Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: Penny


by 29 Comments

Walktober Recap!

First was Robin who took us back to look at Octobers past with her beautiful photographs of places she enjoyed taking Walktobers over the years. She always takes such luminous photographs, you’ll enjoy going back in time with her. https://breezesatdawn.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/a-different-kind-of-walktober/

Then along came Jo, who is from Portugal but who took us for a walk in Torun, Poland! I love when people from all over the world join us for Walktober! Most of us would never see these places without wonderful people sharing them with us. https://stillrestlessjo.com/2025/10/06/jos-monday-walk-torun/

And then Karma decided a beautiful, warm, October weekend was just begging for a trip to Maine, so she and a friend went! Talk about the perfect couple of days! After reading this you’re all going to want to go to Maine for the weekend! https://karmardav.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/an-impromptu-getaway/

Penny the sheltie-girl wanted to make sure you all had a chance to see one of her parks, so she took you to Davis Lake Overlook Park, not far from our home. It was a beautiful October Sunday and she and I had a wonderful time. https://dawnkinster.com/2025/10/13/penny-takes-a-walk/

Penny here, I made my mom include a picture of me here.

Barbara took us to The North Carolina Museum of Art, where she found beautiful asters and goldenrod and a few pretty insects as well as a larger than life resident of the park surrounding the museum. https://www.ingebrita.net/2025/10/sunlight-over-the-meadow/

Debbie took Walktober to a new level, the epitome of ‘walk, drive, skip, boat, or ride!” She took us to a train museum and then we get to ride the train! https://domermom.com/2025/10/19/walktober-2025/

Mike took us to Calloway Gardens, a very special place in Georgia, no matter the season. He’s from a Northern state, so fall in the South is a bit different for him, and it’s probably different for a lot of us, so let’s go see what he found! https://mlcreationsphotography.com/2025/10/19/walktober/

For me, well, I was lucky enough to spend a week in upper Michigan, in a home along the shore of Lake Michigan itself. I shared the cats I was hanging out with and took a stroll in the small village up there. https://dawnkinster.com/2025/10/19/cats-in-northport-and-other-tales/ But after I did that post I decided it wasn’t really my official Walktober.

Eliza Waters found some beautiful color on her walk. She and her dog Wren took a lovely walk on their very own land. You can see for yourself here just what a beautiful place it is they live: https://elizawaters.com/2025/10/21/walktober-2025/

My personal Walktober was at one of my favorite places in the whole world. I debated quite a bit while I was up there whether to do my official Walktober on the beach. In the end, how could I not? https://dawnkinster.com/2025/10/23/dawns-beachy-walktober/

Mike got the chance to visit Calloway Gardens in Georgia again, during their pumpkin celebration and he takes us all along with him to marvel at the sights. https://mlcreationsphotography.com/2025/10/26/pumpkins-at-callaway/

Lisa took us for a walk around her neighborhood. From the pictures I’d say she has a pretty big neighborhood! There’s a bit of everything there! https://dailymusing57.com/2025/10/28/walktober-2/

Monkey, a very special sheltie-boy, took his mom out to see what there was to see, and you’d be amazed at the color he found! https://domermom.com/2025/10/27/walking-with-monkey-2025/

I, Monkey, taking my mom on a walk!

Natalie shows us some beautiful images from her October. She sure got a lot of beautiful images throughout the month! Go check them out: https://natalietheexplorer.home.blog/2025/10/31/october-2025-highlights-and-favourites/

Deb and her little schnauzer went on a beautiful walk for their combined Walktober. There’s nothing like seeing the trail from a little dog’s point of view: https://widowbadass.com/2025/11/02/the-sunday-schnauzer-walktober-glory/

Linda took us on a walk and found some very festive holiday color along with her regular friends at her park: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2025/10/26/a-walktober-stroll-that-was/

Carol literally takes a plane to show us a place far from her home and then she takes you back home again. Explore with Carol here: https://cjvl.wordpress.com/2025/11/01/walktober/

Penny and I hope you enjoyed all these Walktober adventures. She said I should include a picture of her and since I’m a mere sheltie servant I will.

