Saturday 13 February 2010

Across the Pond

It was a brilliantly sunny day today... ambient temps hovering around -11C... but a biting wind from the north dropped it to a 'feel' of -20C. Despite the nip in the air, the dog and I headed to the local off leash park for a run about. Or a walk about for me and a trundle about for her. Zoë rarely actually runs full out these days. She's just past 6 1/2 but is getting grey on her chin and a noticeable slowing down. She's never been a speed demon, even in her younger years, but a steady jog is more her tempo these days.

She does, however, still get quite excited when we get suited up for a walk, and even more so when she sees the keys for the Blazer come out. Then she knows we're going to the dog park!


To stay as much out of the wind as possible, we headed for the creek bed, to follow the wide and winding reed lined path.


The reeds, reddish golden with a few cattails still intact, stand taller than my 5'9". This shot was taken at eye level.



Looking back from whence we came.



The creek feeds into a pond which, in summer, is home to many ducks and geese. A lot of dogs love to swim and play in it as well. Zoë has yet to get her toes more than barely wet. As far as she is concerned, water is for drinking... out of a bowl. If you have to step in it to get at it, she wants nothing to do with it! So this time of year is the only time she's ever actually 'in' the pond.



That's the entrance to the creek way behind the dog. It's a well used path. Sometimes, especially early in winter, the pond is actually bare ice. Recently we've had a few good snowfalls, so you'd not know you were walking on water.



A view from up on the shore. It's a good sized pond. Nice that it is part of the dog park and not a skating pond. There are so few areas in the city where dogs can run loose that this park is heavily frequented by carousing canines and their human companions.



Here Zoë stops to say hi to one of the people. She's always much more interested in humans than the other dogs, as she knows just about everyone will stop and pet her. She suckers them in every time!



Heading back towards the parking lot, the early evening sun was blinding. By this time, I'd warmed up enough from the brisk walk that I had fogged up my sunglasses and had to take them off to see anything at all!



Even in winter, she drools. Only this time of year, it is frozen in thick lines of ice wrapped abstractly around her face each time she shakes her head. She had a great time!



The setting sun's warm glow caught the rosy-ness of my cheeks in the rear view mirror on the drive home. No, that's not a tear in my eye... just another reflection off the truck glinting at me.

17 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos, especially the last one!

    Despite the frozen drool, Zoë is very dignified.

    That looks like it was a special day out.

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  2. Thanks, XL!

    It was a great walk. Zoë is the most laid back dog you'll ever meet.

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  3. It all looks rather lovely, even in the middle of winter. My mum has a dog, and I love going off for a wander with him. In fairness, he takes *me* for a walk! :)

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  4. Nice photies hen, and I would have to say that the last one is divinely sexy in appearance.
    There is something captured in your eye that tells me you have a certain hunger.

    ...and I have just the banquet prepared for which you so desire.

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  5. A nice walk in the park. Happy Sunday to you.

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  6. The light in these photos is extraordinary, and I love to get a glimpse of your Zoe.

    And yes, that last photo is beautiful--the intensity of the eye!

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  7. Helga: As us Northern Folk know, if you don't get outside even in the cold weather, you will wither away. We're tough...

    My dog isn't allowed to walk me... ;-)

    Aye, Jimmy... a hunger that so needs to be fed. I'll be right over.

    Mago: A lovely walk, thank you! And a happy Sunday to you too, my friend!

    Leah: It was late afternoon so the sun was already plummeting from the sky. Zoë is quite photogenic, isn't she?

    Thanks... That intensity scares some people but it's more just a combination of the eye colour and the way my face is built.

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  8. "eye colour and the way my face is built"

    Regal Viking genes! :)

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  9. XL: You bet! :-) My eyes are very much like my dad's - Mum had brown eyes.

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  10. My parents and sister: blue eyes. Moi: green.

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  11. XL: Dad - blue, Mum - brown. Sisters: one hazel, one blue, one green (and me blue). Brothers: both blue. Mum was disappointed that none of us got her brown eyes!

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  12. Good photos. Seems like you're having fine weather out there.....

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  13. Your Zoe and my Bou would get along great! He's actually learned the command, "Shake it off!" so that the drool stays outdoors and not in the house.

    Nice photos! Our snow lasted about 24 hours, which is enough for me. :) But I can't get over how TALL those reeds were! That's 8 inches taller than me. ;0

    Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day.

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  14. Madame: Very bright and sunny, but cold with that horrible north wind (feels like -18C out there right now). But I dress for it and still go out... can't really hibernate up here. ;-)

    Hope: And those are dead reeds! I'll take pics in the summer when they are green so you can see the difference. Although I won't be standing 'on' the creek when I do... it's rather wet at that time of year!

    What breed of dog is your Bou? I've tried to teach Zoë 'shake' when we're outside... rare that she gets it, even after more than six years of trying. She just doesn't care... :-\

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  15. Zoë is a beautiful dog and a wonderful non-human companion (I'll leave the other to Jimmy B.).

    Our little rescue dog is a Pom and he walks to the leash every morning at 5. Today, being Sunday, he went out at 9 and met all of his neighborhood buddies--a serious sniff-a-thon ensued. Then he had a hearty breakfast of dry stuff, went back to bed, and snored to his heart's content.

    It's good to be a dog.

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  16. Bou, and his Dad Smokey are Chocolate Labs. Check out my blog for Saturday and there are lots of pictures of them. :)

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  17. What gorgeous photographs!

    Actually, it's easy for me to forget over here in these tropical climes that in some places the ice gets thick enough to walk on safely. Some people tried it here during our recent Cold Spell and far too many found it wasn't really that thick after all :-/

    I have to confess that I'm no great fan of dogs as pets, but they do make wonderful walking companions :-)

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