Tag: adventure

Keeping Perspective

Hello friends!

Well, when the clock sprang forward into daylight saving time, my hoomans took the leap into springtime projects! They didn’t waste any time and got straight to it with family get-togethers, sporting events, and celebrations. The months of April and May whirled by in a cloud of pollen, baseball, and caps & gowns. This left a lot of time for me to get out exploring! I hosted celebrations of my own as the woods came back to life with frogs, ferns, and fawns!

As I sat creekside preparing to share my springtime adventures, it dawned on me that Spring is already over and we are full-on into Summer! I guess I must have lost the tracks of my time! I know I spent quite a bit of it inspecting wildflowers. Wildflower discovery is one of my ALL TIME favorite adventures. This Spring, the Trillium grew to be as big as my HEAD, and the violas were bursting with all kinds of colors. Heck even the Jack-in-the-pulpits were super-sized this year. Or where they….?

As I inspected these colorful newcomers to my woods, I checked them out from every angle. As I did, I learned sometimes you see what you expect to see. Sometimes, things look different up close, and sometimes, things can appear completely opposite. Even the Maidenhair ferns cast illusions. Are the stems black or invisible? I can almost trick my eyes into seeing the leaves floating on no stems at all. Are they magical? 

Of course ferns are not magical silly! And the trillium is not really the size of my head needer. Just because things are shown in a certain light, it doesn’t make it a reality. There are so many different ways to look at things. Oftentimes, we see things just a bit differently from each other. Sometimes things are cropped out so we don’t see the whole picture – and never really know what’s going on. Sure, we all like to angle things in our favor, but nobody has it exactly right all the time. 

So, friends, as we move into the season of summertime socializing, let’s remember to keep things in perspective. Be open to looking at things from each other’s point of view. If you do, you may be surprised how much better you understand your friends and how much bigger the world will become to explore! 

 I’ll bark at you next month.

Your friend,

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Spring Breaks

Hello friends! 

It has been furever since my last adventure! My hooman had a setback a few months ago and needed some recovery time. So, my canine adventures were put on paws for a little while. When my hooman doesn’t feel well, it is my duty to sit by her side and supervise the healing process. My canine cure is to watch my hooman VERY closely and never let her out of my sight. So, to speed up the process, I sat ON her until she was well enough to go exploring. 

It wasn’t easy giving up my adventures and sticking by her side. I was tempted more than once to venture out without her, but I patiently waited (and waited and waited). Although it took longer than she originally promised, the day finally came when she got back on her feet, and I had the chance to get out exploring. I couldn’t wait to see what changes old man winter had made in my neck of the woods.  

As I trotted down my tree line trail for the first time in 3 months, my heart thumped with anticipation of what I would discover. I had forgotten how great it felt to have the cool mud squish between my toes and sniff the fresh smells of the pine and hemlock trees. Even though I’ve walked the path a thousand times before, the first hike of the season always fills me with wonder and excitement. Once I reached the bottom of the hill, the creek gurgled a familiar “hello” as the old oak trees seemed bowed down, welcoming me into the shadowy woods. I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding. “Hello, creek”, I whispered. “It is good to see you again”. 

Isn’t it amazing how returning to a familiar place can bring you back to vivid memories with all the feelings to match? Every step I took echoed a memory of past adventures. Like the time when my nephew Disco saw the creek for the first time and the joy I felt that he liked my creek as much as I do. Or the day I discovered a red-tailed hawk’s feather, and the awe of knowing that such a cool bird lives in the same woods I get to explore. So many thoughts and emotions filled my heart. I really missed this place, and I could not believe I went so long without it. 

I wondered past my thinking log, where so many times I have contemplated many of life’s challenges. I trotted past the dog brushing station (still littered with my old dog hair), and warm thoughts of my hooman caring for me filled my heart. I ducked under the frog tree, now sloping into the water and groping at the river bank. The familiarity of knowing I will discover a tree frog clinging to it on summer days gives me hope for warmer days to come. I thought of my hoomans. The ones that are with me and those that have gone on to other adventures – and I thanked the woods for letting me enjoy all the time we had together there. As my mind continued to wander down memory lane, the sun began to set. I knew even daylight saving time couldn’t rescue me from the fact that my hiking time was up. So I bid good night to my woodland friends and turned my tail toward home, my heart full of hope for future memories I get to make.  

So friends, as spring breaks and we all get moving again – be sure to mark your adventures with memories. Take pictures in your mind. Then take some time to wander down your own memory lane and be grateful for all your adventures past.

Thank you for joining me on my Hiking Jack Canine Adventures. Please invite a friend to subscribe, and I will bark at you soon!

Your friend, 

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Get Packing!

Hello friends!

Fall is in full bloom in my woods! The salmon will begin swimming upstream soon and the leaves are starting to turn all kinds of beautiful colors. Fall is the most exicitng of all seasons in my Great Lakes State! The only issue I have with this season is that you have to pay careful attention. This one zips by the fastest of all, and once those gorgeous leaves fall…they are gone for good until next spring. And we all know that Old Man Winter is lurking in night air, just waiting to swoop in and blow his snow-filled icy blasts in our direction. Brrrr…I shiver at the thought!

January 2024

Because this season moves so quickly, it is EXTRA important to surround yourself with those you love. Those who will celebrate the good times but also help you brace for whatever comes next. My pack does that for me. Last month we gathered together A LOT. Almost every week we were doing something. Sometimes we were celebrating and sometimes we were sad, but the best times were when we got together for no special reason at all.

My Pack: Disco, Abby, Wags and Me!

My pack has the best time just being together. We do the things that are familiar to us – like zoomies around the yard, a game of chase, or just cuddlin on the couch. Sometimes when our bellies are full, we lay around listening to our hoomans chatter and laugh. That’s the thing about being part of a pack. We can have fun doing nothing special. It is our instinct to want to band together. We know we can always count on each other. We lean in and protect each other from danger. We know our pack only gets stronger and better when we are together.

Me and my nephew Disco

Since we all live in different places, it can be tough to see each other – so we really have to make an effort. This month, my pack will split up and be far away from each other for awhile. Some will head South, others out West and my little nephew Disco lives a couple hours East of me. In the upcoming months, we may not see each other much, but when we do – I know it will be just like old times. I miss them when we are a part, but I know one day we will be together again. Just the idea of being reunited fills my heart with hope and joy.

So friends, it is time to get packing! Reach out to those you love and make an effort to spend time with each other – for no special reason at all. The leaves will be gone soon and winter will be barking at the door. So while the sun is still shining…spend time with those that love you the most. After all, we are all stronger and better together.

Bark at you in November!

Your friend,

P.S. In case you missed my September Canine Adventure check out Current Events. You can always subscribe to get my stories emailed everymonth too – that way you won’t miss a trick. 😉