I have the worrisome feeling I missed somebody’s Walktober. I’ve checked and double checked but I still feel like somebody got left out. So if you did a Walktober and I didn’t include it here, comment on this post and I’ll do a quick edit and get you in!

Meanwhile, enjoy all the October adventures!


by 25 Comments

An update from Ms. Penny

Hello world!

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.


by 25 Comments

Only the sheltie (that’s me) knows

Penny here.

I’ve been very busy, and let me tell you, mom says it’s been a roller coaster ride. I don’t even know what a roller coaster ride is, but I’m pretty sure it’s exciting. Right? I thought so.

My park trying to scare me. It’s not going to work.

Anyway, many of you know that I’ve been training in this thing called Rally. Frankly if you ask me there’s not much to it and I don’t know why mom needs all this training. If she paid better attention we could move on to something more fun a lot sooner.

Me in my basement with all these Rally signs to figure out.

Basically, she heels around a course and there’s a lot of signs with writing and yellow arrows and red stop signs and stuff and she’s supposed to follow the signs. I go along too, just to make sure she does it right.

Sometimes she reads the signs all wrong. This is not my fault.

Mom? Can you just concentrate more?

Anyway, on Friday we went to a thing called a Trial. I guess it’s a big test to see if mom has learned anything. We were entered in two runs. Mom said she hoped we’d qualify in at least one. We need three qualifying runs to earn a title at whatever level we’re working on. Right now we’re in Intermediate. At that level mom still has to be on a leash because she isn’t reliable yet.

We’re working on it but she’s pretty unpredictable.

There sure were a lot of dogs there!

Well, Friday we had to wait hours and hours for them to get to Intermediate. No exaggeration. When it was finally my turn I was pretty tired of hanging around and I didn’t want to supervise. In the ring I didn’t want to sit when mom asked me. So I stood and stared at her for awhile while she stared back at me and asked me again. Several times. Then I s.l.o.w.l.y lowered my behind. To make my point, you know, that I was in charge.

We ended up qualifying but mom said it wasn’t pretty and the judge lady was very generous. No matter, I was happy, I even got 2nd place!

These are my ribbons. I am not sharing them with mom.

The second run was similar to the first only there was more of me staring at her, pretending I had no idea what a ‘sit’ was. A couple of times I decided not to sit at all and mom sighed and moved on. We still qualified, but had an even lower score.

Mom was just relieved we had two legs toward my title.

That was Friday. Mom and I were exhausted. Saturday we were signed up to do a ‘fun run’ at another dog training facility. This is the place I go to school, so mom figured it would be OK.

Seriously, mother?!

And even though we were both tired mom packed me up and we went there and did two more runs, during which I showed my displeasure at having been rousted from my bed to follow mom around some more. I mean, if she hasn’t got it by now, I don’t think making me work on it more is going to help, do you?

Enough is enough, mother!

THEN, Saturday evening is our normal Rally class, and mom packed me up AGAIN and we went to do what is usually a fun class. But I wasn’t having it. I refused to sit AT ALL at ANY SIGN no matter what it or mom said.

Even when she pulled up on my collar or pushed down on my behind, or both.

Today mom is worried because we’re registered in a trial this coming Friday. Mom thought the hard stuff was over because we only need one leg of the two runs we’re scheduled for, and she figured, since it is in my own school, I’d do better.

Now she doesn’t know if we should even go.

I’m not worried.

Everybody has advice and it’s all different. Mom is just tired. I’m tired too. Mom says she’s going to work on repairing our relationship cause I was pretty mad at her during class last night. She says we’re not going to train this week, we’re just going to hang out together so that I remember I love her. And she loves me.

I’ll think about it.

Don’t tell her, but as she was typing this I got up off the sofa where I had been napping and came and went back to sleep on top of her foot. That’s because I already know I love her and she loves me. But I’ll let her be nice to me this week. It’s important that mom thinks she’s in charge.

As for what I’ll do next Friday? That’s the mystery, isn’t it.


by 21 Comments

Penny takes a walk

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!

