Well, how often can you say you took a brisk walk on a crisp morning in the tail end of July? I put the furnace on before I went to bed last night, but I nudged the thermostat up this morning – not just for Buddy this time, but for me as well. I heard the furnace revving up and chugging along as I was eating my warm oatmeal and having a steaming cup of coffee. The weatherman said it was 50 degrees and I toyed with the idea of going downstairs into the cedar closet to dig out some warm mitts and a muffler for my walk. This Summer, the weather has been so erratic that I’ve needed to have two different walking wardrobes at the ready all season long: shorts and a tee-shirt or a long-sleeved shirt and pants plus a jacket. I’ve relied on the latter combo the most.

It was very quiet as I traversed the streets to head to the Park – once again the hum of the air conditioners was absent and everyone’s windows were open letting the refreshing air in. Well, whomever is in charge of this great weather – God or Mother Nature – you got a handle on this!

Enroute to Council Point Park this morning I saw this large bunny. I see him quite often at this particular spot, since the homeowner has a beautiful lawn which he mows so that the grass blades are about four inches high. It is paradise for this bunny who is often seen nibbling contentedly on the tall grass. He is really huge, and I suspect that the tender blades of grass are not the only food that is sustaining him, and he is probably raiding the neighbors’ veggie gardens. As I approached him, he paused momentarily from munching his breakfast, eyes wide as saucers and tall ears a pretty, translucent pink in the morning sun. He didn’t bolt, like he often does, and instead just stared at me as if to say “what’s your hurry girlie?” He looked calm and complacent, so I seized the opportunity to take his picture. That task done, he still didn’t bolt and so I hesitated for a minute longer as I resisted the urge to scoop him up and take him with me. Perhaps that furry little bunny could warm my cold hands and be a walking buddy for me until I turned him loose to join his bunny brethren in the Park. Well … maybe next time.