Footsteps Worth Following! :)

There's something about footprints that touches my heart and makes me feel philosophical! :)

They can tell us alot about those who've left the tracks, even when the tracks are our own! The black fuzzy spot in this photo, happens to be Coal's foot running in close, caught in the lens! :)

His footprints can be seen wherever mine are found, expressing his friendship and loyalty! :)

We all leave footprints as we walk through this life! :)

Hopefully our steps are worth following by others, - especially those dear to us! And if we live well, there is joy and laughter along the way! :)

For our canine family members, I need to be "a calm, assertive packleader" (as Cesar Millan would say), - and for our children, I need to be loving, and when necessary, firm but friendly! :)
With all of them, I need to be a person worth following, both in example and spirit! :)

I've found the closer my feet follow our Savior's example, the more worthwhile my steps are. Sometimes I follow His footsteps better than at other times, - but I am always trying. After all, there's alot riding on the steps I (we) choose to take! :)

Coal-Black On White! :)

We woke to a winter wonderland today, so when Coal and I went out for his potty break, I grabbed the camera on the way out the door! It was a great opportunity to take a few "black & white" photos! :)

It was a thrill to watch Coal racing around at high speed, experiencing snow for the first time! :)

Lucky for me, once he burned some excited energy, he allowed some still shots, too! :)

Even with the snow, he managed to find some plant tags to pluck up! Twirp! :)

I was also pleased to discover a way of downloading more than 3 photos! I hope it lets me do this from now on, as photos say so much more than words ever can! :)
Hope you enjoyed the "Coal-Black on White" photo shoot! I had a blast with it! :)

Christmas On Valentine's Day!? :)

Christmas arrived on Valentines Day, for me this year, on account of UPS arriving a day ahead of schedule with my Christmas garden seed order from Territorial! :) And now I have "visions of Seedlings dancing in my head"! :)

I couldn't resist opening the box immediately and assembling my new mini greenhouse! :)

Lucky for me, it's lightweight, and will be easy for me to carry out to my shop room where I'll be growing the seedlings, - so I didn't get too far ahead of myself! :)

It's been years since I started tomato and peppers from seed, as they came out spindly, and I vowed I'd never bother again! - But my resolve failed when I saw all the tastety tomato and pepper varieties that are not available in any local market or nursery! So I've been studying, and picking the brains of trusted experts, and am going to give it the old college try once again!! :)

If I succeed, I will need this mini greenhouse for the transplants, and it's a unit I can also move outdoors when it's time to harden them off for the garden! :)

If I fail at growing hardy tomato and pepper plants again, the greenhouse will still come in handy for growing flowers and other vegetables, so it's still a good purchase, either way! - But if I can learn how to achieve success with starting tomatoes and peppers from seed, - there will be a bounty of flavors growing in our garden that will greatly surpass the flavors I've been able to grow, thus far! :)

Wish me luck!! ... I'm going to need it! :)

Look Into His Eyes! :)

Look into these eyes! Do they look vacant to you!? :)

Potty training has taken Coal longer to learn than it took our other dogs and, as you can see, we've literally worn a path in the lawn taking him out to the designated potty area, day and night! :)

We've made the treck with him more times than we care to count, in the last four weeks that we've had him!

I will tell you that there Is intelligence in those eyes, - I see it all the time, - and sometimes I grin, thinking he is trying to be patient with Us, wondering if he'll ever get us trained! :)

Today is a new record, of four days in-a-row without any accidents in the house, and I know it's just a matter of time untill we realize he is really and truely potty trained! :)
Already, he is a great companion, and we can't help but love and enjoy him! How could we feel otherwise, - when we look into his eyes! :)

Seeds and Blessings! :)

Anyone who knows me wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that, on occasion, this time of year, my table could be covered in seed packets!

Any gardener can tell you that one of the most integral parts of gardenig is the planning! In a vegetable garden, crops need to be rotated yearly, so one must decide where to plant veggies this year, and still meet the plants sun and shade requirements! :)

I've discovered that it's beneficial to the vegetable plants to have plenty of colorful flowers growing, to invite the pollinators! :)

I'm so passionate about gardening that there are times my blog is more about my yard and garden than anything else, and I'm fearful the few blog followers I have may be too bored to stay with me.

However, my blog is about Enjoying The Journey, and this blog Is My Journey, after all! :) So I share the joys and loves in life that I'm passionate about, in hopes that there may be a few of you out there who share my joys and may be uplifted by my journey! :)
After all, the best way I know to enjoy this life journey is to make a point of doing those things one most enjoys! For me, that's living the gospel; spending cherished time with family; spending as much time working in my yard and garden, as my busy life allows; giving service; enjoying pets and nature; and counting my many blessings! :)

Here's hoping that you find some enjoyment in it, too! :)

Dog Days Of Summer! :)

Lately I've been missing the dog days of summer. I miss the warm weather and the opportunity it brings to be out working in the yard and garden!

And I miss my good friend, Buddyman, and the way he always wanted to be wherever I was!

He knew the art of laying back and enjoying those peaceful summer days, and just looking at him would make me feel relaxed too! :)
As we begin the long process of training a new companion, I'm pleased to see the shadowing behavior in Coal, that we so enjoyed in our other dogs! He, too, wants to be where we are, and I trust when summer comes, he will be out there with me, enjoying the dog days of summer! :)