How NOT to test your dogs shock collar

So, Today I was planning on doing some over due cleaning.

Cooper had other ideas.

As I kept on doing my work, Cooper kept on whining. His whine is more like a whistle through his nose.

It's a dogs equivalent to your child saying Mom, mom, mom, mommy, hey mom, mom.

It can become really annoying. Like this morning.

Now, last night it snowed, the temperatures dropped and going outside wasn't high on my list, at least not until after I got my work done since a long walk in the cold makes me sleepy.

I kept working and he kept... whistling.

(sigh)

Who wants to clean house anyway

so, I called my walking friend and she was ready for the trek to the quarry.

The quarry in summer

Today it did not look like this.

Anyway, back to the walk prep. I had to put layers and layers on, find my headband to cover my ears and put on my cool orange boots that are great in water. We had lots of rain yesterday before the snow started so I knew we would have to walk through a lot of water.

During all of this, Cooper's excitement escalated! He knows my walking clothes. He proceeds to jump and bark and get all excited.

I hate this and just want to hurry up and get on the road so he will stop.

I have to explain here that we use the "Pet Safe" electronic pet containment system, which is a very nice system by the way. But early on, the actual shock freaked Cooper out to where he wouldn't leave the porch, so I turned off the shock part because just hearing the tone sent him running back with in the boundary. Well, over the past year he has figured out that the shock wasn't coming and has been wandering the neighborhood stealing other dogs bones. (Another story for another blog). I had to change the settings last week to put on the shock. I didn't want him getting hit by a car or going to dogie jail for theft.

I wanted to get the point across so I didn't start with whimpey 1 or 2

I went up to the next to last level #5!

I don't believe in wasting time teaching a lesson.

Well, in my hurry to stop the excitement my dog was experiencing I forgot to take off his shock collar....Woopsie!

As I began to back out of the driveway Cooper began to yelp very loudly and persistently. Over and over and over.

OMG!! I forgot the collar, I had on thick gloves so I couldn't get it undone.

He kept yelping, I started to panic.

I drove forward back into the boundary but it wouldn't stop!

Finally I got it off and out of the car, because even though it wasn't on his neck anymore the sound was freaking him out.

I got back in the car and he was trembling. I felt so bad. Did I traumatize my poor baby? Was he going to have a stroke?

Nah. After we pulled out on the road he began his excited whistle, whine of excitement about going to the quarry, which he loves.

Please don't turn me in to the dogie police. I love my dog and hate that this happened but I have to tell you I was laughing quite a lot as I retold the story to my husband when we got home and now I am sure the shock part is working.

Don't worry, we had a nice long relaxing nap on the couch when we got home.

He is a very pampered dog.

Charleston close-up

One of my favorite things is to walk through Charleston S.C. photographing things close-up that just says "Charleston" to me. This is how I bring a bit of this beautiful city home with me.

A walk through the neighborhood

Garden urn

fennel

garden cherub

iron gate

These images will be available in my Etsy store Sunday March 28th

Have a great weekend!

Beginning to thaw

For the first time in over 1 month I was able to walk the whole perimeter of the lower half of the golf course. The snow has melted enough to see grass in some areas making it possible to walk without difficulty. As I walked just before sunset it was so beautiful to see the trees silhouetted against the colorful sky. I love winter and all the snow has been beautiful but just seeing the grass peak out and the beautiful sunset did make me long for the coming buds on the trees and early spring flowers to poke their heads out. I'm not letting winter go yet. It is only early March in Ohio so anything is possible!

Today was a better day and a good walk with God in nature always help!

Things That Go Bump In The Night

On my walk today, Cooper decided to go into the woods. Since all the foliage is gone, I can see to follow the deer paths through the inner part of the woods and follow him. I get to see areas I normally can't see in the summer.

The weather has been a bit gloomy lately and today was drizzly and dark.

The twisted grapevines and gnarly bushes made for an eerie site.

I was beginning to feel how eerie the woods seemed when a hawk cried out as it flew out of a tree above me. Warning the animals of my arrival.

But

as he continued to circle I wondered if he was warning me of something

lurking in there.

As I wound myself around the path to get out into the meadow

I heard a strange sound.

not quite an animal sound

not quite human either.

Then I heard it again

a

screeching

sound

still not sure what it was.

I

stopped,

looked

up,

the bare trees were swaying against the dark foreboding clouds

and they were moaning with the wind.

There really wasn't anything scary there. It was all in my imagination. It was just nature making winter sounds. I am thankful for my imagination, it made my normal walk a little bit more interesting today.

Come Walk With Me

Since I share about my walks with Cooper so much, I thought I share the woods behind my home where I do most of my walking with Cooper. If we go at the right time and the golfers are gone this time of year we will also walk on the golf course. I will share photos from there another time. So sit back relax and enjoy a wonderful stroll through my woods.

This is the path behind my house that connects to the entrance into the woods. Unfortunately, I can't cut through our yard to this path right now because it is full of poison ivy! I barrow my neighbors backyard in the summer to cut across.

Entrance into the woods on the way to the meadow. Isn't this a beautiful site? These trees have to be 30 ft tall.

further on the path to the meadow.

The meadow. There are 2 paths off to the right you can take or we go forward to the other end and left and it opens into the golf course.

Honeysuckle abounds here!

Deer path off to the side.

Side path

Pretty flowers (weeds)

Trees. Love the texture here.

Cooper running through the high grass.

For comic relief I thought I'd include what I am usually looking at!

Wild Phlox are my favorite! I hope you enjoyed your walk today. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Winter

my walk shadows

winter fireworks

diamonds

Most every day my dog Cooper and I take a walk. On these walks I find a lot of my images. On one very snowy evening and the next morning I took my camera to see what I could find. I know most of us are sick of winter but there are still several weeks of winter left and I want to share these images before we get to where we can not appreciate the beauty of the coldest months. I will be posting more images from these walks but I will start with these images. I hope they inspire you today.