Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: summer


by 10 Comments

Another weekend, another park

Isn't this a cool place?

Isn’t this a cool place?

Katie here.  You know how I got my Mama to promise to take me on an adventure every weekend?  Well this past weekend it was getting to be Sunday afternoon and still no adventure!  I stomped my perfect little feet and tossed my beautiful curly locks but all she did was put me outside in my pen.

WELL!

I was having none of that!  An afternoon in my pen is not an adventure!  I made myself a general pest and eventually Mama said “OK little one, let’s go walk in the woods.”  It was about time!  But she picked one of my favorite activities so I forgave her for being so tardy.

Which way should we go?

Which way should we go?

We went to the Holly Recreation Area and walked on a path through the woods that we’ve never explored before.  It was awesome.  We need to take Peep exploring on that path sometime soon!  We did have to go up a big hill.

You sure you want to go way up there Mama?

You sure you want to go way up there Mama?

 

But I didn’t have any problem with that.

Well let's get going then!

Well let’s get going then!

 

Mama was very patient and waited for me to check stuff out.

What's in here?

What’s in here?

 

Some of the path was through the woods with big trees.  The mosquitoes weren’t too bad and Mama was wishing she’d come earlier in the day, because we had to turn around before I wanted to since it was getting dark.

Fun times!

Fun times!

 

We’re definitely going back.  And I hope it’s soon!

But I'm still not getting my feet wet.

But I’m still not getting my feet wet.

 


by 19 Comments

What’s to miss about running.

Once upon a time a long time ago I use to run.  I was never fast but I got to the finish line.   I used to train for races along with a group of women I’d met online, and then in person at races, and then in person just because they are really cool women.  Then I got busy and I didn’t train as carefully as I should have and I tried to get ready for a half marathon having not run for awhile.  I ran too much too soon and too far and I suffered a hairline fracture in my foot.

The wheelers get ready to start their race.

The wheelers get ready to start their race.

I knew as I was going the longer distances that something was wrong.  I knew the morning of the race as I got up before light and packed the car with all the essentials, warm up clothes, clothes for after, water, food, extra socks, pins, number, that I shouldn’t be running this race.  Still.  I had trained for it.  People were expecting me.  It was an inaugural half marathon through a pretty part of the country.

I wanted to do it.

During the drive to the appointed meeting place I reached over in the dark to the stack of clothing on the other seat.  I didn’t feel my race bib with it’s number, that I KNEW I had put on the top of the pile.  I pulled into an empty parking lot and stopped under a light.  I searched the car.  No bib.  I drove frantically home and searched the house.  No bib.

It was a sign, I decided, that I wasn’t supposed to run this race.  I called my friend and told her I wasn’t coming.  Then I went back to bed.

And I never seriously ran again.  It’s hard to start from scratch.  It takes dedication and time and resolve.  And I can’t seem to get out the door.  It’s been years, the stress fracture is as healed as it’s going to be.  I’ve gone to a foot specialist and purchased custom orthotics.  I could do it.

Anticipation before the race.

Anticipation before the race.

I see runners when I’m driving to and from work, or when we’re on trips.  Portland Maine seemed to be the capital of young athletic fit bodies running half dressed through the streets.  All seem to float effortlessly.  I become enamored again with the concept.

But I don’t float.  I slog and running is not as romantic as I remembered.

 

Here they come!

Here they come!

This weekend I went up to Flint to see the start of the Crim Festival of Races.  Ten thousand plus runners and their supporters were celebrating healthy activity, and the love of running.  I felt the familiar twinge.  No not in my foot; in my heart.  I miss the sense of community running gave me.  I could do that again, I thought to myself.

In order to run you just have to start.

Just start.

Just start.


by 18 Comments

Adventures! And more adventures!

Katie here.  Hey!  Did you know I got to go camping with my mama?  A lot?  I bet you saw it on Facebook.  I swear, she needs to get me my own page, she’s always letting the cat out of the bag on that thing.  And I hate cats!  All cats should stay in the bag,  I’m sure there’s a law about that somewhere.

