To insanity and beyond ...: SOME people think I talk a lot

My beautiful Rangitoto

Hmmm .... sometimes talking a lot works!!

The view as we walk down the road

We’re led to believe that the customer is ALWAYS right ... even when they arrive at your premises before opening time!! Our local coffee haunt opened early for us this morning ... I guess Pete didn’t really have a choice. The lights weren’t on but he was fixing something inside and looked up .... don’t think he quite expected to see the 3 of us waving manically at him through the glass! It worked though .... he came to the door to tell us the addiction-fixing machine was on and our fix would be ready in a few minutes ... yee haaa!!
Thank you Pete!

Sunshine and shadows!

I get the feeling Pete thinks I talk too much .... hmmmm. When filling up the water bowl for the hounds he made some cheeky remark to Julia about having to ensure it’s ALWAYS full otherwise he NEVER hears the end of it ..... sideways glance at me!!
Me ... talk too much .... ?? Yeah right ........ BIG Tui moment for Pete!

I love my morning rambles .... they’re on a par with my enjoyment of my daily caffeine fix! They start my day off on the right foot ... it’s like getting out of bed on the wrong side - it can put your whole day into disarray. I’ve never really worked out why there’s a wrong side to the bed but nevertheless, you get my drift ... my day has an awesome start when I get to ramble with the hound and anyone else who might choose to join me!

It makes me wonder why more people don't walk ... maybe time is an issue. You don’t need any special equipment, apart from good walking shoes ... and possibly a hound. You don’t need any special training .... just an affinity with the big wide world out there and the ability to look and really ‘see’!

I am astounded at how different my world can look each day .... I’m in awe of what I see around me ... both on glorious sunny days and the days when it’s raining cats and dogs. There is something magical about these rambles .... I get to be at one with nature.

Indy having a sand bath .... he loves them!

I get to see the early morning dew on the spiders webs ... the neighbourhood cats as they make their way home after their night-time meanderings ... the eager birds foraging for worms in the grass ... on rainy days I get to see raindrops on roses .... and on the end of my nose! Some of my favourite photographs have been taken on rainy days! Julia even got to see a Kingfisher this morning .... she was so lucky - he’s an infrequent sight on our early morning rambles!

I come back with a renewed vigour for whatever life might throw at me ... an ability to see with more clarity than before. Rambling every day clears the cobwebs from my mind ... not that there were many there to start with, you understand ... but any that might have formed overnight are rapidly blown away!

Would that I could bottle the satisfaction I feel as I wash the hound down after these rambles .... she stands there patiently as the cold water washes over her ... as I rub all the sand out of her fur .... wouldn’t take quite as long if she didn’t roll in the sand quite as much!
Her expectations in life are simple .... to be loved ... to be fed ... to be walked ... nothing more, nothing less.