We went for a long walk in the deep woods today with Red and Fate and my daughter Emma and her husband Jay. I have to admit, as the first anniversary of my open heart surgery looms (July 1) that I was grateful to be making that hike so easily and comfortably, I could not have even attempted it one year ago today.

We also had this adorable pest with us, Fate loves the walks in the woods, she goes off leash and stays close to us, she rolls in every bit of mud, eats every disgusting things, brings us dead frogs, large beetles and unspeakable droppings. When we got back, I turned the hose on her, telling her it was no more than she deserved. She didn’t like her first bath, struggling and whining, so she ate a pansy.