corner.
Hanging on into fall.
And the asters were beautiful as well. Purple and pink, blooming in front of storefronts.
Seasonal color.
Though the downtown itself is only a few blocks long I found plenty of interesting stuff to photograph.
Unsure why a skunk, but he demanded to be photographed.
It’s a tiny town, but it’s also a close knit community.
If I liked beer I would have stopped in.
I think it’s probably a town where everybody pretty much knows everybody else. I didn’t talk to anyone during my visit, I just wandered and took pictures.
Not open the day I was wandering or I definitely would have stopped in.
It was so warm it felt like a lovely summer afternoon. There were lots of people out and about, waiting in line for pizza, sitting at outdoor dining areas of restaurants.
Come sit for a minute and enjoy the October sun.
While I got images of most of the village, I know that I missed at least an entire block, as well as the marina. Of course that just gives me an excuse to go back up for another visit soon!
Come on up and sit for awhile!
I hope you enjoyed our short walk through Northport.
When I left, very early on a Tuesday morning (in order to get home in time to attend band rehearsal) it was still dark.
I was taken by the glowing orbs in the trees as I entered town.
I loved the reflections in the puddle.
And then I walked around the darkened streets and caught a few more images of Northport asleep.
Resting before the next round of customers.
I liked doing that as much as I had enjoyed my daylight walk.
Only the witch, the full moon and I were out and about that morning.
I hope you did too.
So..was this my Walktober? I don’t know. There’s another one to show you, but I don’t have the photos ready to go yet. We’ll see.
Meanwhile you still have a couple weeks to do your very own Walktober. Take a walk, a drive, a ride, a hop, skip or jog. Take a photo or two or three, write a post and link it to the official Walktober post (see link above) and I’ll put them all together in one place in early November.
Hey guys, it’s Penny here! Guess what? Mom and I had the best walk ever yesterday! I’d been asking for attention for awhile.
Let’s go on a walk, mom!
Mostly she told me to go lay down cause she was busy. So I gave her my big pathetic eyes and it worked!
Mom! Hey mom!
Suddenly mom was packing me up into the back of the car and we were off to parks unknown!
This is at Davis Lake Overlook Park, or as we call it Katie’s Park II.
We went to one of Katie’s parks. I had grand plans of taking you somewhere different, somewhere you’d never been before, but mom said I needed to check reality and until I got my own drivers license I was stuck with where she was willing to take me.
Whatever mom.
Mom got all sentimental. She said Katie sat right here in a beam of light a few years ago.
Anyway, this is a very hilly and fun park that I love to explore. And we had a beautiful day for it, so I was happy to be there.
This is a pretty big hill, mom. Are you sure you’re up for it?
We were looking for autumn color. At least that’s what mom said. I wasn’t at all sure I knew what autumn color was.
Mom said the early evening light made these leaves on a brand new baby oak tree glow.
Eventually mom said I shouldn’t worry about it, that she’d find the color for me this year. But she, of course, reminded me that Katie was very good at finding beautiful things for her Walktobers and next year, when I was three, I’d be responsible for my own color search.
There might be some color over there, mom!
We’ll see mom. I’m sort of into good smells and not so much into pretty stuff. I’m a different girl, and sometimes mom forgets that.
An aster blossom just unfolding.
Anyway, we walked up and down the hills into the deep woods. Mom even tried to turn around once, way before I was ready to go back and I told her no way!
Mom wanted to turn around, but I vetoed that idea. It’s MY Walktober!
So she smiled and said, “whatever you want, sweetie,” and we wandered further into the woods. Isn’t my (um, Katie’s) woods beautiful?
I had such a good time I couldn’t stop smiling!
There wasn’t much color, but mom figured that’s because of the drought we’ve had. Most of our color is brown. I don’t really see a problem with that, cause most of my color is brown!
Look! I match!
On our way back to the car I took mom on a little diversion. A path out into the marshland that’s closed all summer was open and I wanted to go down that path real bad.
Mom dropped the leash and let me go at my own speed.
It leads to a small lake which is part of the Shiawasee River (it’s only a stream here) and on the other side of that lake is the backside of our little town. Maybe someday mom will take me on a walk downtown. I know, it’s only got one block, but you never know…right?
It’s hard to see our little town, way over there.
Anyway, mom let me walk all by myself down that grassy path toward the lake. Then I figured out she wasn’t attached to me and I lost my confidence. I’m not quite ready to wonder too far from mom yet.
Mom says that’s a good thing.
I’ll wait for you, mom.
So that was my unexpeted walk on a beautiful October Sunday afternoon. I’m calling it my official Walktober and I hope you enjoyed Katie’s park and our walk there.
