Walking With Lola

Who would have thought a Dog could inspire so many blogs? :)

Who would have thought a Dog would be what it took to get me walking an hour a day? Guilt inspires many. Those big brown eyes are hard to say no to! Every morning I try to take Lola for an hour walk in hopes it will keep her calm the rest of the day.

What I have found, since we adopted Lola, is that the reward from walking goes beyond physical satisfaction, a well behaved puppy and the "guilt free" feeling. It includes lots of little surprises along the way. It is a process to set out. Get the keys, epi-pen, leash, doggie treats, doggie clean-up bags, Lola, and sunglasses. Set the alarm and head out. I try to walk a different route everyday. Some days I walk the neighborhoods, some days I go out to the lake and back, some days I do the "3 mile" route. It is funny how I have a way of naming the routes I take.

Monarch Butterflies - I have seen a lot of butterflies. This is the only photo I have! They are so quick fluttering around. By the time I have my phone out to take a photo, they are gone. Poor Lola - She's wondering what in the world I am doing. Stopping in the middle of our mission to dig in my little case for my phone just to put it right back. :)The tall unruly grasses are constantly changing color! We have some by our house that have recently turned a beautiful burgundy color. They are soft and whisper in the wind. Lola likes to JUMP through them.Birds - The first time Lola saw these graceful white birds she sat down and barked. I couldn't get her to budge for about 5 minutes. She was determined to protect me even though we were headed AWAY from the bird! Ha. We now see these birds quite frequently. Although she is still interested in the bird she no longer barks. When there are Crows or Killdeers close by, she crouches down like a cat and stalks them! Of course they are aware of the large white object quickly bearing down on them and flutter off. So much for stealth!
We also encounter lots of worms and ants. Lately there have been quite a few small turtles by the lakes. They are so small and endearing. Thankfully no snakes. We have seen many a storm cloud, beautiful rainbows, lots of building progress, flowers, other joggers/walkers and dogs. There is always a spiritual lesson. It seems so fantastic. And to think I would have missed all of this if it weren't for Lola and those big brown eyes.