Friday, April 30, 2010

Diggin' the Windy Grasses...

"When my neighbor walks the dogs, he performs a ritual act of sacer simplicitas, to use the church Latin: "sacred simplicity." Walking the dog is in truth a ritual of renewal and revival on an intimate scale - a small rebirth of well-being on a daily basis."
- Robert Fulghum, From Beginning to End
IknowsIknows - sounds a bit pious, but hiking in the hills around my pad is a religious experience heheh!

Guess there's a trade-off fer livin' where we has so many places in the hills fer doggehs like moi to hike. We live in pretty close quarters (house-house) in the valleys between 'em! Upper left is one view from my back yard of the ridge loop I just loves. Lower left is the entrance to the Open Space here. And, duh, "Mom, hurray!"

We don't have to climb far before we run into a golden I shouldda met eons ago! It's Maggie! The lady from Norcal Golden Retriever Rescue who put me and my peeps together, put Maggie and her peeps together too! We finally come nose to nose here on this ridge! Pawsome!

That lizard got away... but I promises you, I'll get 'im on the way back - WOOF!

Here we be at the top of the loop and I be scentin' sumpin serious. Mayhap it be a squirrel??!!! It was furry windy and I gots a movie to show you how breezy it was. Love the grasses!




If the movie buffers too much try here and I hopes that will work.

See - tol' ya! So... took a little time to check out the overlook. Mt. Tam on a clear day!

Pawsome!

And... distracted!

Cause there's gophers effurywhere. And I'm a sucker for those lil' teefy ground rodents!

And here we are on the loop back and there's MORE lizards! The nerve of 'em bein' so fassssst!

HEY! Wait up, Ma! Comin'! HEY! I'm taaahrrrd!

Aaaaahhhhhhh sluuurrrrrpppp. Thanks fur remembrin'. That was grrrrrrawsome zzzzzzz. From Ma: Yes... sacred simplicity!



31 comments:

houndstooth said...

That looks like a great way to spend the day! I wish we had someplace that pretty here to go hiking!

Bunny

the booker man said...

wow, miss sammie, what a pretty place to hike!! i'm a little jelly that that's right in your backyard. me and my big sis asa have to ride in the car for at least a 30 minute snooze before we get to good hikin' territory. anywho, i like how you were runnin' through the grasses blowing in the wind!
*woof*
the booker man

Sierra Rose said...

Hi ya! Love that spot Sammie!
Was trying to figure out the purple flowers you encountered....lupine? Or, more of a vine? Seems that the wildflowers that grow in our hills are only those that are compatible with our abundance of serpentine rock. Great hike! It's been so blustery the past few days.

Hugs and snaggle-tooth kisses,
Sierra Rose

Beth and Alfie said...

There is something WONDERFUL about walks...good for the inside and the outside of you, don'tcha think?! What gorgeous scenery...you're a lucky dog!

Anonymous said...

What a great place to hike!

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

What GReat pikhs!

And the video made me so furry jealous!

I khan't do all those pawesome moves unless I want to tie myself up!

Woo Goldens and your leashless thingie!

Happy Weekend to all of WOO!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

Teddy Westlife said...

You get to go on such great adventures Sammie! Hi Ozzie :)

KB said...

I couldn't agree more... a walk with the dogs is a sacred simplicity... especially when you have such a gorgeous place to take the walk!

Samantha looks stupendous - healthy and happy! I love her just running for the sheer joy of it in the windy meadow. It's a good time of year for it - it looks like there aren't foxtails yet! It even looks like some flowers were blooming in the meadow.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful countryside and yourself!!

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

You live in such a beautiful place, Sammie, so many great places to visit and fun furiends to meet. It must be so much fun to run free in the tall grasses and wildflowers and feel that breeze run through your furs.

Have a great weekend.

Woos - Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Infrequent Flyers said...

That looks like a beautiful place, and so much fun! But watch out for those foxtail stinkers--I'm paranoid about them now!

Emma Rose said...

That is a beautiful place for a beautiful girl! Great post - thanks for sharing :)

Kisses,
Emma Rose

Scout and Freyja said...

