"dog- gonnit"

we walked outside, on this mild day to find the ups truck on our street. what truck could make our dogs happier? our u.p.s. man for the first 3 years of daisy's life was joe...he came with lollipops for the kids and treats for daisy...and daisy has never forgotten...to this day, she loves the u.p.s. man like no other....except the garbage man! life is good...

todays walk up warpas road led us to the beautiful connecticut state land trust....with wonderful trails that we have wandered as a family for the ten years that we have lived in madison....in rain and snow and sleet and hail, we walk our dogs on every trail. years ago, we trotted through the trails with babies in jog strollers, we have barreled through on mountain bikes, we have forever precious family time with imaginations running wild and sharing the joy of nature , learning about all of the animals who inhabit the woods, their tracks and sounds, using all of our senses! we are so blessed to have all of this right in our "backyard".

UNTIL today, dog-gonnit, when we came upon the signs and trucks and torn down trees, all cut down for the sake of nature? at the head of the trail, their were signs posted bout the clearing of trees...for the good of the land and animals who inhabit the land. "good" was the last word that came to mind. even daisy and fitzy seemed perplexed when greeted by a man with a pickup truck who shouted "may i help you with something?"...not too friendly....that is compared to most of the folks we sometimes meet up with between trails.

the dogs romped on each side of the muddy tracks...tracks of huge chained big-rig trucks. stacks of logs on each side, waiting to be picked up by another large truck, i presume.

although the posted sign mentioned something about the woods being closed to visitors, i felt the need to explore
"our" "trails", although they no longer felt like "ours" and certainly no longer felt like "trails". daisy and fitzy stopped to drink the water along the way...we had some maneuvering to do...with mud and brambles and logs and branches tangled up across the "trails". it felt as though these woods of "ours" had been badly beaten by an attacking bully who ran off in a rage.

there is no notice of when the trails will be given some attention, clearing the mess and recreating the trails enjoyed by hikers, bikers,dog walkers, bird watchers and even hunters. we must follow up...speak to someone who will care...to let that someone know we care.

as we walked through the trail abomination, we were tangled and pricked, soaked and muddy and exhausted after bushwhacking in a very roundabout way (getting lost without any trails underneath the logs and general mess of trucks....the enemy.

after an hour, rather than the budgeted short 30 minute walk, we found our way out near a friends home. relief! proud of a hard workout for the dogs and i, we reached their stone wall. .... and called them on the cell phone, to let them know we were passing thorough with dogs in tow. they have chickens and hens....we have golden "retrievers"....meek and mild retrievers...our friends know them well...they have welcomed them when they have visited "unannounced", they have made random visits to keep our dogs company while we are away, they truly are our dogs best friends and our good neighbors. the chickens and hens were enjoying their peaceful morning when out of the woods came daisy and fitzy ready to 'retrieve"...kind of amazing since our cats dominate them in our home....daisy, the most submissive was on a tear. the chicken were running and taken to burst of flight. daisy ran faster, getting within inches....our friends ran helter skelter to save their chickens....i screamed "STOP" and "COME" and"DAISY"...in pursuit of this flying challenge, my shouts fell on deaf ears.

the hen of choice ran to the stone wall, hopped over stones, hopped to the fence and flew to the hen house. daisy rolled over for a tummy rub. our friends took a breath...grateful for the gift of salvation while i meekly called to daisy..fitzy, innocent, having been leashed throughout the frenzy......our friends, out of breath, escorted us up the driveway. we shared the fear and relief and went our separate ways.

another uneventful walk.

gone to the dogs!

it's monday! a beautiful monday! i've been up for hours and now we're getting ready to take daisy and fitzy for a walk/run! they are golden retrievers....daisy is 7 and fitzy is 3....daisy is well behaved and fitzy is too, well most of the time! she just has a problem when she sees food....she has eaten dinner from the table...although, she was an uninvited guest! she loves being loved just like daisy only she is not so much the nurturer, like daisy...she is the needy one with the ever present need to be nurtured....so, we have a little give and a little take!

well, i'm off! the sunshine is glorious! i'm getting my camera out, putting leashes on the dogs, putting sneakers on my feet and we'll be out the door in a flash....with treats in hand...fitzy will be sure to behave with treats in hand, my hand that is.....she is very motivated by food. daisy is motivated be love and desire to please. so, a little give and a little take....that's how we all live isn't it?

our lives feel better balanced that way! give, give, give or take, take, take never works out. "everything in moderation" my mom always said....only she said that about food and drink. it seems to apply to everything! just not fitzy!

before she get's into the garbage, i think we'll get started....daisy is waiting patiently at the door!

i'll let you know where we go, what we see and who we meet when we get back! and photos to share of this glorious day!

liz