There's a pathway that we call the 'Lord of the Rings Way' right across the street from our home; a relatively hidden way cuts up behind the local gas station, leading straight into the cool shade of the woods. One branch of the trail goes to the left, and after a ten minute walk up hill you have a lookout over the town square and church tower. If you take a right, you have countless miles of woods ahead of you. Since I got pregnant, I always take a left, because the way to the right has a steep ravine on one side, and there are also many blind bends where you can't see if there's another dog around the corner.
But on weekends, when Ramon is home, we love taking the Lord of the Rings way, nicknamed after the movie because of how beautiful and fairytale-like it is. It's the perfect place to take the dogs, because there is a creek, glistening and cold, which winds along one side. The trail is beautiful in every season; here are photos of it in fall, winter, and spring.
This morning was very hot with no wind. The cool running water, with leaves and sticks floating on it's calm surface, was a lovely relief. We sat on a fallen tree trunk while the dogs picked around in the water; Boston dug in the mud for stones and Kiki snatched fallen leaves.
It's such a blessing to have all of this right outside our door.
Several times, in our wanderings and travels, my husband and I will come across a certain type of wooded area and he'll look at me and say "I smell Orcs" -- which is code for this looks like a L.O.T.R. area :-) Glad to know we're not the only ones.
ReplyDeleteHere in very flat rural Suffolk, England we have no such beautiful places sadly. It looks and sounds like it would make for the most perfect of weekend walks.
ReplyDeleteIt is thundering here today and I am safely snuggled inside with warm toasty socks on.Hope the rest of your weekend is as lovely.
xx
Yes, you are very blessed!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are beautiful - I can imagine that you enjoyed the coolness of the woods and the creek during this amazingly hot past days (although I am not pregnant these summer days were far beyond my ideal operating temperature :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, lovely pictures, as always! Is it me, or do I see a pair of eyes staring back at you on the fourth picture, the one with the leaves floating in the water?
ReplyDeleteWow Kristel, you're right! Water spirit?? :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! You're so good at what you do Dawn! Lovely post to read on a Sunday morning xxx
ReplyDeleteWonderful photographs Dawn....the dogs drinking from the creek look so peaceful....
ReplyDeleteJoann in CO
I'm so excited to find someone who loves nature as much as me! I am from the land of the Lord of the Rings, well, at least where it was filmed! And you are right, the landscape here is like a fairytale, it seems to have it's own sacred presence. I'm glad you have such a beautiful place to walk and immerse yourself in our lovely earth :)
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