Talk later,

Your park explorer girl, Penny.


by 23 Comments

October has been busy!

Penny here. Mom has asked me to remind you all about Walktober. She says she’s too busy. What the heck? SHE’S too busy? Really? Let me tell you a little about my day today.

Everything began right here at the START.

First off, SHE set the alarm for 6:00 a.m. because, she said, we had important things to do and we needed to get a move on.

Right.

When that alarm went off I opened one eye, gave her one half of the typical sheltie glare, and went back to sleep. She just sighed and went to take a shower. I napped some more until I figured I should make sure she had made my breakfast.

Of course she had not. So I stood outside the bathroom door until she came out and attended to me. You can never assume anything. It’s important to keep on your folks about their responsibilities all the time.

Which way are we supposed to go, mom?

Then the next thing I know I’m in the back of the car and we’re driving and it’s not even light out yet! We ended up at a dog training place about an hour away from home. I wasn’t nervous, cause I’ve been there before.

Mom said we needed to work, even though this was called a “fun match.” It’s a way to practice stuff without being judged. No stress! And guess what? I did all the parts of the beginner obedience without getting any treats! I’ve never done that before.

I did gave mom several dirty looks when I did something perfectly and I didn’t get a treat right away. Mom thought a couple of times that I was going to shut down and refuse to move at all, but I grudgingly went along with the her.

This time.

At least I got a jackpot after I was done! I’m beginning to figure out that there will be a LOT of treats after we’re done, but it’s hard for me to wait that long. I’m more of an immediate gratification kind of girl.

And we got to do some Rally practice too, cause Mom registered me for TWO trials at the end of October, both of them in Rally. Mom took these pictures in the Rally ring after we had done it three times.

I even did a jump all by myself without mom asking me too, when we were practicing Rally off leash. I took off across the ring to jump over that thing, just because I think it’s fun. Mom laughed at me even though I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to do that, but she said I was cute.

I’ve decided I like jumping, mom.

AND THEN…Mom took me to my regular Friday night fun night walk where I meet up with other dogs and we walk around places with distractions to get us used to scary things like other dogs or loud trucks. We walk in downtowns and parks and stuff. Tonight we went to a small town about 10 miles away from home.

There were people everywhere dressed in strange things!

Apparently they were doing some Halloweed festival and the town was full of people dressed up as witches and goblins and lords and stuff. I thought it was kinda scary. There was loud music and noisy cars and lots of little kids.

We walked up one side of town and down the other. It took us a very long time cause people kept wanting to pet me. I didn’t like many of them, they looked weird! A lot of little kids pet me too, some of them were OK, but after awhile mom just told everybody I didn’t want to be petted cause I was getting too nervous.

This lady’s hat LIT UP!!

Mom said it was a lot for me and she’s not sure she’d take me there again, even though she thought it was kind of neat and she might go without me next year.

I think that would be fine. I could use a nap!

Notice my ears are down. I was not happy.

ANYWAY, this is all to say I don’t know why mom can’t remind you about Walktober herself. I’m just as busy as her. But she says she’s having trouble downloading photos from her camera and her Walktober pictures are in there.

AND I have to remind her that we haven’t even GONE on MY Walktober walk yet! So we have a lot to do before the end of the month. Maybe you do too, but we hope you find some time to do a walk or a ride or whatever you plan to do, write a post and link it to The Official Walktober Post.

There were witches everywhere!

Mom says in early November she’ll pull it all together. I told her she has more than the Walktober post to pull together! But that’s another post.

Can we just go to bed, mom?

Your exhausted friend, Penny


by 60 Comments

Official Walktober Post

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 entire month 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.


by 29 Comments

Teaser

My sister and I spent four nights camping somewhere not here, but not where we thought we’d be either.

It took me awhile to drive there.

It worked out well, and I have, of course, many photos to share of this place not here.

Together but separate.

But Penny is demanding time with her mom so I’m off to do that. Which, I suppose, warrents a post too.

Mom! I LOST you!

So much to do, so little time.


by 36 Comments

Camping objectives

Sometimes I go camping just to have a few days away from everyday responsibilities. Time to nap and read and snack and daydream.

