Wag The Dog

Oh man, I have been so pleasantly, sweetfully domestic lately, let me tell you. When the slightly cooler and calmer weather rolls around in Florida, it should provide an amazing impetus to get out and play in the woods or on the water. The key word being should. But instead of doing that, it oddly lulls me into a sort of semi-indolent state for the first few weekends where I just want to work on my house and in my yard during the day, maybe hit up an antique or thrift store or a farmer's market, and sit outside with a glass of wine as the sun sets.

Maybe it's the shorter days and how time ironically seems a little slower and less demanding in them. Or maybe it's that everything around me is just a little bit nicer and more comfortable, so I don't feel the need to escape and seek out enjoyment elsewhere. Or maybe it's all in my head and has nothing to do with the time or climate and I'm just a lazy bastard. Whatever it is, I just feel like I'm allowed to relax a little bit more without so putting so much effort into my relaxation. And I don't feel the need to apologize for a lack of adventures in my life to myself or to strangers on the internet. Both of which are rare for me.

All that being said, I finally did get outside this weekend for a (mini) adventure. I had to run an errand outside of Orlando, and I decided to bring the dogs with me so we could stop at a nearby trail I know of that's beautiful as all hell and short enough to accomodate Fozzie's arthritic hip (and accomodate me since I had already been to yoga and spin class that morning and was pretty exhausted). I realized that while Tank and Digby are seasoned pros in the world of outdoor recreation, poor Fozzie had never been for a walk in the woods with us.  

Despite constantly limping on her back leg, the girl LOVES to go on walks. LOVES it. I don't push her too hard due to the arthritis and limping, and I watch for signs of discomfort to see when she's had enough. But when she's pulling on the leash and her tail is wagging out of control, I can't leave her behind. She deserves some outdoors fun, too, albeit a gentler kind.

I can't get over this trail. It gets overlooked because it's so short and the little conservation area it's in is relatively tiny when you look at it on a map. But once you're actually in it you feel so alone, like you're walking through the historic jungles of Florida when oak trees reigned supreme and Mediterranean condominiums didn't even exist. Granted that's obviously just a feeling and not reality in the slightest, but it's a feeling I will happily take (though it only lasts until I hear the seemingly-ubiquitous hum of a distant airboat engine).

The problem with feeling alone in nature is that when you do hear something, your heart skips a beat while you instinctively assess the situation with your senses. So when you hear, say, a thundering crash in the trees above you, and a large, severed catfish head comes tumbling through branches and lands right on your shoulder, it can be mildly terrifying for a moment. But once I realized that it was just a big vulture being a wise guy, I had to laugh. I swear some of the shit that happens to me I can't make up.

We made it to our destination, an observation tower overlooking wetlands, and just took some time to relax (and pick ticks off the dogs). I don't know who brought plastic chairs up here, but I'm not complaining because whoever it was also brought two bottles of bug spray. I wasn't prepared for this outing, and don't think we would have stayed very long (or very comfortably) had those amenities not been available.

Ecotone between the dense oak hammock and the sprawling wetland.

 I don't care even a little bit that this was such a small adventure, because it reminded me why I do tend to seek out these experiences over housework and yardwork and all the other domestic pursuits I find myself toiling in lately. Because god damnit, it can just be so unbelievably beautiful and calming and rejuvenating to be alone in nature on a cool, sunny, quiet afternoon with happy dogs and a smile.