Pictures- but first, a story

 

So here I am on this week's unplanned staycation.  Why unplanned? This is a story of God's grace.

It starts with Laurie getting scheduled for whatever reason with a Friday to Tuesday vacation (IOW, not scheduled).  I had been mulling over whether to take some of this time off too, but never did.  I thought about it again last night before dozing off.

Waking up Monday, I went through the usual garbage where the Devil tries to tell me God isn't real, and I tell him back, "I know He is because of what He's done for me."  Off to work I go, and suddenly my "brake fluid low" light comes on.  With my vastly outdated knowledge of cars, I thought I'd just stop at the gas station, pop a pint into the reservoir, and off I go.

But God blessed me in that the lady running the station was A) not busy and outside having a smoke, and B) was far more knowledgable about these things than myself. After explaining to me that I was an idiot on the road to disaster (In other words, it don't work like that anymore), I called off work, and let Laurie know I was coming back home.

God blessed me a second time then in that once home and while waiting for my mechanic to open, I went back to bed and listened to David Jeremiah- who "just happened" to be talking about how, God doesn't protect you from tribulation, but stands with you through it.  Just what I needed.

Flash ahead to the service shop, where I found out that I had a rear cylinder leak that basically ruined both drums.  The estimate was such that my next choked words were, "We're going to have to talk financing..."

He sent me a link to their financing company, which after making me go through about a half-hour of hoops, said, "I'm sorry, you don't qualify. We'll send you a letter in 7-10 business days explaining why." Which, I believe, was another saving from God, because if I read the terms and conditions right, it was going to come with a 39% interest rate.

So while Laurie called our financial people to retrieve some more retirement money (you know, retirement, that thing that will never happen for me?), I got with the shop, told them the situation, and they said, "Okay, we'll go ahead and get it done, and when you get the money, come get the car."  That will be at least Wednesday, so I called my boss and told him I needed vacation this week- because, God said, "No, you will take vacation NOW!"  And here we are.

Now, onto a great morning walk!

Misty chooses Groundhog road

Breakfast #1- wild strawberries.  Misty won't try them, they are essentially little bites of water with very limited flavor.

Scrunchy, anyone?

Good morning, Big Guy

Stop for a drink #1.  Because muddy water is so much better than slightly flavored berries.

While Misty hoofs it, this doggie tours the woods on a chauffered cart!

Someone lost a lens from their glasses- right in plain sight, if you haven't lost a lens

I bet you can't guess where the water from the last rain stopped

Approximately our 1-mile mark

Doggie meets dragonfly

We took a slight detour to track down better breakfast- Raspberries!  Now these, Misty loves.

Misty finds a frisbee- again, in plain sight

We stopped off at the creek...

...and there was a deer in the water, down by the bridge!  I've wanted a shot like this forever- but the only chance I ever had, the old camera decided to malfunction

On the way back to our regularly scheduled walk- more raspberries!

Then it was time to hunt froggies at the Alumni Pond

Which got interrupted when we both saw a varmint running down the way!

See him a little clearer there, but not much

Misty, though, tracked down where he went

The view from the Big Hill

We reach the river- and Misty debates whether to jump in right there

A few feet ahead, a froggy

and a teeny minnow riding the surface, so as to be eaten by something more efficiently

Meanwhile, at the Swamp- more froggies!

They were little, post-tadpole buggers- sorry, you need Clark Kent's glasses to see them

But Misty had a blast- almost caught a couple!

This guy serenaded us

Approximate 2-mile mark

Tiger lilies on the rampage

More raspberries!  For a minute, I thought Misty was gonna pick her own...

Lots of mini socceristas out

And the 2 1/2 mile mark- almost home!