Exploring at the end of the day...

As the dogs watched the shadows fall and had resigned themselves to the thought of no walk today, I surprised them both with the promise of an outing. Domino paces until I am equipped with all the necessities and no amount of reprimands can stop his anxiety that I may let the light fade completely.

He's been a bit more demanding lately which is good for a dog who is sure that if something goes wrong he must be at fault somehow. Domino is the biggest worrier I have ever known and sometimes I have to tell him that no, he is not going to die because I didn't give him my sandwich. He is prone to twitching when he concentrates on something and the thought that he may not get something can send him into tremors. So it is good to see him a bit more confident lately.

There's been several times that I almost took him into the vet for an emergency upon seeing him racked by a bout of shaking, only to discover the cause is something as simple as Charm absconding with his favorite bone. Somewhere along the line Domino has learned this is a good strategy. I think maybe he should be an actor because it is a pretty pathetic looking ploy.

So we wandered here and there, in the approaching twilight. Drawn off the trail by little sights along the way. The tiger lilies are emerging in the old clearing left over from the quarry days, I suppose. It is an odd place where little else grows.

As though something toxic had once poisoned this place and the ruins of the old days still lie, with time not touching them very much.

Old railway ties make easy steps up the slope on one side, so we took an off trail route which called for many detours due to fallen trees.

While the dogs searched among jumbles of rocks for anything of interest, I enjoyed the view.

The wind caught anything I focused on, flipping it out of lens view as if by intent.

In places the shadows caught us and the forest was quiet and comforting in spite of the shadows.

Overhead the air was filled with the honks of passing geese, hurrying to their night roosts somewhere to the north.

Sometimes heard and not seen and others quick glimpses of V-shaped formations through the trees.

We might usually cut our walk short due to failing light, but not today.

The light had a misty quality to it and the trail just called us ahead.

Such stark contrasts between the gray of the forest and the colors of the rocks...as though roles were reversed and the stone was the only living thing to be seen.

Where the forest seems to be somewhat barren, the rocks provided anchors for lichens.

Reaching the top, the light washed out everything below us.

Charm and Domino happily bounding back looking expectantly for treats every few minutes.

While they engaged in dizzying wrestling matches along the cliff's edge which I have grown much accustomed to, I continued my own explore.

Catching tiny pools of light where I could.

They often stop to admire the view themselves and I sometimes wonder what they make of it?

Because they seem just as intent on the visual as on the smells carried on the wind.

Today at least the smell of skunk which has lingered here the past week has passed. I love this old willow on the lake's edge...so old I can't imagine.

As always seems to be the case, the surprises wait until the end of our walk as we head home. This time it is a groundhog who has sought refuge in a tree until the dogs pass by. They often seek refuge in the trees and I wonder if this is perhaps why the forest is so devoid of squirrels?

I am not sure what type of omen tree-dwelling groundhogs are, they are definitely not concerned with shadows.