My Friend Winter

My friend winter has delivered some gifts.

Pure, fresh snow,

brilliant crystals of ice

true blue skies,

silence.

Snow that muffles and cushions,

ice to sharpen and focus,

blue to blanket

my sanctuary.
Thank you, my friend.

Signs of My Place

How do I know where I belong?

Not here

This tells me I'm close



This is my neighbourhood



My creek sings a welcome song.





The forest gets all dressed up when I'm near



I know where I belong.

Changing Path

The path changes day by day

straight through wonders

screeching around sharp corners of worry

hesitating in a forest of doubt

slowly stalking the years

encountering others

stretching out into some future

wide open to possibility.

Cliff Walk

Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park
7 km up, way up
2 paws up

A shady trail with squirrels and chipmunks, lots of pups with their long legged humans. There is no water so be sure your humans pack extra for you. You'll get thirsty here. Bring a leash, you may be tempted to explore the edge of the cliff!

Change

There is a change going on around me. I sense it in my paws and with my nose. There are less lazy hours relaxing on the deck, fewer campfires and bar-b-ques, and less bugs sucking my blood. There are more hours getting firewood for the woodstove, more chilly mornings of frost and soup is back on the menu. My fur is thick and shaggy, collecting up dried seeds and grass and dust. It's another beautiful season for me to explore and enjoy. I am Thankful.

Lunch with The Hermit

Hermit Basin Trail, Glacier National Park
Short and steep
4 paws up

Here is is trail to test your lung capacity! There are streams to cool you off, squirrels and marmots for amusement and not many humans or dogs. The plants are colourful and the late season huckleberries are sweet.

This is my second visit with The Hermit. He is still sitting alone on top of the mountain with nothing to say.

The basin is a pup's playground with rocks, streams and meadows to explore.

He needed a rest after all the whistling!

Dipper...a perfect name for the bird that bobs in water.

Low

I've viewed the world from the tops of mountains

I've had my head in the mystery of the clouds,

My voice has echoed through high places

As I sing the songs of awe.

And yet

My feet are down and my position is low

Low is what I know

and is my place of residence.

Being low, I enjoy the wonders of

a world that can be big

or small.

Being close to the earth, I'm

cradled and

covered and

grounded and

surrounded.

For connection, I am low.

When I am leading on the trail,

or following,

When I am off the trail,

with obstacles to surmount.

 Gems of the forest depths,

and curiosities are common.

Up above

or lower

and slower,

there is beauty

in the small world of the low.