Our Farm Walk, 2 months later; photo heavy

[Freedom]

Hey everyone! We have been going to the “farm walk,” as I call it, quite a bit. There have been many changes since I first took you on this walk in March! (You can see the introduction to this walk here:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=walkies

We start at the bottom, follow the red line, then switch to the blue line on the way back to the car.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...llRoutemap.jpg

You may recall that the field is planted, and the conservation group has an arrangement with a local farmer, he will use it for hay for his farm animals. Last time around, the grasses were just that: grass to walk on. NO LONGER!



The grasses are now shoulder high on a human. For a fluff? The grass makes a wall! Marlin isn’t sure which way to go! LOL


My diva dog, Sugar, sits and waits for instructions.


While Lacey gives a hop over a little grass clump.


The entry way always has lots of good smells; most dogs get out of their car and “go” right at the start, lol.


“I don’t think this is the right way, Mum!” - Marlin




Stand by, more photos coming!

[Freedom]

Volunteers from the conservation group come through and maintain the paths for public use.


It is mostly single file walking. On occasion, I do stop and pick up each one, let them take a look around and get their bearings. I will turn in a complete circle - slowly, so they can see every which way.


There are still good smells on either side, and not just from other dogs!


But even adventurous Tasha doesn’t go in too deep before backing out and coming after me.


We had to stop and wait for Lacey to catch up, she found a REALLY good smell to sniff!


Looking across to the houses, their backyards are much more private now.


There was a nice breeze, and the grasses were flowing.


Here, you can see them moving in the breeze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miSa7wbuicU

The farmer has already been through and harvested one section. We didn’t see him at all, boo hoo. That area is all reseeded!


Lots more to come!

[Freedom]

Tasha (front to back), Sugar, Marlin, Lacey.


They don’t normally walk single file, so Sugar tries a pass.


Adventurous Tasha is not interested in giving up the lead, so she veers off into grass . . .


And finds the open field, lol!




Tasha cuts back in – ahead of ME as well!


You can see the results of the deluge of rain we had in April, when there was all the flooding. The grasses are much shorter in the flooded area, and spring right up in the back.


It is not really ALL grass! There are clumps of clover as well.


Marlin and Lacey emerge from the path with walls of grass, into the area with short grass due to the prior flood.


More walkies pics on the way.

[Freedom]

We have a space with short grass so we can spread out. Whew! And see the white wild roses on the left? They are highly fragrant, so this entire stretch smells LOVELY! (To me, not to the dogs, he hee).


Smiley face Tasha shows you large purple clover, smaller white clover, and a yellow flower.


The flooded area didn’t recover well; the farmer will need to reseed it.


Another shot of the wild roses; I have some in my backyard at home as well.


The little yellow flowers grow low to the ground.


Tasha and Marlin head back into an overgrown area.


I think these are called Michealmas Daisies.


There are buttercups all mixed in as well. Do you see the honey bee? Big problem here, as over 1/3 of the honey bee hives died over the winter. Not clear how the farmers are going to manage to get their crops pollinated!


A close up of the wild roses.


Isn't this walk fun? Stand by, will show you some more.

[Freedom]

Now we are at the end of the fields and entering the wooded area. Lots of changes here as well. It is all overhanging with trees, vines, leaves, and ground cover!


Marlin and Tasha pause to cool down in the shade.


The canopy is so dense, my camera turned on the automatic flash for this photo!


So I shut off the flash for this one.


Tasha, Sugar, Marlin and Lacey.


Beautiful ferns have sprouted in the undergrowth!




Tasha: “something has been through here!” (She missed the rabbit, te hee)


“What IS that smell from?” (Tasha has not yet seen a rabbit, so the scent it unfamiliar to her.)


There is still more to see, coming right up.

[Freedom]

Cool path through the woods, under dense canopy.


The leaves cut the sight lines down a lot compared to what we could see in March.


And you can’t see the reservoir as easily now, either!


I had to find a gap in the trees.


See the ripples? Those are from the breeze, as the current is actually in the opposite direction.


Water lilies have appeared along the edge.


Back out into the open (and the hot sun!) along the reservoir.

[Freedom]

This is where the Canadian geese hang out.


Tasha loves to burst out of the woods and race along the open grass, flushing any geese there may be (there were not any the day I took the camera).


Reed grasses have also appeared since March.


I’ve never seen these yellow flowers before. There are many on a branch, they aren’t petals but more like oblong balls! Very tiny.


Since this is where the geese hang out, they poop their green “tootsie rolls” all over the area. This is what is looks like after it is smushed:


By Tasha! (the photos of her I took on the walk, I still had the zoom on, you couldn’t see a thing, just blurs. So I had to take her photos again at home before her bath.)


It is necessary to get some under your ears.


She missed one side, and wants to return. NO!


Going to return to the car soon . . . .

[Freedom]

We cut back to the field to return to the car. Marlin knows the way now!


Back into the wall of grasses.


Sugar: “Which way, Mum?”


There is a main path on the right. We took that regularly for over a month. Then one day I took the less used left path. Marlin is very rigid in his routines; HE went on the right hand path! I kept calling to him and eventually he came bounding THROUGH THE GRASSES! He he heee. I pulled that a second time a few days later. Marlin just kept on going on HIS path, and met us up at the car.

Marlin knows the way and strides out:


Sugar goes ahead as well.


Purple flower


I just get such a kick out of watching fluffs “bounce” as they walk!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83DtAgKO4-I

Off they go, around the final turn and to the car.


Thank you for joining us yet again on our walkies!

[MonicanHonda]

Wow, everything got so green! I just love summer time. Everything is so much more prettier. It really looks like a lot of fun! What an awesome walking place.

[Freedom]

Thanks, Monica! We are enjoying it.

Funny thing. We see other folk and thir dogs are running here, sniin there, dashin through the grass. My crew stay fairly close to . . . ME! Everyone we meet there comments on it, he hee. They are surprised, as they get closer, to see I have all off leash.

[chocolatepuppy]

What a nice place to walk your dogs!

[Freedom]

Yes, it really is. I can't believe it took me THREE YEARS to find this, and it is less than 3 miles from home, he hee.

[Karen]

The "little yellow flowers" in the first picture you labeled as such are cinq foil - "five petal" in French. The purple flowers are vetch, which is poisonous to cows. What an adventure for the fluffs!

[Freedom]

Hey, thank you Karen!

Wow, I know there was one field, I haven't included a photo of it, they said they had something "bad" in there and had to harvest and burn and entire crop. Perhaps that was the vetch. The one plant I saw and photographed was close to the area mentioned.

I find I "observe" Nature so much more since having dogs in my life (again).