Our Friday

Let me start off by saying thank you to Samantha for a nice blog award. Sammie is such a pretty gal, and a smart one, too - she's just started competing in Formal Obedience with great success! Her parents don't have a bad choice in name, either. ;)

We went on a really great walk this afternoon.  The sun was out and it was a gorgeous day, but it was COLD and WINDY! 

We mozied through the big field, as we so often do, and I decided to take a gamble.  Let's walk a little farther today.

Just beyond these evergreens stands a small playground.  We usually don't walk this way that reason, but, today, Marge was able to get past it.  She stopped to sniff by the trees, then got a little nervous because she heard the sounds of a few children playing, but was able to continue on rather than try to run home. The treats in my pocket certainly helped.

The goal, of course, was not to freak Marge out with the scary sounds of little kids, but, instead, to reach what loomed on the other side:

The beach in the fall and winter is one of my favorite places to walk Marge.  No one is there, so the BOTH of us can totally relax. 

Marge, though she hadn't been there probably in months, took to the sand like she was there yesterday. She quickly found a piece of driftwood and sniffed to her heart's content.

We then raced up and down the shoreline.

As we walked, we saw these birds wading a few feet from shore. I've seen them in the field by my house, too, certain months out of the year. Any ideas what they might be? They're about the size of ducks, but differently colored, and they honk more like geese.

Before we left, Marge looked out to the ocean sprawled out before her.  I think this would be my new favorite picture of her, if not for that pesky leash tanged underneath her!

We hit the field once more to walk home, Marge stopping at her favorite places to sniff.

She was a little bit bugged by something on the way back, as evidenced by her tongue-flicks as I asked for her to come, and her slower speed while recalling.  However, whatever it was didn't linger with her, as she flew up to the trees on the border of the field in hot pursuit of the squirrel she saw climbing a tree.  (She quickly discovered his ill-fated partner lying a few feet away, probably the unfortunate victim of a car).

Forty-five minutes after we set out, we were back home.  Marge plopped on the floor, and grabbed her little inanimate buddy...

The fish!

P.S. - I did return home to the news that my father has been taken to the hospital by my mother due to a kidney stone attack.  I saw his car parked when I arrived home and figured he had simply gone up into bed for a nap, but, apparently not.  Though this is a recurring problem with him (he is stubborn about his diet sometimes!) I ask that you please shoot a good thought his way.