A Walk With My Dog.
Meet Lady
I would like to introduce you to my dog Lady. She is a Golden Retriever mixed with... well, something else. When she walks her tail curls. We suspect that there is some Chow mixed in somewhere. Who knows? We purchased her from a local dog shelter. If you can believe it, she was left to die in the back yard when her old owners moved. The neighbors called the shelter when they realized she had been abandoned.
She did not like sitting still for this photo. If you notice, she is sticking her tongue out at me, I think she has been hanging out with my 10 year old son to long.
Lady is short for Ladybug.
We were fortunate to get her. According to the folks who ran the shelter, several families were interested in her. My wife and 13 year old daughter happened to get there first. While they filled out the paper work that would allow us to bring Lady home, two other people came to get her. One of them was an elderly man who was visibly crushed by the news that we had already claimed her. Had our daughter not been there my wife would have let him have her.
Lady has a wonderful personality and is as smart as a whip. She quickly became a part of the family.
Old Dixie Highway/ Old Brick Road
Lets Go For A Walk Lady
Lady has been waiting all day for a walk; she is so gone. It is about 7PM on April 24th. She has been going stir crazy for the last hour looking at me longingly. The moment I said those magic words "Lets go for a walk Lady" She made a mad dash for the door, where she danced excitedly while she waited for me to open the door.
This road we are on is right in front of my home. It is about a mile and a half long and leads to the Old Brick Road, one of the oldest roads in Flagler County. April is the best time of year to do your walking. All the spring fragrances are in the air and it is a cool 70+ degrees. Most importantly the bugs have not made it out in force yet so these walks are refreshing. I love the scenery
Lady found a smell that slowed her down. This area is the most fragrant on the walk. Honey suckle and wild flowers grow in abundance making me want to stop and smell too. By the way, If you look closely, you can see Lady's curled tail.
I loved the way the sun lit up the trees contrasting between shade and sunlight. There is a real strong smell of roses and there is a gentle breeze making me take my time. Lady will stop and look at me from time to time. She is making sure I am still coming. If she could speak I am sure she would say "Would you hurry up!"
The walk just keeps getting better as we go. This is the most beautiful part of the walk. There is a wonderful line of Old Oak trees that stand guard over the road providing a canopy for shade and a platform for the birds to sing. I felt lucky to be here.
Spanish Moss grows in abundance draped over their branches like grandma's knitted shawl making the oaks appear old, sleepy and wise. I don't think Lady noticed.
Coquina layers.
I found this Coquina out cropping along side the road. Florida doesn't have any rocks to speak of. The only thing we have is Coquina layers. Layers of Sand and shell that has solidified and become hard as stone. All the old forts here in Florida are made of the stuff. Cannon balls would hit the Coquina walls and stick instead of crumbling or shattering the walls.
The Old Brick Road
This road was bricked in 1916, but had been in use long before the bricks were put in place. It was the main road through Flagler County and used to be a part of the Old Dixie Highway stretching from Michigan to Tampa. Pretty cool eh?
You may notice that Lady is not in the picture. That is because she has already started back home. I have enjoyed sharing our walk with you. As the evening begins to fade, Lady and I are going to hurry home before dinner gets cold.
God Bless
ABR