 

Another of my favorite parks!

Another of my favorite parks!

So anyway, today I got her to take me to a  park, because daddy said she owed me cause she went to work this morning and Saturday’s are supposed to be about me!  I used to go to school and everything and now she says I’m ‘retired’ whatever that means so I don’t get to do anything!    You believe me, right?  That I’m a poor abused ignored dog?  They never feed me and I have to stay at home all the time.  You should probably send help.

Oh.  You don’t believe that?  Well it was worth a shot.

 

Soaking up a little shade on my walk today.

Soaking up a little shade on my walk today.

So today I made my mama feel guilty and she took me to a big park nearby.  We walked down the bike path and I was very good, didn’t bark at any bikes or cars or anything.  OK.  One car that was hauling a noisy trailer…but really who could resist barking at that!

 

Not worried about that bike in back of me.

Not worried about that bike in back of me.

But I bet what you really want to hear about is the camping my mama and I did a couple of weeks ago!  We went to a real park and I got to sleep in my tent for two nights!  There were lots of kids there and mostly I sat in our camp site and watched them go around and around and around the campground on their bikes and scooters.  And I did not bark at any of them!  Not even once!

Watching the kids go by.

Watching the kids go by.

The best part of our camping trip was when my friend Peep came to visit and we went on a long walk through the woods.  Actually Peep and I don’t care particularly if the other one is there, we just like that when our mamas get together we get to go on long walks!

Peep and me.

Peep and me.

Sometimes one or the other of us finds a particularly good smell and then the other one of us will go check it out, but mostly we walk our own walk.  We’re very good together because we pretty much ignore each other.   Mostly Peep went ahead and I brought up the rear.  I like to take really long sniffs of stuff you know.  Plus I have this big heavy coat to drag around.

Anyway, mama and I had a really good time.  She read a bunch of books over the weekend and I got to go on a bunch of walks.  Sometimes we walked on trails in the woods and sometimes we walked around the campground.  Lots of people said I was pretty.    And cute.  And really good.  Cause I am.

We went on lots of trails.

We went on lots of trails.

The mosquitoes weren’t as bad as our last big adventure, but there were still enough that sometimes we retreated to the tent.  That was OK, just meant another nap.  Naps are a very important part of camping.  I take my napping responsibilities very seriously.

zzzzzzz

zzzzzzz

The weekend was perfect!

Then last weekend mama and I camped out three nights in a row in the backyard!  The moon was full and she didn’t put the rain fly up and we got to sleep under it and stars.  It was wonderful!  I only barked once when that mama deer snorted at us.  It was her fault for waking us up anyway.  A dog has to to what a dog has to do.  Right?

What's out there?!

What’s out there?!

So all in all I guess my mama really does love me.  And yes my daddy loves me too, he feeds me right on schedule and sometimes early if I make my sad dog eyes at him.  And I get to go on adventures almost every weekend.  So I guess my life’s not so bad, but don’t tell them I said so, OK?  I like to keep them feeling guilty.

I get more treats that way.

Love,

Katie (The Adventuring Sheltie-girl)

 

This is our little secret!

This is our little secret!

 


by 16 Comments

Enjoy the moon

Sunday night Katie and I camped in the back yard.  We’d done that on Friday and Saturday nights as well, no rain fly on the tent, sleeping out under the stars.  Last night’s huge moon hung over the yard all night.

 

Occasionally I’d wake and gaze up at it.  The soft light that flooded the yard, and the tent, was lovely; I wish you’d all been there for the experience.

But it would have been a bit crowded in the tent, and Katie likes her space.

Don’t you know.


by 18 Comments

Zigzag

Zigzag.  I thought it would be hard to find a photo to represent the concept.  I didn’t think I’d find it in nature.  I thought of a few places to go where I might find something, commercial locations, man-made places.  I thought maybe I’d skip this photo challenge because I didn’t have time to go anywhere in search of zigzag.

