A Walk In The Woods

I am almost caught on up the posts that have been sitting in my draft folder for months, which is why some of these blogs may seem redundant. I do spend a lot of time at Forney Creek and my puppies regularly make me smile and do ridiculous things that I want to remember for always; hence what appears to be (but is actually not) duplicate posts about the same places seemingly over and over again. 

Because we are lucky enough to live near trails that not too many people frequent, I am almost always able to unleash our pups and let them run free while I am walking through the woods. I love this for them as I can see how happy they are running around like nuts and seeking out the places their noses bring them. Plus, an added benefit for me is that it tires them both out in a way that walking on a leash does not. Anyone with a dog under two can attest that tiring out a puppy is a godsend. 

This puppy loves sticks in a way none of our other dogs have before. And it's weird because he only likes certain sticks, although to my human eye I cannot tell what makes a good stick worthy of playing with verse a bad one, but Miles sure knows. 

Taking a hiking break to chew on his stick for a moment or two. 

There is a very small wooden deck that I am standing on with a beaver den right behind it. The path in front of us tends to flood when it rains which makes it a little bit scary for me as there is a good amount of water year-round on the left and right of this narrow trail. 

Miles has been so good for Max in so many ways. Before Miles, Maxi did not play like a dog. Now he does - even if he's not as exuberant as Miles would like him to be. 

Now for a little dip in the swampy waters too cool off. (Ew,)

This 5-pointed leaf caught my eye. I thought it was cool. 

This kid will go to the ends of the earth to try and make new friends. He isn't specie specific either. Dogs, cats, ducks, geese, birds, deer...you name it, and Miles will try and be friends with it. Here is trying to swim out to some Mallards to make friends with them. They, obviously, have no desire to do so. 

Trying again to befriend the Mallards...

And again...

I thought this spider web was both extremely cool and extremely scary. It was huge! (Not to mention the freaking ginormous spider in the center of it. Eek!)

A storm had recently brought down this tree and the park rangers decided to make a spot to sit at the end of the trail before heading back the 2+ miles to the trailhead. 

I was trying to count the rings to see how old this tree was, but wasn't very successful. I then looked at the growth of the rings to see which years were very wet and which were dry, drought-like conditions. 

A foggy, misty morning over the pond. 

Max digging to China while his buddy looks on and supports him. 

I was trying to take a picture of some mushrooms that I had found, and just as I snapped my picture a little boy I know got right into the frame, stealing the show. 

Said mushrooms.

The work of the beavers.

One of my all-time favorite pictures of this guy. Running at full speed, ears flapping, tongue hanging out of his mouth coming to get his buddy Max,

Those ears!

Miles would swim in manure if there was enough water in it. That little boy loves, loves, loves to swim. Max is a bit more discriminating in his watering holes.  

The beaver dam. I swear these two ding-dongs are going to fall through the roof of the beaver family's home one of these days. 

More shenanigans