Punctured balls.

Who would have thought Sparrows could look so cute and fluffy!

 "When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge 

to test our courage and willingness to change."

~ Paulo Coelho

This was taken whilst we were in the car crossing Harbour Bridge.
I'm amazed that it came out so well.

I needed a morning like this one.

Breath-taking beauty and exuberance in abundance.

Our morning ramble took us to Takapuna.  

Not with my mate Sam as is the norm, but with the significant other.

... who's feeding the sparrows!

Other Carol, she with the exercise fetish, was heading off to Rotorua for the weekend

to participate in yet ANOTHER half-marathon.  

All the better to prepare her and Pete for their Great Wall of China half-marathon in May.

Takapuna Beach

Yes.  She’s nutty in the extreme.

The first bouncing hound!

She missed out on what was a glorious morning’s ramble.

Boulder hopping, rock climbing

and wading through the waves took us further along the coast than usual.  

Taken from the other end of Takapuna Beach before we began boulder-hopping and rock-climbing.

The remoteness is astonishing. 

The scenery breath-taking.

A food for my soul kind of morning.

My world still rocks, even in all it’s chaos.

Our ramble was FULL to the brim of smile-inducing moments.

Especially after meeting Hugo.

He’s a TIGGER in disguise.

He BOUNCES.  Abundantly.

Into the waves AND back out of them.

He’d even give Sam a run for his money with his exuberance and enthusiasm. 

His human had a tale to tell about Hugo and LARGE balls of the rugby and soccer ilk.

Hugo has expensive tastes where balls are concerned.

He used to have a rugby ball like the hound’s which he loved to chase in reserves and on the beach.  

Whilst chasing it at a reserve one day, 

he was distracted by a group of youngsters playing with a soccer ball.  

Another caffeine addict??

Hugo being Hugo discarded his own ball to join in their game.

Hugo being Hugo punctured their soccer ball in his attempt to catch it.

Maybe.

He had to hang his head in shame.  

The ball he’d punctured was a signed World Cup Soccer Ball with a replacement value of $300.  

His owner was left with only mothballs in his wallet after paying for a replacement ball.

No more pocket money for Hugo.

No more rugby or soccer balls either.

We took the warming signs about falling rocks VERY seriously.
These could cause a bit of damage.

The hound can relate to his story.  

She’s managed to burst a fair number of  balls too.

I'm relieved NONE of them were $300 World Cup Soccer Balls!

"Lovely days don't come to you ... you should walk to them."

~ Rumi

This is a whacky fur-ball.  The hound is wet but he has to rub himself all under her tummy
... and then expects to be dried too.
There's something amiss with the 4-legged members of this family