It's a soap opera ... with feathers!

“Your mind is vast. 

Your heart is wide, your soul is deep.  

Do not let anyone make you feel small so they can feel big.  

Your power is within you.  You are extraordinary.” 

~ unknown

I’m one of the luckiest people in the world.  

I get to ramble with the hound each and every day regardless of the weather. 

 I get to commune with nature ... touch base with my soul

 ... witness the world waking up.  

Kick that ball .....

BREATHE in, BREATHE out .... exhale negativity, inhale peace.  Happiness is a choice and I CHOOSE it regardless of the difficulties life keeps throwing our way.  They’re just ANOTHER hill to climb.

She's so gorgeous when she's dry!

Early morning sounds intrigue me.  One would think that at a time of the day when most of the world is still waking, that it would be peaceful .... silent .... STILL even.  

Not so.  

As spring approaches the decibel level of the Dawn Chorus rises.  

I feel a smidgeon of sympathy for those still trying to sleep as we hike to the view-site
 .... but only a smidgeon.  

Sleeping when the sun’s up is sacrilege ... at least in my eyes that is.

Those feathered friends I like to photograph sure know how to make a racket though.

 In my part of the world it’s the Tui and the Bellbird that wake first and initiate the chorus.  

They’re the birds with the largest eyes and large eyes are the most light-sensitive.  

As the sun rises more and more join in until you have a veritable cacophony assaulting your ears.

The little girl Kingfisher was BACK on the beach this morning!

It’s NOT always very musical.

... and sat there as I got closer

Despite calling it a chorus, it isn’t really a chorus at all ..... but a COMPETITION.  

It’s full of intrigue and weighted with consequence.

... and still closer!

Sexual consequence ... particularly in Spring.

Birdsong is all about territory ... ownership .... making a statement 

.... attracting AND keeping a female.

So what’s a male to do when he’s got his female and doesn’t want to lose her?  

He has to rise before the sun's up and woo his mate with song. 

He needs to be ready, eager and willing for copulation the minute she leaves the nest.  

Any delay on his part, any flaw in his song and she’ll be off looking for a more
robust male to father her offspring. 

He who sings LOUDEST and LONGEST and floods his mate’s consciousness with HIS song from the moment she wakes is less likely to be CUCKOLDED.

That early morning spring air is rife with hidden and deceitful liaisons!

It’s a SOAP OPERA .... with feathers!

But back to the present .... and our ramble.

A TRIO of chocolate mousse!

The Labrador Gang was out in force, joined this morning by a whole heap of hounds
 ... big, small, smaller, round, skinny, old, young ... you name it, it was there.  

Balls changed paws, teeth were bared.  

Bandit got nipped on his ear, not that he even noticed.  

As is his wont he was determinedly trying to herd Sam along the shoreline but Sam WON’T be herded.  

Bandit even took to grabbing Sam’s tail as he swam out to retrieve his ball.

Our Labs have one-track minds though and despite all the distractions and interference, the rugby ball was priority number ONE.  I lost count of the number of times Keith and Sarah and I tossed rugby ball after rugby ball after yellow ball into the waves.  

The yellow ball was Bessie’s but she was monopolising one of the rugby balls so the yellow ball got left in the waves ... temporarily.

A rather TIRED Bessie!

Eventually after much to-ing and fro-ing Sam fetched the yellow ball and dropped it on the sand .... luckily for Keith.  He might have had to wade out and save it, not something he would have wanted to do on his day off!

“Whatever you do mindfully is meditation.” 

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

A rather muddy Sam!