Charlie and Wally have that natural instinct—when they see something that can run, it must be chased. Whether it is a small squirrel or a large deer, they will be in pursuit. I yell at them to not chase deer, but it is of little use. The deer always win. Sometimes I...
This year has being extremely wet. During the heaviest rains, the water rushes down from the ridges with a lot of force. Where there used to be a trickle there is now a raging stream. The water rushes downhill seeking the lowest point. Our songs talk about how God's...
On our walks, we pass through a hay field to get to the woods. Part of the process of growing is adding nutrients to the soil. It is important that we watch our steps and pay attention to where the manure spreader has gone before us. Watching where you step in a hay...
Charlie and Wally are hunter dogs. Wally will find a groundhog away from its hole and let out a long yip. Charlie then runs to cover one of his flanks. The two will surround the groundhog, jabbing and nipping at the animal. Charlie usually takes the backside, and...
By: Lynda Shadel I don’t know how you treat your pets, but both my husband and I often think and speak for our dogs. I wonder how close we come to really understanding what our dogs are thinking. When I walk in the woods, I do a lot of talking—some to the dogs,...
By: Lynda Shadel On our walks, I take the same path, following the road. But the two dogs zigzag across the road, fields, and through the woods—covering a lot more territory than I do. However, all three of us end up at the “Forgiveness Tree.” When we return,...
By: Lynda Shadel I walk the dogs after I come home from work. As soon as I step in the door, Wally begins eye contact with me, wanting to go on our walk. He will not leave me alone—following me everywhere. Finally, I say, “Do you want to go for a walk?” My eye contact...
By: Lynda Shadel When there is a lot of fresh snow, it can take a great deal of effort to go on our walks. Wally, the Jack Russell, struggles with the snow because he is built so close to the ground. This is one time when Wally will be content to follow me....
By: Lynda Shadel The best thing about my walk in the woods with Charlie and Wally is that I get away from all the distractions around me. I don’t know about you, but I always have the TV on or music playing—there is continual background noise at home. My walks...
By: Lynda Shadel During my walks, I have noticed on sunny days that the sunlight is blocked by some of the trees. Yet, the light does get through, highlighting the leaves and branches, bringing them to life. The contrast between the sun and the darkness of the...
By: Lynda Shadel When I walk with Wally and Charlie they run here and there, ahead of me, and out of sight much of the time. We have an understood check-in point that is the Forgiveness Tree. If they are not waiting for me, they will come running to my call. I’ll...
I wrote earlier about a tree that I touch at the end of the road in our woods. One day, I decided to forgive someone who had hurt me, and what better place than the tree at the end of the road. I now call this tree my “forgiveness tree.” The neat thing about having...