First "free" walk

I actually finished "working" an hour and a half before the end of the work day. I carried the last few things out to the car...mostly loot from visitors this week. I have lots of thank you notes to write.

Arriving home I ignored all the things that need to be done...plenty of time for that later. I unloaded the car and changed into my "dog walking clothes."*

Our friends were supposed to arrive at 1:30, but they were late. So we waited in the car and sang songs with Eliza Gilkyson **(CD player) until they arrived.

Poor TDW finally had enough of my "manhandling" of the camera. We are going to have lessons in the near future. "But I get some nice photos!" I exclaimed. "Yeah, you'd get more of 'em if you know what you are doing," said he. And he is right.

Still, I think I have a few nice ones for today.

We walked around. Creek was full. Dogs behaved pretty well. They are dogs after all. [You can emphasize the "are" or emphasize "dogs" and be correct.]

We decided to take a group photo to celebrate the day...the day that starts more frequent walks (and I guess more posts - sorry!). We found a log and investigated to insure no snakes or scorpions were hiding there (the rains have brought out lots of crawlies). I sat and the dogs came over. OH MY @)(_($@#(*&!&@ HEAVENS! What had they gotten into? They smelled. And, because they came right over to love on me for the photos, I smelled.***

We finished the walk - the perfect first walk. It was a lovely day. The clouds have moved in. We will have rain tomorrow and maybe Sunday. And I guess that means we will have some stinky dogs in the house later. Oh boy.

Part of the loot. [Aren't these lovely? And that has to be a cabbage!] A student brought these.

You may notice how high the water is, but trust me. We can only walk a little way along the creek.

I cannot wait until spring! These bluebonnet leaves peek out from the edge of a rock.

More bluebonnet plants waiting for a little warm weather. It may not be long now.

Startlingly pretty seed head of a wildflower.

We kept seeing LARGE nests along the edge of the woods...hawk? What would be that big?

TDW calling dogs gone missing in the brush.

Dogs (lured by promises of cookies) come out of the woods - Paddy, Stanley and Scruffy.

Another nest. These are over a foot in diameter and high in the trees.

Slightly closer image.

Thorns against the sky.

Cedars.

Yet another nest.

And a little closer.

Love this grass against the sky.

Wildflower in waiting (I am dependent on the blooms for identification).

There are many yuccas in the prairie. I cannot wait.****

Cujo Paddy. I wish I had gotten the whole crazy dog image.

Scruffy poses while Paddy sniffs the air.

Now Scruffy catches the smell on the breeze.

Dogs come running.

A helicopter flies over the park towards the airport beyond. Don't you see it?

Here is the closeup.

NOTES:

*Dog walking clothes change with the seasons. These are black cargo pants, long sleeved shirt, fleece vest, and any of 3 or 4 pairs of hiking shoes/boots I have collected.

** Eliza Gilkyson = amazing artist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Gilkyson . We sang Requiem and Jedidiah.

***It didn't take any time for me to pull those clothes off and throw them into the washer when I got home. The cat investigated, but he quickly lost interest...he's more a "mixed seafood" fan.

****My Daddy often stopped, on his way home from court in one of his 5 county district, to cut the blossom of a yucca for Mom. She would put them in a big cream colored pitcher. The bloom would fill the room with its fragrance and drop its individual flowers one by one. I never see a yucca that I do not think of my parents.