And Then the Return

After we gave up on following the overgrown path

along the inlet side of Great Bridge Lock Park,

we turned back and returned to more manageable terrain.

Retracing one's steps never feels like backtracking 

because it brings a different visual perspective,

and things are noticed that were missed on the initial trek.

One of the first things I noticed on the way back towards our car

was the way the gentle rise of the land 

and the tree roots created a terraced effect ahead of us:

And then I saw a dead tree in the water. 

It had been there a long time,
long enough for the soil to have washed away from its roots.
The dark cluster looked somehow sinister,
and I was struck by the contrast with the slender green grass in the foreground:

;

The sun came out and I raised my camera to catch this scene:

But as I focused the camera, 

our little dog, whose retractable leash I held in my hand also,

noticed something that caught his interest; 

and he raced toward it like a bolt of lightening,

jerking my camera nearly out of my hands.

This is the un-retouched photo the dog "helped" take:

For a pekingese, he's got a pretty good eye for composition.

The three of us headed back through the pines, 

and I marveled at how different the scene looked 

with the morning sun illuminating the grass:

The pine trees were beautiful, but we didn't linger.

After we arrived back on the road into the park, we left the pavement 

for the grassy area by the canal lined with crepe myrtle trees.

We hoped the wet grass would brush some of the grit and sand 

from our dog's paws and long fur, and with luck, from our shoes too. 

The last lovely thing I saw on our walk
were hundreds and hundreds of crepe myrtle blossoms

that had bejeweled the grass :

All in all, a nice way to start the day.

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