Sunshine Seekers

A rare afternoon of sunshine this past week opened up an opportunity for my husband and I along with the dogs to get out and hike. With all the rain and mud we've had, when the skies cleared we jumped at the chance to get out and explore.  We wanted to see how much snow had melted in our woods and so we got ready and headed out.

On our way to the woods, we passed the hens who were out enjoying the sun too.  Mr. Sal might have been strutting, just a bit, to get the ladies attention...

He certainly looked quite happy to see the sun and drier ground.

All the hens had fund a comfy spot in the soft ground, and were taking an afternoon dust bath.

When the sun comes out, after so many days of rain and mud... everyone takes advantage of it!

Our walk was of the most pleasant sort.  There were patches of snow and ice still in the shadows, so boots were still in order.

Behind our property, the logging operation has ceased for the spring breakup.  Logging is such a tough business, but the spring breakup has to be the hardest part of it.  They can't work until the mud dries up and the ground thaws.  Many of the roads are under weight restrictions, and heavy trucks can only drive 30 miles an hour, which basically forces most of the logging companies to shut down until the weight limits are released, and the ground dries up.

It always saddens me to see the big trees that have been felled, although I know it is a due process that must take place.  But still... this entire little logging road used to be lined with huge fir and pine trees. Now, it is starting to look more like a field.

Riley's nose was getting quite the workout as we hiked, with all the exciting things to explore.

We came upon a group of three trees that stood out to us from a distance.  On closer inspection, it was obvious that possibly woodpeckers or an insect had been eating the outer layer of bark on the trees.

We could see the tiny holes that were made.  I have never seen trees like this before, with the bark stripped in this manner.  It was quite unusual.

We came to the overlook into the valley below, and this was the end of our trail, so we stopped and just enjoyed the vistas and the view around us.  See that mountain way off in the distance?

Zoomed in we can see it a lot better.  Someone is using the sunshine this afternoon to burn... another sign of spring in our area, when people begin to burn brush when the ground is wet, and there is no danger of forest fires.

Little Riley found a little hill to take a breather, and I captured her happy face in this rare, still moment, her fur ruffled by the cool spring breeze.

Her fur and the color of the ground match perfectly, I think!  I love the pensive expression on her face.

Roger started to run down the hill into the ravine, but got so far, and then changed his mind.  Smart dog. I wouldn't want to come back up that incline either!  Going down is great, but the coming back up part is not so fun!

Walking back down the trail, we enjoyed the sunshine on our faces, and the fresh woodsy scent of all the pine chips.  Invigorating!

Back home, we just didn't want to go inside.  So we decided to build a little fire in the pit our son made for us.  We found some wood that wasn't too wet, or so we thought.  It had been covered through the winter, but it was still wet.  So we had a smoldering fire for a while, until the wood finally caught, and then we had a nice little fire.  We sat down in our Adirondack chairs and just relaxed, enjoying the rest of the afternoon.  I made a cup of hot tea and it felt good to relax - outside - after the long winter days of being cooped up inside.

And this one - well she really took the art of relaxing to another level... she found a comfy spot under the pine trees, settled in with the pine needles and fell fast asleep.

The perfect way to end a lovely afternoon... her snoozing sweetness added to the joy of the moment that we were having... sunshine seekers that we were. :)