My friend, Arthur

We were promised our first cool morning. I forget that cool to one is not cool to another and we barely noticed the change in temps brought by a weak cold front that arrived while we slept.

I was up early - a return to my working awakening perhaps. DH headed off to run and returned to brag about deer crossing his path.*

He cooled down by joining the dogs and me on a walk. We headed down to the park under a slightly overcast sky - stars and a planet (Venus**) sparkling at us and waning gibbous moon shining bright overhead.

We heard the normal dog voices as we headed to the park. And it cooled a bit as we arrived. When the dogs did their best to form an infantry square*** I paid attention. Usually when they alert they are looking in the same direction. This time they were side to side looking in opposite directions. We waited. And waited.

We heard sounds in the brush, but nothing showed itself.

On the walk back home we did see alley cats returning from their evening wanderings. A yellow tom crossing the street got Scruffy's attention for a moment. A little later a black cat went streaking though a back yard. It is the movement, if not the sound, that dogs notice. Fortunately no one wanted to give chase.

DH and I have been busy exercising - in organized classes and on our own. While he says he has general aches and pains "all over" I notice my good friend, Arthur (arthritis - thanks for this reference DO!), in my lower back. On days like today, when I am babying my back, I dread that sharp tug on the leash that follows a dog noticing something to chase.

But these sweet dogs just trotted along with us, perhaps more intent on reaching home and breakfast than running after wild things.

I took DH to breakfast - a treat for cooperating in my attempts to get back to regular early morning walks.

This shirt always makes me laugh...FYI - he is.

NOTES:

* Since the dirt road was posted with "No Trespassing" signs, we rarely see deer on our walks. Once scoff laws of a sort (previous posting was insufficient under state law so we ignored it), we pay attention to these new signs.

**It is almost always clear when a shiny thing in the sky is a planet, not a star. And when I see one, I look it up.

*** http://www.stuartbriggs.co.uk/history-of-the-british-infantry-square/
     See also - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantry_square [I believe I first saw this in the movie Zulu.]