You look so happy and so beautiful, Sammie! Being rescued and then found by a new family is the best feeling in the world for a homeless animal.

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

Thanks for visiting my blog! All comments are emailed to me so thank you for watching Katie's UD leg video. So proud of that and it thrills me to think someone sees it occasionally... just so glad I got 1 of the 3 legs videoed as my husband was not there for all 25 attempts.

Beautiful golden and what a great place to hike!!! Good luck with Open training... that is awesome that you are working with a rescue.

Martha said...

Hi Sammie, we are so pleased we got to read your post and can comment!
We also got to see the video which was delightful - you looked so happy and beautiful running through the long grass - the wind gave your fur and the grass such beautiful movement.
Really lovely pics of your hike - we love the simple pleasures of walking ourselves.
Our humans say it is very good for them and they can forget about all the problems of work and just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.
Your scenery was stunning and your happiness contagious.
Have a great weekend.
love
Martha & bailey xxx

Valerie Cummings said...

OH! LOVED your video!!!! Psssst...I think thats what heaven looks like!!!!! And you guys live there!!!!
Oh how we love you Sammie! And your mom and dad!!!! Hugs Joey and Kealani

Thor and Jack said...

That's a beautiful place for walks! You look gorgeous in all those pics and video and so happy!
Thor xx

Raising Haley said...

That sure does look like a lot of fun! We have a few places around here to hike, but they are a good drive. The neighborhood is always nice to terrorize though. ;)

- Mack

Asta said...

Sammy
that is a pawfect way to descwibe being wif you in that gowgeous countwieside.
I love seeing you take full advantage and enjoying it.

smoochie kisses
ASTa
pee ess..Mommi is painting paintings, not the wall, hehehe

The Oceanside Animals said...

hello sammie its dennis the vizsla dog hay i -- aiiieeeeee foxtails!!! run away!!!! ok bye

Maggie Mae and Max said...

Hi Samantha, it sure is nice to meet you! You live in a beautiful place. I will come back and visit you again real soon.

Woofs and Licks,
Maggie Mae

Rocky Creek Scotties and Rocky Creek Ramblings said...

What a lovely place to get your walkies and zommies in!! We so enjoyed your beautiful photographs.

XOXO
Lilly, Piper, Carrleigh and Ruairi

How Sam Sees It said...

Hmmm... I suddenly have the urge to watch "The Sound of Music"... The pictures are lovely! I would really like to come and visit there one day with Sam and Monty.

Sam

Wyatt said...

Samantha-
What a nice hike you had and you saw gophers and lizards too. BOW WOW!
Wyatt

The Army of Four said...

Woo, Sammie! Sorry I'm so far behind reading.
These pictures are so cool. I was expecting to see that Julie Andrews lady show up and start singing that "The hills are aliiiiiiiiiive..." song. Woo. So much wide open space - she should have thrown a Kong-on-a-Rope around!
Luv,
DAve

Molly the Airedale said...

We loved your video,Sammie! What a lovely spot for a hike!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Anonymous said...

Wowee, Sammie! That is like the Most Totally Beautiful and Amazing backyard I ever did see in my whole entire LIFE! Gosh, it looks like fun to be able to run arounds in those grasses all the time like you get to do!

Wiggles & WAgs,
Mayzie

PeeS. I gots my GABE pressie from you and we luvs it! We're gonna be posting about it soon on our bloggie!

Dexter said...

So that's what they mean by waves of grass. Never saw that around here for sure. Nice hike. You have some big mountains near your estate.

Slobbers,
Mango

The Adventures of the LLB Gang said...

Oh Samantha, thank you for taking us in such a lovely walk!!

Smileys!
Dory

Life With Dogs said...

I'm always jealous when I get to see your surroundings - but MT. Tam?? That is the stuff of mountain biking legend, and I am drooling!

Kari in Alaska said...

those pics make me miss norcal

Augie and Ti's mom said...

The romping in the tall grass was too cute! Ah, to be a dog sometimes!