Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Winter arrived on Sunday and was gone by Tuesday, just the way I like it. Monday was particularly beautiful. Warm with fat snowflakes frosting tree branches like buttercream icing, and a low hanging sun casting maple syrup shadows across a blanket of white fleece. It was a day made for walking.

Shadow Riley

Riley and I chose Bell’s Lane for our Monday walk, a scenic single-lane road meandering through pastureland just minutes from historic downtown Staunton. It reminds me of our farm in Bath County but because it’s open to traffic, it’s not quite as fun for Riley. Real farm romps do not involve leashes.

Riley, Bell's Lane

Exciting as it was, mini-winter wasn’t the highlight of our week.  Last Thursday marked the arrival of Riley’s celebrity photographer and biggest fan, Mim Adkins. Mim is a fine art and lifestyle photographer from Boston, Massachusetts. Her technical skills are amazing, but the way she soulfully connects with her subjects elevates her work from beautiful to magical. She’s an artist, and the only person for whom Riley will smile for the camera (or at least look at it). 

Mim also happens to be my college roommate and all that shared history makes for a rollicking good time. She took many, many fantastic photos, which I plan to dole out slowly and thoughtfully (hey, we have a year of walking to do!). Meanwhile, you can get more Art of Life by clicking the tab at the top of the page.

It was a fun, very dog-centric week. Riley even caught a frog, an unprecedented act of underwater bravery that deserves more than a tossed off comment at the bottom of the page. Sadly, there is no still shot or video so it will take a little time to come up with a creative way to honor his spectacular achievement. I'll keep you posted.