After my walk. I am a happy, happy girl.
We look forward to seeing all your Walktobers when mom puts together the recap post in November. In the meantime, link your posts to the Official Walktober Post just like me! You’ve still got plenty of time to get a Walktober in! Walk, skip, hop or drive somewhere, take a picture or two (or more!) and write up a post. We all want to see where you’ve been!
I’m still in northern Michigan, cat sitting a couple of cuties who happen to get hungry and whine loudly very early each morning. Last night that turned into a good thing for me.
Though it wasn’t a full moon yesterday, it was pretty darn close. I noticed it come up earlier in the evening, but hadn’t planned to photograph it setting, because that was supposed to be around 5:00 a.m. and I didn’t want to be awake at 5:00 a.m.
At first the sky was pretty much black and white.
But kitties didn’t consult with me and started complaining about breakfast being late around 4. I gave in and fed them and was going back to bed when I saw the moonlight on the water of Lake Michigan.
I lay there, in bed for a long time, watching that light, arguing with myself. Did I want to put the camera on the tripod and lug it down the 44 stairs into the sand and see what I could do?
Almost what I had in mind.
No I did not.
But when would I ever be in this position again? An almost full moon. A warm night. The sound of the lake moving beneath the moon. So I got my sorry self up and out and down the stairs and I’m so glad I did.
As the moon lowered, the light from it lessened. Time to adjust the settings.
I had this vision in my head of a perfectly focused, perfectly lit moon, sitting above a beautiful light path across the water. That’s what I was going for.
The moon began to turn red is it got closer to the water.
Of course that’s not what happened.
There was just one thin layer of cloud for the moon to move through.
As I sat in the sand, focusing on the moon I realized I couldn’t see the light on the water. And if I focused on the water then the light of the moon was totally blown out.
Of course it was. The setting necessary to see the details of the moon are entirely different than the settings needed to see the light dancing across the small waves on the lake. So you’re going to see this in pieces, some moon, some water.
Even more red.
And on top of it all, when I started there was a small light way off to the south. A freighter was chugging north up the lake. At one point it passed through the light path from the moon.
That light over on the right is a freighter moving right along.
The gentle sound of the waves in conjunction with the chug of the freighter and the lowering, redding moon under the bright starts was just magical.
The best I could get.
I’m sharing it with you so that you can imagine the magic too.
Hey! It’s official! It’s time to stand up, step out, get going, and plan your walk or drive or skip or hop or swim or jog for this year’s Walktober!
These guys get overlooked all the time.
Take us somewhere that you love to go, or somewhere you’ve never been before. Tell us (and show us with pictures if you can) about it and why you’re happy you went, or why you’re disappointed in your chosen place. Do you think we should stop and visit it if we’re ever in the neighborhood?
Solo sunbathing.
Tell us all your hopes and dreams. OK…maybe that’s too much information, but tell us about your adventure, where it is and what it’s like, and then link it to this post.
Wood ducks
Early in November I’ll assemble a post with links to all of your posts, and then everyone can come along on your walk, hop, jump, skip…well….you get the idea.
Common yellowthroat. I waited a long time for him to come pose for me.
So let’s set the official Walktober dates, OK? Because if you’re like me you’ll let it go until the last minute or you’ll forget about it all together if there aren’t specific dates. Right? Right!
Mama deer taking a break from parenting. Her youngster is to the left behind the trees.
So how about our official Walktober kick off on October 1 (who will be our first entry?) and end by October 31? That gives us the entiremonth of October to get outside and enjoy ourselves. I hope you all have at least one perfect day.
A bluejay lets his friends know about the treats down below.
I have a concert to play on the 28th, and dog rally trials on the 24th and 31st, so I’m really busy at the end of the month. I better not wait to get my Walktober done!
Swans in morning light.
The pictures in this post, except the last one, are all from a walk I took a few weeks ago at my favorite bird park, Kensington, with an updated Nikon camera, focus set to latch onto birds eyes.I was pretty happy with it.
You just know he’s going for the peanut.
If you have questions about Walktober let me know. I’ll get back to you as quick as I can.
Meanwhile, Ms. Penny is giving serious consideration to where she would like to take you for her version of Walktober. She invites any other dogs (or cats or birds or lizards!) to go on a walk and tell us all about it too. She thinks hopping or skipping would be too hard and she doesn’t have a drivers license.
She says it’s not that difficult to hyjack your mom or dad’s blog.
This is one option, mom, but I’d like to take the folks somewhere more exotic.
She does it all the time. She says parents are so gullible.
Change Is Hard 