Yesterday morning when we hiked into Brown Lake we found it especially calm and peaceful with only this one small tree displaying its fall colours. Being the only bit of colour amongst all the green I found it stunning.
I considered this to be a hike honouring Kody as Sunday was the one year anniversary of his death and this was Kody’s and my special ‘go to’ place. I anticipated Sheila and I experiencing solitude and being able to reflect. That wasn’t to be as the farmer’s dog from the farm we walk through decided to join us, for the entire hike. When we got to the lake there was a fisherman enjoying himself – right at my spot. I don’t recall ever encountering another soul in the 12 years I’ve been coming here. And then the dog – she was not well behaved, begged for our snacks, attempted to get into our laps, went swimming, rolled in the leaves and then shook all over us. So much for ‘reflection’.
When we arrived back from our hike I was so pleased to see Rob, the owner of the property and the dog, and have time to chat. We got to talking about how long I’ve been hiking through his property, how much we each love dogs, how life’s been for me this past year without Kody, and, I shared that I now have my name on a litter expected later this month. British Golden Retriever, just like Kody. He’s a dog lover and has always had a dog in his life. He shared the stories of the various dogs that came into his life and ended with some wise words of wisdom for me as I consider the arrival of a new puppy – He’s learned that each of his dogs, regardless of their challenges or behaviour always brings a special gift or purpose for that particular stage of his life. Lovely words for me to ponder. As we stood talking, his dog was well behaved, lying at his feet, happy after her morning of exercise.