Just one exit up the road from home.

Sometimes I go camping with a specific goal in mind. I’m hoping to get that perfect Milky Way image, or find a new bird to photograph, or see a part of the state I haven’t seen before.

My favorite site at this campground.

Last week, at the last minute, I got to reserve 3 nights in my favorite campsite at the local state park. It’s a spot where Katie and I camped many times. This trip I hoped to introduce Penny to campground noises.

“Did I hear something over there, mom?”

She’d been there for a couple visits last year, but it was all overwhelming to her, and even with her dad and me right there she was pretty nervous about all the people and cars and noisy trucks with trailers driving by.

“Hey! What’s my tent doing out here in the woods, mom?”

This year she’s older and wiser and a little bit calmer. Though she still looked when noisy things including people with their dogs walked by, she didn’t automatically come undone.

“I’ll just stay real close, OK mom?”

She was only visiting me for a few hours each day, and while she was there we took plenty of walks around the campground, letting her sniff the vacant spots…

“I approve of this one, mom.”

…and moving swiftly past those occupied.

“Nothing to see here, just protecting my bikes.”

She even got to walk past a couple of pitbulls and their flustered dad. She was a rockstar.

See them coming around the corner up there? Penny’s tail was already up in alarm and I didn’t notice them until they were much closer. She knew right away. She never barked, she just heeled with me right by them.

We spent about an hour on her second visit inside the tent as evening fell. I think she would have been fine spending the night in the tent if I had insisted. But she was a little restless after an hour and if I’m honest, I wasn’t looking forward to packing up in the morning with her on site.

“I guess this is OK mom. But daddy has air conditioning and a bed. Just sayin.”

It takes me an hour to pack up without the distraction of a curious dog. But next time, if she’s willing I think we’ll spend the night in the tent. Maybe she’ll begin to understand it’s all an adventure and mom’s got her back.

“Umm, excuse me mother, let me be clear. I’m not taking a shower.”

The other reason I jumped at a chance to camp at this site is the opportunity to photograph birds. Every time I’ve been at site 16 there have been birds flitting around. Their images are hard to capture, they’re not like Kensington birds, posing for treats.

A really poor image of a cardinal that swooped in and then out.

These birds are never happy when they stop by and you’re at their site. I sat for hours, still in my chair, camera ready, and didn’t catch a good look at one bird, though I heard redstarts and vireos and wrens all around me.

Mostly I got bird imposters like these brown leaves.

Then this guy bounced out of the underbrush.

A gorgeous brown thrush.

After looking at me he hopped up on a vine with his back to me. In a moment, though, he turned his head to make sure I got the shot, and then he took off.

“Did you get my good side, lady?”

I smiled, at least I got one decent image of a bird!

And then I noticed this little red squirrel looking a bit worse for wear. She skittered around the campsite and then disappeared.

A skinny little red squirrel.

While I’m looking for her, tossing a few blueberries in the direction she ran, a opportunistic chipmunk showed up, very happy with the blueberry offering.

“Hey lady! You got anything to spare?”

Meanwhile Ms. red squirrel, apparently a tired mom, was up in a tree at the edge of the campsite, happily chowing down on a nut.

Nom, nom, nom…

She was happy until she noticed the chipmunk was feasting on blueberries.

A special treat!

That seemed to make her very unhappy. She watched the chipmunk more carefully. I tossed a few more blueberries. She was conflicted.

“Wait! Those blueberries were for ME!”

And then she ran as fast as she could down that tree and back out into the site where she scored a blueberry of her own.

“That chipmunk got one, but he’s not going to get the rest!”

It all made me smile.

Camping generally makes me smile, even when it rains, which it inevitably does at least one day on every camping adventure. At least this time it was overnight. And in the morning the sun rose again.

Another beautiful morning.

Time to get packing and head home. A little fuzzy girl was waiting for me to provide her next adventure. She’s kind of demanding that way. I don’t mind.

Another adventure in the books.

Till next time, site 16. Thanks for the new memories.

Camping art.