Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Yesterday, Murphy and I went on an adventure. I've been thinking about new activities for him as we both have kind of gotten bored with our usual walk. The walks are fine, but Murphy's been giving me the side-eye as we walk along, like he's trying to tell me, "Hoomin, weze bin dis way zillions of times. Derz no nu smells. I's need nu smells." After a lot of thinking and researching, I found Dogwood Farms in Indiana.  So Murphy and I drove over to see if he would like to herd sheep. It turns out he kinda does. At first, he was just totally confused. Mary Lou, the shepherd of Dogwood Farms and trainer of sheep dogs, said the confusion is perfectly normal. There was a lot going on that Murphy was trying to figure out. Towards the end of the session, Mary Lou dropped the lead to see how Murphy reacted. I totally get why she didn't want to just turn him loose from the get-go. I would have been mortified if Murphy had gone all attack-mode. But he didn't. He ...

Less than two weeks to the beginning of spring break. Aye yi yi. Time just keeps on slipping by. I'm okay with this, though, because for my spring break I'll be setting off for Nebraska! Yep, you read that right. Nebraska. Most people head south to warmer weather. Me? I head west, to a state that could experience a blizzard during the time I'll be there. But hey, that's what adventure is all about, right? My spring break adventure is a short trip to experience the spectacle that is the Sandhill Crane migration . I've booked an overnight stay in a blind on the Platte River, so hopefully I'll witness some serious crane behavior that happens at dusk and then again at dawn. I'm so stoked for this. The only thing I really need to get before my trip is some long johns. I have everything else thanks to the backpacking trip in Iceland. When I bought all the gear for Iceland, I worried over paying for things that might not be used all that often, so it's re...

So, Iceland. Let's start with this: Yeah, I know. Every time I look back through all my photos of Iceland, this one takes my breath away. That green! Seriously beautiful, yes? And everyone who has thumbed through my photos always stops on this one to really drink in what they're looking at. I really had no idea what the landscape would be like before we got to Iceland, so to be able to see this, walk across the black sands, feel the chill . . . it all was incredible. Such beauty in our world, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to experience it up close and personal with one of my most favorite people, Angel Baby. I'm not sure Angel Baby knew exactly what he was getting into in agreeing to travel with me. I'm the type who just rolls with the flow. I don't book hotels beforehand. I get to where I'm going and hope to find a place, which is exactly what we did. When we arrived in Reykjavik I told Angel Baby we needed to find a hostel. He d...