then end of a great day!

the beach is the greatsest place for daisy and fitzy to run free and frolic!

the beach is the greatest place for us to be with the dogs so that we can watch them be dogs!

tossing, biting,chomping, digging, nudging, growling, swimming,shaking, herding, barking, rolling in the snad, eating all kinds of shells and horseshoe crabs like crackers.

it was an earflapping tail wagging good time. 

so beautiful at the early evening quiet time. we had the beach to ourselves, it was damp and cold...but comfortable.

everyday's a good day at the beach!

in the moments.

walking at the beach with the dogs is so great for all of us.  my husband and i enjoy the beach in any weather.  we have fun just being together with the dogs.  daisy and fitzy are so funny together.

my husband and i are funny together too.  we really do have the same whacky sense of humor.

we have fun when the kids come with us just because it's nice to get everyone together with no electronics....ipods, cell phones, computer, x-box.

we enjoy the time even though we practically have to kidnap them to get them to come with us.

sometimes we just have to insist that we all be happy, darn it.

sometimes they are happy when we force them to be.

they are happy kids...just not with us.  not all of the time.

it's their job to be like that.

they are teenagers.

we tale walks at the beach on christmas day....it's like another present fo all of us.

calm after the storm.

peace.

nature.

dogs.

love.

laughter.

quiet.

time to think.

time to breathe.

time to be.

fitzy and daisy just love to be wherever they are.  they live in the moment.  they are happpy just to be with us, wherever we go.  they love the car, the wind the air.

they take the simple pleasures of life

everyday

and share that gift with us

being with them makes us more aware of our environment

and the little life joys.

they take us  with them

to places

we might not know

we might not see

we might not smell

we might not touch

we might not hear

they make us notice the crunch of a horseshoe crab shell

we can't taste it, but we know that there is something savory about it

a skate is something of a treasure

a hunk of seaweed

the sea grass has all kinds of smells for daisy and fitzy

they bring us to a peaceful place everywhere we go together.

thank you daisy and fitzy for keeping us aware and living in the moments.

a day with the dogs driving through the connecticut countryside.....with stops along the way to take short walks and meander down  some snowy lanes.....on a very cold, winter day.  we drove for miles on winding country roads, ambling along with music playing in the car. the goldens sit eagerly, wondering what the next destination will bring.

the farms in new england are so beautiful.  a working farm always makes me smile and thing of life in years past and wonder about the history of the farm.  the first farm is tiffany farms in old lyme, ct. with beautiful cows eating, fenced in, alongside the road. 

another favorite farm, in old lyme, ashlawn farm has wonderful coffee and baked goods and in the summer, the landscape is filled with en plein air painters and farmers markets. ashlawn farm has horses, goats and lots of warm, friendly locals stopping to share stories. people come and go throughout the days...always back to the warm, welcoming smiles from the barristas behind the coffee bar.  the aroma of fresh roasted coffees, roasted right there at the farm are one of my greatest pleasures...i don't know if it's the coffee or the company that keeps me coming back....with the happy golden retrievers.  dogs are welcome, always.