The natural world, life, and dogs.
Conall and I recently explored a bit of nearby Groton State Forest. At more than 26,000 acres, this forest is the second largest contiguous land holding of the State of Vermont. Conall strikes a pose as we head up the trail. The terrain is rolling, forested, and contains several bodies of water: Lake Groton (422… Continue reading Peacham Bog
Yesterday evening, while walking Conall and Finn along our road, a car approached, slowed, and the passenger side window went down. A woman of about 80 leaned her head out, smiled and looking at Conall, said, "What a beautiful dog!" as her husband slowly drove by. They were driving a Subaru, the Vermont state car.… Continue reading Compliments and Perceptions
Memories from long ago are often sparked by the simplest things experienced now. A visual, an action, a scent, a sound, a song, or a combination of many of those elements, and suddenly, in a flash of mental time travel, I’m transported from today to yesterday. Recently this phenomenon occurred three times in the same… Continue reading Today Becomes Yesterday
There's a trail in the Payette National Forest not far from my home that has always been a favorite. A few days ago, I got lucky: the morning I decided to run/hike there with the dogs - October 5th - the wildfire smoke that had been blanketing this area cleared out the night before. The… Continue reading Getting High (in Elevation)
Whenever I stop to photograph wildflowers, trees, streams, cairns or vistas in the forest, my dogs patiently wait nearby, following their noses, until I'm ready to continue our run or hike. They often end up unexpectedly in the frame of my photo in classic photobombing style. This third installment of dog photobombs carries the sub-theme:… Continue reading Dog Photobombs III
Yesterday I enjoyed one of those times in nature that leave me awestruck, enthralled, fully engaged, and grateful. Everything was perfect: the weather, the snow, and the company (my dogs). We started early in the morning, running up, up, up the mountain on freshly-groomed trail, the rising sun breaking over and through the tops of… Continue reading Into the Woods in Winter
If you spend time in the outdoors, eventually something will go wrong. It's a law of nature. But if you survive, those epic failures become the best stories! We’ve all read about amazing accomplishments in the wild, but now it’s time to tell us about the not-so-great times and what you learned from them. Share… Continue reading Epic Trail Fail #4: Guide Dog
If you spend time in the outdoors, eventually something will go wrong. It's a law of nature. But if you survive, those epic failures become the best stories! We’ve all read about amazing accomplishments in the wild, but now it’s time to tell us about the not-so-great times and what you learned from them. Share… Continue reading Epic Trail Fail #3: Malamute Perfume
...the gift of living boldly, close to nature, with my dogs. Simple things, really. The following is a photo essay of thanks-giving, using shots taken over the last three days. I have so many things to be thankful for, but in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday I'll focus on the current season. I'm thankful… Continue reading Giving Thanks For…
Living and playing in the mountains teaches one to expect weather surprises. Tomorrow is Summer Solstice - the first day of summer - but today, the boys and I ran trails in flurries of corn snow, temperatures hovering around freezing. And we loved it. We're all three of us early morning creatures. Good thing, because… Continue reading Mountain Weather
Wild Sensibility 