Holy Spirit Bird – Photo: L. Weikel

Trade-offs

Today’s walk was especially fun and refreshing. For one thing, we got on the road at least an hour earlier than we’ve been managing most days. There are trade-offs, of course – no stars splashed across the midheaven. But it also got up to 30 degrees today, which made the entire excursion much more pleasant for all four of us.

Indeed, Brutus and Pacha stayed home yesterday – we just didn’t have the heart to drag them out in those frigid temperatures. Brutus missed a walk earlier in the week after he dug his feet in and refused to budge an inch as we started across the lawn. Nope! I wasn’t having that, so I turned right around and took him back into the house. He spent our ‘walkie’ time cooling his heels (keeping them warm, actually) in his crate. I think he was stunned that he had to spend an hour all by himself, while Pacha gamely walked like a big girl. He does not like to be left behind!

It may seem like I was over-reacting or not trying hard enough to talk him into walking with us. But in fact I nipped that behavior in the bud because about a week ago (when it started getting really cold out) he just stopped in the middle of the road and insisted upon being carried. We were only about halfway through our walk. (I know, I know. Don’t judge! I’m stubborn too and I really thought I could out-wait him. But his balking was causing the rest of us to freeze – so I relented and carried him home. Let me assure you: schlepping an extra 16 lbs. over a mile or two is exhausting.) The crate was the only option if he was planning on being a jerk again.

Spirit Bird and Hummingbird – Photo: L. Weikel

No Stars, But…

Bright sunshine. Slightly more pleasant temperatures. And the opportunity to introduce the pups to the unexpected delights of frozen puddles! I wish I could easily post the video I took of them discovering the fun of slipping and sliding on the intermittent puddles frozen in fields beside the road. Oh my, they were so cute.

We also encountered a stunning cloud seemingly diving toward Earth from the heavens above. It almost looked like it could be diving toward a baby bird straining to meet its mommy, or perhaps a hummingbird. I’m including a couple different shots of our experience of those amazing clouds because each provides a different perspective. I almost want to call the biggest one cloud the ‘Holy Spirit’ cloud, since it reminds me of how I envisioned the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles when I heard that story in church as a child.

Oh! And because we were walking while it was still light out, we also were graced with the presence of two very plump Eastern Bluebirds and three Red Shouldered Hawks.

Yes, there are trade-offs to consider with almost all decisions we make. And even though we didn’t hear any owls calling their love songs (it was a little early for such canoodling), I’ve no doubt we made out in a very big way today.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T+46)