Then I got out of the car this evening after a long day of work and saw that the hibiscus plant is in bud.  And on the still tightly furled buds were…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

…zigzagging veins.

Proof once again that if you just slow down and take a moment you can find just about anything.

Right there in front of you.

You can see other zigzags here, here, here, and here.   And of course the classic zigzag.   Or stop by the original blog entry and look at all the comments with their photos!


by 11 Comments

Reward! Even though I wasn’t very good this weekend…

Katie here!

You were all RIGHT!  My mama finally took me to my park!  I haven’t been there in a really really long time.  Maybe 100 years in dog time.  We couldn’t go in my car because it’s at ‘the shop’ whatever that means.  So when we left the house I went and stood behind the other car, but mama said, ‘No baby, we’re going to take Daddy’s truck!

 

Driving to the park in style.

Driving to the park in style.

Woo Boy!  I get to go in the truck!  I like to do that (I used to be afraid of the truck, but I like it now.  I’m a brave girl.)  I get to stick my nose right in the air conditioning vent!  Not like when I’m stuck in the back and no good air even gets back to me!   When we got to the park I noticed it was the Farmer’s Market!  I get lots of attention at the market so I thought maybe we were going there.

 

Farmer's Market!

Farmer’s Market!

But my mama said, “No baby, we’re going to walk in your park, and you can sniff wherever you want, no rush!”  Hot dog!  Let’s get going mama!   But you know what?  My mama ended up saying “hurry up sweetie” to me a lot.  She said it was because a storm was coming.  But I think she’s just an impatient sort of mama, you know?

 

Storm clouds! (Dramatic setting on camera!)

Storm clouds! (Dramatic setting on camera!)

I mean, what’s a little rain?  Right?  Unless you’re the Wicked Witch of the West. Hmmmm.  Now that I think about it, she’s been acting a lot like that witch all weekend, so maybe she had a point.  Anyway, we did get rained on a little, but we still stopped and got a picture together at the overlook.  Mama was very proud she figured out how to do the timer thing.  I was very proud that we could both look at the camera at the same time.

Me and my mama!

Me and my mama!

We had a good time and by the time we got back to the truck the sun was back out and it was hot.  So I’m sleeping on my air conditioning vent at home.  Mama says we have a bigger adventure coming up next weekend.

I’m going to dream about it now.  I can’t wait!

That was FUN mama!

That was FUN mama!


by 14 Comments

Katie and patience. Not so much

Katie here.

What is wrong with you people?  Why haven’t you demanded my presence on this blog?  You’ve been enjoying my parents’ photos of Maine, egging them on to travel more!  Have you no compassion for me?  The princess?  You realize, don’t you, that while Mama and Dad are gallivanting around I have to go to doggie camp.

Wanna play?

Wanna play?

And let me tell you it’s not so much camp because I know what real camping is!  And I want to go camping again with my Mama but she’s all busy with work and stuff and hardly has time for me at all and I think that is just not fair!

OK, so right after I got sprung from the camp we had a whole bunch of company.  That was fun.  Mama’s brothers and sister and sister-in-law came to stay with us for a few days.  They all thought I was pretty swell and I have to say it was OK to have them around too.  I got lots of attention.

Which is a good thing because as I said my Mama seems to be really busy and ignores me most of the time.  I can only get her attention at night if I bark a lot.  Then she tells me “Katie!  No bark!” and I sigh and go lie down on the air conditioning vent.  I am trying to be a good girl.  I even let her sleep until 6 a.m!

And do you know what I got in return for being a good girl while we had all that company?  I got to go to the groomer today!  GEEZE how much more torture can one poor doggie soul go through?  I don’t really see that the groomer can improve perfection, but if it makes my Mama happy I guess I can handle it.

BUT…

…Mama owes me big time now and I’m expecting a very good adventure soon!  And if I don’t get it there’s going to be no more Ms. Good Dog.  No siree!

She better come through.

That’s all I’ve got to say.

Good night now.

 

I'm waiting.

I’m waiting.