Nature on My Morning Walk, #echoesofmyneighborhood #4

 

Photo: A wonderful juxtaposition- A Florida palm and a Canadian Goose!

Come with me on a morning walk through my neighborhood.  Today was a treat, with visits from geese, ducks, and squirrels in addition to our usual view of flora and fauna.  They seem to love our lakes in my duplex community.  My dog was in canine heaven!  I didn’t get up as early as I’d like, so the sun was in its full glory and the brightness shows in my photographs.  The sunlight seems quite powerful here in Florida.  Still, there was plenty of nature around for me to photograph and enjoy!  It sure got Bixby excited…

Have I ever mentioned how life-changing it is when you haven’t had a dog in a long time, and then you welcome one into your heart and home again?  Since adopting Bixby, I have seen more nature and more sunrises than I had seen in the last ten years, at least! The responsibility of taking him out to relieve himself doesn’t feel much like responsibility on a summer day, when I am on my own time.  It is more of a pleasure, and sometimes an adventure.  He loves running into some wildlife on our walks!  What a splendid way to get closer to nature.

“Just let go of the leash, Mom.  We’ll make it look like an accident.”

Sure, those geese can be loud and messy (think of the poor sidewalk), but I really like hearing their call.  I think Bixby does too.  He looks a little frustrated here.  I think he wanted to get much closer to them than I would allow. 😉  Well, I’ve heard they can be quite mean when they feel threatened.

Let’s not forget about ducks!  This is right before they took flight.  They sensed they were being stalked….

Ears automatically perk up when we see more feathered friends.

Sometimes Bixby will pull on that leash and get right up close to those birds.  That’s when they fly off, making all kinds of panicky, warning noises.  He looks back at me as if to smile, saying, “See, it was just in good fun.”  Perhaps it’s just part of the adventure of life for him.  I call him my furry toddler.  He helps me see lots of things through the eyes of a child and that is such a pick-me-up.  He seems to have a forever toddler’s spirit.

The birds have all run off.  He tried to chase some squirrels, too, but those things will skitter up a tree so quickly, I couldn’t even get them on camera!  Bixby stands at the base looking up, as if he’s wondering, How did they get up there?  He truly seems to stand there and think about it for a few minutes.  He seems really curious about the water, but I don’t think he wants to jump in.  Well, I’m not really sure.  At any rate, it was a great morning for a walk in my neighborhood!

Echoes of My Neighborhood is a Thursday blog challenge, initiated by fellow blogger Jacqueline Obyikocha, who blogs at http://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com .  Jacqueline is very supportive of other bloggers and always inspires me with her poetry and photography.  Please stop by and peruse her blog.  While there, you should also visit her Echoes of My Neighborhood posts, or you can get to them directly at http://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/category/travel-2/dubai/echos-of-my-neighbourhood/   You won’t be disappointed!